Background
Polk, Benjamin Kauffman was born on May 18, 1916 in Des Moines. Son of Harry Herndon and Alice (Kauffman) Polk.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
book
Building for South Asia - An Architectural Autobiography
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FCVGQM/?tag=2022091-20
Building for South Asia: An Architectural Autobiography 1st Edition by Benjamin Polk (1994) Hardcover
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011DC4B0I/?tag=2022091-20
Buddhist Monastic Architecture in Sri Lanka
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8170172810/?tag=2022091-20
Building for South Asia: An Architectural Autobiography
("Architect Polk believes that words about buildings are a...)
"Architect Polk believes that words about buildings are always secondary to the buildings themselves. In architectural presentation, buildings themselves are the central facts, and he sees that this is true in his own architectural autobiography. Nevertheless, alongwith the many plates that some measure illustrate this work, Polk has included observations on diverse and unreconciled situations that help explain the special cases of the artistry of space, structure, and form in his designs. He never handed down abstract form, and he would say that the words of his book-or indeed any critique-do not alter the buildings. They are neither more nor less because of the written word. All the buildings in this architectural autobiography are Polk s personal designs and belong to his practice in South Asia, 1952-1964."
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8170173000/?tag=2022091-20
Benjamin Kauffman Polk
Edit ProfileEducation
Student, Amherst College, 1933-1935; student, University Chicago, 1935-1936; student, Iowa State College, 1936-1938.
Career
The couple moved to India in 1952, where they would remain until September 1963. Polk designed both in the public and private sector. In 1955 he formed an association with another expatriate American architect, Joseph Allen Stein, later adding civil engineer Binoy K. Chatterjee, to form the firm of Stein, Chatterjee and Polk.
Polk and Chatterjee left the firm in 1961, moving their new office to Calcutta named Chatterjee and Polk.
In all these projects he was assisted by eminent Indian architect Suraj P Subherwal. Polk returned to the United States in 1968, where he took up teaching architecture at the California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, California.
He died due to natural causes in 2001.
Achievements
Works
book
-
Building for South Asia: An Architectural Autobiography
("Architect Polk believes that words about buildings are a...)
- Architecture And The Spirit Of The Place
- Building for South Asia - An Architectural Autobiography
- Building for South Asia: An Architectural Autobiography 1st Edition by Benjamin Polk (1994) Hardcover
- Buddhist Monastic Architecture in Sri Lanka
- Building for South Asia: An Architectural Autobiography by Benjamin Polk (1994-10-01)
-
Building for South Asia: An Architectural Autobiography
Membership
Advisor Small Wildernss Area Preservation, California, 1970-1980. Technology sergeant United States Army, 1942-1946.
Interests
Connections
Married Emily Despain Isaacs, August 23, 1946.
-
Born
-
Died
April 23, 2001 (aged 84) -
Nationality
United States -
Religion
Presbyterian -
Political Party
Republican