Chapter 5: The paradox of doshi’s mythical realism

Presence time, accretion and mythical reality

Throughout the doshi’s work ‘celebration of human expericences’ and ‘reverence for
nature’ have been two recurring themes.
At his formal traning in arts at ferguson college, Bombay he gained a expression of texture,
aroma, sound, color, light, form and space.
In four years at le corbusier’s atelier in paris , he established the process of constant self
questioning.
During his early teachings in usa and japan between 1958 and 1962 he gained a lot of
knowledge on geography of differences between varied lands ,peoples, histories and
traditions ,he revealed this through sketches ,diary jottings, paintings, models ,drawings and
architecture.
In the 50’s and 60’s when young nation established institutions of higher learning ,doshi
imagined this as future possibility and came up with cept as an educational institution of
inter -disciplinary .
Through a series of collaborations , cept manifested architecture, art, landscape, sciences
and several other streams .

Notions of liminal inhabitation

Arriving in Ahmedabad had a deep impact on doshi , the life ,the philosophy and teachings
of gandhiji were an indelible influence. the influence of gandhian thought reaffirmed the
belief In building less ,leaving as much room for the unstated as the stated .
Cept campus is among the finest example of this philosophic premise, growing and
constantly changing , gracefully weathering vicissitudes of time.

The home as refuge

While representing le Corbusier during the construction of shodhan house, doshi recognized
that the ahemdabad’s summer sun and shade strongly states relationships between people
and building.
In response the architects residence manifests a profound shaded refuge and interiority
shutting out a dusty city, only to recall it as distinct memory. The dwelling express
modulation of space through time early morning and sunrise are accompanied by calm
classical music and prayer. Afternoons a dark refuge and siesta with wooden doors shut to
keep out harsh sun and heat. Evening shift familial activity to an open to sky in a garden.

Notions of time and diurnal cycles

To doshi time is revealed in several ways -through an architecture that strongly responds to
daily cycles ,through growth ,addiction and transformation ,his projects like school of
architecture has some glimpse of it .Doshi’s mianiature paintings of sangath reveal a similar
allegiance to a layered notion of life.
Time and the meandering path

Doshi’s path is playfully unpredictable ,absorbing topographies of context and site.at the
indian institute of management ,Bengaluru ,the meandering paths,informal spaces
,corridors ,courtyards and steps are equally places of learning and exchange as formal
classrooms ,while in cept paths are implicit .

Time and accretion

dislocated from time ,doshi’s elements embody the freedom to engage in spontaneous
relationships .in aranya ,the elements and fragments open a participatory process of
unlimited choices ,with the community appropriating a vocabulary of a village ,town and city
simultaneously.

Chapter 6: The joy of making – ways of seeing, ways of building

This essay speaks about processes and productions with Doshi in his projects .
Doshi’s curiosity is fueled by a deep belief that he can not repeat a building again. He belives
that each day is another opportunity to learn by forgetting what he already knew.
Doshi’s method of working is circumambulatory .he enjoys the process of exploring ,of
making models after models ,or avatars after avatars of the same building ,living the project.
He believed that human instinct demands constant change and variation .
Life unfolds and provides greater opportunities if you allow time,place,event and
opportunity to intervene.
He says he knowingly tend to ignore certain situations so that eventually they will give him
new opportunities to explore .
Unlike other architects he never complete his buildings and the building is like an old friend
to him with whom his relationship evolves and continues over time .he is not constrained by
time,by choice or by situation .
Doshi is fond of mythological stories ,especially from the mahabharatra and uses them often
to illustrate a point of view
He suspect a careful observation of life and human behavior,this reflect in his approach to
design where form making is the least of his concerns .
He often talks about his childhood where he once saw one of the carpenters from his
grandfather’s furniture workshop get drunk and beat his wife to exhort money for his
drinks,he says he vowed to make affordable ,cheap furniture so that all persons would live
in dignity,from here he came up with the concept of affordable home for less privileged and
aranya in many ways was a culmination of this belief.