Balkrishna Doshi Aranya Community Housing (1989)

Balkrishna Doshi:
Aranya Community Housing (1989)
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Beyond the concept of aesthetic and functional design, the Aranya Community housing complex by Balkrishna Doshi, echoes the cultural, economic, and social aspects of the 80,000 people living in the city of Indore, India. Aranya was awarded the prestigious Pritzker prize for its low-cost design and Doshi believes that designers should not only be collaborative, but be compassionate and show dignity of those living in the houses. Today, Aranya is a success story in India, a country with significant and continuing housing concerns for its impoverished citizens. Aranya is not only a housing project, but a place where the Indore community enjoys a happy life. The residents have the opportunity and space to improve and adapt their homes. These are the concepts that urban design and architecture should always aim at, and apart from the functional nature of houses, they should be able to connect with their human spirits through philosophical and poetic underpinnings. Aranya is designed with the both private and public, and semi-public spaces creating a functional city, which plays an integral role of urban design. Doshi’s Aranya not only aimed at replacing the slum housings in Indore, but also communicates the humility and curiosity to learn ...