A SYMPHONY IN BRICKS
Remembering Laurie Baker’s Legacy
Documention of SEWA designed by Laurie Baker
By Sushila MurmuDocumentation of
Dictionary meaning of Symphony
1. (Philosophy) anything characterized by a harmonious combination of elements, especially an effective combination of colors.
2. (Architecture) The genius of Goethe originated the poetic definition of architecture as “frozen music”, reflecting the splendor of the space melody, embodied in the best architectural landmarks.
0. Introduction
0.1. Introduction
0.2. Aim
0.3. Objective
0.4. Scope and Limitation
0.5. Method of the Study
1. About Gandhi of Architecture and his Works
2. Introducing the Place
2.1. The Palce : SEWA
2.2. Site and Settings
2.3. Factors Affecting the Site
2.3.1 Orientation and wind flow
2.3.2 Zoning and Hierarchy of Spaces
2.3.3 Relationship to the Context
2.4. Sapce, Form and Making
2.4.1 Space
2.4.1.1 Spatial organization and circulation
2.4.2 Form
2.4.3 Making
2.4.3.1 Material Palette
2.4.3.2 Techniques
3. The Buildings
3.1. First Block : Admin
3.2. Second Block : Multi Purpose Hall and Cafeteria
3.3. Third Block : Dormitory
3.4. Fourth Block : Extension for Paper Manu facturing
4. Services
4.1. Waste
4.2. Water
By Sushila Murmu7. Insights
7.1. Inference
Bibliography
Illustration Credits
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‘‘The purpose of every art form should be to seek the truth and to express it. Any process of beautification needs to have a strong ethical base. A deep study of any creation will reveal the ethical strengths oe weaknesses of the creator. Art is a universal language, its calling is not just for those interested but for all mankind.’’
0. Introduction
0.1 Introduction
‘Man is at the centre of all architecture. In a smilar way he is also a part of nature and is tied down with the rules of nature. Volume, space and form are interlinked in a rhythemic communication. Similarly the Harmony between notes, beats and rhythm should also reflect in Architecture. ‘
Sustainability, currently setting its trends in India, have had many philosophies and iconic mentors in the past which can be refrerred by today’s designers. Today we see our cities transforming into megaliths of reconstruction to build the new; the new that is made by the detachment from nature and seemingly forced to exist in the urban environment. The existence of buildings is imperative for human survival and hence the need of the hour has forced man to build fast, negligent of its surrounds and eager to exist on the urban map.
Sustainable design could create a framework for an improved future if incorporated into planning the architectonics of houses, neighbourhood, cities and nations as a whole. In architecture’s struggle to survive and revive the most significant factor is the approach. WIth an array of approaches an architect engages in today. ‘Sustainability’ is probably the most talked most.
Architects leave behind an environmental footprint with every new building constructed. Applying assessed knowledgeto create sustainable solutions across traditional boundaries, ambiguous perspectives to this ideology have erupted over time.
This report attempts to dissect the meaning of this distinct ideology portraying the theories and approaches to a sustainable design adapted by the Master of Organic Architecture Laurie Baker. The attempt is to document and analyze the design process and approaches that inspired him to build eco-friendly, cost-effective and incredible architecture which inspire many even today. Often called as “ Gandhi of Architecture” and also “Brick Master of Kerala”, He developed his own style of Architecture which went on to become very famous and people started referring to it as Laurie Baker Architecture.
The study aims at understanding one of the last projects done by Laurie Baker i.e., Laurie Baker centre for Habitat studies and SEWA ( Self Employed Working Association, Rural Centre) Campus, Vilappilsala, Trivandrum, India as well as the forces that shaped the whole design and surrounding environment, through an inquiry into its built form. Laurie Baker works often associated with the term “Poetry in Bricks’’, ‘‘Expression of Organic Geometry” etc ans is known for his alternative practices, high degree of architectural expressions and experimentation. The study aims to understand the place, purely through its built form and activities associated with it and forces that shaped it.
0.2 Aim :
The study proposes to document the SEWA Building done by Laurie Baker at Vilappilsala, Trivandrum and to understand it as a place in terms of built spaces and services.
0.3 Objective :
To inquire into the structure to understand the form and how the built space it reacting within the surrounding
To document diffrent built spaces with reference to the context
To identify the forces which gave rise to or influenced the nature of the built environment over time
To identify the nature of the built form according to the architect and his architectural language and vocabulary and common values in the built form as per the designes’s approarch and local context
0.4 Scope and Limitations :
The study focuses primarily on the built forms and surrounding features of SEWA campus.
The documentation is generic representation of the campus including measured drawings, Site analysis, Landscaping, etc.
Factors like spirituality, politics, costing and economics are not a part of the scope of the report.
0.5 Methodology :
The study is initiated with a description of the main premises from which the ideas of the documentation are based on and explored. It leads on to discussing the main work area which includes primary and secondary data collection with the help of tools including on site mapping of the contours, Landscaping elements, Services i.e, water management, waste management, etc. Site Analysis includes mapping of existing trees, pathways etc, and concepts with seconadry sources, through which the study is conducted.
Next, Work of Laurie Baker in Southern India specially in Kerala including Trivandrum is then looked at with a view to understand its origins broadly through its physical characteristics and its conceptual and formal approach of design and architecture.
Firstly, A priliminary study is to be done of a few early manifestations. Later, a brief insight is given into the built menifestations, from the earliest to the present day with the help of secondary sources like interviews of the local people, history of the place etc. This is to understand the social, economic and cultural backdrop and concerns of the place. This now forms the basis of the study. Through this, The study arrives at important aspects and patterns.
Having this done, each built form and surrounding is studied and documented considering all the architectural and planning aspects having in mind the context of the space.
The intention os the study is to come up with a narrative of the place in time. These together will give an idea of the nature of the built form and its change with time as a part of understanding the place.
