laurie baker buildings in trivandrumlaurie baker buildings in trivandrum

His responsiveness to never identical site conditions, quite obviously allowed him for the variegation that permeated his work. In 1970, he came to Trivandrum and has since been designing and constructing buildings all over Kerala. Indeed, even the electrical wires in the villa were not covered. Yet the 7-story library tower dominates the design, inhabiting the hilltop. The History of the Hamlet | The Hamlet Also, the administration block is the primary focal point from the entrance that branches towards other blocks. The elements mainly are the, , the traditional roofs, the stepped arches, the overhanging eaves, and the skylights. 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. Conical structures were also used in the hamlet. Apart from the much-cherished CDS, the Indian Coffee House at Thampanoor, and part of the. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); was an award-winning British-born Indian Architect, eminent for his leadership in cost-effective energy-efficient, The design that is the utmost illustration of, is the Centre for Development Studies in Trivandrum. Sitemap. 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. The windows were traditional and simple yet cost-effective and beautiful, having the grills made out of bits and pieces. Several upright senior government secretaries were showing genuine concern at architectural practices which were apparently not actually essential or even desirable, but which they were assured as necessary by public work civil engineers . My feeling as an architect is that you are not after all trying to put 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. It seems a far cry from small low-cost houses' to big foundries and factories, but that is what has happened. Read more about life in Trivandrum in Baker's . The house form, materials and techniques of construction used in vernacular architecture are an effective response through appropriate or sustainable technology. Shaped like a spiral, the flooring winds its way around a central core like a ramp. A scribbler exploring endless stories believes in sharing them with the world around to connect architecture with all that is. Sitemap. The mens hostel hides amidst the vegetation with a more linear form. Much of what has come to be described as Baker Architecture I owe to these craftsmen. Bakers bedroom resembled a long railway compartment. Industrialists are often hard realists and the principles of cost-reduction have been taken up by some of them in different parts of the country. She loves reading and writing. Therefore the circular tower that stands behind the administrative block is the main library on the campus. Low-cost housing techniques were the most rewarding for the group of people who came under the label of the 'lower middle class'. Much of what has come to be described as Baker Architecture I owe to these craftsmen. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. We settled down to live in a completely different setting from that of north India. Over years of occupation, the arid rockiness of the site was transformed into a contoured formation of, Every part of Hamlet resembles the philosophy of Baker. Although crippled, and in her seventies, she'd made the long and difficult journey to our hospital Iii the Himalayas and stayed with us until she had her plans for her Literacy Village. As one makes way into the building, one is intrigued by more than just the warm coffee and snacks served. There were gables for proper air circulation and ventilation, also providing natural light. karimadom.com: Crafting Hues forHumanity, Karyavattom & Kazhakkoottam: A Tale of TwoVillages, Eves Coffee: Games, Books & More onBoard, Popular film locations in Thiruvananthapuram, national transportation planning and research centre, road infrastructure in thiruvananthapuram, thiruvananthapuram city roads improvement project, thiruvananthapuram road development company ltd, vizhinjam international container terminal. Indian Coffee House - Laurie Baker - archEstudy - Hotel and Cafe As is the trend with Bakers buildings, bricks are used to build the load-bearing walls that curve to form the structure. The living room was the integration of new buildings and salvaged timber from traditional buildings that were being demolished. They had. During this time I did manage to acquire quite a lot of those skills which had so fascinated me. 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. Laurie Baker: the Gandhian Architect Who Constructed for Sustainable Lipika Pandey, is one of the millions of young aspiring architecture students, who is determined to make her successful career in the respective field. This technique is called the stack effect. Elizabeth Baker worked tirelessly in several slums in Trivandrum, providing much needed medical expertise to neglected sections of society. Always living close to nature I learnt many lessons from the design of God's creations. Here are some of his beautiful sketches of traditional Trivandrumarchitecture. They had and expressed their faith in the 'expert', and would sometimes actually help where they felt they could. Steel Buildings Greenwood SC | South Carolina Metal Buildings Spaces: Spiral ramp; Two floors for the restaurant; Interesting aspects: Cylindrical structure Laurie Baker, the seer who conceived this landmark blessed Trivandrum by calling the city his home. They were quick to understand the principles involved in cost-reduction. How it is used in Architecture? At this time, my greatest problems came from the vested interests of most categories of people concerned with the building industry. Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl's Schoolin Rajasthan is an architectural marvel. So the Archbishop asked for a second house to be put up for half the cost! Finally everything in the report was accepted, but over the years very little of it has been implemented. 