Laurie baker

Laurence Wilfred Laurence Wilfred

LAURIE BAKERLAURIE BAKER

PRESENTED BY:

PRIYA JAIN

4th SEM

HITKARINI COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND TOWN PLANNING.

LAURIELAURIE BAKERBAKERLaurie Baker, an architect from Laurie Baker, an architect from Birmingham, now settled in Birmingham, now settled in Thiruvananthapuram, has effectively Thiruvananthapuram, has effectively combined traditional techniques with combined traditional techniques with indigenous innovations and has indigenous innovations and has managed to bring down the cost of managed to bring down the cost of construction by half.construction by half. His techniques not only use cheaper His techniques not only use cheaper materials but also eliminate materials but also eliminate redundant details from the design.redundant details from the design.

Concrete is rarely used. Mangalore Concrete is rarely used. Mangalore tiles are used for the roof which tiles are used for the roof which makes it light and inexpensive.makes it light and inexpensive.

► His approach and simple principles to low cost His approach and simple principles to low cost housing are Gandhian, which can be adopted by housing are Gandhian, which can be adopted by every builder. The following are the mainstay of every builder. The following are the mainstay of design and construction of his houses.design and construction of his houses.

► Planning of spacePlanning of space– lesser walls, multiple uses of – lesser walls, multiple uses of space, short spans of roof, agglomeration of building space, short spans of roof, agglomeration of building services, flexibility in growth.services, flexibility in growth.

► Local building material– Local building material– bricks, tiles, lime, surkhi, bricks, tiles, lime, surkhi, timber, thatch, stone, palm, mud.timber, thatch, stone, palm, mud.

► Bricks and jalis Bricks and jalis – play of light and shade, – play of light and shade, unidirectional vision.unidirectional vision.

► Unplastered walls.Unplastered walls.► Lintels and arches.Lintels and arches.► Attention to details.Attention to details.

► Baker’s works include, private Baker’s works include, private residences, some institutional residences, some institutional buildings, like ‘center for buildings, like ‘center for development studies’, Kerala. He is development studies’, Kerala. He is very active in the works of all the very active in the works of all the building centers working in Kerala as building centers working in Kerala as well as in the other parts of country. well as in the other parts of country. Rather it was his initial effort to Rather it was his initial effort to promote the low cost housing in India, promote the low cost housing in India, where housing is a big problem.where housing is a big problem.

► His techniques not only use cheaper His techniques not only use cheaper materials but also eliminate materials but also eliminate unnecessary details from the design. unnecessary details from the design. Concrete is sparingly used. Mangalore Concrete is sparingly used. Mangalore tiles are used for the roof which tiles are used for the roof which makes it light and inexpensive.makes it light and inexpensive.

Architectural styleArchitectural style► Designing and building low cost, high Designing and building low cost, high

quality, beautiful homesquality, beautiful homes

► Suited to or built for lower-middle to Suited to or built for lower-middle to lower class clients.lower class clients.

► Irregular, pyramid-like structures on Irregular, pyramid-like structures on roofs, with one side left open and tilting roofs, with one side left open and tilting into the wind.into the wind.

Brick Brick jalijali walls, a walls, a perforated brick perforated brick screen which utilises screen which utilises natural air movement natural air movement to cool the home's to cool the home's interior and create interior and create intricate patterns of intricate patterns of light and shadowlight and shadow

► Baker's designs invariably have traditional Baker's designs invariably have traditional Indian sloping roofs and Indian sloping roofs and terracotta Mangalore tile shingling with tile shingling with gables and and vents allowing rising hot air to escape.vents allowing rising hot air to escape.

► Curved walls to enclose more volume at Curved walls to enclose more volume at lower material cost than straight walls, lower material cost than straight walls,

► Baker was often seen rummaging Baker was often seen rummaging through salvage heaps looking for through salvage heaps looking for suitable building materials, door and suitable building materials, door and window frames.window frames.

► Baker's architectural method is of Baker's architectural method is of improvisation.improvisation.

► Initial drawings have only an Initial drawings have only an idealistic link to the final idealistic link to the final construction, with most of the construction, with most of the accommodations and design choices accommodations and design choices being made on-site by the architect being made on-site by the architect himselfhimself

His respect for nature led him to let His respect for nature led him to let the idiosyncrasies of a site inform the idiosyncrasies of a site inform his architectural improvisations, his architectural improvisations, rarely is a topography line marred rarely is a topography line marred or a tree uprooted.or a tree uprooted.

►This saves construction cost as This saves construction cost as well, since working around difficult well, since working around difficult site conditions is much more cost-site conditions is much more cost-effective than clear-cuttingeffective than clear-cutting

Baker created a cooling system by placing Baker created a cooling system by placing a high, latticed, brick wall near a pond a high, latticed, brick wall near a pond that uses air pressure differences to draw that uses air pressure differences to draw cool air through the buildingcool air through the building

► . His responsiveness to never-identical . His responsiveness to never-identical site conditions quite obviously allowed for site conditions quite obviously allowed for the variegation that permeates his work.the variegation that permeates his work.

LOW COST LOW COST CONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTION

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

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

LOW COST LOW COST CONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTION

Low cost constructionsLow cost constructions

•Masonry Arches

Advantages •Traditional spanning sytem. •Highly decorative & economical •Less energy requirement.