1.0 About Gandhi of Architecture and his Works :
Building that we surround ourselves with today, are gradually losing ther impact representing themselves as mere faceless facades. This inevitable change happened over time due to many issues including exploding population, time saving demands and the negligence towards it’s environment is clearly evident in an urban situation, while one attempts to divert the focus more towards ‘‘Habitation for Inhabitants’’ in their designs. As architects and planners, the thoughts to preserve the natural setting of our immediate enviorns while creating meaningfully rich spatial configurations for its inhabitants must from the basis of our artistic sensitivity in architectural practices were amongst the many ideas devised, followed and embraced by Laurie Baker in his designs.
‘‘I’m concerned about surrounding that already have ccontrolled their own pattern of buildings in the neighbourhood. The various styles of architecture are all the results of thousands of years of ordinary people trying to make buildings that keep out the rain and wind and sun by using whatever materials there were, lying around or growing in the place where they live.’’
Laurie Baker, whose works are recognised as ‘‘Poetry in Bricks and Mud” , had made an interesting journey to be an inevitable mentor in sustainable and low cost architecture. After getting in touch with Mahatma Gandhi, he realised that the local architecture and techniques and traditions of India is very suitable to the local climate, living style and the materials like laterite, cow dung, rice husks, Bamboo strips and palm fibers and methods used in building it. He combined the traditional methods with the advanced, technical and structural ideas.
Fig 1.0 Laurie Baker’s illustration with one his prominent work Indian Coffee House, Trivandrum Source: Isabel Seliger / SEPIAHis structures were not only cost-effective but it also revealed the true essence of the materials used in building them. He become the pioneer of Cost effective architecture in Kerala. Famous as the builder of the affordable home for poors “ Architect of the Poor’.
‘‘Cost-effective houses are not just fo rtrh poor, ther are for everyone. The equation that a cost-effective house is a house for thr poor. implying a bad looking house, can definitely be proved wrong. Isn’t it the responsibility of the upper and middle classes to stop indulging in extravagance and make better looking houses instead? This entire classification is wrong.’’
Laurie Baker’s low cost, energy efficient architecture looked at buildings and sought to give them soul without aspiring for praise. Each brick façade and free-flowing roof upheld the Gandhian ideals of simplicity and extending to the less fortunate, of respecting natural resources and building memories with them. His works employed raw brick masonry, building beauty in functionality, and channelling the concept of sustainability in the 1960s, at a time when the term did not exist.
“Bricks to me are like faces. All of them are made of burnt mud, but they vary slightly in shape and colour. I think these small variations give tremendous character to a wall, so I never dream of covering such a unique and characterful creation with plaster, which is mainly dull and characterless. I like the contrast of textures of brick, of stone, of concrete, of wood.’’
A true pioneer of organic, sustainable architecture, Laurie Baker is a role model for architects and non-architects alike. His designs incorporated rainwater harvesting, energy efficient building materials, maximised space light and ventilation in brilliant harmony.
Baker was also regarded for being an attentive and active architect. He was often present on site, finalising designs through his hand-drawn instructions to the labourers, and teaching them how to attain certain design solutions. He firmly believed that chasing luxury and wishing for fame was a sloppy way of living, draining the earth of resources and borrowing from others’ existence. “We should put all our efforts into a lot of small things rather than one or two big masterpieces. We’ve got to stop thinking big, and go back to the idea that small is beautiful.”
His works are marked with beautiful jaalis (honeycombed wall), bringing forth effortless ornamentation and providing visual relief. These screens allowed for a gentle flow of air and sunlight along with forming interesting patterns of light and shadow. He reasoned, “Windows are costly. One square foot of window can cost up to ten times the cost of a simple brick or stone wall it replaces. A window has varied functions – to look out of, to let light inside a room, to let in fresh air, or to let out stale air and so on. In many of these situations a ‘jaali’ or ‘honeycombed’ wall is just as effective. Far from being a lot more costly than the basic wall, if made of brick it can be less costly than the house wall!”
Fig 1.2 Roof profile of LBC’s Dormitory Block
Sources: By Author
Fig 1.1 Laurie Baker’s personal sketches
Source: Courtesy of Gautam Bhatia
Fig 1.3 Jaali Work at CDS Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 1.4 Rubble pathways and roof of LBC’s Dormitory Toilet Block Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Another characteristic that defines his works is the use of organic, flowy roofs, often resembling pyramids, in addition to curved walls. His buildings also seamlessly blend into the natural surroundings, with the landscape being a prime feature of the design.
In these times, where the world is looking for sustainable existence, Laurie Baker’s approach to construction and architecture is what we need to adopt. His way of building inexpensive, cost effective, traditional style of design would be of great help in this direction. Over the years his experience on numerous building sites helped him to develop a series of simple principles for building. He believed in thorough and honest site analysis. Work with the existing topography and use local materials and local craftsmen. Where is the water? Where is the sun? Keep the trees! Laurie Baker loved nature and believed every building should be a unique reaction to its precise location.
2. Introducing The Place
2.1 The Place : SEWA
SEWA ( Self Employed Women’s Association) is a trade union registered in 1947. It is an organization of poor, self-employed workers. These are women who earn a living through their own labor or small businesses. They do not obtain regular salaried employment with welfare benefits like workers in the organizes sector. They are the unprotected labor force of the country. Of the female labor force in India, more than 94% are in the unorganized sector. SEWA’s main goals are to organize women workers for full employment. Full employment means employment whereby workers obtain work security, income security, food security, food security, and social security ( at least health care, child care, shelter).
He believed in building for people. He built houses, schools, institutes, hospitals, slum dwellings and government buildings all with a restrained vocabulary of practical building materials. Some of his notable works include the Centre for Development Studies and The Indian Coffee House in Thiruvananthapuram, Fisherman’s Village in Poonthura, Karimadom Slum Development Colony and many more.
The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Union was registered in Kerala only in 2008. Although it existed for over a decade prior to this date, the members of the SEWA union in Kerala were affiliated to the SEWA Union in Gujarat. It is only after the SEWA union got the status of a Central Trade Union, after that, it gets registered in Kerala.
