Read more about life in Trivandrum in Baker's own words: Unlike in the Himalayas I had little time to help with my wife's hospital work as I became quite involved in local building activities. Much of what has come to be described as Baker Architecture I owe to these craftsmen. Laurence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker (March 2, 1917 - April 1, 2007) was an award-winning British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and for his unique space utilization and a simple but beautiful aesthetic sensibility. The stack effect is the principle applied for the same. PDF Mud Laurie Baker - Earth Architecture CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE ASSIGNMENT 1 S H A S H W A T S H A R M A 1 B Q 1 8 A T 0 8 4 V I ' C ' LAURIE BAKER CENTER FOR HABITAT STUDIES SITE PLAN: HIGHLIGHTS APPROACH: Entrance is on the South-end of the campus. Bricks are used for the seatings with a slab of block-oxide on top, the same material used for the backrest as well. It should not compete with nature, but in harmony with it. Therefore, the institute shows responsiveness towards the contours & appears to magnify the genuine nature of the site merging with trees. The elements mainly are the, , the traditional roofs, the stepped arches, the overhanging eaves, and the skylights. The design that is the utmost illustration of bakers architecture is the Centre for Development Studies in Trivandrum. I got most of my encouragement and more than a little inspiration from the wonderful doctor, P.J. The circular service core is made up of two concentric cores within it the inner one open to sky unobstructed and opens to the inside of the space to allow ventilation to come from within the building itself. The other building blocks such as offices, classrooms are dispersed along the contours of the site yet strongly united through airy corridors & courtyards with attractive landscaping. Baker has figured out how to bind the structure to an area that is effectively available but confined by weighty foliage. The Hamlet is the reciprocation of the philosophies of Laurie Baker, which not only teaches how to create a cost-effective building but also to make a sustainable structure that is close to nature as well as its residents. Designing for these various institutions became my bread-and-butter. Now they could build. Later I went down and helped her to lay out the site and start building. I begged to disagree and offered to demonstrate, rather than to talk about ways of building inexpensive houses and spent the following two weeks putting up a small house of about forty square metres and costing, by request, less than Rs 3,000 (about US $400 at the time). Indeed, even the electrical wires in the villa were not covered. The straight line is rare, but the graceful curve is frequently seen. The focal point is the administrative building of the, https://images.static-collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/campusimage/1487770225cds-view-1.jpg, https://i.pinimg.com/736x/08/5b/f9/085bf90a79e9711c0c8ad9695be8cdf4.jpg, Hostel Block merging with landscape_ https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/08/9f/0a089fb4a0ad51538bac330191caf5ce.jpg, Laurie Baker believed that every district has its traditions and, by trial and error, over thousands of years, people have learned how to use, and to cope with, all the many factors which are involved in Architecture Site, Topography and Geology, climate and vegetation, available local, https://i.pinimg.com/564x/9f/e8/aa/9fe8aa0f441c5cd07d387acfec7a1ebf.jpg, The use of exposed brick walls in attractive patterns for adequate air & light is done. The journey to Baker Home resembles the concrete jungle of Thiruvananthapuram to the newness and shade of suburbia. Chappells Community History - Newberry County Many people and institutions were showing great interest in reducing costs of building. Most of them were paid on a percentage basis of the total or partial cost of a building. A curved outer wall encloses a smaller site area than linear edifices, thus significantly impacting its cost.Sloping roofs come in various shapes and sizes. They were quick to understand the real priorities of building a home. The people were 'insular' and proud, and their ways were very different (and in their own eyes superior) to those of others. Due to the strong slope of the ramp, it becomes a little difficult for the staff to provide food to all the upper areas constantly, which is why it is preferable if the lower areas are filled up first. Some of her friends were trying to start psychiatric work in India. He said, "My feeling as an architect is that you're not after all trying to put up a monument which will be remembered as a 'Laurie Baker Building' but Mohan Singh's house where he can live happily with his family." But, as in the case with the roof and walls, this can also . The entrance portico looked very much like St. Paul's Cathedral West Facade with a huge flight of steps and rows of ornate columns. The explanation given by all was simple enough: there was no longer any such thing as an 'inexpensive building'! It is one of the best alternatives to glass windows that can passively ventilate a space. The structure of the institute seems to merge with the site & its topography. Both in Pithoragarh and Vagamon, the Bakers started a hospital and several schools. Centre for Development Studies is the campus for the research institute, located in Thiruvananthapuram. The house form, materials and techniques of construction used in vernacular architecture are an effective response through appropriate or sustainable technology. lintels. 