Daddy Laurie Baker : Poor Man's Architect

Architectural theory SAHIL AHMED 2016PA0038/ 01 PICA

- Sahil Ahmed

KEY WORDS Sustainability,Architecture,Modern ism,organic ABSTRACT Architectural design is an art which deals with playing with forms and spaces and relating these elements to one another Geometry being the science Of forms, contributes to the composition and design of elements of architecture. The characteristics ofthese forms and spaces such as their proportions, angles, and transformations and the relation between them can be determined by geometry Hence, the study the of geometry, its types, and its application is the key to understand designs based on geometry with sustainable methods.

There are many examples or architecture which are designed with different expressions of geometry, for example, the use of golden ratio in architecture, the Fibonacci series, the symmetry and proportion as recommended by Vitruvius, or use of sacred geometry, etc.

This paper sheds light on the concept and application of organic geometry used in architecture Organic Geometry concerns itself with geometry that can grow and develop not only In terms of form but in terms of the basis or concept of design Thus, the forms and spaces designed using organic geometry are derived from a basic concept, and this concept develops as the design proceeds Hence these elements of design relate and blend with each other Form specific geometry comprises of three different shapes, the square, triangle, and rectangle-and on combining these three shapes using the principles of geometry we will achieve various different complex forms.Hence this type of geometry is said to evolve, and unfold as we move through it, and hence, designs based on organic geometry look lively and active and not rigid The application of organic geometry in design can be simplified by the study of principles of geometry involved in this process.

Sahil Ahmed 19, Third Year B.Arch student from Pillai college of architecture.

Completed 10+2 from K.V.S school.

Supporting Organic architecture invented by the great architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.Believes in philosophy of architecture which promotes creating a structure growing from ground merging into nature and gradually vanishing into the nature,where Architecture and Nature is one.

Principles are visual devices that allow the varied diverse forms and spaces to coexist perceptually and conceptually within an ordered, unified, harmonious whole. They guide in avoiding confusion and havoc, and adding balance in design. These principles are also called ordering principles or order.

This paper is a study of the application of these principles in the architecture of Laurie baker, which will help to learn how organic geometry can be used in design and Sustainable Architectural Design.

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INTRODUCTION LIFE HISTORY: (March 2, 1917 – April 1, 2007) British-born Indian architect 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.Baker studied architecture in Birmingham and graduated in 1937, aged 20, in a period of political unrest for Europe.During the Second World War, he served in the Friends Ambulance Unit in China and Burma.

CONTRIBUTION TO INDIA Worked as an architect for an international and interdenominational Mission dedicated to the care of those suffering from leprosy.Focused on converting or replacing asylums once used to house the ostracized sufferers of the disease – “lepers”.Used indigenous architecture and methods of these places as means to deal with his once daunting problems.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE Designing and building low cost, high quality, beautiful homes Suited to or built for lower-middle to lower class clients.Irregular, pyramid-like structures on roofs, with one side left open and tilting into the wind.Brick jali walls, a perforated brick screen which utilises natural air movement to cool the home’s interior and create intricate patterns of light and shadow ,Baker’s designs invariably have traditional Indian sloping roofs and terracotta Mangalore tile shingling with gables and vents allowing rising hot air to escape.

Curved walls to enclose more volume at lower material cost than straight walls, Baker was often seen rummaging through salvage heaps looking for suitable building materials, door and window frames.

Fig 2 .credits-RAMANA KOTI

Fig 1. credits -moremargie.

AIM Understand how geometry can he used in architectural design for improving the aesthetic and visual quality of space.

OBJECTIVES Understand what constitutes organic geometry and its what its fundamental principles Analyse the how the use of organic geometry affects the design.

Study and analyse the use of organic geometry in Laurie Baker's Architecture by applying principles of geometry and deriving the organic geometry embedded in them.

SCOPE OF STUDY The paper will focus on different aspects of design to which geometry can be applied. The aspects involved in the area of research mainly include plans, elevations of building, elements used for aesthetic purposes, edges of structures, roofs, etc, within structures that are low rise, non-commercial and low cost.

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Baker’s architectural method is of improvisation.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 respect for nature led 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.Baker created a cooling system by placing a high, latticed, brick wall near a pond that uses air pressure differences to draw cool air through the building,His responsiveness to never-identical site conditions quite obviously allowed for the variegation that permeates his work.

LOW COST CONSTRUCTION Filler slab : Advantages: 20-35% Less materials Decorative, Economical & Reduced self-load Almost maintenance free 25-30% Cost Reduction.

Jack Arch:Advantages : Energy saving & Eco-Friendly compressive roofing.

Decorative & Highly Economical Maintenance free.

Masonry Dome, Advantages: Energy saving eco-friendly compressive roof.

Decorative & Highly Economical for larges spans.

Maintenance free.

Funnicular shell, Advantages: Energy saving eco-friendly compressive roof.

Decorative & Economical Maintenance free.

Masonry Arches,Advantages: Traditional spanning sytem.

Highly decorative & economical Less energy requirement.

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fig. 3 gaufam Bhatia ,penguin book

ORGANIC GEOMETRY ORGANIC GEOMETRY refers to geometric forms that can grow and develop according to the principles of geometry.

Organic Geometry in architecture is often confused with organic architecture Also, the meaning of organic geometry is usually misinterpreted by geometry which has evolved from natural forms or geometry which involves use of various curves, etc .However, designs which has evolved using the principles of geometry are said to be based on organic geometry.

The principles of geometry AXIS, SYMMETRY, HIERARCHY, RHYTHM,DATUM,TRANSFORMATION.

CASE STUDY The Hamlet It is Baker’s home in Trivandrum.

