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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

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

Bamboo - Building Construction Material

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  Since time immemorial, bamboo has played an impo rtant in the development of mankind. Bamboo is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio, which is generally similar to strong softwood or hardwood. They are the fastest-growing plants, certain species growing up to 35 inches in 24 hours. HISTORIC USE The regions traditionally associated with the use of bamboo as a building material are South and East Asia, South Pacific and Central and South America. In China and India, bamboo was used to holding up simple suspension bridges by making cables of split bamboo or twisting whole culms of bamboo together. In Japanese architecture, it was used as supplemental and/or decorative elements like fencing, fountains, grates and gutters. To date, most high profile bamboo construction projects are in Vietnam, Bali, China and Columbia. BAMBOO HOUSING ·        FOUNDATIONS 1.       Bamboo in-direct ground contact 2.       Bamboo on rock or perforated concrete footi

Art Nouveau - The New Art

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At the beginning of 1890, the US witnessed a new ornamental style of art, architecture and applied arts, especially the decorative arts known as Art Nouveau, which lasted till 1914. This new style spread throughout the US and Europe, taking on different names and character in each country, as a reaction to academic art and heterogeneous historic 19th-century architecture and decoration. The new art movement had its roots in Britain, in floral designs of William Morris, and within the Art and Crafts Movement founded by his pupils. The main inspirations for this style were the Arts and Crafts movement (handcraftsmanship and highly expressive paintings) and Japanese art (flat perspective, strong colours and whiplash curves). The characteristics of Art Nouveau were as follows: ·        The decoration had a sense of dynamism and movement with no distinction between the structure and the ornament ·        Facades were asymmetrical and decorated with whiplash curves like the gra

Louvre Pyramid - The Introduction for Modern French Architecture

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Louvre Pyramid completed in1989, designed by I. M. Pei, is a large glass and metal pyramid in the main courtyard of Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) in Paris, France. The large pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum and is surrounded by three smaller pyramids. Amid the controversies that surrounded the structure, Louvre Pyramid stands in front of the world’s most visited museum and despite its relative youth, it has become a vital part of Paris’ renowned skyline. The structure is entirely made up of glass segments and metal poles, and has a height of 21.6 meters (71 feet) and a base surface area of 1000 square meters (11,000 square feet). It has a total of 603 rhombus-shaped and 70 triangle-shaped glass segments, which was an effort to make the pyramid as transparent as possible. The main reason the Pyramid and the underground lobbies were created was the series of problems with Louvre’s original main entrance which could no longer handle the

Zaha Hadid- The Queen of Curves

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  Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid was a British-Iraqi architect born on 31st October 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She grew up in Baghdad’s first Bauhaus inspired buildings and became the founder of the leading Zaha Hadid Architects which has designed over 950 projects in 44 different countries. She was also talented in painting, graphic arts, 3D models and computer designs. EDUCATION:  Alma Mater- American University of Beirut and Architectural Association School of Architecture. She read Mathematics at The American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, where she met Rem Koolhas, Elia Zenghelis and Bernard Tschumi. Then she worked for her former professors, Koolhaas and Zenghelis, at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands of which she became a partner in 1977. Zaha Hadid became the first woman to be awarded Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, for her internationally known theoreti

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

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