Top to Bottom
The SEWA, Vilappilsala is the rural center of SEWA union of Trivandrum, situated in the countryside 16 km from Trivandrum city and about a kilometer from the Vilappilsala junction on the hill called Nooliyodu. The campus of SEWA houses structures including an auditorium with 120-150 capacity, a dormitory with a capacity of almost 60 people, guestrooms, and a cafeteria with a seating capacity of 60 people.
SEWA campus was designed and built by COSTFORD under the supervision of architect Laurie Baker during 2002-2004.
Fig 1.5 Hamlet, Laurie Bakers reidence Fig 1.6 CDS, Tvm Fig 1.7 Indian Coffee House, Tvm Fig 1.8 Karimadom Colony, Tvm Fig 2.0 SEWA logo Sources : www.sewa.org
2.2 Site and Settings
The buildings cascade down the bank of a densely forested, steeply sloping site. Gentle, simple and strong they look as though have always been there and always will be. SEWA Campus is located on a hill called Nooliyodu 15-16 km from the capital city Trivandrum. It is located in a very rural and outskirts setup. The site was a Stone quarry with very minimal vegetation is rejuvenated through aforestation, rainwater harvesting and waste management strategies. It is surrounded by Rubber tree plantation and small settlements.
Approx . area of 1.38 acres the site is included in the humid tropics and situated in a hilly region with its maximum elevation of 84m. The annual rainfall average is 2500mm mainly from the SW monsoon (June to November). The average temperature is 32 to 34 degrees C, the average minimum is 22 degrees Celcius.
The topography and climate characteristics were originally seen as challenges to the development of a setup like SEWA, with its high ideals. However, the early constraints in the form of the barren quarry, have now been largely overcome through aforestation of different types of plants and trees such as Coconut, Papaya, Banana, Turmeric, Pepper, Cashew Nut, etc.
Fig 2.2 Location of SEWA
Fig 2.3 Nooliyode road abutting SEWA
Fig 2.4 SEWA campus from the entrance
The entrance of the campus is from the green lush roadway leading towards the main entrance. From the road itself, an interesting curve profile building can be seen with exposed brickwork surrounded by green surroundings. The whole conception of the building and the campus is totally different from what we have seen in and out of the capital city of Trivandrum.
Carefully designed contour slopes incorporating the natural landscapes with the design, stone-paved path-
ways shaped with the rubble retaining walls. The organic nature of the design makes it appear poetry in motion using exposed brickwork, curvilinear walls which provide flexibility and strength to the large span. The curved walls with filler slab roof profiles also channel the rainwater into the pond which is situated in front of the SEWA campus.
Each building showcases its own distinctive nature of building material and techniques incorporated like large span arches, brick jaalis, glass bottle detail for interesting patterns of light coming through it, stone-paved pathways with different combinations and patterns, wooden windows with intricate grille design, oxide, and terracotta flooring, rat trap bond masonry. Extensive use of brick and locally available Mangalore tiles for the roofing showcases the cost-effectiveness and climate responsiveness according to the surrounding context.
The stone-paved pathway leads us to the first building of the campus which is now used mainly as an administrative office. Next comes the voluminous auditorium block which is the next to the admin block which can serve at least 120-150 people at one point of time. Moving down the contours, on the left side is the paper production unit with storage spaces and production area and as we move more down towards the right comes to the cafeteria just below the auditorium with built-in furniture and distribution counter with kitchen space and preparation area. Along with the Admin block, there is an extension for the paper making and choir based product unit for the manufacturing and production of paper pulp and other products. Moving downhill the staircase becomes a part of the contour and seems like merging into the landscape with the rocks and greenery.
Fig 2.5 Site Plan showing Built Forms along with circulation path
Fig 2.6 SEWA entrance Source: lauriebaker.net
Fig 2.7 Stairway leading to Admin and Cafeteria
Fig 2.8 Dormitory Entrance
Fig 2.9 Rear Profile of Dormitory Source : By Author
Then comes the dormitory block comprising two floors. Dormitory block consists of 10-12 capacity dorms and guest rooms with toilet units. Every built structure merges and becomes a part of the landscape and surroundings. These individual buildings are connected with each other by circulation spaces, walkways, staircases, planned to give each individual the basic congregational spaces in between.
As suggested by Laurie Baker on one of his building desgn manuals that if the site is a sloping one, less excavation and less filling up is needed if you place the building parallel to the contours and not cutting across the contours as shown in the picture.
As shown in Fig 2.10 The design is a response to the sloping contoured site and seems to grow out of it. There is hardly a straight line with each structure curling in waves, semicircles and arcs. Baker pays careful attention to the contours on the site and also the location of trees. The forms of the buildings also follow the site with curved walls and building forms along the contour. Often, when trees are obstructing the building, Baker simply moulds his walls around the trees so as not to disturb it.
2.3 Factors affecting the site
The role of a space is to control the environment in order to allow human interactions with and within a context, where space plays a role of physical control, a functional frame, social milieu and cultural symbolization.
The contours make the complex interesting to experience. “The group of buildings are settled down as if they are emerged out from the ground in the rich diverse field of landscape. the hostile natural environment and the calmness makes the experiences
The study aims at understanding the campus design as a place through its built form. The built form can be studied by means of its spatial and formal manifestations with respect to forces that shape them. The parameters will be defined by relationships important to Laurie Baker’s Work as established according to the nature of built forms and design brief of the project.
Fig 2.10 Site Plan showing Contour Profile Fig 2.12 Building with surrounding elemnts and placement of a buikding on a contour Source : Ching F.D (1979) Fig 2.12Placement of Building as per the contour layout Source: Riral community Buildings by Laurie Baker2.3.1 Orientation and Wind Flow around Built form
Buildings often rely upon wayfinding design to give their occupants a sense of building orientation, and to perhaps spark that mental map that tells them where they have been as well as pointing them in the direction of where they need to go. the design should inherently convey to its occupants a sense of where they are when within it, and a sense of direction subtly instructing them on how to get to where they want to go.
Basic climate condition were wet and dry all year long with high humidity and almost have an equal in the day and night hours every day. Frequent problems happen in this kind of climate are high temperature inside the building during the day and night (over heated), low air quality for internal spaces. For tropical climate like Kerala the Best suited orientation shoule be in north-south with east-west facades are facing the sun. Those facades also are recommended to be a solid wall or have a minimum opening on it.
