Prof.

Anil Laul is an Indian architect and urban planner, particularly noted for his sensitivity to the needs
of the poor and for his use of traditional methods and materials dovetailing the contemporary element
into his designs. He is the principal architect of Anangpur Building Centre and Academy for Sustainable
Habitat Research and Action (ASHRA). He is considered the 'Master Blaster of Low Cost Housing &
Earthquake engineering' in the country. He also has many Hi-end & Hi-tech structures like the Cube-on-
vertex, Geodesic domes, Space frames, A-frames to his credit. He was also instrumental in setting up the
Laurie Baker Building Centre (LBBC) in Delhi, an organization promoting low-cost, eco-friendly
structures.
Birth and Education

He was born on August 6, 1944, in Amritsar, Punjab. He studied architecture at the School of Planning
and Architecture, Delhi in 1968. He has worked with Joseph Allen Stein & Mrs. Stein, Ram Sharma
Kanvinde to name a few. He was a former visiting professor at SPA, Delhi and the former Chairman of
the Habitat Polytechnic. He has been a passionate teacher, a terror in the class and a friend outside the
class. He has been an inspiration for his students and fellow teachers. He has always been the favorite of
his students.

Affiliations

He was the prime member of the Art Advisory Committee, Architecture Advisory Committee, Projects
Appraisal Committee, Building Materials Advisory Committee and Governing Council of Building Centre
of HUDCO (Housing and Urban Development Corporation) in the past. He is the member of Indian
National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and senior advisor/consultant to various bodies like
the Development Alternatives, Delhi Urban Art Commission, Unified Traffic and Transportation
Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Centre (UTTIPEC), The Energy and Research Institute (TERI),
Oxfam, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), United Nations Environment Program etc. He
has been instrumental in promoting the sustainable and cost effective technologies throughout India
and abroad and is the co-author of several policies for Housing. Laul has been involved in extensive
writing for various journals including the Local Agenda 21(Sustainable City Strategies) for the
Johannesburg Summit. He is the chief advisor, host and jury to various trophies for various international
conventions of National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA).

Philosophy and Design

 Anil Laul is known for his understated, pure organic but geometrical forms.
 His design concepts speak of the clarity of design and detailing.
 His works often incorporate tradition with contemporary style.
 After more than three decades of relentless work and unique masterpieces, evolving the best
cost effective and sustainable technologies in India and the world, his name has become
synonymous to this type of construction
 Laul has been involved in various teaching/hands-on training programmes.
 Laul shares, 'I have chosen to do RE...SEARCH and not research as we know it. To my mind it is
simple and requires a blend of nature's bounty, traditional wisdom and advancement of the
technologies developed by man.'
 He lays stress on building for cost-effectiveness without compromising on the aesthetics of any
building.
  The construction technologies used in high-income group housing are the same used in a slum
rehabilitation scheme.
 He built low-cost, low-energy, climatically suited and aesthetic houses with recycled waste for
people’s real needs keeping the human'e' scale alive.
 While constructing his own house at Anangpur, he practiced the same concepts he preached
and popularized. Indeed, his life is his message.
 "Will I live in a home built with the technologies that I propagate for the underprivileged? Yes, in
my case I do." - Book 'GREEN is RED' by Anil Laul.
 Recycling comes naturally to Laul. His projects used bits and pieces of waste to make
aesthetically appealing structures that are eco-friendly and rooted to the community and
tradition. The roofs of the Bhoomiheen Camp, a school for the slum children, have the waste
stone found in that area, a signature Laul technique. Laul is very sensitive to the environment
and had a minimal use of the guzzling RCC in his buildings.

Prominent Works

 Jaunapur Slum Resettlement, Delhi

 Deepalaya School
 Anangpur Building Centre and Residence
 Katha School for Slum Children
 Pushkarna Residence, Chandigarh
 Jhalawar Housing, Rajasthan
 Lucknow Housing, Uttar Pradesh
 Prince Ashokraje Gaekwad Pre-School, Vadodara, Gujarat
 Bhartiyam Gram, Delhi
 Bhoomiheen Camp, Delhi
 Exposition Centre, Bangluru
 Escorts J.C.B. Factory
 Kota General Hospital, Rajasthan
 Krishnan Residence, Gurgaon
 Vedaville Township in Jamaica
 Proposal for the Great Egyptian Museum
 Proposal for Bio-Climatic School in Greece
 Sustainable City Strategies for Johannesburg Summit
 Common man's Water Filter
 'Do or Die' of Financial Crisis
Books by Laul

 Threads of Sustainability, 2005

 GREEN is RED, 2013

Forms

Cube-on-vertex

Space Frames
A-frames

Details on Some Prominent Works:

Anangpur Building Centre and Residence

The Anangpur Building Centre is an entrepreneur Building Centre initiated in 1991 by Prof. Anil Laul,
who has been involved with pioneering work in the field of Appropriate Technologies for three decades.
The Centre has been the forerunner of the Building Centre movement in India. The issues it addresses
are right from the Brick as a basic element in building and its appropriateness to high-end technology
structures such as Space Frames and Geodesics.