2022 Rethinking The Future All registered. What is 3D printing technology? The entrance gate had a doorbell and a newspaper holder made out of reused woods. Laurie Baker's residence situated along the slope of a rocky hill in Trivandrum is a unique house suited to his family's needs and way of life. The doctor in charge could go to the plains for a holiday and we (my wife being a doctor and I a trained anesthetist and nurse) could take care of the hospital in the meantime and also enjoy a holiday in the scenic and picturesque hills. This is an account of his early life in Pithoragarh in the Himalayan foothills in Baker's own words:By the late 1940s, the British had quit India and Gandhiji had been assassinated, and I was settled in independent India. Over 100 hours of footage of over 50 buildings and interviews with over 30 architects, clients, urban planners, family, friends and unprecedented access to archival footage, photos and Baker's writings, sketches and plans. The entrance has a small stone sitting area for the visitors, a calling bell was also installed for the visitors to announce their presence, the walls were decorated with broken pottery, glass, and pens, the inner courtyards made the house close to nature, and arches led into the beautiful open rooms, which shows Bakers fondness for arches. They were quick to understand the principles involved in cost-reduction. This allows for optimum usage of space and the maximum number of seatings is provided. But after three years only two or three houses had been built. DIXIE POLE BUILDINGS, INC - Quality Woodtruss Also Read: Mahatma Gandhi Labor Institute by B. V. Doshi. This brings us to the two important characteristics of a so-called Baker Architecture that 'small' is not only 'beautiful' but is often essential and even more important than `large'; and that if we architects are even to start coping effectively with the real building problems and the housing needs of the world, we must learn how to build as inexpensively as possible. Cost effective low cost reduction poor . Whenever his four nieces came to Trivandrum (presently Thiruvananthapuram), he made a different house on the lower contour of the site, called the Niecery. Lipika Pandey, is one of the millions of young aspiring architecture students, who is determined to make her successful career in the respective field. They had and expressed their faith in the 'expert', and would sometimes actually help where they felt they could. 04 mins watch Baker used extensive use of timber in the Hamlet, as in the living room, the detailing in wood and mud bricks are simply amazing. He was also deeply concerned over theblockade of monumental buildings of the cityby posters andboardingof shops, paints, painters, TVs etc. How it is used in Architecture? Read more about life in Trivandrum in Baker's own words: Unlike in the Himalayas I had little time to help with my wife's hospital work as I became quite involved in local building activities. This house served Baker and his family for over 10 years. The Center for Development Studies, Trivandrum - A Laurie Baker There was only one thing to do and that was to get together a band of masons and carpenters who would do what was asked of them and who would learn new techniques and un-learn old, wasteful ones. Humble, just as his building materials made of earth, Architect Laurie Baker is truly The Gandhi of Architecture who believed in life and architecture that is simple & true to its context. It consisted of a living room, bedroom, library, and kitchen, all built using the traditional brick and timber resources. Several institutions also built houses for their poor at comparatively very little cost. Laurie and Elizabeth's daughters Vidya and Heidi live elsewhere in Trivandrum with their respective families. The only answer I received was that it was because Mr Nehru himself would declare the building open! with great fanfare, agreed that each parish in the state should try and put up at least one inexpensive, small house and give it to the poorest family in that parish, regardless of caste or creed. The structure of the institute seems to merge with the site & its topography. Laurie Baker Centre: Perpetuating a legacy Baker began the development of Hamlet as a solitary room made of wood and thatch cover, as in a hut of timber, which housed a library of clinical or medical books and his study. So we decided to set up our own small hospital in a nearby village called Pithoragarh.The hospital, which started in an abandoned teashop, grew and patients came in increasing numbers. July 1, 2021 7137 The center for Development Studies, Trivandrum - A Laurie Baker Masterpiece The Centre for Development Studies in Kerala is one of the earliest projects of Laurie Baker. Trivandrum Central is one of the biggest and busiest railwaystations of India. Red oxide is used to form comfy flooring. This hopefully helps one better understand how the various experiences in his life have shaped him and better understand the kind of person he was, why he designed and built the way he did and what he was trying to achieve. The Method Laurie Baker was a humanitarian