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. Youve been successfully subscribed to our newsletter! The building was planned on a relatively small urban site, and the walls were curved to fulfill the programmatic requirements within the given space. It consisted of a living room, bedroom, library, and kitchen, all built using the traditional brick and timber resources. It required the keen eyes and mind of Laurie Baker, who reached the State in the mid 1960s and made Thiruvananthapuram his home in 1970, to force Kerala to rethink, reinvent and in general, revisit its old architectural values. Many more people were educated and literate, and this was especially true among the women folk. Kerala is home to 51 of those outlets, some of them being historic locations. They had. If the above statement sounds a bit harsh perhaps a bit of background on my Quaker religious beliefs might help explain why I feel this way. For him, bricks are like faces. The Chief Minister launched the scheme by challenging them to demonstrate and prove their economic theories by the way in which they built and ran their institution. The shaft is created to ensure a ventilation system inside the spaces. A water tank was also installed to harvest the rainwater. All of them are made of burnt mud, but they vary slightly in shape and color. Special 'religious' surroundings and appurtenances are not essential though many people find them a help. The entrance on the roadside was made of cast iron bars with interesting ethnic patterns on them. The Computer centre at Centre for Development Studies were Baker evolved an innovative system of curved double walls to save on cost andto conservethe energy that goes into air-conditioning a building of this scale and purpose. He created a variety of textures and patterns by simply manipulating how bricks were placed in the walls. LAURIE BAKER: Life and Works of Architect Laurie Baker - RTF Laurie Baker, 90; architect built affordable homes for India's poor This allows for optimum usage of space and the maximum number of seatings is provided. The brickwork of Indian Coffee House Source - Source - arkistudentscorner The entire building painted over exposed brickwork with white in the interiors and brick-red on the exteriors. The Hamlet, Trivandrum- by Laurie Baker - RTF - Rethinking The Future One of the most striking buildings in Trivandrum, the buildings were designed for the restaurant chain of the same name. The Indian Coffee House is a chain of cafes with over 400 branches. Lawrence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker (2 March 1917 - 1 April 2007) was a British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and designs that maximized space, ventilation and light and maintained an uncluttered yet striking aesthetic sensibility. Again, at first, we chose a remoter rural area to live and work in, and again, we ourselves built our own home and hospital in the local style with local materials. Laurie Baker was a prolific builder. Clearly they did not wish to reduce costs! I claim that the client's needs and desires should come first and that he or she requires a 'client-based' building, not a 'Baker' building but when expressions of his religious beliefs offend me I find myself unable to design for him or her. 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. To maintain the proportion and the stability of the building, the ramp gets smaller as it goes to the top, forming an imperfect but balanced cylinder. Baker innovatively used the discarded bottles inset in the walls which gave a very good effect of light and created an illusion of stained-glass effect. The auditorium has an intimate ambiance with alternating curved walls guarding the entrance. His respect for nature led him to let the idiosyncrasies of a site inform his architectural improvisations, rarely was a, My feeling as an architect is that you are not after all trying to put a monument which will be remembered as a Laurie Baker Building but Mohan Singhs house where he can live happily with his family., 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 1990, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in recognition of his meritorious service in the field of architecture. 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 materials, religious and cultural patterns of living, and the main local occupants. 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. The British-born architect, passed away in his home on April 1, 2007 aged 90, But his creations and his ideas are still amongst us in the form of landmarks as well as a large body of young architects who are influenced by him, Article based on sources fromlauriebaker.net , hindu.com , gharexpert.com & skyscrapercity.com. The courtyards have many gardens and ponds. Always living close to nature I learnt many lessons from the design of God's creations. 1. As Laurie Bakers Architecture is a contemporary version of the vernacular, it is factually depicted in his designs as well. He gave place to the dog over the entrance gate with a well-placed jali to let morning light filter in. The site was an awkward trapezium of stone and bushes with high contours. Design Philosophy - Style The building falls under the category of Neo-Vernacular architecture. The plaiting work had always been done by the older girls in their spare time, but now almost all girls went to school and more and more of them to college and there was neither the time nor the inclination to make these stock of thatched leaves ready for the annual re-thatching. During his later years he was deeply concerned with the rising traffic and increasing concrete structures in the city. An interesting scientific observation is that the length of the wall enclosing a given area is shorter if the shape is circular and longer if the shape around the same area is a square or a rectangle. 