LAURIE BAKER

(The Gandhi Of Architecture -Who

Built Sustainable Buildings )
AFTER GRADUATING FROM BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL
OF ARCHITECTURE, BAKER MADE INDIA HIS HOME
WHERE HE ADDRESSED THE HOUSING NEEDS OF
THE POOR, SOMETIMES CALLED THE ‘GANDHI OF
INDIAN ARCHITECTURE’

AWARDS
• Padma Sri, 1990 
• UN Roll of Honour, 1992 
• Sir Robert Matthew Prize for Improvement
of Human Settlements, 1993
LAURIE BAKER-SLOGAN

“I never build for classes of people-

high income, middle income or low
income groups, tribal or fishermen. I
only build for a Matthew, a
Bhaskaran, a Muneer or a
Sankaran.” – Laurie Baker
INTRODUCTION
LAURIE BAKER
Laurence “Laurie” Baker was called the
“Gandhi of Architecture”, and rightly
so. Laurie Baker, a pioneer of traditional
building methods, was known for his
use of locally available materials to
build energy efficient and low-cost
buildings.
HISTORY
• Laurie Baker was born on 2nd March 1917

• With regular weekend visits to the Cathedrals and the

other old buildings, the design of these buildings
fascinated young Laurie; he would build models and
design of what he had seen.

• Soon after Laurie completed his graduation from The

Birmingham’s School of Architecture, the World War
2 broke out.

• Realising the need for urgent medical help in the war-

torn regions, he joined the Friends Ambulance Unit

• At that point, he trained as a nurse, a midwife, and an

anesthetist. It was during this when Laurie went to
help at the Kutsing medical camp in China.

• After a four-year stint in China, when he was finally

about to return to England, he came across a
Missionary called the “Mission to Lepers”,
 HIS STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE
•Laurie Baker developed his own style of architecture

•When he first arrived in India as the Chief architect for the Mission of Lepers, he was
faced with a fresh challenge

•All the buildings he inspected, the construction and design styles were strikingly different
from what he had learned in School of Architecture, back in England. 

• He was greatly inspired by the techniques used by the locals for building houses, for
which they used materials like laterite, cow dung, rice husks, Bamboo strips and palm
fibers, which not only slashed the cost but also was extremely durable

Materials used by laurie

laterite Cow dung Rice husk Bamboo strip Palm fibre

HIS CONTRIBUTION TO INDIA

• When he first arrived in India as the Chief architect for the

Mission of Lepers, he was faced with a fresh challenge.

• All the buildings he inspected, the construction and design

styles were strikingly different from what he had learned in
School of Architecture, back in England.

• He was greatly inspired by the techniques used by the locals

for building houses, for which they used materials like laterite,
cow dung, rice husks, Bamboo strips and palm fibers, which
not only slashed the cost but also was extremely durable
HIS ARCHITECTURE FEATURES
1.RAT TRAP BOND
An alternative to normal English bond
masonary walls by which 15% of cost
can be reduced without compromising
the quality , strength and appreance

1.MASONARY DOME

1.Energy saver
2.Eco friendly
3.Compressive roof
4.Docrative and highly economical for larger span
5.Maintanance free
3. FUNNICULAR SHELL
1.Energy saver
2.Eco friendly
3.Compressive roof
4.Docrative and economical
5.Maintanance free

4.JACK ARCH

1.Energy saver
2.Eco friendly
3.Compressive roof
4.Docrative and highly economical for larger span
5.Maintanance free
5. FILLER SLAB
1.Replacing unproductive concrete by a filler material which
reduces weight and cost of slab by reducing amount of concrete
used .

2.Also since weight of slab is reduced , lesser steel is required

for reinforcement , further reduces cost

5. BRICK JALLI
1.Perforated brick screen for light and ventilation
2.Inner play of light and shadow
3.Contribution in cost reducing by lowering the number of brick
used
5. ARCHES
Provides a structure which eliminates tensile
stresses in spanning an open space
All forces are resolved into compressive stresses
HAMLET HOUSE
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,KERELA
HAMLET HOUSE
❑ An architect personality is reflected in the way he designed his own house

❑ Baker own house is called hamlet

❑ Located in Thiruvananthapuram

❑ Build on a slopeing and rocky hill side that hardly had any vegetation

❑ Truly adopted his moto of “make low cost habitat ” Can be seen
THE HAMLET

INITIAL IDEA OF HAMLET

❑ First he built a single room hut of timber , which consists of

a library of medical books & also a bed room , living room
drawing room and study

