ACHYUT KANVINDE

ACHYUT KANVINDE
Kanvinde was born in 1916 in asmall villageon the
Konkan coast.Raised in a joint family in the village.
Kanvinde had the calling of a painter and did enroll
in anart schoolbut the family decided that
architecture would be a better profession for him.
He entered the Architecture Department at Sir J.J.
School of Art in 1935 then headed by Claude Batley,
who was also the premier architect of the country.
He passed out in 1941.1943, he joined the newly
formed Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
as architect.

Achyut Kanvinde attended Harvard Graduateschool

of Designin 1945.

TIMELINE

Sir JJ college of arts

1966

1935
1916

IIT KANPUR

1945
Harvard school of design

Awarded padma shree

1976

1973
Doodhsagar dairy
,Mehsana

National
ScienceCentre
New Delhi

1991

1985
IIAs Babu Rao
Mhatre
Gold Medal

ISKCON
Temple,
East of
Kailash,
Delhi 1998

1993
Great Masters
Award from JK
Industries Ltd.

EXPIRIENCE UNDER CLAUDE BATLEY

Claude Batley introduced Kanvinde to the world ofarchitecture. This was the
period when Kanvinde learned to appreciate the values of Indian architecture. He
was familiarized with
Its origins
Architecture based on the exigencies of local climate, building materials and
social conditions
literate fusion of Western classical order with Indian building traditions
climatological principles
In 1934, he published a volume of measured drawings of traditional Indian
building and in his lectures he tried for an informed Kanvinde remembers him

as "a very important man in shaping the outlook of many architects of

my generation, also of the earlier generation

EXPERIENCE UNDER WALTER GROPIUS

THE BAUHAUS STYLE

Studying under walter gropius, kanvinde developed a whole new outlook towards
architecture. He was greatly influenced by the Bauhaus style, which later on was
adopted in his various buildings. Kanvinde was initially unprepared for the space
concepts taught in Gropiuss school. Having studied underBatley, he was not
conversant with the progressive imagery and techniques of the International style.
But progressively what he was much affected by was the social order and the
optimism implied by the Modernist paradigm.

MELINE OF HIS WORKS

54 - 1964

PhysicalResearch Laboratory,
Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad Textiles Industries

Research Association

uncil of Scientific andIndustrial Research

Harivallabdas House, Ahemdab

Gandhi Krishi Vigyan

Kendra Bangalore(1965)

NehruScience
Center,
Mumbai(1985)

Institute ofRural
Doodhsagar Dairy ,Mehsana
Management,
(National DairyDevelopment
Anand(1979)
Board)(1973)

IIT KanpurCampus(1966)

National Science
Center, New
Delhi(1991)

The various Bauhaus characteristics visible in

Kanvinde's
Asymmetry works would be
Blocky
Cubic shapes
Smooth, flat plain, undecorated surfaces
Flat roofs
Adoption of steel-framed or reinforced-concrete post-and-slab.
Kanvinde played with space and form and much more importance to natural
light.
He believed that the relationships of the parts and materials of the
building are a working morality.

STYLE- BRUTALISM & REGIONALISM

By the end of 1960s Kanvindes expressive architecture was variously
interpreted as "an architectural expression that reflected the culture and
aspirations" and "clearly reflected the rise of the Brutalist polemic of
architecture. Expressed Concrete structure in combination with brick
became the dynamic determinant of form and order.
Here the paradox is that what (Brutalism) in the West was popular for the
dynamism and the aesthetic of vigour, in neo-Gandhian India of 1970s is
regarded a realistic and expressive product of India.

The primary task was to respond to functional demands of the dairy

interior: the need for effective layout and optimal ventilation which
formed the central idea of the design.

The Doodhsagar dairy is monstrous, raw, and probably one of the first
outbursts of what can be called Kanvindes brutalism. The form is very
rough, and blocky.

To evacuate the heat generated out of milk condensing and spray

drying equipment, a system of ventilation ducts linking all the working
areas runs around the periphery of both the buildings eliminating the
ineffective exhaust fans.

The grid based spatial organisation and

shafts, although intrinsic to
the technical process, are articulated by Kanvinde to form a rhythmic
compositionreflecting a level of autonomy in expression. The
intention of making a triumphant gesture of the modernising dairy
industry representing the small scale dairy farmers.

Rhythmic
Ventilation
shafts
Slit windows

Graphic
Bands

IIT KANPUR

Centrally located
academic block

Vehicular
movement
Pedestrian
movement
Elevated pedestrian walkway
Sheltered and yet openness
Protection from hot sun yet
allowing breezes

The Bauhaus influence in Kanvindes style is

clearly visible in the buildings of IIT Kanpur.
cubic shapes
smooth, flat plain, undecorated surfaces
complete elimination of all mouldings and
ornament
flat roofs

Terrace
Reveals the internal functions in a building
as
separate masses.
Arranged in ways that were functional from
Computer
inside
and elegant from outside.
Kanvinde strongly believed that the
Terrace of a structure should be defined
elevation
by the functions inside.

National Science Center,

New Delhi, India (1991)
Situated in the vicinity of old monuments of Delhi providing a new fabric
to the city and at the same time feeling of the ancient building.

A set of vertical volumes that rise gradually- this buildings is visually

appealing, and unimposing. It has a large grand flight of steps on its
entrance.
The skylights- which are the dominant highlight of the design are a
common repeating element in many of his works- such as the
Doodhsagar Dairy, and the Nehru Science Center, Mumbai.
The building seems to have a simple & efficiently designed structural
system, and a functional approach in its layout.
The building accommodates a complex of workshops, library, lecture
halls and observatory.
Site Location- Bhairon Road, Adjacent
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Site Area- 7000m2
Materials Used: RCC frame, brick infill
plastered in a fine stone grit finish.

Harivallabdas House
Ahmedabad, India (1964)

Distinct living modules are arranged under a sweeping parasol and

sensitively sited in a garden setting. We can clearly understand the
internal functions of this building by observing it from the outside- as
they appear as separate masses. These are arranged in ways that are
functional from inside and elegant from outside.

Visual appeal- due to its divided massing, their proportions and

horizontality.
Modern for its time- built in 1964.
Exposed circulation spaces
Dull neutral colors used, like in most of his other works.

Site Location- Ahemdabad.

Site Area- 1200m2
Materials Used: RCC frame, brick and grit finish.

CONCLUSION
Kanvindes career spanned a period of about 50 years. It was a prolific
career in that the scale and number of projects he worked on from the
beginning are incomparable.
There are infinite number of concerns, influences and traditions that
have shaped Kanvindes works. A much deep-probing understanding of
his life and his work responsive to his larger interests and concerns
seems important to clarify the important phase of the political and social
process in the creation in the new country which he shaped and guided.
Humility and reticence are acclaimed hallmarks of his persona, which is
probably one of the reasons his works have not been as widely known as
they could have been.
He gave his attention to the students of architecture, and was
passionately involved with them. He lectured at SPA, CEPT and JJ
amongst other colleges.

In each of his buildings, whether residential, commercial

or government complexes, one can see an attempt to
break away from traditional architectural design and yet,
design them keeping in mind all the aspects conducive to
a great building (such as climate, use of space,
orientation and aesthetics),revealed Doshi to a packed

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