This is remarkable and unique house built on a plot of land along the slope of a rocky hill, with limited access to water: However Baker’s genius has created a wonderful home for his family.

Material used from unconventional sources.

Family eats in kitchen.

Electricity wiring is not concealed.

fig. 4 4

Architectural features: 1. STEPS DIRECTLY CUT IN ROCK 2. ENTRANCE HAS SMALL SITTING AREA FOR GUESTS 3. THE WALL IS DECORATED FROM BROKEN POTTERY, PENS, GLASS 4. A CALLING BELL FOR VISITORS TO ANNOUNCE THEIR PRESENCE 5. USE OF NATURAL LIGHT 6. NEVER CUT TREES INSTEAD ADAPTED HIS DESIGN ACCORDINGLY 7. NNER COURTYARD …CLOSE TO NATURE 8. ARCHES LED INTO A BEAUTIFUL OPEN ROOM 9. COURTYARD HAS MANY GARDENS AND PONDS 10.PITCHED ROOF MADE OF MANGLORE TILES 11.BAKER’S FONDNESS OF ARCHES 12.GABLES FOR PROPER AIR CIRCULATION AND VENTILATION 13.SIMPLE YET BEAUTIFUL WINDOWS 13.GRILL MADE OF BITS AND PIECES 14.CONICAL STRUCTURE USED. 15.COST EFFECTIVE BAKER’S WINDOW 16.LOUVERED WINDOW TYPICAL OF BAKER’S TYPE 17.STAINED GLASS EFFECT 18.WATER TANK FOR STORING RAIN HARVESTED WATER

SITE SELLECTION The site was highly contoured and rocky, but baker did not disturb even a single An architect's personality is reflected in the rock or a tree, so it is popularly named as way he design his own house.

Baker's own residence is called 'The Hamlet'. "RIGHT IN THE ROCKS".

The hamlet' has been built on a steeply It has been built in Thiruvananthapuram, contoured site, but the incursion of built on a steeply sloping and rocky hillside structures on the site is not felt. Baker has that hardly had any vegetation when Baker managed to confine this building to an started constructing. Baker has truly area that is easily accessible& yet adopted his motto to "make low-costery a secluded by the heavy foliage. habit and a way of life" by reusing everything, from brick to glass bottles, as building materials. First he built a single room hut of timber, which consists of the library of medical books & also as bed room, The journey to Bakers home is like from a living room , drawing room & study. concrete jungle of Trivandrum to the freshness & shade of the suburbs. This is remarkable and unique house built on a plot of land along the slope of a rocky hill, with limited access to water.

First he built a single room hut of timber, which consists of the library of medical books & also as bed room, living room , drawing room & study.

Later some alterations took place.

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FIG-5 CREDITS -CED DOCUMENTATION

PLAN OF NEW ROOM THAT IS ADDED TO INITIAL PLAN

fig. 6 http://moremargie.com/artdesign

He made an extensive use of timber in his house, like in the living room of house, the detailing in wood and mud bricks are wonderful.

Baker always design to utilize sunlight effectively and minimize the need for artificial lighting .

The living room. an integration of new building and salvaged timber from traditional buildings that were being demolished.

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fig.9

Baker's innovative discarded bottles, inset in the walls giving a very good effect of light and creating an illusion of stained glass.

fig.8

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CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES Using corbelling instead of a lintel above the frame, this reduces the cost of the R.C.C lintel.

Using less number of bricks to make a wall of same thickness and providing cavities in between for insulation.

He used jalis which had many advantages, such as ventilation, enough light, less material required.

Reducing the unnecessary cost of a window with a shutter.

Using 'jali' in his walls for proper cross ventilation, enough sun light etc .

FIG. 10 FIG.12 HTTP://MOREMARGIE.COM/ARTICLE/BRICKS-OF-KERALA

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FIG. 11

The uptumed, homed roofs of buildings as found in Kerala are the direct result of the people of those places, they knew that hot air rises & allowed it to travel upwards from the low eaves to the openings at the ends of the high ridge.

They understood and applied principles of insulation; then roofing materials formed hollow cellular protective layers. Laurie Baker used material from other demolished structures. Wood planks from an old boat jetty. He even used old bottles in a structure, which gives a different effect. Baker creates a variety of textures and patterns by simple manipulation of the way in which bricks are placed in the wall.

RESULT Laurie baker works resulted the architecture principle of cost - effectiveness,use of locally materials, result of nature, avoidence of energy- intensive materials and wastage minimization to create low - cost, beautiful, high quality buildings which long pre- empted modern concepts such as ecofriendliness and sustainable architecture . Laurie baker was an accomplished cartoonist, artist and innovative designer.He has been at various times of his life an anesthetist, a nurse, a missionary and an architect. and if we look into his life we could easily find that he was a person who likes to lead a simple and serene life,and from his work , WE CAN SEE THAT HE IS TRYING TO MAKE ARCHITECTURE RESONATE TO THE TUNE OF THE NATURE , WHICH MAKES US ALL INSPIRED AND SPEECHLESS.

CONCLUSION To summarise the above study, it can be said that amongst the large variety of proJects that Laurie Baker has carried out, there is one element that is common in all of them, and that is geometrical order which is embedded in them, This geometrical order may not be visible to the eye but it is rooted in the design process which makes the space aesthetically pleasing. The parameters such as functions of spaces, context, climate have also been looked into while applying geometry. From the above analysis, we learn that Laurie Baker has made significant use of the principles of geometry while designing and thus organic geometry can be derived from his As a result, his works have a fluid and free appearance and do not seem monotonous.

RESOURCES Laurie baker : the gandhi of architecture ;centre of education and documentation.

Laurie baker : life ,work and writing by gaufam Bhatia ,penguin book , 1991 http://lauriebaker.net/

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