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(March 2, 1917 April 1, 2007) British-born Indianarchitect

He went to India in 1945 in part as a missionary andsince then lived and worked in India for over 50 years

He obtained Indian citizenship in 1989 and resided inThiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala.

In 1990, the Government of India awarded him withthe Padma Shri in recognition of his meritoriousservice in the field of architecture.

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Baker studied architecture in Birmingham andgraduated in 1937, aged 20, in a period ofpolitical unrest for Europe.

During the Second World War, he served in theFriends Ambulance Unit in China and Burma.

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worked as an architect for an international andinterdenominational Mission dedicated to the care ofthose suffering from leprosy.

focused on converting or replacing asylums once usedto house the ostracized sufferers of the disease -"lepers".

Used indigenous architecture and methods of theseplaces as means to deal with his once dauntingproblems.

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Baker lived in Kerala with Doctor P.J. Chandy,

while Laurie continued his architectural work andresearch accommodating the medical needs of the

community through his constructions of varioushospitals and clinics.Baker sought to enrich the culture in which heparticipated by promoting simplicity and home-grown

quality in his buildings.His emphasis on cost-conscious construction,

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Brick jali walls, aperforated brick screenwhich utilises natural airmovement to cool thehome's interior andcreate intricate patternsof light and shadow

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Baker's designs invariably have traditional Indiansloping roofs and terracotta Mangalore tile shinglingwith gables and vents allowing rising hot air toescape.

Curved walls to enclose more volume at lowermaterial cost than straight walls,

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Filler slab

Jack Arch

Advantages 20-35% Less materials

Decorative, Economical &Reduced self-load

Almost maintenance free

25-30% Cost Reduction

Advantages Energy saving & Eco-Friendly

compressive roofing.Decorative & Highly

EconomicalMaintenance free

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Masonry DomeAdvantagesEnergy saving eco-friendly compressive roof.

Decorative & Highly Economical for larges spans.Maintenance free

Funnicular shellAdvantagesEnergy saving eco-friendly compressive roof.Decorative & EconomicalMaintenance free

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Masonry Arches

AdvantagesTraditional spanning sytem.Highly decorative & economicalLess energy requirement.

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In his words, I just think it is plain stupidity to build a brick wall, plaster it all

over and then paint lines on it to make it look like a brick wall. I think it is

equally untruthful to cover it all over with tiles shaped to look like bricks. Or

another variation of untruthfulness is to plaster it and then paint it to look like

marble!

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He used this old Kerala technique to create beautiful patterns on the walls, toplay with light and shadow and its effect on ceilings and floors, to minimize

the use of windows thus reduced building cost and so on.

b. Brick Jali

A Baker jali is a brick version of traditionalsouth Indian patterned wooden grillwork:

Gaps between bricks lead air anddaylight through a wall while diffusingthe glare of direct sunlight.

Some of the center's coolness also comesfrom tiny courtyards built around poolswhose evaporation helps fight the heat.

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Baker used brick or other solid materials like tiles to create different patterns onthe ceiling to break the monotony of the white plastered ceiling and otherpurposes.

d. Patterned parapet

Making different designs in the parapet is another feature of Bakersarchitecture.

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Mortar for bricks normally would require cement--another Baker enemy,

because until recently most cement in Kerala had to be imported. Baker insteadlikes to use substitutes such as lime . When he was building the Centre forDevelopment Studies, for instance, he made lime on the spot.Concrete floors and steps are ordinarily reinforced with steel rods, but Bakerhas found that a grid of split local bamboo, carefully lashed together in the rightpattern, does the job just as well--and at less than 5 percent of the cost.

a. Rat trap brick bondingLaurie Baker incorporated a new type of bonding in his buildings which is called theRat trap bonding. It is as strong as the other bonds but uses 25% LESS bricks andmortar. Thermal insulation is very much better.

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According to Bakers word, our floors between stories are usuallyreinforced concrete slabs which also eat up large stocks of cement

and steel. It is undoubtedly true that such floors are much moresatisfactory than the old wooden floors, but we seem to ignore allthe many types of slab which have been devised to use lesscement and less steel.These include various types of filler slabs and incidentally I

usually make good use of burnt clay products such as tiles, bricksetc., for the filler elements, which take the place of heavy deadweight concrete. Compared with the normal orthodox reinforcedconcrete slabs, some of these tried and tested systems reduce thecost of the slab by 10,40 and even 50 per cent and of course savelarge quantities of the precious cement and steel for more essentialpurposes.

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d. Other cost reduction techniquesHis other cost reduction techniques included frameless doors andwindows (here the brick wall works as the frame for doors or windows),brick lintels, brick arches etc. The notable thing is that Baker added hisnatural sense of aesthetics while he incorporated these cost reductiontechniques rather than the existing so called modern constructionmethods.

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1981: D.Litt conferred by the Royal University ofNetherlands for outstanding work in the ThirdWorld

1983: Order of the British Empire, MBE 1987: Received the first Indian National Habitat

Award 1988: Received Indian Citizenship 1989: Indian Institute of Architects Outstanding

Architect of the Year 1990: Received the Padma Sri 1990: Great Master Architect of the Year 1992: UNO Habitat Award & UN Roll of Honour 1993: International Union of Architects (IUA)

Award

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1993: Sir Robert Matthew Prize for Improvement ofHuman Settlements

1994: People of the Year Award 1995: Awarded Doctorate from the University of

Central England 1998: Awarded Doctorate from Sri VenkateshwaraUniversity

2001: Coinpar MR Kurup Endowment Award 2003: Basheer Puraskaram 2003: D.Litt from the Kerala University 2005: Kerala Government Certificate of Appreciation 2006: L-Ramp Award of Excellence 2006: Nominated from the Pritzker Prize

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pritzker_Prizehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pritzker_Prizehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pritzker_Prizehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pritzker_Prize

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This is Baker's home in Trivandrum.

