The Hindu Business Line : Baked in Kerala

Master craftsman
Architect Laurie Baker is a symbol of Kerala's penchant for multiculturalism and experimentation as well as a living reminder of what real `globalisation' can achieve in terms of social advancement and innovative problem-solving. Baker's shift to Kerala occurred at a time when the State was at it progressive best, combining radical politics and social action with a vision of an empowered, egalitarian society.

LAST week, a famous citizen celebrated his 89th birthday in Kerala, a State he could not have claimed as a birthright but which he surely - and proudly - can call his first home. In the typically bare and elemental brick-and-mortar ambience that he almost religiously promoted to transform the contemporary landscape of his adopted land, friends and relatives gathered at `The Hamlet' in Thiruvananthapuram to shower birthday greetings on Laurie Baker, master architect, unique craftsman, charming humanist, satirical cartoonist, and son of Kerala.

Born to a Quaker family in England in 1917, but naturalised as an Indian citizen, Baker has spent most of his productive years in Kerala, since 1963, when he and his wife, Elizabeth Jacob - a Malayalee medical doctor who had long worked with lepers and the poor in schools and hospitals in the Himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh - moved to the State.

Laurie Baker's architectural career began as a student at Birmingham University. Hardly had his professional practice taken off when World War II erupted in Europe. As a conscientious objector, Baker enlisted in the Friends' Ambulance Unit and served as a medical technician in China and Burma.

On his way back through Bombay in 1945, he met Mahatma Gandhi who suggested that there was much more useful work to be done by architects in rural India. This made Baker go to Uttar Pradesh where he lived and worked for the next 13 years.

Baker's shift to Kerala occurred at a time when the State was at it progressive best, combining radical politics and social action with a vision of an empowered, egalitarian society. That milieu fitted in perfectly with Baker's own concerns and direction.

According to Ayyub Malik, a London-based architect and planner, " Not a traditionalist, Baker does not reject modernism and technology but uses them sensibly and sparingly, often working on the site himself to help build economic and affordable buildings which work with, rather than against, local skills, materials, culture and climate. He has practised and preached a frugal lifestyle, has been a prolific pamphleteer, educator and committed advocate of social housing constantly refreshing the local tradition of construction to reduce cost, to provide service and to minimise waste."

Baker's own maxims are: "Discourage extravagance and snobbery. Always study your site and see potential relating to the soil, drainage, power, fuel etc. Every building should be unique; no two families are alike, so why should their habitation be alike? Study and know local materials, cost, building techniques and construction. Study the energy used in the production of materials and transport. Be honest in design, materials, construction, costs and your own mistakes. Avoid opulence and showing-off by using currently fashionable gimmicks."

Importantly enough, these principles have translated into real, tangible economic benefits not only for individuals but also for Kerala as a whole.

By stressing locally available materials and innovative techniques that draw on tradition - unplastered brickwork, bamboo instead of iron rods as reinforcement for concrete, discarded bottles in lieu of stained glass, arches, jaalis, frameless doors and windows - Baker has helped hundreds save precious rupees.

Also importantly, he has spawned a generation of architects who have spread the message of cost-effective building.

These include those working for the official State apparatus - witness the use of Baker techniques in several of Kerala Tourism's projects, including the pioneering cottages at Ponmudi.

The Centre for Development Studies building in Thiruvananthapuram, built during his heyday, has become a must-see destination for aspiring architects and students. His indirect contribution to the mushrooming tourism industry in Kerala would be formidable.

For Kerala, Baker is a symbol of the State's penchant for multiculturalism and experimentation. He is also a living reminder of what real `globalisation' can achieve in terms of social advancement and innovative problem-solving. Long may he live - and inspire.

The writer can be contacted at kgkumar@gmail.com

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