Fishermen's village- Laurie Baker

FISHERMEN’S VILLAGE LAURIE BAKER

LIFE IN BRIEF

HIS DESIGN PRINCIPLES

HIS ARCHITECTURAL STLYE • Jali walls: - Natural ventilation

- Play with light and shadow with intricate patterns.

HIS ARCHITECTURAL STLYE

HIS ARCHITECTURAL STLYE • Rat trap brick bond:

- Stronger bond - Minimized use of bricks

- Provides insulation - Cost reducing

- Load reducing.

HIS ARCHITECTURAL STLYE

BAMBOO FOR REINFORCEMENT

AREA OF EACH SHAPE- 20 m2

LENGTH OF OUTER WALL

15.7 m

HIS ARCHITECTURAL STLYE

16.5 m

17.8 m

15.7 m

15.7 m Reduced no. of bricks too!

FISHERMEN’S VILLAGE, POONTHURA, KERALA. About the climatic zone: • Located in the warm humid climatic region of India.

• High humidity, strong sun, glare from sky and horizon.

• Long monsoon periods with heavy rains.

• The breezes from the coast can alleviate discomfort considerably.

FISHERMEN’S VILLAGE, POONTHURA, KERALA. Introduction: • This is a settlement designed by Laurie Baker for the cyclone hit tribals of Poonthura, who’s primary source of income was fishing.

• Every year, some or the other village in Kerala would get washed away and every year they’d get enormous amount as compensation amount for clothes, blankets and maybe even for replacement of huts.

• According to Baker, this amount spent on rehabilitation every year could be more usefully directed into construction of permanent houses for them.

CHALLENGES FACED • Due to strong ties of kinship, insular families and caste organisations, mediation of outside architect was hardly welcome.

• Limitation of resources.

• Dealing with cyclone was hard.

• Severity in the environment of the tribal living conditions.

These above-mentioned reasons kept most of the conventional architects away form such projects.

Paradoxically these reasons were the one’s that brought baker closer to the project.

DESIGN STRATEGIES • He followed the same style that he had followed in is many other previous projects, like: - Jali works - Exposed Brick walls - Sloping roofs, etc.

• What stood out the most was:

- Openness of the design.

- The way the units offsetted each other.

HOW THESE DESIGN STRATEGIES WERE HELPFUL • Jali wall : The cyclonic wind meets no resistance and is allowed to pass through the house through the continuous lattice works; resists heat gain as well.

• Low sloped roofs and courts: These acted as the wind catchers. The jail walls function to dispel it; provides unrestricted air movements within the settlement.

HOW THESE DESIGN STRATEGIES WERE HELPFUL • The long row of conventional housing is replaced by an even staggering, so that fronting courts catch breeze and also get a view of sea, and at the same time ‘there are little private rectangles of land in between the houses where they can dry the nets and kids can play. Since a good part of a fisherman’s life is spent outdoors, the house and the courts function admirablyproviding sleeping lofts within, and adequate space outside for mending nets and cleaning and drying fish.

This kind of arrangement also allows for cross ventilation.

The semi open areas (courts) is used advantageously for daytime activity.

Elevation- AA’ B

w

w

w

w

w

w

Open space/court

Open space/court ST

entrance

sleep

sleep

(Sleep above)

fire

D

fire w

8.20

w

J

sit fire

w

D

D

fire

W- WINDOW D- DOOR J- JALI

ST- STORAGE J

5.50

Open space/court

A

w

wc kitchen

entrance

4.40 ST

B’

Legend:

entrance

Plan

ST w

w

w

w

w

w

A’

Chimney the court where the mending of fish nets, drying of fish and kids gameplay takes place.

Interior of the house

Living + sleeping

kitchen

Section- BB’

Houses are in clusters round a common area to be used for community work, play and recreation- one of Baker’s method of cutting cost.

This kind of arrangement also allows for reduction of intense solar radiation during late mornings and early afternoons.

SOURCES • Laurie Baker- Life, work, writings by Gautham Bhatia.

• A manual for cost cuts for strong acceptable housing by Laurie baker.