Laurie Baker

Laurence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker (born in Birmingham, England, March 2, 1917 - died in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, 1 April 2007 at age 90 years) was a British architect who received numerous awards, best known for his initiative in building affordable housing. He went to India in 1945 partly as a missionary and since then he lived and worked in India for over 50 years. In 1989 he obtained citizenship of India and lives in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala.


In 1990, the Government of India confers Padma Shri to him, the fourth highest civilian award, in recognition of his services in the field of architecture.


Educational and missionary work

Baker studied architecture at the Birmingham and graduated in 1937, aged 20 years, in times of political upheaval in Europe. India made a commitment early on he worked as an architect for an international mission agency and inter-denominational devoted to the maintenance of the lepers. Because of new drugs for this disease is becoming increasingly widely available, their responsibilities centered on efforts to change or replace dwellings that were once people used to accommodate meeka who shunned by society because of his illness. Baker then realized that the construction of education in England was not adequate for the kinds of problems and materials encountered: termites and the annual monsoon, and laterite, cow dung, and the walls of dried mud. Therefore, Baker can not help but to observe and learn from the methods and practices of local architecture. He soon understood that the architecture and methods of community in these places it is the only means available to address the problems that initially made him almost desperate.


Inspired by his findings - which humbly admit that it's all adalh 'findings' for him, while for those who develop practices that are observed are common knowledge - he began to develop a style of its architecture and cultural approach to the real needs of those who would correct actually using -building, and not just the taste of "modern-istik" of its clients who can afford it.

The Works





Death


Villages in Nalanchira near Thiruvananthapuram, which was home to Baker and his wife since 1970. This house, located on a hilltop, designed by Baker.


Laurie Baker died in pk. 7:30 am on April 1, 2007, at the age of 90 years. Until his death, he continued to work in and around his home in Trivandrum, despite his health condition has made her physical presence in the construction project to be minimal. The design and did most of his writing at his home. Penekatannya of architecture slowly awarded when the architectural trend leads to the development of the place, and not the modernization or stylization. However, as a result of this widespread acceptance, the house "Baker Style" is becoming increasingly popular, and this would make Baker upset, because he felt that the 'style' is used as a commodity is merely a manifestation of the cultural and the economic boost the area where it works, and not a solution that can be applied not just to any situation anywhere.

Laurie Baker architecture focused on maintaining the nature of the construction site and the local community who give priority consideration ekonmois, as well as full integration with the local culture that has become a source of inspiration. Many of the writings of Laurie Baker published and can be obtained through COSTFORD (Center Of Science and Technology For Rural Development - Center for Science and Technology for Rural Development), many companies are now supervising the project, where he became an architecture Mainly.


Appreciation

1987: Indian National Habitat Award.
1989: Indian Institute of Architects Medal for Outstanding Architect of the Year.
1990: Grand Masters Award - Arsiten Year.
1991: Government of India - Padmashree
1991: Indian Institute of Architects Medal - Outstanding Architect.
1992: United Nations Habitat Award and Roll of Honour.
1993: Association of International Architects - World Habitat Award.
1995: University of Central England. Doctoral Universities.