LAURIE BAKER

:
• BAKER STUDIED ARCHITECTURE AT BIRMINGHAM
INSTITUTE OF ART AND DESIGN AND
GRADUATED IN 1937, AGE 20.

• HIS INITIAL COMMITMENT TO INDIA HAD HIM

WORKING AS AN ARCHITECT FOR WORLD
LEPROSY MISSION, AN INTERNATIONAL AND
INTERDENOMINATIONAL MISSION DEDICATED TO
THE CARE OF THOSE SUFFERING FROM LEPROSY
IN 1945.
 1938 ASSOCIATE OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE
OF BRITISH
.
 1970 FELLOW OF INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
ARCHITECTS
 1983 MEMBER OF BRITISH EMPIRE.
 1987 FIRST INDIAN NATIONAL HABITAT
AWARD
 1989 I.I.A. MEDAL FOR OUTSTANDING
ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
 1990 GREAT MASTERS ARCHITECT OF THE
YEAR.
PADMA SHREE
 1992 U.N.O. HABITATS AWARD
U.N. ROLL OF HONOR
 1993 INTERNATIONAL UNION OF
ARCHITECTS (I.U.A.) AWARD
 1994 PEOPLE OF THE YEAR AWARD
I.I.A. BABU RAO MAITRE GOLD MEDAL
 1995 DOCTORATE OF UNIVERSITY OF
CENTRAL ENGLAND.
 2003 BASHEER PURASKARAM.
PRINCIPLES FOLLOWED BY
BAKER
 “ A SITE IS IDEAL ONLY IN THE UNDISTURBED NATURAL STATE AND A BUILDING
MUST RENEW AND REINFORCE THE ORIGINAL SITE CONDITIONS IN ORDER TO BE
ACCOMMODATED”

 “ THE ARCHITECTURE SHOULD MERGE WITH THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE,

RATHER THAN STANDING OUT. IT SHOULD NOT BE IN COMPETITION WITH THE
NATURE, BUT IN HARMONY WITH IT”

 “ THE ARCHITECTURE AT A PLACE SHOULD BE RESPONSIVE TO THE CLIMATE,

CONTEXT AND THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES – IT SHOULD BE FOR THE PEOPLE, THEIR
NEEDS AND HOPES, IRRESPECTIVE OF TREND OR STYLE".

 “ THE OUTER FORM ALONE IS MEANINGLESS, IT HAS TO BE COMPLEMENTED OR

OVERSHADOWED BY THE INNER CONTENTS SINCE, THE SPATIAL EXPERIENCE OF AN
INHABITANT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PURE VISUAL FORMS” .
 ALWAYS STUDY YOUR SITE , SOIL, TOPOGRAPHY, WATER CLIMATE & NEIGHBOURS
(NOISY TEMPLES, SMELLY FACTORIES, ETC.)
 SEE POTENTIAL SERVICES – WATER, DRAINAGE, ACCESS, POWER, FUEL,
PHONE, ETC. IF NOT POSSIBLE OR AVAILABLE, WHAT WILL YOU DO?
 EVERY BUILDING SHOULD BE UNIQUE NO TWO PEOPLE, OR FAMILIES ETC. ARE ALIKE, SO WHY
SHOULD THEIR HOMES ALL BE THE SAME?
 STUDY & KNOW LOCAL MATERIALS – THEIR AVAILABILITY, PERFORMANCE, COSTS,
TECHNIQUES & WORKMEN WHO KNOW HOW TO USE THEM.
 MAKE COST-EFFICIENCY YOUR WAY OF LIFE – NOT MERELY “LOW COST FOR THE POOR”.
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH.
 ONE OF HIS INFLUENCES HAS BEEN

MAHATMA GANDHI, FOR HIM PROPER

DEVELOPMENT CAN BE DONE IF RAW

MATERIAL IS BROUGHT FROM A PLACE IN

A RANGE OF 5-10 KMS.

 LAURIE BAKER’S ARCHITECTURE WAS

A CONTEMPORARY VERSION OF THE
VERNACULAR.

 ANOTHER INSPIRATION FOR HIM HAS BEEN

ORDINARY MEN.
• Masonry Dome
Advantages
•Energy saving eco-friendly compressive roof.
•Decorative & Highly Economical for larges
spans.
•Maintenance free

Funnicular shell
Advantages
•Energy saving eco-friendly compressive
roof.
•Decorative & Economical
•Maintenance free
• Masonry Dome
Advantages
•Energy saving eco-friendly compressive roof.
•Decorative & Highly Economical for larges
spans.
•Maintenance free

Funnicular shell
Advantages
•Energy saving eco-friendly compressive
roof.
•Decorative & Economical
•Maintenance free
 • Masonry Arches

Advantages
• Traditional spanning sytem.
• Highly decorative & economical
• Less energy requirement.
 BAKER’S ARCHITECTURAL CREATIONS EXPANDS FROM A REMARKABLY VARIED
SPECTRUM OF PROJECTS RANGING FROM FISHERMEN’S VILLAGES

TO INSTITUTIONAL COMPLEXES & FROM LOW COST MUD HOUSING SCHEMES TO

LOW COST CATHEDRALS.