who did not believe in building for classes but for the masses. It was rewarding for my clients, for me and for the workmen. Call toll free 1-877-662-9060! Greenwood South Carolina Barndominium Builders - Country Wide Barns The Gandhian ideology for which he is known is evident through the organic synchronicity of architecture and nature. As this mainly concerns our search for union with the Eternal it seems particularly 'not right' to indulge in a pretentious faade with these buildings. It seems a far cry from small low-cost houses' to big foundries and factories, but that is what has happened. But my work for government and semi-government institutions continued, notably with a fairly large and prestigious complex known as the Centre for Development Studies, staffed and run by world-known economists of repute. Rubble granite diverging with brick is laid on the plinths of the structures. Many people and institutions were . The campus also makes use of plenty of courtyards and light wells to facilitate cross-ventilation. This school is made of sandstone, which is LIC Housing designed by Architect BV Doshi in Ahmedabad in 1973. The 10 acres highly populated site comprises the Library, Auditorium, Computer Centre, Residential houses, hostels, etc. In 1990, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in recognition of his meritorious service in the field of architecture. To continue reading to the next section "Settling Down Finally: Trivandrum" click here. Apart from the much-cherished CDS, the Indian Coffee House at Thampanoor, and part of the. There were gables for proper air circulation and ventilation, also providing natural light. By reusing nearly everything, from brick to glass bottles, as building materials, Baker has adopted his aim to make low-cost a habit and a way of life. This is an important factor in cost-reducing exercises! Man experiences this at any time, in any place and under any circumstances. Clearly they did not wish to reduce costs! In 1969, the Bakers family comprising of two daughters Vidya and Heidi and a son Tilak moved to Trivandrum where they have since settled and live with their families. Another two-roomed house was worked for his child, Tilak, that confronted the tree connecting the Niecery. The Indian Coffee House is a chain of cafes with over 400 branches. She would train writers on how to write for the newly-literate adults. Lime mortar is prepared from burning sea shells few kilometers apart. For the dessert I could never resist the invitation to design religious buildings. Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl's Schoolin Rajasthan is an architectural marvel. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Laurie Baker I am often puzzled by the dichotomy in my naturaI claim to believe in democracy but I can find myself wanting to be an architectural dictator! lintels. But she wanted, what she described as a real 'Indian villagesque set-up'. Laurie Baker worked well into his 80s and continued his philosophy of being on the construction site with his workers reworking and adding design elements to fit the terrain and customer perfectly. The Archbishop Mar Gregorios of Trivandrum called for a 'post-mortem' seminar to find out the reason for this failure. Among the first Baker buildings in Thiruvananthapuram is the Centre for Development Studies in Akkulam. Tilak and Vidya's husband L Radhakrishnan are members of the governing board of the Laurie Baker Centre (website - opens in new window) an organization setup by his friends, students and admirers to propagate his philosophy of the concept of sustainable development through research, extension, training, documentation, dissemination and networking. The Loyola Chapel was the one that intrigued me the most. Over years of occupation, the arid rockiness of the site was transformed into a contoured formation of grass, shrub, and coconut plantation. This sustainable technique is traditionally adopted in multiple projects designed by Baker and is now a distinguishing factor of his work. It is even more so with religious buildings where people usually gather together for purposes of worship and prayer, with their own particular form of ritual or liturgy. Spaces: Spiral ramp; Two floors for the restaurant; Interesting aspects: Cylindrical structure These were opportunities for Laurie to build. The jail framework minimizes the need for air conditioning systems that are costly and hazardous to the environment. The entrance on the roadside was made of cast iron bars with interesting ethnic patterns on them. The brick faade and the organic form resembles the color tone of the red topography on which it stands. The living room was the integration of new buildings and salvaged timber from traditional buildings that were being demolished. Laurie Baker evolved an inventive technique of curved double walls which turned out to be cost-effective & energy-conserving as well. