Achyut Kanvinde-The Functionalist Architect

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  Achyut P. Kanvinde (1916 –2002), the Indian architect with functionalist approaches with elements of Brutalist architecture. He was born in Achra, in Konkan region of Maharashtra in 1916. He believed that a grid of columns forming a matrix giving structural and spatial aspect would turn a design more sophisticated and faceted. ·        1935: Studied architecture under Claude Batley in Sir J. J School of Arts ·        1945: Completed Masters from Harvard, student of Walter Gropius (Thesis on Science Laboratories) ·        1947: Chief Architect of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) ·        1955: Formed Kanvinde and Rai LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTS ·         1976: Received the Padma Shree ·         1974-75: Became the president of IIA (Indian Institute of Architects) ·         1985: Winner of IIA “Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal” ·         1993: Awarded the Great Masters Award from JK Industries Ltd ·         Part of the jury on the competition for Indira
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Utopian Ideas in Architecture

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  The word utopia has Greek origins and was first coined by Thomas More in 1516, "ou-topos" means "no place" or "nowhere", but also refers to "eu-topos" meaning "a good place". The meaning of the word reflects the question of whether a good or perfect place can exist somewhere. Utopian ideas have always been overreaching, far too ambitious, unconcerned with details, and too willing to disregard the human consequences and maybe ahead of time. 

As an architect, I believe in the value of Utopian thinking, as the reality of today's world can often be difficult to face, and have always dreamed of building a better world. We are always driven by ambitions and philosophical thinking and realize the dreams and visions of a better future without the problems we face today. Today the world is facing many problems like global climate change, rising sea levels, and other environmental destruction, thus it is easy to dream of a world with solved problems.
Till now, utopia only exists in theory, but perhaps soon Utopian ideals can exist truly. Some Utopian visions specialize in new technology, others on open, untouched landscapes. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Utopian ideas were of ludicrous mega structures and space frames to infinity but had no concern for people's well-being, but in 2016 all these ideas made sense and now we have achieved those ideas. Reconstruction after World War II led to economic growth, technological advancements, and a new form of social behavior, which led to the belief that the future buildings would be larger and much more sophisticated. Ambitions of that time were civic, commercial, and residential and leisure functions to be brought together in a single building, which can be seen commonly in today's era.

Going through history, we can see that utopian visions are helping in building progressive cities with modernist ideas and new technologies. At present the Utopian ideas are of buildings that are less monumental, more efficient, and more in-tune with the natural world due to the troubles we face. Today humanity has capabilities like never, but those with power, lack the ambition to make any of the changes that appear so desperately necessary. Perhaps some architectural utopianism would not be such a bad thing to survive in the future.


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