Unfortunately, apart from high technology surfacing materials that have emerged over the years, the
basic performance criterion required of a walling material remains unexplored. An analytical approach
plus a re-examination of requirements of an appropriate walling material has resulted in surface-
engineered walling blocks {impermeable diaphragm with lean back-up}, which have been successfully
used by Anangpur Building Centre in several projects.

Prof. Anil Laul’s house

Built on 6,000 square feet, the house has a certain rustic charm to it, drawing students of architecture as
well as architects and planners who find it an apt example of a low-cost, eco-friendly house which also
helps protect, conserve and recycle resources.

According to Laul, this was quarried land when he bought it way back in 1987. He also said that since
most of the construction materials were already available here, all they needed were laborers to work.
He wanted to preserve the natural look of the land as far as possible and worked with the elements of
nature including the sun and wind.

An interesting facet of the house is that it is built below mean ground level and according to the
architect, there is logic in this surprise element and it is to do with insulation. Also, the house becomes
earthquake-resistant, he says.

No attempt is made to mask the fact that the walls lack plaster. Instead of using regular bricks that are 3
or 4 inches in breadth for the walls, Laul used stones that are 12 to 18 inches thick. Says the architect:
"The thickness of the walls insulates the house in such a manner that it is cool in summer and warm
during winter. We seldom need to use the air conditioner."
The garden is landscaped by boulders and the impressive stone steps leading into the house, the
courtyard and passages have all been constructed with stone left over from the construction of the
house.
The main drawing room opens onto the lawn and is used for entertaining guests.
By and large, the lighting is natural. The living room is a picture of perfection, particularly in the early
evenings when the low sun filters through the latticework of the wide windows lighting up the huge
stone steps that lead into the central courtyard.
The house, constructed on the principles of the late architect Laurie Baker, cost just Rs 1.2 million in
1993.
Instead of terming it low-cost technology, he insists on calling it appropriate technology.
According to Laul, the term low-cost is considered by some to mean a structure meant for slum
dwellers. But he wants to dispel this image. For him, alternative skills mean value-added construction for
the same value of money. “I am living in an area where stones and coarse sand are available in plenty. I
have used those materials to build my house. It is just that common, sensible approaches and practical
structures are considered extraordinary and my house has become the talk of the town," he says.
"One has to stress how we blend architecture, engineering, art and artisans. But rarely does one see the
integration of all four. Do that and the structure becomes sustainable,'' says Anil, who is an adviser on
various technological committees and art commissions, and has assisted in the development of local and
national housing policies.
"I would say that in a way even a Rolls Royce is low-cost, because its performance is so fantastic that you
get value for money," says the architect.
Anil's large living room with its rough-hewn granite walls exudes cool chic. Though there is an
overwhelming tone of grey, it is masterfully set off by eclectic objects d'art and tastefully arranged
furniture. Vivid hues of the upholstery give it a contemporary finish.

According to Laul, he has built an ‘introverted’ house. The master bedroom is at the centre of the house
and there is a reason for this. It offers a clear view of the courtyard and from there, the occupant can
spot visitors as soon as they enter the perimeter. The living room for guests as well as the kitchen is also
visible from there.
The architect has used a revolutionary concept in roofing, the funicular shell, to great effect. The
funicular shell is more efficient than the standard RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) as far as insulation
and weather protection are concerned.
The ceiling is patterned with bricks and each pattern is different, adding an interesting dimension to the
interior.

The concrete beams run diagonally to the walls of the building, for earthquake resistance.
Colored tiles, pieces of marble, waste granite... all have been recycled and used in some way, adding to
the house's allure. The house has been painted just once in its lifetime. This is because according to him
paint is the main cause of environmental degradation.
Sofas, beds, bathtubs, counters are all inbuilt, thus reducing the cost of furnishings drastically. The
interiors are tastefully accentuated by accessories, giving the home a modern look.
During the monsoon when there is a threat of floods, a drainage system has been built in such a way
that no water collects around the structure. The drain empties into areas a little away from the house
but no water leaves the premises.
The kitchen and bath wastewater empty near the banana and papaya trees in the garden – another
novel method to watering the plants but in a cost-efficient way.
Contrary to popular belief, low-cost housing is not a structure for the poor, it means cutting unnecessary
expenditure even while building a beautiful house. It is about reducing construction costs by using
alternative methods of construction, using local and indigenous building materials, local skills, energy
savers and environment-friendly options and other effective measures.
Exposition Centre, Bangalore

Technology in its simplest form.