This is remarkable and unique house built on a

plot of land along the slope of a rocky hill, withlimited access to water:

However Baker's genius has created awonderful home for his family

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Material used from unconventional sources

Family eats in kitchen

Electricity wiring is not concealed

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GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

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STEPS LEADING UP TOFRONT DOOR

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A VIEW FROM THE OPPOSITESIDE

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STEPS DIRECTLY CUT IN ROCK

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ENTRANCE HAS SMALL SITTINGAREA FOR GUESTS

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THE WALL IS DECORATED

FROM BROKEN POTTERY,PENS, GLASS

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A CALLING BELL FOR VISITORS TO ANNOUNCETHEIR PRESENCE

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A MORNING AT HEMLET

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USE OF NATURAL LIGHT

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USE OF NATURAL LIGHT

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ARCHES LED INTO A BEAUTIFUL

OPEN ROOM

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Pitched roof made ofmanglore tiles

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Louvered window typical ofbakers type

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WATER TANKFOR STORINGRAINHARVESTEDWATER

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Requirements:- Meeting place. working place (training). Open spaces. Classroom & dormitories .

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The main house is formed by a simple three-floor stacking of the pentagon on nine-inch-thick brick walls

internally each floor divides into the bedroom,bath and landing

The additional segment on the ground, formingthe living/dining and kitchen, is structured withbays of half-brick thickness, alternating wall andwall and door

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Ground floor plan

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1 st Floor Plan

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2nd Floor Plan

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Builtfurniture ofbricks

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1 st floor bedroom entrance.

Common door for entry andbathroom

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Sun light merginginwards.

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2nd floor bedroom.

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CHALLENGES:Severity of environment in which the tribal's live.Limitation of resourcesConventional architects stayed away from theseprojectsDealing with large insular groups, with set ideas andtraditions.

Dealing with cyclones

Area of each unit : 25 sqm

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Exposed brickwork and structureSloped concrete roofOpenness in design and individual units offseteach otherContinuous latticework in the exposed walls

Construction

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Low sloped roofs and courts serve as wind catchers

Open walls function to dispel it

Long row of housing replaced by even staggering

Fronting courts catch the breeze and also get view ofsea

Dealing With Cyclones:

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Little private rectangle of land in betweenhouses for drying nets , kids play,

Provides sleeping lofts within and adequatespace outside for mending nets and cleaningand drying fish

Open Spaces

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PLAN

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elevation

Solution of Computer Centre DesignProblems

Fitting in naturally andharmoniously with the elevations

of the twenty five year oldinstitution

Challenges :

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Using principle of lattice wall planning, breezeways and

built of natural brick and stone keeping in considerationthe electronic sophistication

He proposed a double walled building with an outersurface of intersecting circles of brick jalis

Internal shell fulfilled the constraints and controlsnecessary for a computer laboratory.

Space between the two walls accommodated thesecondary requirements for offices and storage areas.

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plan

External lattice

Two storeyed outer wall is stiffened by a series of intersecting circles,

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Space used for storage

The Characteristic Elements Of Baker's Style.

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While the jalis, the traditional roofs, the stepped arches, the overhanging eaves andthe skylights etc., are some of the well-known elements that characterize Baker's style, itis his high regard for nature that makes him unique.In any project, Baker is particularly sensitive to the existing contours and the other

elements present on the site . Before planning anything; the location of each tree is takeninto consideration. Even the levels in his design are not artificially created but are madeto follow existing contours or steep slopes on the site.Baker strongly believes in the optimum use of the locally available materials , whichare appropriate to the existing climatic conditions. The local materials like brick, tile,lime, palm thatch, stone, granite and laterite thus replace the conventional steel andglass of modern architecture. These materials suit the hot, wet and humid climate ofKerala and also encourage minimal use of non-renewable resources . Also the small-scale industries required for the manufacturing, cutting, polishing, and other varioustreatment of these materials help in increasing the employment amongst the poorlocalities.Concrete is rarely used; most often in a folded slab design. The waste and discardedtiles are used as fillers, thereby making the roof light and inexpensive. Baker alsoinnovated different bonding techniques for brick , which allowed him to build of half-brick thickness. To add rigidity, many a times these walls were designed in a stepped orcurved form.

Glass windows, frames and sills are replaced by traditional jalis. One can easily

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Glass windows, frames and sills are replaced by traditional jalis. One can easilyrecognize Baker's structures by the presence of jalis on them . The jali used in Baker'sstructure, is a perforated screen made of bricks. The bricks are placed in a peculiarfashion so as to produce tiny regular openings in the walls. These jalis can be designedin various patterns as desired. This jali catches light and air and diffuses glare; whileallowing for privacy and security; thus acting as a window and a ventilator both at thesame time. It encourages airflow, yet the construction of this form of ventilation requiresneither special materials nor special skills.

The spanned openings in a brick wall are made economical by using 'stepped' or'corbelled' arch. In this technique the bricks on each course are cantilevered out a fewinches beyond the course below, until the required span is reached. In case of arectangular opening reinforced brickwork is used which capitalizes on the compositeaction of the lintel with the masonry above.

Where contemporary architects seek to impose control on nature by shutting it out withthe advantage of artificial ventilation and temperature control system; Baker doesexactly the opposite. Being sensitive to nature; he skillfully manipulates the naturalelements to gain thermal comfort. In the canteen of Center of Development Studies; thehigh latticed brick walls and a pond are used to draw air across it's surface and cool thebuilding - a cooling system achieved in a vernacular way.