Building for the poor the Doshi way: plant a seed, grow a forest

London

BALKRISHNA Doshi began his illustrious career as India was born, and many of the architect's most influential projects in the intervening 70 years have involved building almost nothing.

For Mr Doshi, modern city planners and designers of skyscrapers who try to provide all a person needs have got it wrong: architects must learn that a building is a living organism and allowing it to evolve naturally will create cities that thrive.

"It's like planting a tree. When you plant one seed, gradually you get more fruit. And when you have that fruit, you plant more seeds and you get a forest," Mr Doshi said in an interview at London's Royal Academy…