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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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IS BAMBOO BETTER THAN STEEL?

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Before the metal age, bamboo was used as a core construction material. But with time, steel has replaced bamboo in almost everywhere. Now you can also find steel scaffolds instead of the age-old bamboo ones. But are we doing the right thing by replacing bamboo? Is steel more efficient than bamboo? Or is it just in our minds, that we don’t consider bamboo modern enough to match our high standards?                           HOW BAMBOO SURPASSES STEEL? Yes, you read it right. Bamboo is actually stronger than steel in terms of tensile strength. The tensile strength of steel is 420MPa whereas for bamboo, it is 930MPa. Tensile strength is basically the resistance offered by materials to break under tension. And yes, bamboo is stronger than steel in this case due to the tightly-packed molecular structure. OTHER PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO ·        One of the greatest things about bamboo is, we can use all the parts of the plant for different purposes. ·        Certain bamboo species are the fastest
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Mass Timber

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  In recent times, there is widespread enthusiasm for mass timber in building construction. But why use mass timber? To get the answer to this question, let us know the importance of timber in construction. As we all know, timber is the only renewable construction material but very fewer people will know how powerful the CO 2 sequestration of trees is, i.e., in a metre cube of timber building material, approximately a tonne of carbon is stored within the building. So, now we know that we should increase the amount of timber used in buildings. To do so, engineered mass timber products can be used instead of a typical timber frame. WHAT IS MASS TIMBER? Mass timber is a category of framing styles which use large solid wood panels for walls, floors and roof construction. It is available in innovative forms of sculpture building and non-building structures formed from the solid wood panel or framing systems. Due to its strength, dimensional stability and being a low-carbon alternativ
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Art Deco

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Style Moderne, popular as the “Art Deco” movement was based on visual arts, architecture and  design, first appeared in France just before World War I. This movement influenced the buildings, furniture, jewellery, fashion, cars, movies theatres, trains and everyday objects. Art Deco was a blend of modern styles, fine craftsmanship and rich materials which represented luxury, glamour and exuberant faith in social and technological progress. Rich colours, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation marked the style. The rise of new materials and technologies gave way for this style, especially reinforced concrete. With the discovery of the use of a mesh of iron rods in concrete to strengthen it and use it to build various buildings, Art Deco started to flourish as it was easier to make different forms with concrete. ART DECO TIMELINE ·        1920s- The style was first applied to public and commercial buildings. It was rarely used to designed  individual homes but the style adap
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FRANK LLYOD WRIGHT

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  Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1956), an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, had a creative period of 70 years. He designed 1141 structures of which 532 were completed by his death. His philosophy was to design structures in harmony with humanity and its environment and is best exemplified by “Falling Waters (1935)”, best all-time work of American Architecture. Born on June 8, 1867, in the town of Richland Center, Wisconsin, Frank was always interested in making structures with wooden building blocks which came in different geometrical shapes, this geometrical clarity can be seen in his buildings. Wright attended Madison High School, but there is no evidence he graduated. In 1886, he was admitted to University of Wisconsin-Madison,  as a special student, but left in 1887 without taking a  degr ee a n d moved to Chicago and joined an architectural firm, Joseph Lyman Silsbee, later he worked for A dler and Sullivan.   Wright played a key rol
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FIBRE-REINFORCED CONCRETE (FRC)

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In this world of daily new inventions, we discover new materials very often. One such material is FRC (Fibre-Reinforced Concrete), it contains fibrous materials (short discrete fibres uniformly distributed and randomly oriented) which increases structural integrity. Use of fibre for reinforcement has been continued since Mesopotamian civilization, they used the straw to strengthen sun-baked bricks. Horsehair was employed in mortar and straw in mud bricks. Asbestos fibres were used in concrete in 1900. Researches continue even today to enhance the standard of concrete and different types of fibres like steel fibres, glass fibres, synthetic fibre (polypropylene and nylon fibres) and natural fibres (coir and hay). Fibres may be circular or flat. Continuous meshes, woven fabrics and long wires or rods are not discrete fibres. FRC can be used on-ground floors, pavements and might be deemed for construction parts alone or hand-tied like beams, pliers, foundations, etc. It is
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Modern Architecture v/s Vernacular Architecture

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Like any other discipline, architecture has evolved according to the needs of the people and the availability of materials. In this process of evolution, two famous styles came into the limelight, one being vernacular architecture and the other being modern architecture. Though both the styles have their timelines of origins, both are being followed to date.  Vernacular Architecture  reflects the environment, culture, social, religious, and geological contexts and uses specific native architectural practices. It involves an ethical commitment to the local people, location, and cultural tradition.  Modern Architecture  uses simple forms with no unnecessary articulation. It encompasses angular frames, upholstery and artwork, abstract and geometric patterns. Though both have their benefits, both have different paths. Some of the points are given below: Eco-friendly : Although vernacular architecture uses local eco-friendly building materials drastic climate changes are a threat
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