Earlier he worked & lived in remote Himalayan region with his wife, children & built their home, schools & hospital for rural needs. Throughout he has been involved in medical & laprosy work along architecture. He has also been associated with allied government and quasi-government work including working with the Planning Commission and as a member of the Governing Bodies of HUDCO and the National Institute of Design, the Scientific Advisory Council of C.B.R.I. etc. Even few days back when he was in his nineties, he has been very active on his rural sites & were training workers to use latest building techniques.
In recognition of his work, he has been awarded the Padmasree, the nation's fourth highest civilian award, in recognition of his meritorious service in architecture and was the first senior architect of country to receive the 'JK Great Masters' award.
Few examples of his works:
Residence of laurie baker
The living room at 'The Hamlet'. An integration of new building andsalvaged timber from traditional buildings that were being demolished.
The Loyola Chapel, reflecting Baker's mastery over light.
Stainwell in Nalini Nayak's residence in Thiruvananthapuram, Perforated brick walls create dappled patterns of light.
A sketch by laurie baker
A residence by Laurie Baker
The living room of Dr. Dolas' residence in Thiruvananthapuram. Baker playfully uses curved forms.
With his mastery over his medium, Baker creates a variety of textures and patterns by simple manipulation of the way in which bricks are placed in the wall.
Baker's innovative use of discarded bottless, inset in the wall at Col. Jacob's residence in Thiruvananthapuram, creates a stained glass effect.
His principles and ideologies:
--Baker followed the principle that a house should seem to be owned by its owner and not be merely a statement made by the architect.
--Possessing a combination of Pandit Kumar Gandharva's genius and Satyajit Ray's ability to identify beauty even in the simplest of situations, Baker brings about a creative invention of beauty through simplicity, all the time taking care of the various elements from the foundation to the roof.
--Baker artfully provides spaces to maintain privacy as well as interaction. He does not use shapes purely because they are fashionable or trendy. At times the shape he uses evolves out of the land and at other times it evolves out of the intended function of a structure. It never appears that things have been done in a certain manner just for the sake of doing so.
--Building arches, jaalis, frameless doors and windows does not constitute a new discovery... Baker has merely compiled the techniques. He had one singular purpose - to create a beautiful building using the minimum possible quantity of materials. In fact, creating a beautiful building by overlooking nature proves even costlier. Natural rhythm is intrinsically beautiful. A merger with nature occurs when Baker's forms start resonating with this natural rhythm.
Baker has been and still is a consultant to quite a few organisations, including the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and the National Institute of Design (NID).
--He was continuously engaged in the quest for new ways to use any kind of waste, from paper to vegetables. Using bits of paper and cloth, he made beautiful collages. Employing the `origami' system he made objects and animals for children.
--His thought: Is a fan required to create air movement... is a lamp needed to provide light? Many people do not give such questions any thought. Fans and lamps can be avoided through appropriate planning. In India there is sunlight all round the year, which means that if water is stored in the southern part of the house, hot water can be made available. Garbage can be recycled.
