Shankar Kanade, the visionary architect and Guru, who redefined low-cost housing in India through his pioneering “Chhapadi” stone construction technique, passed away yesterday, December 6, 2025. He was 88.
His passing marks the definitive end of a significant chapter in Indian architecture, coming just over a year after the death of his younger brother and lifelong professional partner, Navnath Kanade, in November 2024. Operating under the firm name Shilpa Sindoor, the brothers were celebrated for a practice that rejected the sterile anonymity of modern urban housing in favor of a tactile, humane, and deeply economical architecture.
Born in 1937 in the Sholapur district of Maharashtra, Kanade was a graduate of the Sir J.J. College of Architecture in Mumbai. His formative years were spent in Ahmedabad, where he worked with architectural stalwarts B.V. Doshi and Bernard Kohn, absorbing the rigorous modernist ethics of the time. Yet, upon moving to Bengaluru in 1975, Kanade chose a path less traveled. He turned away from the monumentalism often associated with modernism to address a more pressing local reality: the need for affordable, dignified housing for the middle class.
Kanade’s most enduring contribution to the profession was his invention of the “Chhapadi” construction system. In the 1980s, as Bengaluru began its rapid urbanization, cement and steel were becoming prohibitively expensive for the average homeowner. Kanade observed that granite was abundant and cheap in the region. He devised a modular wall system where thin granite slabs (chapadi) were inserted into the grooves of precast cement blocks.
This technique did more than save money; it created a distinct aesthetic of earthy greys and reds that required no plaster or paint, aging gracefully with the elements. “He never patented the system,” a former associate recalled. “He saw it as an open-source tool for empowerment—a way to generate employment for unskilled laborers while giving families a home that felt solid and permanent.”
Kanade’s philosophy is best experienced in the Jal Vayu Vihar township in Bengaluru (c. 1990). Commissioned by the Air Force Naval Housing Board, the project defies the repetitive monotony of typical government housing. Spanning over 20 acres with more than 500 units, the township is a masterclass in community design. Instead of isolated blocks, Kanade created a low-rise, high-density fabric where houses are clustered around human-scaled courtyards. The composite stone walls, devoid of plaster, give the settlement a timeless, almost ruin-like quality. The layout prioritizes pedestrian movement, with shaded lanes and interconnected terraces that foster accidental interactions among neighbors. The hierarchy of spaces—from private verandahs to semi-public squares—demonstrates his belief that housing should accommodate the “rituals of daily life” rather than just providing shelter.
Another seminal work, Keremane (1995), often translated as “House by the Lake,” showcases the brothers’ ability to balance standardization with individuality. Designed for a group of six friends on a lakeside plot, the project is a cluster of residences that share a common architectural language yet respond to the specific needs of each family. Here, the Chhapadi system is used to create triple-height internal courtyards that act as the lungs of the house, drawing in light and ventilation while maintaining privacy. The project received state awards and remains a case study in how high-density living can still offer a profound sense of sanctuary.
In individual residences like Lohithashwa’s House, Kanade’s approach became even more intimate. He treated the house as a “living organism,” using local granite not just as a building block but as a sculptural element. The design process was intensely collaborative, often involving the client in decisions that allowed the home to evolve during construction. The result was a space that felt dynamic—”Interior in Action,” as it was once described—where the kitchen and courtyards served as sacred spaces for creation and gathering.
Beyond Bengaluru, the brothers’ ancestral home in Nagaj, Maharashtra, stands as a quiet testament to their roots. Built with local laterite stone, the house is a modernist composition of cubic volumes that sits in stark contrast to the rural landscape, yet feels entirely at home due to its material palette. It reflects the “unconditioning” philosophy Kanade taught his students: the idea that one must unlearn rigid academic dogmas to respond intuitively to the site and climate.
Shankar Kanade was a “Guru” in the truest sense—revered not for his flamboyance but for his integrity. He lived a life of Gandhian simplicity, eventually retiring to a modest room in Nagaj, far removed from the commercial architectural scene he helped shape. He leaves behind a legacy of buildings that breathe, a construction technique that empowered the poor, and a generation of students who continue to believe that architecture is, fundamentally, an act of service.