❑ Later alteration were done

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
❑ STEPS DIRECTLY CUT IN ROCK
❑ SMALL SITTING AREA FOR GUEST AT ENTRANCE
❑ WALL IS DECORATED FROM BROKE
POTTERY,PENS,GLASS
❑ USE OF NATURAL LIGHT
❑ NEVER CUTS TREES INSTEAD ADAPTS HIS DESIGN
ACCORDINGLY
❑ INNER COURTYARD ..CLOSE TO NATURE
❑ ARCHES LEADING INTO BEAUTIFUL OPEN ROOM
❑ MAN GARDENS AND PONDS IN COURTYARD
❑ PICHED ROOF MADE OF MANGALORE TILES
❑ LAURIE BAKER FOUNDNESS OF ARCHES
❑ GABLES FOR PROPER AIR CIRCULATION AND
VENTILATION
❑ SIMPLE YET BEAUTIFUL WINDOWS
❑ CONICAL STRUCTURE USED
❑ STAINED GLASS EFFECT
❑ RAIN WATER HARVEST
❑ ELECTRICITY WIRE ARE NOT CONCEALED
DETAILS
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES:-
❑ Using corbelling instead of lintel above the frame, this reduced the
cost of RCC lintel .
❑ Using less number of bricks to make a wall of same thickness and
providing cavity in between for insulation

❑ He used jalli which had many advantage such as ventilation ,enough

light , less material were required
❑ Reducing un-necessary cost of windows with a sutter
❑ Using jalli in his walls for proper cross ventilation enough sun light
etc.
❑ The upturned homed roofs of buildings as found in kerela
are the direct result of the people of those places ,they knew
that hot air rises &allowed it to travel upward from the low
eaves to the opening at the ends of of high ridge .

❑ Baker used materials from other demolished structure.

Wood planks from old boat jetty .he even used old bottles in
his structure

❑ He created variety of texture and patterns by manuplating of

ways in which bricks are placed in the wall
LAURIE BAKER CENTE
LOCATION AND
ACCSSEBILITY

• Located in the Nooliyode Village in Vilappilsala Panchayat, 2 kms

away from the centre of Thiruvananthapuram city.
• It is 12 kms away from the Trivandrum Central Railway Station
• 18 kms from the Trivandrum International Airport
 LOCATION AND
ACCSSEBILITY

The campus has buildings including:

(1) an office,
(2) a kitchen with a dining hall,
(3) a dormitory to house 16 persons with a lecture hall,
(4) a guest house to house seven persons,
(5) a tower that houses a rain water harvesting tank and a view
tower where discussion sessions can be held.
DORMITOR
Y
• Dormitory is used to house a large number of people in a school
or institution
• Dormitory of LBC can house 16 people at a time and has a
lecture hall.
• It is situated in between the entrance of the institution and the
other building block of the centre,
• There is seating space provided outside.
• Low cost housing techniques are used throughout the dormitory
• This building features some of Baker’s most virtuosic brick
work. curved jali walls creating a breezy, shaded space.
• The monolithic walls rise up two stories, and end in a handrail
on the second storey balcony.
• Private rooms are located at the back of the building, shielded
from the public walkway
• The building’s plan, like others on the campus, was planned
around existing plants
GUEST
HOUSE
• A guest house to house seven persons, with a waiting room
• There is courtyard surrounded by the rooms.
• In-built furniture’s.
• The guest house is situated behind the office building.
• Low cost housing techniques are used throughout
 CANTEEN/ DINING
HAL
• At the entrance is the dining hall
• Followed by a washroom in the centre
• A kitchen and storage space on the left
• A serving space at the back.
• The furniture is built-in.
• Filler slabs and skylights are used on the roof
• Terracotta tiles are used on the floor.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE
BUILDING
• The administrative building is sited in the main route through
campus,
• Approached by a rock cut staircases, that connects to the first
floor level.
• The building’s plan, like others on the campus, was planned
around existing plants; here, a dramatic open space holds two
towering trees.
• There is a visitor space with a balcony.
• And an admin room which contains all the work of bakers in
books.

Rock cut staircase

OFFICE
ROOM
• The ground floor contains office room, storage spaces, and a
visitors space.
• Much of the furniture used is built-in. These are either of brick
or rubble masonry raised above floor level.
• Most common arch shapes come in semi-circular, pointed,
corbelled, and bell shapes.
• The first floor of the building is the residence of the office
staff.
• The main feature of this office building is the bamboo
staircases
WATCH TOWER
A tower that houses a rain water harvesting tank and a view
tower where discussion sessions can be held
SOME ELEMENTS OF BAKER’S
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE:

• Rat-trap Bond
• Jali Wall
• Filler Slab
• Frameless Doors and Windows
• Rubble Masonry
• Arches
• Lintel
• Bamboo Construction
• Flooring
• Mud Construction
• Built in Furniture
• Half Brick Wall
END