HIS WORKS INCLUDE FORTY CHURCHES, NUMEROUS SCHOOLS, INSTITUTIONS,

RESIDENCES & HOSPITALS

 He has designed and built a dance village, computer institutes,
fishermen’s huts, chapels and churches, factories, schools, film
studios, orphanages, tourist resorts, residences, technical
institutes, earthquake and tsunami resistant houses, leprosy
homes, a Literacy Village, hostels, slum dwellings improvement, an
ornithology centre, government buildings, a blind children’s
international school and a museum

He has also done pioneering work into earthquake and tsunami

proof housing.
 WORKS
 The Hamlet (his residence)
 Fishermen’s village
 Centre for Development Studies, Ulloor
 Loyola Chapel and Auditorium, 1971, Sreekaryam
 Leprosy homes for Mission to Lepers across India
 Pithoragarh house, school and hospital complex
 Allahabad Agricultural University
 Loyola Women’s Hostel, 1970, Sreekaryam
 Neetas House
 HUDCO Suresh
 International Leprosy Mission, Faizabad
HOME TO BAKER AND HIS
WIFE ELIZABETH BAKER
SINCE 1970
“THE HOUSE IN 5
LEVELS”
THE HOUSE IS SITUATED ON A SITE WITH AREA OF ABOUT HALF AN
ACRE ,IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM SLOPING STEEPLY TOWARD THE
NILANCHIRA ROAD. THE SITE WAS UNWIELDY IN PLAN STEEP IN
SECTION, AND HAD AROCKY SURFACE.
•1ST BUILT A SINGLE ROOM HUT OF TIMBER. IT HOUSED
THE LIBRARY OF MEDICAL BOOKS & ALSO AS
BEDROOM, LAUNDRY ROOM, DINING ROOM & STUDY.
•THE SITE WAS HIGHLY CONTOURED AND ROCKY, BUT
BAKER DID NOT DISTURB EVEN A SINGLE ROCK OR A
TREE, SO IT IS
POPULARLY NAMED AS “RIGHT INTHE
ROCKS”
•A HOUSE WAS BUILT ON THE LOWER CONTOUR FOR THE
4 NIECES WHO MOVED TO TRIVANDRUM.
• ONE MORE HOUSE WAS BUILT FOR HIS
SON TILAK WHICH FACED THE TREES.
THE WIRING IS NOT JUGGLED OR CONCEALED. IT SITS COMFORTABLY ON
A PROJECTING BRICK COURSE ABOVE EYE LEVEL AND ENTER THE SOCKETS
ALONG TH WALLS.

• CIRCULAR SPACES USED IN NIECERY

• WALL INBUILT SEATING ARRANGEMENTS
DETAILING USED
FROM OLD WOOD
USED IN AN OLD
TRADITIONAL BROKE
HOUSE

WATER TANK FOR

STORING RAIN
WATER

LOT OF ARCHES
ARE USED
 GABLES FOR PROPERAIR CROSS CIRCULATION
AND VENTILATION

TOWER BUILT FOR BAKERS GUESTS

DIFFERENT
ROOF TYPES
 THE DOG HOUSE AND
THE ROUND-SHAPED NIECERIE THIS NIECERIE
STYLE WINDOW ATTHE END WAS BUILT FOR
OF THE BEDROOM BAKER’S FOUR
PROVIDES BOTH LIGHT AND NIECES
A GOOD VIEW
 THIS DOOR IS MADE FROM TWO THE BAKER’S BEDROOM WINDOWS
TRADITIONAL OLD KERALA DOORS
• THE WALL IS
DECORATED
WITH WASTE
MATERIALS
CREATIVELY
• THE ENTRANCE
HAS A SMALL
SITTING AREA FOR
GUESTS AND
FAMILY

• THE DECORATION
IS MADE FROM
BROKEN POTTERY,
GLASS AND CERAMIC
 BAKER HAS CUT THE STEP
DIRECTLY INTO THE ROCK FACE
OF THE SLOPING PLOT OF LAND

THE STEPS LEADING UP

TO THE FRONT DOOR
OF THE HAMLET
THE JALIS FILTER
IN THE
MORNING
LIGHT

A TRADITIONAL
KERALA WINDOW
A VIEW FROMHAMLET
 TYPICAL
TRADITIONAL TILING
USED IN SOUTH
INDIA MOSTLY IN
AREAS WHERE
SLOPED

AN IMPROVISED BAKER’S GRILL

MADE OF BITS AND PIECES
INCLUDING APIECE OF CLUTCH
PLATE

STAINED GLASS EFFECT

 COST EFFECTIVE BAKER
WINDOWS

SIMPLE YET BEAUTIFUL

WINDOWS OF BAKER’S TYPE
MADE FROM WASTE
CREATIVE WALL FIXTURES
WOODEN PLANKS AND
GRILLS MADE OF THROWN
AWAYMETAL PIECES