The Permanent Exhibition Complex of Karnataka Trade Promotion Organization, not only makes a
statement in terms of its monumental scale, but also epitomizes Simplified Technologies.

Regarded as a massive feat of engineering today, the Karnataka Trade Centre has been designed with
such simplicity; both at planning as well as detailing level; that it has now become a Symbol of
Engineering. It illustrates all that is possible in this country, provided one is willing to approach problems
from the root cause rather than designing for complexity and provide for simple working methodologies
as available in this country.

It has excellent features and is also well equipped with all kinds of modern technologies. The venue is a
business cum exhibition center. It has a VIP lounge for international exhibitors. The lounge has ability to
accommodate around 500 people at a time. The venue has an option of outdoor as well as indoor
meeting space. The halls of the venue are fully air conditioned. Business center of the venue is well
equipped with all kinds of modern machines. Bangalore International Exhibition Center also has
meetings rooms which are available for national as well as international exhibitors.

No. of Halls : 3
Coverage Area : 34 Acre
Krishnan House, Gurgaon

The Krishnan’s Residence is located at the Auroville retreat, which is a pollution-free zone, in the
interiors of Gurgaon.
The roof slope on the west side of the building extends from the top to the ground and is completely
covered with tiles. The entire wall on the west side is blank with no openings. The building is completely
shaded from the south and the west sun.

The building is cool in summer and warm in winter. The hot air inside the building rises up and goes out
through the skylight in the A-frame. Cool air enters the building through the windows.
North East view Front Elevation

The predominant breezes are from the north east and south east. The windows are provided at
appropriate locations so that they capture these breezes. The placement of the doors and windows are
such that they provide for good cross ventilation. The greenery around the building allows in cool and
fresh air.

West Elevation View from driveway

Interview:

1. What influenced you to be an architect? How did you become interested in this field?
[laughs] I always knew I wanted to be an architect. I was always interested, even though it
wasn’t that a big thing at the time.

2. Views on today’s architectural education in India? Also how does it differentiate from your own
time as a student?
In today’s architectural education in India, there are too many laws and regulations to be
followed while designing. It wasn’t like that when we were students. We didn’t have
specializations like today; in fact we were made to focus on each and every aspect of this vast
field which, in a way, was actually beneficial if you think about it. Specializations narrow your
horizons. But the base line is: we architects need space while designing. These laws and
 regulations act as barriers to our design. The system goes like this: first the design has to be
presented, evaluated and then get approved by the government. Well, this is too long a
procedure! I say, these laws should be banned so that our future architects have the freedom to
design, but they must also keep in mind the norms and functionality of the design.

3. Views on green and sustainable architecture?

Green and sustainable architecture doesn’t mean that a building should be green, but of course a
building should be sustainable in its own right. While designing a building, one should keep in
mind that the surroundings or the environment are not affected in the long run. I say, green
architecture is just plain common sense. All that is designed by common sense is green
architecture.

4. Which of your works are your personal bests/favourites?

All my works and designs are different from each other. There is no comparison at all. All are my
favourites. I can’t refer to any of my works as favourites. Take an example of my two lovely
daughters. Both are favourites to me. It would be unfair if I were to choose a favourite between
them.

5. What do you consider as your inspiration?

My lovely wife and my two lovely daughters are my inspiration. They always believe in me and
always encourage me.

6. If you weren’t an architect, what would you have been?

Hmm, if I weren’t an architect, I probably would have been a lawyer. Or a doctor. Or maybe even
a tax collector! [laughs]

7. What would you regard as philosophy of a design?

There is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to design philosophy. Just use your common sense
and it will take you far. Analyse life-styles, the usage, the surroundings, everything, and
implement it to your best ability.

8. Message for the budding architects out there and students like us?
One should keep in mind that an architect should not design according to the present needs of
the client, but should design according to their future needs. Our work is to enlighten the client,
not mislead. We are architects, not draftsmen.
And to students, decide a concept only to satisfy the teacher as we have to sell a concept. It’s
then when comes the actual design. It’s something which has become mandatory. But at the
same time, never be self-content with your designs. Always try to do a little more.
Bibliography

 www.anangpur.org
 wrkshp.org/10-03-13-building-system/
 fridaymagazine.ae
 architizer.com/projects/

Sketches:
Submitted by:

 Akilandeswari S (44)
 Ruthvik Reddy (51)
 Thejangulie Sale (75)