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I asked for the reason for the great entrance portico. Then the so-called 'upper strata' of society came forward with interest which proved to be genuine, when quite a lot of them asked me to build their houses for them using these simple, cost-reducing techniques. He emphasised local materials and traditional concepts in constructing dwellings, demonstrating a strong . The History of the Hamlet | The Hamlet Later on, more long-lasting and permanent structures, for example, the kitchen were made of customary conventional brick and tiles. However, smaller blocks in the campus compound of up to three stories make use of such a technique. The entrance gate had a doorbell and a newspaper holder made out of reused woods. He built it on a steeply sloping and rocky hillside that hardly had any vegetation when Baker started constructing it , is now a visual delight. The placement of openings and perforations can significantly impact the indoor climate of the place. Also, the consciously laid out pathways with proper signage help dissect the various zones of the campus. Here are some of his beautiful sketches of traditional Trivandrumarchitecture. There was only one thing to do and that was to get together a band of masons and carpenters who would do what was asked of them and who would learn new techniques and un-learn old, wasteful ones. He was 90. As Laurie Bakers Architecture is a contemporary version of the vernacular, it is factually depicted in his designs as well. I begged to disagree and offered to demonstrate, rather than to talk about ways of building inexpensive houses and spent the following two weeks putting up a small house of about forty square metres and costing, by request, less than Rs 3,000 (about US $400 at the time). The LBC campus was built on natural contours with existing rocks minimizing the need for a foundation consisting of seven buildings designed with curvilinear slabs, rat trap bond walls, row lock bond lintels, and other earthy materials to blend with the natural landscape which was itself an opportunity to feel and inculcate the sensitivity of Ba. Settling Down Finally: Trivandrum - Laurie Baker So the Archbishop asked for a second house to be put up for half the cost! By reusing nearly everything, from brick to glass bottles, as building materials, Baker has adopted his aim to make, Baker began the development of Hamlet as a solitary room made of wood and thatch cover, as in a hut of timber, which housed a library of clinical or medical books and his study. Sitemap. These were simply homes to live peacefully, shielded from the tropical sun and rain. During this time I did manage to acquire quite a lot of those skills which had so fascinated me. The naalukettu and ettukettu types of houses, where the rich of the land lived, were not meant to flaunt wealth. The Chief Minister of the state Sri Achutha Menon became a convert and I built the State Institute of Languages, at his request, for a small sum of money which the Works and Housing Department had declared was impossible. The entrance is magnificent with extensive steps sloping outwards. The building falls under the category of Neo-Vernacular architecture. Final Note:The Baker's lived a fulfilling, happy and productive life in Trivandrum for over 35 years. Laurie Baker righteously said, My feeling as an architect is that youre not after all trying to put up a monument which will be remembered as a Laurie Baker Building but Mohan Singhs house where he can live happily with his family.. Laurie Baker architect pioneered vernacular sustainable eco-friendly green architecture in India with brick mud and other local materials. With its unique style this building gave Thiruvananthapuram another architectural landmark. He wanted the new buildings to come up with the imitation of traditional style. Very briefly, the Quaker ideal is that there is a form of direct unity with the Creator. I think I am more than normally tolerant about other peoples religious beliefs and practices, and yet I can find myself decrying the requests of a religious group for something which I feel is wrong or inconsistent with their beliefs. Lastly, I have found, consistently, throughout my working life, that the whole business of planning and designing is intensely absorbing and fun! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Dr Sashi Tharoor, Honorable MP of Trivandrums Twitter Feed, Ajay Prasads analysis about Trivandrum Development, Night Lifestyle Hotel to Thiruvananthapuram, Article: Laurie Bakers Unique Masterpieces at Thiruvananthapuram, Housing and Urban Development Corporation. The campus blend with the site so perfectly that the structure seems to emerge from the soil. Slowly I began to be drawn back into the more sophisticated world because, strangely enough, as I was busy absorbing these local skills, clients from the outside world came up into the Himalayas to get my help. Shaped like a spiral, the flooring winds its way around a central core like a ramp. The passage leading to the entrance of the Hamlet was cut into the steps out of the rocks of the site. This anti-faade-ism has definitely been a very noticeable and is a deliberate characteristic of Laurie Baker's architecture, no matter what type of building is being designed.It was towards the end of our stay in Pithoragarh and while these interesting, special buildings were being built that the government itself started mild enquiries, especially concerning the possibilities of cost-reduction in building. Laurie Baker, a British-born architect who spent more than 60 years in India building homes that were ecologically sound and affordable for the poor, died April 1 at his home in Trivandrum, India. