Laurence 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. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and his own experiences in the remote Himalayas, he promoted the revival of regional building practices and use of local materials; and combined this with a design philosophy that emphasized a responsible and prudent use of resources and energy. He was a pioneer of sustainable architecture as well as organic architecture, incorporating in his designs even in the late 1960s, concepts such as rain-water harvesting, minimizing usage of energy-inefficient building materials, minimizing damage to the building site and seamlessly merging with the surroundings.
He moved to India in 1945 in part as an architect associated with a leprosy mission and continued to live and work in India for over 50 years. He became an Indian citizen in 1989 and resided in Thiruvananthapuram (
As a young architect , got inspired with his principles , which are much essential during these days , service the earth is getting affected with the human nature. His philosophies of low- cost methods and climatic responsive methods , have proved to be the best methods for housing in India.
Baker's style of work is significant both in terms of volume and sheer diversity as well as in terms of innovative and particle concepts he introduced.
His architectural principles involved cost effectiveness use of locally available material , respect for nature, avoidance of energy- intensive material and wastage minimization
to create low cost , beautiful , high quality buildings which long per emptied modern concepts such as Eco friendliness and he as built over 2000 building . He also done pioneering work into earthquake and tsunami proof housing.
Works Of Laurie Baker :
MRS Nalini Nayak's Residence ulloor, Trivandrum :
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, forming the living / dining and kitchen , is structured with bays of half brick thicknesss , alternating wall and wall and door.
Fishermen's Village :
Construction was made using exposed brick work and structure .
Sloped concrete roof.
Openness in design and individual units offset each other.
Continuous lattice work in exposed walls .
Computer Center :
Using principle of lattice wall planning , breeeways and built of natural brick and stone keeping in consideration the electronic sophistication.
He proposed a double walled building with an outer surface of intersecting circles of brick jali.
Internal shell fulfilled the constrains and controls necessary for computer laboratory.
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