The site is placed along North East with Souh west axis.
The orientation is such that where cool breezes come predominantly from the north-west.
2.3.2 Zoning and Hierarchy of Spaces
Space can be defined by its enclosure, i.e, the space seperated from its surroundings. Though the act of enclosure does not merely seperate the space from the outside, it establishes a relationship with the outside. The relationship is reflected by the organization with respect to the immediate context, degree of porosity, the peripheries of the space, nature of openings in the enclosure, the nature of the centre.
Buildings are self organized on site in varied places addressing proximities and orientations in order to ensure privacy. Through one approach gate each structure are confined to privacy needs. All the major events take place in the cmmunity hall making it a node of interaction.
Spaces are designed and organized in such a way that they are approached from a ommon space that is a stairway running acroos the site and becomes the node of interaction between all the units. Contour plays a very crucial role in this site in terms of privacy between spaces. The level diffrence on the site also gives a natural sense of privacy provides visual privacy. All the structures on different levels assure privacy to one another.
When you stand on the highest level of the site that is the level where you enter the Community hall form or area in front of the admin area, the dormitory block in the lower level can be seen but only the roof profile can be seen. The privacy is well maintained using natural elements presen on the site.
The footprint of the buildings is confined to its enclosure. Thus the enclosure starkly mark the difference between inside and outisde, though the buildings activities extended towards the outside, since all the space converge on the central node i.e, stairway. The stairway leads to the dormitory block to the living spaces. Although, The enclosure did not allow freedom of personalization because of the purpose of the building. Hence the expression of individuality was least and suggests towards the temporary ownership of the inhabitant. The spatial layers like the private , public, semi-public etc do not exist here literally, since these only accomodate the individual’s private needs as all other communal activities were to be performed increasing the sense of collective.
Fig 2.13 Site Plan showing and prevailing wind flow diagram
Fig 2.14 Site Plan showing level of privacy amongst each other
2.3.3 Relationship to the context
The language of Laurie Baker work is his interpretation of a vocabulary unique to Kerala. It was common in Kerala to use only clay excavated onsite to make good country bricks, however many bricks were required. Five thousand, even ten thousand were moulded using the building site’s clay. These were stacked to form a cube which was then fired, producing reasonably strong red bricks. There was no need to transport materials onto the site, and the hole from the excavated clay became a pond for water conservation during construction. The onsite brick production method was a sustainable, low skilled, and low cost method of construction, and Laurie Baker got inspired by the idea of local architecture of Kerala and used in extensively in the all the buildings been done bu him.
In the case of Laurie Baker’s work and its background and with the context of SEWA, the relationship between the individual and the collective has been and is a pivot, around which the nature of architecture is evolving, from scattered built form along the natural landscapes without exploiting the nature of its original form. Another significant aspect in the architecture has been the concious use of locally available materials like Bricks, Terracotta Tiles and techniques along with exploration of the form; The nature of which also has been evolving with the individual and the collective.
2.4 Space, Form and Making
The parameters to understand th eslected type of works , bearing in mind the individual and collective relationships and experimentation of materials, techniques and form will be derived from the generic premises of Form, Space and Making. The generic premise define the relationship of built form with man, place and techniques. While studying SEWA the parameters will be specific to SEWA campus and the main aspects concerning its built form.
2.4.1 Space
‘‘Space constantly encompasses our being. Through the volume of space, we move, see forms, hear sounds, feel breeze, smell the fragrance of a flower garden in bloom. It is a material substance like wood or stone. Yet it is an inherently formless vapor. Its visual form, its dimensions and scale, the quality of its light - all of these qualities depend on our perception of the spatial boundaries defined by elements of form. As space begins to be captured, enclosed, molded and organized by the elements od mass, architecture comes into being. ‘‘ (Ching, 1979)
Space can be understood as an enclosure, a continuum and as an extension. In reference to enclosure, space means the enclosed area seperated from its surrounding as particular place. In a space defined by enclosure, the character of the spcae come sfrom the nature of its enclosing surface i.e, the bondaries which define its limits. Points defining the limits of the space can be various kinds; Aechitectural, urban and natural. The space does not merely comprises of individual rooms, but also elements that provide an outward view.
Fig 2.15 Diagram showing individual and collective relationship in the settlement Dependent Independent yet ConnectedSpace as a continuum refers to the spaces being concei-ved as boundaries, openings, thresholds and notions of inside out; where the wall as a means of enclosure is not merely an outer limitation but stresses on the seperation of inside and outside and its treatment in terms of edge condition, fenestrations etc define its relationship. Space as extension addresses the relationships to its context.
2.4.1.1 Spatial Organization and Circulation :
The spatial organization of built form is primirily informed by the functions it caters to. The organization defines the axes, which reflect the internal relationships as well as the nature of relationship with the outside.
The nature of the spaces and their organization define its layers i.e, enclosed, semi open and open which furthur define the layers of privacy of the built form. The spatial organization, also plays a role at the large
role i.e, how a built form is organized on a site with rspect to various other physical elements and their interrelationship.
All the structures are place asymmetrically and all the units are aren’t of same size or area or shape. A shown in Fig 0.0 we can clearly see the layout and plannig approach placing irregular squares type shapes in existing curvelinear form of the surrounding space.
The natural landscape around the built environment was left unaltered, with construction done around the existing landscape. The greenery and the natural materials gave a blend that made any human entering the space to experience a recognizable shift in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors.. These individual houses are connected with each other by circultion spaces, walkways internally with collective facilities and infrastrcture at a collective level. Fig 0.0 and 0.0 shows the planning of units around rach other and the circulation path through
Fig 2.16 Spatial Layout of Dormitory building organically flowing with the natural surrounding
Fig 2.17 Diagram showing Links and placement of spaces around and inside enclosure
Fig 2.18 Diagram showing relationship of each blocks to each other Fig 2.17 Diagram showing connections between blocks
Fig 2.18 Circulation path aroung the site
Source By Author
2.4.2 Form
“Architectural form is the point of contact between mass and space....