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. A whole fishing village for example, was built after many of its old huts had been washed away by the sea in a gale. Seeing millions of people living a hand-to-mouth existence made me come to abhor all forms of extravagance and waste. These kinds of materials made the Hamlet close to its natural state. He liked the contrast of textures of brick, of stone, of concrete, of wood. For example, some of them became excellent brick-workers who got enormous satisfaction from producing beautiful brickwork. The famous Indian Coffee House building at Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram. Laurence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker (March 2, 1917 - April 1, 2007) was an award-winning British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and for his unique space utilization and a simple but beautiful aesthetic sensibility. Tilak and Vidya's husband L Radhakrishnan are members of the governing board of the Laurie Baker Centre (website - opens in new window) an organization setup by his friends, students and admirers to propagate his philosophy of the concept of sustainable development through research, extension, training, documentation, dissemination and networking. Sign up to receive awesome content in your inbox, every week. But after three years only two or three houses had been built. The focal point is the administrative building of the campus. She is focused and enthusiast on learning new skills and grow. 2022 Rethinking The Future All registered. Recycling and reusing poor-quality stones results in strong stone blocks by compressing broken pieces in a metal or wooden box.Laurie Baker believed that every structure on a site need not be similar in its form. is a contemporary version of the vernacular, it is factually depicted in his designs as well. Indian Coffee House - Laurie Baker - archEstudy - Hotel and Cafe Because of them it became easy for me to construct almost any type of building, and these ranged from the smallest houses to a large cathedral seating three thousand people. Three outside government experts joined me and the report was presented, and, accepted, after the Chief Minister had organized a seminar in which all the suggestions and recommendations in the report were thrashed out and either agreed upon as possible and feasible, or, if impossible, rejected. When Laurie Baker had come to India, he had to revise whatever he had learned as an architect during his academic years the vernacular techniques that he adopted are, therefore, a sharp contrast to the ideologies of Modernism in the Western world. It was built on a steeply sloping and rocky hillside with limited access to water that had hardly any vegetation when the construction was started. In 1969, the Bakers family comprising of two daughters Vidya and Heidi and a son Tilak moved to Trivandrum where they have since settled and live with their families. As Laurie Baker believed,The Architecture should merge with the surrounding landscape, rather than standing out. The Bakers are survived by their son Tilak who continues to live at Nalanchira in an extension to the original Hamlet residence that Baker designed for his son and his family. Lime mortar is prepared from burning sea shells few kilometers apart. Later on, more long-lasting and permanent, The site was an awkward trapezium of stone and bushes with high contours. He had an equally wonderful Doctor sister and I married her and we settled down in a remote area of the Himalayas on the borders of Tibet and Nepal.For our honeymoon we decided to go to Chandag, in the Himalayan foothills where there was a leprosy hospital. In out-of-the-way districts, among the scattered and neglected population, the buildings needed were small but essential, more essential and necessary than even those in the densely-populated cities where plenty of alternative facilities are available. Studying in Trivandrum meant that there would be a Laurie Baker building around almost every corner. It all started when all the Bishops had agreed to work together at the Kerala Bishops' conference for the good of the common poor man. Three outside government experts joined me and the report was presented, and, accepted, after the Chief Minister had organized a seminar in which all the suggestions and recommendations in the report were thrashed out and either agreed upon as possible and feasible, or, if impossible, rejected. Kerala is home to 51 of those outlets, some of them being historic locations. In 1970, land values were shooting up in Bombay, which resulted in the acceptance of high-rise residential Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Norman Foster and his High-tech Architecture, Diebedo Francis Kere- First African to win Pritzker Architecture prize, Thomas Heatherwick Fascinating Architect, Oscar Niemeyer- Hero of the modern Architecture, Chichu Art Museum: Portrayal of Japanese Brutalism, Biomimicry Architecture: Eastgate centre Harare, Zimbabwe, Top 10 fabulous Wooden Structures in the World, 10 upcoming Futuristic Projects in the world: A Glimpse into Architecture. The Hamlet, Trivandrum- by Laurie Baker - RTF - Rethinking The Future They too came and dragged me away from my house in the Himalayas because, although they needed up-to-date modern hospital equipment and surroundings, they also needed buildings and an atmosphere that would be acceptable and 'right' for the mentally-disturbed Indian patients.

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