ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND THEORY.

TOPIC – COMMENT ON THE WORKS OF LAURI BAKER, HASAN

FATHY AND CHARLES CORREA REGARDING THE LOW
COST HOUSING

PRADEEP KUMAR
RIC808A29
10902111.
 LAURIE BAKER

Baker's architectural method is one of

improvisation, in which initial drawings have
only an idealistic link to the final construction,
with most of the accommodations and design
choices being made on-site by the architect
himself.. His Quaker-instilled respect for
nature lead him to let the idiosyncrasies of a
site inform his architectural improvisations,
rarely is a topography line marred or a tree
uprooted. This saves construction cost as well,
since working around difficult site conditions
is much more cost-effective than clear-cutting.
("I think it's a waste of money to level a well-
moulded site") Resistant to "high-technology"
that addresses building environment issues by
ignoring natural environment, at the
Centre for Development Studies (Trivandrum,
1971)
 The Hamlet
ESTABLISHED 1970

BUILDING TYPE
The house, which

Residences on a hill top

 CONCEPT AND ARCHITECTURAL STYLE.

BAKER IS KNOWN FOR LOW COST, HIGH QUALITY HOMES WITH GREAT
PORTION OF HIS WORK SUITED TO OR BUILD FOR LOWER MIDDLE TO
LOWER CLASS CLIENTS.

SIGNIFICANT FEATURES OF HIS DESIGN.

1. MASONARY CONSTRUCTION INSTILLING PRIVACY AND EVOKING HISTORY

WITH BRICK JALI WALLS.

2. PERFORATED BRICK SCREEN WHICH UTILISES NATURAL AIR MOVEMENT

TO COOL THE HOMES INTERIORS.

3. CREATING PATTERNS OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS.

4. SLOPING ROOFS.
BRICK JALI WALLS ALLOWING AIR TO KEEP INTERIORS COOL.
SIMPLE MATERIALS LIKE BRICKS,TIMBER ARE USED TO PRODUCE
BUILDINGS WITH REFINED AESTHETICS AND LASTING QUALITIES.
 MAIN ELEMENTS OF LAURI BAKER BUILDINGS.

1. USE OF RAT TRAP BOND FOR MASONARY.

HOLLOW NATURE OF THESE WALLS IMPROVES ITS THERMAL PROPERTIES.

PROVES TO BE ECONOMICAL.
CAN BE USED FOR LOAD BEARING STRUCTURES UPTO 2 STOREYS.

2. ROOFS – USE OF FILLER SLABS.

IT IMPLIES FILLING OF THE UNNECESSARY PART OF THE SLAB WITH

LIGHT WEIGHT MATERIALS.
IT IMPROVES INSULATION PROPERTIES.
RESULTING LIGHT WEIGHT SLABS REDUCES THE REQUIREMENT OF
STEEL REINFORCEMENT.
3. MASONARY DOMES.

CAN BE BUILT ON ANY ROOM IRRESPECTIVE OF ITS SHAPE.

THEY ARE MORE ECONOMICAL IN CASE OF LARGER SPANS REDUCING
THE NEED OF STEEL, CONCRETE ETC.

4. FINISHES.

FINISHES TAKE ALOT OF CHUNK OF OVERALL BUILDING COST.

THIS MAY BE SAVED BY MINIMIZING APPLIED FINISHES LIKE PAINTING,
PLASTERING, POLISHING ETC.THESE ARE NOT ONLY INITIAL EXPENSES
BUT ALSO RECURRING.
MOST OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS LIKE STONES,BRICKS HAVE PLEASING
COLOUR AND ARE CAPABLE OF RESISTING ADVERSE WEATHER EFFECTS.
SO, PLASETR CAN BE COMPLETELY AVOIDED WITHOUT EFFECTING
THE STRENGTH OF STRUCTURE.
MAIN MATERIALS OF LAURI BAKER BUILDINGS.

BRICKS. COCONUT SHELLS.

STONES. MUD.

MANGALORE TILES. EARTHEN POTS ETC.

PROJECT BY CHARLES CORREA.

IT IS ONE OF THE BEST AWARD

WINNING LOW COST HOUSING
PROJECT
IN AHEMADABAD BY CHARLES
CORREA.

DESIGN CONCEPT.

SECTION IS SHAPED SO THAT HOT

AIR RISES UP AND ESCAPES FROM
THE
TOP SETTING UP CONVENTION
CURRENTS OF NATURAL
VENTILATION.
 OTHER ELEMENTS OF THIS LOW COST HOUSING PROJECT.

INSIDE, THERE ARE ALMOST NO DOORS PRIVACY BEING CREATED BY

DIFFERENT LEVELS THEMSELVES AND SECURITY BY PERGOLA GRID OVER
NATURAL COURTYARD.

MATERIALS USED AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

BRICK WALLS ARE THE MAIN STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS WHICH ARE LOAD
BEARING.

IN SOME PORTION THERE IS EXPOSED BRICKWORK TO AVOID COST OF

FINISHINGS.
 HASSAN FATHY.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND DESIGN CONCEPT.

HASSAN FAITHY WAS AN EGYPTIAN

ARCHITECT WHO RE ESTABLISHED THE
USE OF MUD BRICK CONSTRUCTION
AND OPPOSED WASTERN BUILDING
DESIGNS.

HE UTILIZED ANCIENT DESIGN METHODS

AND TECHNIQUES.

HE INCORPORATED DENSE BRICK WALLS

AND COURTYARDS FOR PASSIVE COOLING.
Gurna Mosque
DOMES AT THE TOP OF THE ROOF KEEPS THE
MOSQUE COOL
FRON INSIDE.