Current Affairs

Laurie Baker passed away

By Brij ⋅ April 2, 2007 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Laurie Baker, social worker and champion of low-cost housing, passed away at the age of 90 years.

I first learned about his work in 1991 while arranging temporary shelters for earthquake affected villagers, which happened in the cold Himalayan region of Uttarkashi.

His key contribution was the unique architectural style.

Baker’s architectural method is one of improvisation, in which 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. Compartments for milk bottles near the doorstep, windowsills that double as bench surfaces, and a heavy emphasis on taking cues from the natural condition of the site are just some examples. His Quaker-instilled respect for nature lead 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.

Though he was never a big fan of technology. This man was practising green and sustainable design practices many years before the concept became fashionable.