“I can never understand an architect who designs 500
houses all exactly the same. It doesn't take much to put all the components into
at least half a dozen other combinations. It's perfectly easy to mix materials
on any given site so the possibilities for variety are endless... If only we
didn't level site and eliminate trees but instead plan to go around them, then
we wouldn’t get the long monotonous rows to begin with.” - Laurence Wilfred
Baker (Laurie Baker)
| Laurie Baker 1917-2007 |
Laurie Baker, as he is famously known is a British born
architect who came to India as part of the missionary work in 1945. Baker
studied architecture at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, Birmingham and
graduated in 1937, aged 20, in a period of political unrest in Europe. He is
said to be immensely influenced by Gandhiji. During one of his trips to India
he was waiting for his ship back to England when he accidentally met Gandhiji.
Gandhiji told him that it is not the cities but the rural areas were his
knowledge is required. It was Gandhiji’s idea that it would be possible to
build a home with materials available within 5 kilometres of the site, which
did influence him in his later life.
He started his initial commitment as an architect for World
Leprosy Mission; his responsibilities were to convert asylums for lepers into
treatment hospitals. He married Elizabeth Jacob and lived in Pithoragarh for
sixteen years before moving to Vakamon in Kerala in 1963.
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| Chengalchoola Slum colony Courtesy: Lauriebaker.net |
He observed that the architectural knowledge acquired by him
was not useful in Indian conditions. He started learning vernacular
architecture and applied his knowledge to discover new low cost construction
materials and procedures. His architectural style was to build beautiful homes
at low cost & high quality suiting the needs of lower middle class people.
The homes had irregular pyramid like roofs with one side open such that the
wind flowed freely inside and perforated brick walls for air movement keeping
it naturally cool. The initial designs would completely change on-site by the
architect based on the surroundings and the requirement. And his love of nature
was immense that he rarely tampered with the topography and never uprooted a
tree.
And he created a unique cooling system, a porous brick wall
near a small pond such that the air pressure difference would draw cool air
through the house. And all of his structures look different.
The Hamlet: This is Baker’s home built along the
slope of a hill in Trivandrum. A remarkable & beautiful home built for his
family with materials from un-conventional resources. This place has limited
access to water and no one other than Laurie Baker would dream to build a home.
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| Birds eye view of the Hamlet Courtesy:Lauriebaker.net |
Throughout his life he has received many prestigious awards including the nomination for the Pritzker Prize (considered the Nobel Prize in Architecture). And many institutions have conferred a doctorate on him. He lived till the age of 90, and he died on April 1, 2007. Though he is dead his “Baker Style” is gaining popularity. Though Laurie Baker conceived his style for the poor today it is being commoditised.
He was called as ‘the Daddy” by his students and workers. His work has awed many architects and many of his writings have been published. Though he is no more, he has left an impeccable impact with his work. His buildings will live to speak about this legend.
Source: http://lauriebaker.net/
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