Houses ranging from one bedroom to bigger were available for people to choose from depending on the income group. He planned and constructed 80 sample homes for the families with variations in terms of size, spatial planning, mass, and movement. As every entrance, staircase, verandahs, buffer had variations, it gave a unique character to every house.ĭoshi had a kit of elements that included a staircase, Openings, railings, overhangs, verandahs that allowed families to adapt it according to their needs. The user was given the freedom to choose how much to build, the combinations to build. The six sectors had their own green spaces and one larger public space for the whole township. Interconnectivity and space interactions_Balkrishna doshi_©Vastushilpa Foundation Interconnectivity and space interactions_Balkrishna doshi_©Vastushilpa Foundation Planning, Masses and FormĮvery 10 clusters of houses shared a courtyard. As the sector roads connect to a central spine, this spine is staggered at 2 points to reduce the traffic. The main public space being connected with all secondary spaces maintains a link throughout the township. The community public spaces follow a hierarchy, with an even distribution of community sub-centres with active pedestrian movement. The entrances, buffer spaces between public and private, streets, space between two houses, the scale of these pathways concerning the built spaces allow ease to spaces and functionality. This affects the nature of pathways and streets that the houses share, making the heavy traffic inactive and instigating informal public activities and interactions. The street network has clear vehicular and pedestrian traffic segregation, drawing the vehicular road towards the peripheral main road and pedestrians or informal pathways. Street House relationships_Balkrishna doshi_©Vastushilpa Foundation Street House relationships_Balkrishna doshi_©Vastushilpa Foundation Hierarchy and Connectivity This idea also allowed the house to grow subjectively, influencing the connectivity, human and adaptability, private and public buffers, indoor-outdoor relationships, and flow of spaces. Instead of a finished house, this framework allowed people to shape the space according to their fundamental needs and lifestyles. As the number of slums, illegal settlements, and scarcity of shelters increased, it became important for the government to tackle this issue in an affordable and well-served manner.
Aranya Low Cost Housing_Balkrishna doshi_©Vastushilpa FoundationĪranya Low-Cost Housing situated in Indore was commissioned by Indore Development Authority and co-funded by World Bank and India’s Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), for Economically weaker sections of society addressing the shortage of houses and shelter at that time. This project was remarkably unique in terms of its approach, design philosophy, and the way it played a role in the life of users. Doshi designed Life Insurance Corporation, Ahmedabad in 1973 and Aranya Low-Cost Housing, Indore in 1989, which was one of his best-known projects. During 1970 and onward, the emerging need to house large numbers of people gave rise to various housing projects. With the coexistence of functionality and poetic element, his idea behind architecture remains self-evident and expressive of its intent. Strong recognition of relationships between humans and the environment, the association of our lives and culture, sensitive approach towards society, its traditions, ways, and a conscious response towards the ecosystem are some key factors that made Doshi’s architecture instrumental in crafting the environment for people. That is what finally matters, ” says B.V Doshi, the shaping hand behind Aranya. “They are not houses but homes where a happy community lives.
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