BAKER’S HOUSE, “THE HAMLET”BAKER’S HOUSE, “THE HAMLET” ► Baker’s own residence is Baker’s own residence is

called ‘The Hamlet’. It has called ‘The Hamlet’. It has been built in been built in Thiruvananthapuram, built Thiruvananthapuram, built on a steeply sloping and on a steeply sloping and rocky hillside that hardly rocky hillside that hardly had any vegetation when had any vegetation when Baker started constructing. Baker started constructing.

► Baker has truly adopted his Baker has truly adopted his motto to “make low-costery motto to “make low-costery a habit and a way of life” a habit and a way of life” by reusing everything, from by reusing everything, from brick to glass bottles, as brick to glass bottles, as building materials. building materials.

• Key features of his house are:All the walls are made of mud bricks.Timber salvaged from an old boat jetty.

► One of the other signature One of the other signature elements of his design elements of his design includes the use of circular includes the use of circular walls, which use far less walls, which use far less brick than rectangular brick than rectangular walls.walls.

► In addition, when he does In addition, when he does use concrete for a roof, he use concrete for a roof, he embeds chipped or broken embeds chipped or broken terra cotta roofing tiles into terra cotta roofing tiles into the mixture. the mixture.

► These tiles, which normally These tiles, which normally would be thrown away, would be thrown away, contribute to the strength contribute to the strength of the roof, allow less of the of the roof, allow less of the expensive concrete to be expensive concrete to be used, and reduce the used, and reduce the structural load of the structural load of the building.building.

► He used broken tiles for the He used broken tiles for the outer paved area of his outer paved area of his garden.garden.

► He made an extensive use He made an extensive use of timber in his house, like of timber in his house, like in the living room of house, in the living room of house, the detailing in wood and the detailing in wood and mud bricks are wonderful.mud bricks are wonderful.

► The living room, An The living room, An integration of new building integration of new building and salvaged timber from and salvaged timber from traditional buildings that traditional buildings that were being demolished.were being demolished.

► Baker's innovative use of Baker's innovative use of discarded bottles, inset in discarded bottles, inset in the walls giving a very good the walls giving a very good effect of light and creating effect of light and creating an illusionan illusion of stained glass.of stained glass.

PLAN AND ELEVATIONPLAN AND ELEVATION

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

STEPS LEADING UP TO FRONT DOOR

A VIEW FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE

STEPS DIRECTLY CUT IN ROCK

ENTRANCE HAS SMALL SITTING AREA FOR GUESTS

THE WALL IS DECORATED FROM BROKEN POTTERY, PENS, GLASS

A CALLING BELL FOR VISITORS TO ANNOUNCE THEIR PRESENCE

A MORNING AT HEMLET

INTERIOR

USE OF NATURAL LIGHT

USE OF NATURAL LIGHT

INNER COURTYARD …CLOSE TO NATUREINNER COURTYARD …CLOSE TO NATURE

NEVER CUT TREES INSTEAD ADAPTED HIS NEVER CUT TREES INSTEAD ADAPTED HIS DESIGN ACCORDINGLYDESIGN ACCORDINGLY

ARCHES LED INTO A BEAUTIFUL OPEN ROOM

COURTYARD HAS COURTYARD HAS MANY GARDENS AND MANY GARDENS AND

PONDSPONDS

Pitched roof made of manglore tiles

BAKER’S BAKER’S FONDNESS OF FONDNESS OF

ARCHESARCHES

SIMPLE YET SIMPLE YET BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL WINDOWSWINDOWS

GABLES FOR GABLES FOR PROPER AIR PROPER AIR

CIRCULATION CIRCULATION AND AND

VENTILATIONVENTILATION

GRILL MADE OF BITS AND PIECESGRILL MADE OF BITS AND PIECES

CONICAL STRUCTURE USED…CONICAL STRUCTURE USED…

COST EFFECTIVE COST EFFECTIVE BAKER’S WINDOWBAKER’S WINDOW

Louvered window typical of baker’s type

STAINED GLASS EFFECTSTAINED GLASS EFFECT

WATER TANK FOR STORING RAIN HARVESTED WATER

Mrs Nalini Nayak`s residenceMrs Nalini Nayak`s residence (A Social Worker)(A Social Worker)

Ulloor, Trivandrum (1971) Ulloor, Trivandrum (1971)

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

External ViewsExternal ViewsGenerous sprawling ground floor Generous sprawling ground floor

with three floor staking of with three floor staking of pentagonpentagon

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

► internally each floor divides into the internally each floor divides into the bedroom, bath and landing bedroom, bath and landing

► The additional segment on the ground, The additional segment on the ground, forming the living/dining and kitchen, is forming the living/dining and kitchen, is structured with bays of half-brick thickness, structured with bays of half-brick thickness, alternating wall and wall and door alternating wall and wall and door

Ground floor plan

1st Floor Plan

2nd Floor Plan

The EntranceThe Entrance

View of entrance from living roomView of entrance from living room

Built furniture of bricks

1st floor bedroom entrance.

Common door for entry and bathroom

Jali wallsJali walls

Sun light merging inwards.

Jali window.Jali window.

2nd floor bedroom.

►ENDEND