To build vernacular

British-born Indian architect Laurie Baker, known for his promotion of regional building styles and cost-effective methods of building, was born today, in 1917

The Indian Coffee House at Thiruvananthapuram, designed by Laurie Baker; Source: Public Domain

Vernacular architecture, or the use of building materials and techniques from the regional styles even in modern structures, is a challenging equation to master. While it may have none of the appeals of the high-rise, glass surfaced buildings, it does give a lot in return - energy savings, material savings, local employment, preservation of architectural styles and heritage, and whatnot.

One promoter of this architecture, Laurie Baker, was born on the 2nd of March, 1917. While born in Britain, he will study architecture, only to be thrown into the Second World War. There, objecting from conscription, he enrolled in the Friends Ambulance Unit, looking after wounded soldiers in Asia. It is during working in these medical centres, especially treating leprosy, that he was introduced to the speeches of Gandhi.

His work would find praise with Gandhi, and with Gandhi arguing for the use of local materials in practically all his programmes- from cloth to architecture, this was to have a profound effect on Laurie Baker. Baker would move to India in 1945, working as an architect for the World Leprosy Mission, creating treatment hospitals across the country. It is here that his career in local architecture began.

While travelling to Pithoragarh in the hills of Uttarakhand, he realised the problems modern architecture would face when it ran into the unavailability of material and issues like - termites, monsoon, and building out of cow dung, laterite and mud walls. To combat this issue, local craftsmanship was employed to a large extent, combining traditional with modern as and when it came. Low in cost, but quite durable in quality, Baker’s structures included hospitals, chapels and schools in the hills. Terracotta, brick walls, sloping roofs - all characteristic of local architecture were employed in his works. His designs focused on sustainability, low energy, light maximisation, and circular profile.