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. She would train writers on how to write for the newly-literate adults. My unpopularity among fellow professionals probably started at this time. But she wanted, what she described as a real 'Indian villagesque set-up'. So passionate was he about his mission to create shelter for as many as possible that he rarely documented any of his work per any typical architect's norms. The Loyola complex contains a high school and a post-graduate complex, both sharing a common chapel and an auditorium. Lime mortar is prepared from burning sea shells few kilometers apart. There was strong opposition to the idea of requesting a private individual with 'funny' ideas to present an official report to the government. The arch openings used throughout the campus as a replacement for doors also create cross-ventilation, making the building cooler. Greenwood South Carolina Barndominium Builders. As a result, the building must fit its topographical requirements, which will naturally improve its aesthetic composition. Thus, finding an ideal location can help reduce the cost. Whenever his four nieces came to Trivandrum (presently Thiruvananthapuram), he made a different house on the lower contour of the site, called the Niecery. The structure of the institute seems to merge with the site & its topography. 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. Laurie Baker also tends to use interesting techniques with the arrangement of walls that allows a sustainable design ecology to be a part of his buildings. 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. Article: Laurie Baker's Unique Masterpieces at Thiruvananthapuram 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. The wheel seems to have turned a full circle because it is these industrialists who are now employing many handicapped persons and my work for the industrialists includes hostels and training-centres for these handicapped people, along with their huge factory buildings. Among the first Baker buildings in Thiruvananthapuram is the Centre for Development Studies in Akkulam. Even kings were the epitome of simplicity here, making do with humble palaces and small comforts. This remote and neglected hilly area had their first doctor and the news spread like wildfire. Born in 1917, he graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design but made India, more specifically Kerala, his home. Very rarely do we find the square or the rectangle but very often the circle is used. Srajati is an explorer with a bundle of nerves; Architecture to her is a paradigm of service & opinions are her ruling passion. (LogOut/ The Hamlet Laurie Bakers home(shown above) in Thiruvananthapuram is a statement of his insights into architecture in its own right. The campus' buildings all have a very characteristic look&feel of the red brick patterns very typical for the late Baker: But the . So the Archbishop asked for a second house to be put up for half the cost! The building falls under the category of Neo-Vernacular architecture. Rubble granite diverging with brick is laid on the plinths of the structures. The ground floor has a separate entrance to the kitchen. Settling Down Finally: Trivandrum - Laurie Baker She would teach how to use drama, puppetry, music and art as teaching methods. They feel they have certain standards of living to keep up, matters relating to dress and to the education and marriage of their children, but their salaries leave them very little to save for house-building, an activity which they had always considered well beyond their reach. Laurie Baker Centre: Perpetuating a legacy Laurie Baker birth centenary: Craftsman who built liveable, lovable homes Again the government showed further interest and called for a report on the methods of cost-reduction. An interesting scientific observation is that the length of the wall enclosing a given area is shorter if the shape is circular and longer if the shape around the same area is a square or a rectangle. Therefore please note that this is definitely a grossly incomplete list and has been pieced together in retrospect. Thus, experimenting on them will help deduce the right form according to its cost and climatic requirement. He even used integrated furniture, generally made out of bricks and stones. So the Archbishop asked for a second house to be put up for half the cost! Both in Pithoragarh and Vagamon, the Bakers started a hospital and several schools. 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 absence of windows and the patterned red walls give the building a sculptural quality, only emphasized through its location. Mangalore tiles are used as filler slabs on concrete sloping roofs & jaalis of various designs are creating notable patterns of diffused light inside the building. Very rarely do we find the square or the rectangle but very often the circle is used. 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. They feel they have certain standards of living to keep up, matters relating to dress and to the education and marriage of their children, but their salaries leave them very little to save for house-building, an activity which they had always considered well beyond their reach. She is focused and enthusiast on learning new skills and grow. 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. The Method Laurie Baker was a humanitarian who did not believe in building for classes but for the masses. At first I was only unofficially asked whether there were in fact any possible ways of reducing costs for government buildings done by Government agencies. 