Architectural Forms,, textures, materials, modulation of light and shade, color, all combine to inject a quality or spirit that articulates space. The quality of the architecture will be determined by the skills of the designer in using and relating these elements, both in the interior spaces and in the spaces around the buildings’’. (Bacon, 1974)
The manifestation of the relationship between a built form and its surroundings in the form of the construct gives it particular character. Character is the means of identity within the built environment. Form is a totality which reveals the constituents elements in their relative positions thus making the observer conscious of space as a formal element.
Keeping in mind, form can be broadly understood by:
The Nature of the form can also be understood as the relationship of built with its physical context i.e. the land, the sky, landscape etc. These relationships are reflected bu the nature of enclosing elements. The form as a whole, is a resultant of its parts, the nature of the whole is a result of the close relationship between it parts. Thus elements of the form (the walls, the structure, the infill, the openings and the floor), its nature and its assembly defines the nature of the built form.
The earth-red coloured low scale structure smoothly rises out of the ground with flowing forms intentionally created to depict emergence from the ground. The smooth transition between the buildings and its surroundings was intended to
Fig 2.21 Entance through the curvilinear mangalore tiled roof can be seen from the road side also. Fig 2.22 Stairway moulded carefully along the countour levels becomes the node of all the interaction between the buildings and main mode of circulation in the whole site .reduce the visual impact of the house. The highly sculptural form of the buildings suggets an attempt to relate to the ground and the sky since at that time the land around was barren. The earth coloured walls appear dissipate in the ground or rising up from the ground.
It is impossible to stop the wave of unimaginative, inartistic, modular and mechanical concepts of architecture. Nowadays modern architecture is always equated to cubical blocks, glazed windows and reinforced concrete roofs. The disparity that thus got established between architecture and nature has been accepted worldwide. Laurie Baker has brought about a concious relationship between nature, building materials and the overall form.
In sharp contrast, curvy roof profile with exposed brick work and mangalore roof tiling float over the earth with natural surrounding. These roof rest on curved walls which extends into the interior, to create gently defined spaces.
2.4.3. Making
2.4.3.1 Material Palette
The making of the built form along with the assembling, joining, erecting also includes aspects like the nature of the material, the techniques used for its construction and its finished since the meaning and character cannot be explained in purely aesthetic or formal termas, but are intimately connected with making. If we search for a definition of poetry we may find that “Poetry is a form of literary art which uses the aesthetic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning. Some important aspects that can be seen are experimentation with building materials and technology, architectural expression through forms, Eco-friendly climate responsive deisgn, integration with the natural surrounding. The nature of these aspects have been constantly defined.
Nature of materials
The nature of the material determines the nature of the buulding system used for the construction and thus ha sthe potential to determine the form of the built. At times, the availability of local materials for building purposes, results in adapting the building task to the properties of the available material and the trasferability determines the size and quantity of the material used.
Filler Slabs
Filler slab employ by replacing unproductive concrete by a filler material which rduces the weight of the slab and alco the cost by reducing the amount of concrete used and at the same time breaking the monotony of the plastered ceiling. Filler material can be Bricks, mangalore tiles, Pots, Coconut shells, earthern Lamps, waste bottles etc.
Top to Bottom Fig 2.23 SEWA form the abutting road Fig 2.24 Roof cutout for the entrance of Hall Fig 2.25 Jaali Work at the Multi purpose Hall on both the walls Top to Bottom Fig 2.26 Roof profile over the Stairway Fig 2.27 Filler roof slab on the roofStones
Random Rubble masonary can be seen mostly in every building being done by Laurie Baker. Rubble gives strength to the base of the structure and a connection to the brick wall.
Bricks
Bricks are made up of simplest constituent available anywhere, at any site mud and is locally available and can be made at site also. Mud can be excavated anywhere and from which mud blocks can be made . make it essy to work with. Nearly all bricks are roughly the same shape and size - that is about 9 x 4.5 x 3 inches. In the short documentary “Brick master”, Laurie Baker said, “The common brick is one of the men’s greatest inventions. Hundreds or even thousands of years ago, this was a lump of mud in the ground, you could pick it in your hand, shape it, let it dry and you have this shape. Then you burn it to make it solid and strong. Working and building with bricks and stone is not only an interesting occupation but it also very satisfying. Stone and brick seem to pulsate with life whenever such inventions occur in architecture. We can experience peaceful earthy space, fascinating light and inexpressible peace from meaningful, calm architecture. Laurie Baker’s jali is a brick version of traditional south Indian patterned wooden grillwork: gaps between bricks leads air and daylight through a wall while diffusing the glare of direct sunlight. (Adam Hochschild, Mother Jones, Poetry in Brick and Mud, November/December 2000)
In Laurie Baker’s words on exposed brickwork, “I just think it is plain stupidity to build a brick wall, plaster it all over and then paint lines on it to make it look like a brick wall. I think it is equally untruthful to cover it all over with tiles shaped to look like bricks. Or another variation of untruthfulness is to plaster it and then paint it to look like marble!”
2.4.3.2 Technique
Techniques refer to the method of doing thigs, in architecrture, the method of making the built environment and its components, of construction and of the building. Th eway in which the material are used to build, give it a certain character. Material and techniques together affect the formal structure. The technique depends on the nature of the material and within its constraints also has possibilities of choices like mechanical production , hand labour, and standardization.
The choice of the materials and techniques is not only affected by the availability and economy but also reflect the values and conscious thoughts of the user/ designer as well as the place. The finishes and articulation of the materials are also suggestive of the values of the individual and the collective.
Laurie Baker’s design invariably have traditional sloping roof with tiles shingling with gables and vents allowing rising hot air to escape. Curved walls to enclose more volume ate lower material cost than straight walls. His respect for nature led him to let the natural site as it is and do improvization around it, rarely a tree uprooted or a topography lin emarred. low sloped roofs and courts serve many purposes as well as work as wind cathers. Open walls functions to dispel it.
