dear designboom reader,
last week, one of india’s most revered architects balkrishna doshi passed away at the age of 95.
the 2018 pritzker prize laureate amassed a philanthropic oeuvre that often catered to india’s socio-economic classes, from affordable social housing to inclusive public architecture. his projects embodied the essence of sustainable holistic habitat and what it meant to build architecture for the people. the architect had always attuned himself to his advocacy, even reminding us that true sustainability is going towards an integral way of life and an integral way of thinking.
doshi’s body of work was an extension of his life, philosophy, and dream. he explained that as he grew older, his architectural vocabulary expanded, enabling him to manipulate space, form, structure, and character, and to deliver something that was more meaningful to him and to others. ‘I began working with simple materials and for the poor but now I find that I have come to a stage where I realize that a larger number of people need dwellings, and that is what I have done — empower them.’
thank you for reading,
matthew burgos | editor