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. And not a day too soon!! When he came to the city some 67 years ago the atmosphere wasentirelydifferent. The British-born Indian architect, Laurie Baker, known as the 'Gandhi of architecture', gave India low-cost building design with maximum efficiency and just the right amount of aesthetics. His wife Elizabeth (whom he called Kuni) passed away on March 11 2011 at the age of 95. The structure of the institute seems to merge with the site & its topography. This school is made of sandstone, which is LIC Housing designed by Architect BV Doshi in Ahmedabad in 1973. The technique is to trap the air in between & further insulate the building within. Later I went down and helped her to lay out the site and start building. 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. 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. Laurence Wilfred Baker, fondly called as Laurie Baker, was a British-born architect who pioneer traditional and low-cost construction in India. Built on a horizontal platform, these modules rise in height with the ramp and cover the entirety of it. Studying in Trivandrum meant that there would be a Laurie Baker building around almost every corner. The stack effect is the principle applied for the same. DIXIE POLE BUILDINGS, INC - Quality Woodtruss False external jaali screen is, Jaalis_ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwOIDVLGuWQ/Uz1CcpvJ2DI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/SQHboj4sfvI/s1600/2014_CDS_BAKER_01.jpg, 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., Complete Architecture Package for Design Studios, Complete Architecture Package for Students, How to Get Your Projects Published | Online Course, How To Build A Brand For A Design Studio | Online Course, Introduction to Architectural Journalism | Online Course, Design Thinking in Architecture | Online Course, Introduction to Landscape Architecture | Online Course, Introduction to Urban Design | Online Course, How to Use Biomimicry in Architecture | Online Course, Introduction to Product Design | Online Course, Introduction to Passive Design Strategies | Online Course, Introduction to Skyscraper Design | Online Course, How to Design Affordable Housing | Online Course, Complete Guide to Dissertation Writing | Online Course, The Ultimate Masters Guide For Architects | Online Course, The Perfect Guide to Architecting your Career | Online Course, Complete Architecture Package for Design Studios v 3.0, Complete Architecture Package for Students v 3.0. Laurie Baker was an award-winning British-born Indian Architect, eminent for his leadership in cost-effective energy-efficient Architecture for his exceptional space utilization. His wife Elizabeth (whom he called Kuni) passed away on March 11 2011 at the age of 95. Are The Skins of Larger Buildings Prefabricated? 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. These kinds of materials made the Hamlet close to its natural state. Architectural Inspirations: The Work of Laurie Baker The entrance is magnificent with extensive steps sloping outwards. The elements mainly are thejaalis, the traditional roofs, the stepped arches, the overhanging eaves, and the skylights. On the higher contour where the residence was located, there is a low verandah to the open terrace, from a waterbody to a living area pepping towards the terrace. Lastly, I have found, consistently, throughout my working life, that the whole business of planning and designing is intensely absorbing and fun! The placement of openings and perforations can significantly impact the indoor climate of the place. For example, there were many attractive ways of using local building materials. Many people and institutions were showing great interest in reducing costs of building. 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. Located in Newberry, South Carolina. 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. The rat-trap arrangement of bricks forms a double wall that improves thermal comfort due to its hollow nature. The Hamlet has an irregular pyramid-like structure on the roof, whose one side is left open and tilting into the wind. The purpose was to supply sufficient air to all the respective floors & escaping the hot air out. Baker's work in just in Trivandrum includes over 1000 residences and over 40 churches, chapels and other buildings. I found the relationships of Kerala vs. India very comparable to that of Britain vs. the rest of Europe. It was here that Bakers skills of cost-reduction met their greatest challenge, as it required a seating capacity of one thousand. What is 3D printing technology? These were opportunities for Laurie to build. Final Note:The Baker's lived a fulfilling, happy and productive life in Trivandrum for over 35 years. The unique and extreme climatic conditions and topographical challenges of the Himalayas and the remote densely wooded hills of South India meant Laurie had to use his ingenuity and skills to utmost. There was a need now for new buildings for our home and the hospital.There, in mainly truly local indigenous style, we built our home, hospital and schools, and we lived there for more than a decade-and-a-half. 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! 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. At that time, weightage was given to traditional style buildings. Greenwood South Carolina Barndominium Builders - Country Wide Barns The cost in 1970-71, including the furniture and appurtenances, lighting and sanitation was kept with in the original gift sum of 1.75 lakh rupees. 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. Again the government showed further interest and called for a report on the methods of cost-reduction. For this and other similar reasons I became then, cost-conscious and spent a lot of time trying to find ways of reducing building costs in general whether I was using local indigenous methods or building with the 'normal' twentieth century materials and techniques. The Indian Coffee House in Thiruvananthapuram is no exception and is an important architectural structure of the city.