Rat Trap Bond
Rat trap bond was majorly introduced by Laurie Baker himself in India. The cavity in the rat trap bond helps in many ways like thermal insulation and can be used for the wiring for electrical and other things. Rat trap bond used less material for its construction than the other brick bonds makes it more popular between environment concious designers and arcitects.
Top to Bottom Fig 2.28 Rubble masonary Fig 2.29 Exposed Brickwork Fig 2.30 Corner conditions of the building Fig 2.31 Rat Trap Bond construction using tools at siteBrick Jaali
Laurie Baker is widely known for his extensive uses of brick jali in his buildings. He used this old Kerala technique to create beautiful patterns on the walls, to play with light and shadow and its effect on ceilings and floors, to minimize the use of windows thus reduced building cost and so on. Laurie Baker jali is a brick version of traditional south Indian patterned wooden grillwork: Gaps between bricks lead air and daylight through a wall while diffusing the glare of direct sunlight. Some of the center’s coolness also comes from tiny courtyards built around pools whose evaporation helps fight the heat. His jail works are the finest examples of using bricks one upon another like a poet use one wordafter another to create beautiful and meaningful arts and represent balance and harmony.
Brick Jali as an alternative to windows
Windows are those elements of a building with which the purpose of ventilation, lighting and viewframing are served. But these elements increase the costs of construction. So what Baker did was that he replaced these elements with beautiful jail works which reduced the cost and served other purposes as well.
Flooring
Oxide flooring
With the arrival of multitude of flooring materials such as Marble, Mosaic, Vitrified Tiles, oxide fell out of popularity. Of what has become more or less a poor man’s flooring. Oxide flooring, unique to Kerala native became Lauire Baker’s one of the most used flooring
material due to its local availibility and features. In this campus we can see different colors of oxides used in various patterns and designs. Oxides are also economically viable. Most matreials deteriorate with age, but the oxide flooring is an exception. It shines more the longer it is used.
Salvaged Tile/ stone/ Tile flooring
The flooring of the campus mostly involved the usage of materials that would usually be neglected as construction waste. Materials like mangalote tiles, stone chips, marble pieces etc. As we proceed towards the admin block and towards the hall and dormitory we can see patterns of concentric circles, different shaped polygons with stone chips. Salvaged tiles are being placed strategically in various spaces.
Windows and Doors
Windows are those elements of a building with which the purpose of ventilation, lighting and view framing are served. But these elements increase the costs of construction. Incorporating Brick jali in place of the fenestrations reduced the cost and served ventilation and diffused lighting inside the enclosure. Jaali can be also used for natural ventilation, as we know, hot and cold air is replacing each other in the environment. Know how to channel out the hot air and how to channel in the cool air is the basic things to look for in the building respiration system.
Cost reduction techniques also includes frameless doors, windows, brick lintel in place of the RCC lintel, brick arches to support the above structure instead of beams.
Top to Bottom Fig 2.32 Jaali work as a means of ventilation and opening for light Fig 2.33 Jaali work as a oepning Fig 2.34 Combination of flooring material such as oxide, terracotta tiles, and cement Fig 2.35 Sketch of traditional Opening of a room by Laurie BakerDoor and window frames are not actually required. They are responsible for almost half the cost of timber used. Avoiding frames considerably reduces the cost of timber. Door planks are screwed together with strap iron hinges to form doors, and this can be carried by holdfast fittings carried into the wall. The simplest and most cost-effective door can be made of vertical planks held together with horizontal or diagonal battens. The simplest frameless window consists of a vertical plank (9” wide) set into two holes, one at the top and one at the bottom. This forms a simple pivotal window. Wide span windows can be partially framed and fixed to walls or can have rows of pivotal planks.
All these elements added natural sense of aesthetics while considering the cost reduction.
Glass bottles as Openings
Glass bottles of different colors and sizes are being used extensively in allthe building designed by Laurie Baker and can be seen in every building he designed. These glass bottles are recycled and gives a different approach to th eway of placement of openings and fenestrations . Light emits through these glass bottles and form patterns.
MS Grill and Designs
Laurie Baker’s approach of designing the grills was minimal and simplified. It serves the purpose of security and also added sense of material versitality. But in places in the campus we can see some complicated grill design also. The intent cannot be explained but was interestingly placed.
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3. The Buildings
In this chapter, The buildings of the campus will be discussed. There are mainly three buildings. These are analyzed with the parmeters of space, form amd mterial or making of the building.
All the buildings in the campus looks different from each other in form but has similar features throughout.All have tried being in harmony with nature, and building environmentally friendly buildings. Laurie Baker proposed a small mixed use campus which diverse groups of people can use and live together and work together in a sustainable and ecological sound environment. The use of similar constructional materials and elements across the campus buildings give it a coherent architectural language. A palette of material and elements is being used in the buildings.
3.1 First Block
Built up Area : 150 sqm
Purpose : Ground Floor - Production and Assembly Area
First Floor - Administrative Area and Storage Area for Goods made from the Paper Unit
A two storey structure oriented in North-West & SouthWest axis along the natural form of the site sits in an small Gated area between the quarry alnd and Rubber plantations. Straight but informal pathways leads us under the flowy curvy roof of the Admin block. All the buildings are physically seperated by each other by built forms but seems connected because of the roof structure. The roof structure extends itself towards the hall block.
In this unit, an entrance foyer, defined by the curvy roof
Fig 2.36 Frameless opening at SEWA dorm block
Fig 2.37 Usage of salvaged glass bottles as an element Fig 2.38 Simple yet modern Grill design at SEWA
form, forms the threshold to the block, which contributes in increase of interaction as well as adds a layer to the space. Apart from that, the space between the units also becomes a space for interaction between the blocks.
The block is approached by a gate, marked by one post and simple Ms Grill Door. It is a simple buildings block made with Bricks using Rat trap Bond and a curved rood structure. The gate marks the approach of the building and there are fences and boundaries that enclose the area around the campus.
