A Review on Sustainable and Eco-friendly Environment Maintained through Work of Ar. Laurie Baker

Abstract

A man whose work has earned him respect and adoration all across the globe. For some
architecture is a profession for others passion. When passion urged to serve society it
becomes revolution. Laurie Baker was one such architect who thought about the poor and
aspired a dwelling for everybody. Bakers design was simple yet attractive aiming at less
consumption of energy as in the Hostel building of Centre for Development Studies,
Thiruvananthapuram. Baker’s designs are generally accomplished with brick work and
vernacular material like lime, mangaloretile, stone, etc. Centre for Development Studies
(CDS) located in residential area on northern outskirts of Trivandrum is one of the finest
achievements of Laurie Baker. CDS 10 acre campus stretches across heavily contoured and
wooded site housing the Library, Computer centre, Auditorium, Guest house, Residential unit
for staff. CDS architecture varies from area to area and major emphasis is laid on using
local material that consume less energy and provide a comfortable environment for living. It
is a pleasure to see CDS on sloping contoured site whose each structure curled in a wave,
semicircle n arc.