Laurie Baker

Laurence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker
(March 2, 1917 – April 1, 2007) was an award-winning British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost reduction and low-cost housing. He went to India in 1945 in part as a missionary and since then lived and worked in India for over 50 years. He obtained Indian citizenship in 1989 and resided in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala. In 1990, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in recognition of his meritorious service in the field of architecture.

Eco-friendly Architect and Engineer, known as the 'brick master of Kerala,' has been nominated for this year's Basheer Puraskaram.The award, constituted by the Doha based Malayalee organisation Pravaasi, carries a cash prize of Rs 35,000/- a citation and a memento designed by famous artist Nampoothiry. He has transformed individual creativity into collective expression through his efforts at addressing the housing problems of the country.

Known for integrating the factors of simplicity, order and regularity in his design, he had offered successful solutions to the roofless millions through low-cost housing, in accordance to the needs, climate, lifestyle and preferences of clients.

Rejecting the designs alien to the place, his use of local tiles and bricks in construction and the optimum use of scarce materials, an ideology of creative sustenance, is a reflection of the extension of the traditional ideas to contemporary usage. Be it the huge mansions, private residences, church or other institutions, Baker's buildings have an aura of tranquility, freedom with provision for aeration and a touch that is ethereal and down to earth.

Exhibiting the personal style of a virtuoso, he has heralded a movement in the history of Kerala architecture. In a place known for its rich architectural heritage, his master-craftsmanship found sensible and had carved a niche for himself, as a doyen among the architects.

Baker's unique architectural contribution could be attributed to a set of influences, perhaps a result of the rigorous Quaker upbringing in England, his frugal lifestyle in Uttar Pradesh, Himalayas or a response to Gandhian simplicity as Gautam Bhatia, a practising architect, points out. His participation in the relief efforts during the Second World War and later in India as an architect to serve the leprosy afflicted people, marks his concern and emphasis on humanistic values.

Death

Laurie Baker died at 7:30 am on April 1, 2007, aged 90. Until the end, he continued to work in and around his home in Trivandrum, though health concerns had kept his famous on-site physical presence to a minimum. His designing and writing were done mostly at his home. His approach to architecture steadily gained appreciation as architectural sentiment creaks towards place-making over modernizing or stylizing. As a result of this more widespread acceptance, however, the "Baker Style" home is gaining popularity, much to Baker's own chagrin, since he felt that the 'style' being commoditised is merely the inevitable manifestation of the cultural and economic imperatives of the region in which he worked, not a solution that could be applied whole-cloth to any outside situation. Laurie Baker's architecture focused on retaining a site's natural character, and economically minded indigenous construction, and the seamless integration of local culture that has been very inspirational.

Many of Laurie Baker's writings were published and are available through COSTFORD (the Center Of Science and Technology For Rural Development) the voluntary organisation which carried out many of his later projects, at which he was the Master Architect. COSTFORD is carrying on working towards the ideals that Laurie Baker espoused throughout his life.

Official Website of Architect Laurie Baker : http://www.lauriebaker.net