Stone chip Flooring with cement mortar flooring pattern is being placed to give it a sense of rawness leads to a semi open space between The hall and the Admin area and leads to the cafeteria and Dormitory Block. The footprint of the building is confined to its enclosure l eaving the surrounding in its natural state, in ansence of any boundary. These defines the abstract extent of the habitation of the building. All the function of the building are arranged around the entrance foyer and the lower level of the building. The activities open into the foyer making it a social center.
The foyer in the building also serves a climatic purpose enhancing the indoor conditions enabling spaces in the building be visually and spatially connected with each other as well as to the open.
One of the rooms were use earlier as Bakery and for that The architect designed a very interesting chimney with extruded curved profile with jaali pattern adds to the architectural identity of the space. There are larger openings on the external wall and smaller towards the foyer makes the centric nature of a foyer extrovert in nature. The major walls of the building are made of local burnt bricks. Since theres is less reinforcement used Brick on edge can be seen used over all the places in the building.
Here the formal manifestation of the building refers to simplicity where the curve roof and the entrance foyer suggests the influence of traditional ways of dealing with a tropical humid climate though is modified to achieve visual and spatial relationships with the outisde as strong response to the context.
Traditional Malaysian Jack frame doors are being used and Frameless reused windows are being used in the building on the lower level ensuring ventilation and light. The roof of the building have filler slab roof form in which salvaged mangalore toles are used.
All the external walls of the building are left exposed to its original state as well as the interiors of the rooms. Oxide flooring mailny red oxide, black oxide is being used for the flooring of the interior of the rooms.
Majority of the furniture is inbuilt in the form of platforms finished with cement or oxide finish, which is also a traditional technique of doing it.
The filler slab is a traditional way of making a slab. Salvaged mangalote tiles are pres casted and made to rest over reinforced concrete beams before the concreting process. this method reduces the concrete in the slab, enhances internal thermall conditions and also act as an aethetic element.
The materials used in the construction of the building suggest a concious attempt to use reused, locally avilable and eco-friendly materials and are put together by traditional skill based techniques and minimal external enery and carbon footprint.
Here the making is a result of traditionally acquired knowledge and understanding of the context. Apart from all this, the campus makes other consious attempt to be low impact and eco friendly in termas of energy and resouces. Rain water is harvested from the rainwater harvesting pond and chanalized to the pump and being filtered for use. Roof of the block also has rain water channels through which the rain water can be easily collected flowing on the slopes of the roof.
Top to Bottom Fig 3.23 Elevation B Fig 3.24 Elevation CDiagram showing amount of light entering through the openings
Diagram showing visibility through openings
Diagram showing ventilation pattern of the enclosure
Diagram showing access points of the units
Fig 3.30 & Fig 3.31
Fig 3.32 & Fig 3.33
Fig 3.34 & Fig 3.35
Fig 3.36 & Fig 3.37
Fig 3.45 Floor plan of the hall
3.2 Second Block
Built up Area: 280 sqm
Purpose : Multi purpose hall used for fuct -ions, clasees and gatherings
Ground Floor : serves as a cafeteria with a capacity of approx. 50 people at one time with a kitchen and storage spaces
Upper Floor: Multi purpose Hall
The siting of each block on site is somewhat similar regarding the site orientation and positioning with one access since the block is located right next to the admin block. The approach of this block is through the entrance foyer.
Lower level is supported by a stone retaining wall and can be accessed by the stairway. The level diference between both the spaces consciously provides visual and physical privacy. It is strategically put under the upper level since each gathering needs to serve food fo the same and each is occupied at different time of the day and demands different controls.
The nature of the openings are as such that it provides a full view from both the level towards the lower ground level and gives a common senese of visual axes.
The block is rested on a exposed beam with two columns placed in the centre of the block. The curve roof profile turned out be favourable to local context. Rain water can be collected or could be chanelized to the rainwater harvesting pond also.
Windows and opening of the space is being dealth with ultimate smartness considering the usage and purpose of the space. Since it is meant to be a gathering place opening are large and allows air throughout the day and sunlight. MS grill work is also kept simple. Brick Jaali is placed on either side of the wall strategically to allow air and to ensure visual privacy instead of putting a usual window opening it also allows sunloght making interesting patterns on sunny days. Stained glass bottles are also used on the centre just above the stage space which adds aesthetics to the space and also allows diffused light through it.
Flooring is being done mostly using salvaged earthern tiles making patterns and with red , yellow and black oxide.
Cafetria has inbuilt seating to suit as much as crowd available as well as wash basin and distribution counters are inbuilt.
Top to Bottom Fig 3.51 View of the entrance of the Community Hall Fig 3.52 Picture showing jaali work on the rear wall of the hall Fig 3.53 Stairway towards cafeterai showing en trance of the Cafeteria Fig 3.54 sketch showing the activity around stageDiagram showing amount of light entering through the openings
Diagram showing visibility through openings
Diagram showing ventilation pattern of the enclosure
Diagram showing access points of the units
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Fig 3.57 & Fig 3.58 Fig 3.59 & Fig 3.60 Fig 3.61 & Fig 3.62 Fig 3.63 & Fig 3.64 Fig 3.54 Elevation A Fig 3.55 Elevation B Fig 3.56 Elevation C
Fig 3.81 Section AA through the Dorm Room, Corridor and guest room and on the lower level through the room 5
Fig 3.85 First floor plan of the Dormitory Block
3.3 Third Block
Built up Area: 355 sqm
Purpose : Dormitory and guest rooms
Ground Floor : 7 sharing bunk bed units and sharing toilet unit bathrooms units for the stay of people coming for the conventions and classes
Upper Floor: 3 Guest rooms with attached services like washrooms and 3 bunk bed dormitory rooms with shared washroom area
As you breeze through the stairway towards he slope, Dormitory can be seen vividly and its tapered roof seems like coming out of the natural grounds. Whole unit is rested upon the rubble retaining walls with randon rubble masonary plinth.
This unit is a residential part of the campus and used to have one doctor’s neonatal unit with anciliary facilities attached to it but now used as one of the guest rooms. The buildings has two levels and can be accesssed from the front but th elower level level have a back service entrance also. Direct approach from the stairway and from the side of LBC one pathway leading towards the lower level of the Dormitory.
