ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND THEORY.

TOPIC – COMMENT ON THE WORKS OF LAURI BAKER, HASAN FATHY AND CHARLES CORREA REGARDING THE LOW COST HOUSING

PRADEEP KUMARRIC808A2910902111.

LAURIE BAKER

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.. 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. ("I think it's a waste of money to level a well-moulded site") Resistant to "high-technology" that addresses building environment issues by ignoring natural environment, at the Centre for Development Studies (Trivandrum, 1971)

The HamletESTABLISHED 1970 BUILDING TYPE The house, which Residences on a hill top

BAKER IS KNOWN FOR LOW COST, HIGH QUALITY HOMES WITH GREATPORTION OF HIS WORK SUITED TO OR BUILD FOR LOWER MIDDLE TOLOWER CLASS CLIENTS.

SIGNIFICANT FEATURES OF HIS DESIGN.

1. MASONARY CONSTRUCTION INSTILLING PRIVACY AND EVOKING HISTORY WITH BRICK JALI WALLS.

2. PERFORATED BRICK SCREEN WHICH UTILISES NATURAL AIR MOVEMENT TO COOL THE HOMES INTERIORS.

3. CREATING PATTERNS OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS.

4. SLOPING ROOFS.

CONCEPT AND ARCHITECTURAL STYLE.

BRICK JALI WALLS ALLOWING AIR TO KEEP INTERIORS COOL.

SIMPLE MATERIALS LIKE BRICKS,TIMBER ARE USED TO PRODUCEBUILDINGS WITH REFINED AESTHETICS AND LASTING QUALITIES.

1. USE OF RAT TRAP BOND FOR MASONARY.

HOLLOW NATURE OF THESE WALLS IMPROVES ITS THERMAL PROPERTIES. PROVES TO BE ECONOMICAL. CAN BE USED FOR LOAD BEARING STRUCTURES UPTO 2 STOREYS.

2. ROOFS – USE OF FILLER SLABS.

IT IMPLIES FILLING OF THE UNNECESSARY PART OF THE SLAB WITH LIGHT WEIGHT MATERIALS. IT IMPROVES INSULATION PROPERTIES. RESULTING LIGHT WEIGHT SLABS REDUCES THE REQUIREMENT OF STEEL REINFORCEMENT.

MAIN ELEMENTS OF LAURI BAKER BUILDINGS.

3. MASONARY DOMES.

CAN BE BUILT ON ANY ROOM IRRESPECTIVE OF ITS SHAPE. THEY ARE MORE ECONOMICAL IN CASE OF LARGER SPANS REDUCING THE NEED OF STEEL, CONCRETE ETC.

4. FINISHES.

FINISHES TAKE ALOT OF CHUNK OF OVERALL BUILDING COST. THIS MAY BE SAVED BY MINIMIZING APPLIED FINISHES LIKE PAINTING, PLASTERING, POLISHING ETC.THESE ARE NOT ONLY INITIAL EXPENSES BUT ALSO RECURRING. MOST OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS LIKE STONES,BRICKS HAVE PLEASING COLOUR AND ARE CAPABLE OF RESISTING ADVERSE WEATHER EFFECTS. SO, PLASETR CAN BE COMPLETELY AVOIDED WITHOUT EFFECTING THE STRENGTH OF STRUCTURE.

MAIN MATERIALS OF LAURI BAKER BUILDINGS.

BRICKS. COCONUT SHELLS.

STONES. MUD.

MANGALORE TILES. EARTHEN POTS ETC.

IT IS ONE OF THE BEST AWARD WINNING LOW COST HOUSING PROJECTIN AHEMADABAD BY CHARLES CORREA.

DESIGN CONCEPT.

SECTION IS SHAPED SO THAT HOT AIR RISES UP AND ESCAPES FROM THETOP SETTING UP CONVENTION CURRENTS OF NATURAL VENTILATION.

PROJECT BY CHARLES CORREA.

INSIDE, THERE ARE ALMOST NO DOORS PRIVACY BEING CREATED BYDIFFERENT LEVELS THEMSELVES AND SECURITY BY PERGOLA GRID OVERNATURAL COURTYARD.

MATERIALS USED AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

BRICK WALLS ARE THE MAIN STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS WHICH ARE LOADBEARING.

IN SOME PORTION THERE IS EXPOSED BRICKWORK TO AVOID COST OF FINISHINGS.

OTHER ELEMENTS OF THIS LOW COST HOUSING PROJECT.

HASSAN FATHY.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND DESIGN CONCEPT.

HASSAN FAITHY WAS AN EGYPTIAN ARCHITECT WHO RE ESTABLISHED THEUSE OF MUD BRICK CONSTRUCTIONAND OPPOSED WASTERN BUILDINGDESIGNS.

HE UTILIZED ANCIENT DESIGN METHODSAND TECHNIQUES.

HE INCORPORATED DENSE BRICK WALLSAND COURTYARDS FOR PASSIVE COOLING.

Gurna Mosque

DOMES AT THE TOP OF THE ROOF KEEPS THE MOSQUE COOLFRON INSIDE.