He is commonly hailed as the pioneer of low-cost housing -- low cost houses that are high in value. His architecture was, in a way, as modern as it was traditional. Laurence Wilfred (or Laurie) Baker is remembered as the architect who re-defined the concept of housing itself, aligning it with the local ecology and surroundings.
Born on March 2, 1917, Laurie arrived in India in 1945 (during World War 2) partly as a missionary and stayed on for another 50 years.
Though this British-born Indian (he received Indian citizenship in 1989) was called a Gandhian architect, the influence of Mahatma Gandhi was visible more on his thought and lifestyle than on his professional practice.
Over the years, he assimilated English architectural skills with those prevalent in India and incorporated his discoveries (as he used to term them) to design buildings as per the needs of the customer.
And it was pre-modern in the sense that it involved the use of mud and locally available stones and plant material (like coconut thatch) and also relied on age-old civil construction concepts like the arch and frameless doors and windows.
Even the liberal use of jalis (designed perforated plates) reflected the way Baker amalgamated the new with the old, even as they allowed the breeze to waft through the building. The saving on costly materials like wood and cement was significant, and there was no loss of aesthetic appeal.
Failing health kept the Padma Sri recipient (1990) in his Trivandrum home even as his style of architecture gained prominence. But that did not stop him from doing what he loved the most. He passed away on April 1, 2007.
Photograph: Mazim Marmur/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: Laurie Baker: the man we will never forget
Email this Page | 
Write to us
Advertisement
