'how can the earth be separate from you?': BV doshi speaks ahead of 2020 venice biennale

over the past six decades, 2018 pritzker laureate BV doshi has created a body of work lauded for its poetics, purpose, and deep appreciation of material context. from affordable social housing to public space, doshi’s designs are influenced as much by india’s vernacular architecture as they are by his early tutelage under le corbusier and louis kahn — mentors he describes as his guru and yogi, respectively.

all images © vastu shilpa consultants | video © PLANE–SITE

in a new video, produced by PLANE–SITE with the support of the european cultural centre, doshi reflects on the personal and environmental implications of the home. for the indian architect, a home is a living, sacred space that provides a basis for cooperation and tolerance, and, as he elaborates in the video, a home exists at many scales — from the family household to the planet we share. ‘how can the earth be separate from you?,’ he asks. ‘true sustainability is going towards an integral way of life, and an integral way of thinking.’

the video has been released in the run-up to the 2020 edition of the ‘time space existence’ exhibition, a recurring show at the venice architecture biennale that features a wide range of projects from international architects, photographers, sculptors, and academics. the video series has already featured both prominent architects, including kengo kuma, fumihiko maki, and tatiana bilbao. the series will be exhibited as part of the biennial, which opens on may 21, 2020. see designboom’s ongoing coverage of the event here.

project info:

video by: PLANE–SITE
supported by: european cultural centre
exhibition: time space existence
venue: venice architecture biennale 2020
dates: may 23 – november 29, 2020