Units of the building are oriented on the south west and North West axis like other buildings as site distribution and position
Top
Fig 3.91 View of the dorm from the higher level of site
ing as can be an answer to the climatic needs. Mostly the unit is being approached by the eastern side and visually enclosed by vegetations and natural elements. Large opening on the front entrance on the upper level allows ventilation and visual connection and at the same time nsures privacy to the other spaces.
The pysiotherapy unit is defined by small openings on all the sides towards the outside, ensuring ventilations as well as privacy for the function but now used as guest house but now aslo aloows ventilation and light through openings. The rest of the unit is fairly compact and accesible. Hierarchy of spaces has been designed to address privacy.
As mentioned earlier, all the units of the campus have a coherent built environment due to predefined elements and materials. In this unit also the exposed brickwork load bearing walls supports a filler slab which is supported by brick on edge lintel.
The openings of this unit is designed a such to ensure ventilation and light into the space. The main central corridor has this jali work on top on the upper level of the dormitory to ensure wind flow and entry of light.
The metal grills are kept minimal in most of the palces but in lower ground level both the entrance shave intinsic detailed grill design and also depicts the name of the settlemnt SEWA on it. The floors of the block are finished with cement and a mix of oxide flooring and tiles. On the lower ground level all the entrances of the rooms has this pattern made up of salvaged materials of the construction site like marble, tile, stone chips etc.
Majority of the furniture is inbuilt in the form of platforms casted on site finished with cement or oxide finish, which is also a traditional technique of doing it. All the storage and sleeping units are inbuilt to reduse extra cost of carpentry and other furnitures and to ensure maximum utilization of a very compact space. Most of the bunk beds are supported by corbelled brickwork or by the steel Member from the bottom.
The form and materials plays a major role in unifying the individual building in this collective model by giving one architectural language. The choice of filler roof slab, arches and lintel as brick on edge and other elemnts like jali as a system and the materias used suggests the consious effort of using locally avilable material and traditional skill intensive techniques, with a balanced amount of mechanized or industrialized elements.
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Fig 3.98 Corridor of the First floor shows curve plan
Fig 3.99 Ground Floor MS grill Door Details
Fig 3.100 & Fig 3.101 Dormitory’s terrace showing open -ings and Brick partition walls with jaali work
Fig 3.102 Traditional Window Opening is being used
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Fig 3.103
Elevation A
Fig 3.104
Elevation B
Fig 3.105 Elevation C
Diagram showing amount of light entering through the openings
Diagram showing visibility through openings
Diagram showing ventilation pattern of the enclosure
3.4 Fourth Block
Area : 51 sqm
Purpose : Extension of the Paper production unit with anciliary services such as Pulp making, Paper pressing equipments, storage etc.
This block can be accessed from two sides. Front entrance is situtaed at left of the building entrance leading downwards towards the paper pulp making machine. The whole extension is in 3 levels. There is one back entrance behind the admin blocks that can be accessed by the stairway.
The roof of the extension is of temporary and shaded using Bitumen roofing sheet. The walls are also made up to the sill level and being covered using metal wire mesh all around to ensure security and privacy. The pulp making area is not being covered and is opened from all the sides.
The space doesn’t get proper light due to the heavy plantation on the west of the site bondary. The space gets a little dark sometimes. The pulp making area is always accessible doesn;t ensure privacy but the manufacturing unit is secured to ensure privacy.
4. Services
4.1 Waste
All the wate generated inside the campus is being recycled as compost and used as the fuel for cooking and other purposes. The site comprise of Bio gas Tank which produces Methane gas which is used for the cooking. All the waste generated on the site is hadled carefully on site level only. It ensures the sensitive way of disposal of the waste and not dumping into the nature.
4.2 Water
The site is also connected with municipal water connection and gets water mainly from that connection.
The site comprises of a rainwater harvestingpond with an area of approx 500 sqm. All the rainwater is being channelized to the pond and that can be recyled nad cleaned and can be used for the activities. Other than the water received from the rain channelized through the contour to the lower grounds and gets collected on the lower tanks for recycling.
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All the blocks are placed in a similar physica context, though they differ largely in their spatial and formla manifestations. The physical similarity are the constructional method, the form elevated
Fig 3.112 Front Entry to the Paper making Unit Fig 3.113 Paper Making area with equipments Fig 4.0 Rainwater harvesting Pond in front of the Site with approx 450 sqm area.5. Insights
5.1 Inference
The blocks in the campus are three individual units make nature a part of the built form and co exist with it., by blurring the bondaries between the inside and the outside. The contour and vegetation between the blocks plays a major role in defining the nature of the space since it also acts as a layer of enclosure.
All the blocks do not create physical boundaries to claim territory, addressing the physical surrounding as a collevtive shared resource.
Each space in its manifestations suggests a direct response to their context and is largely a result of the same.
There is a formal coherence amongst all the building in the campus, since a common set of buildings systems and elements is used across all the buildings. A system of elements is created for each formal systems, like the walls are made up of local burnt bricks, rat trap bond, terrhese systems were used traditionally without technological advancement but now is being done by the architect with different permutations and combinations, generating the form of the building. the form is not symmetricakl in any sense and divided by a stairway throughout the site and also connected by it in center.
The choas and at the same time flow of spaces allows efficient division of space and ensures oenings from the both side most of the times for each space. The extrusions on the facades in the form of jali or small openings as spatial element, accomodating functions as well as indirectly bringing light and wind without creating a seperate system. Curve roof and strong structural system without using much of reinforcement and structural elements make use of non structural locally available elements to act as structural systems. The openings in the spaces make space respond to the outside.
Bibliography
Books
Atul Deulgaonkar (2014). Laurie Baker, Truth in Architecture. Jyotsha Prakashan
Gautam Bhatia (2000), Laurie Baker, Life, Work, Writings
Rural Community Buildings, By COSTFORD
Published Thesis and Prints
Patwardhan Avani, (2008), Studying the expression of organic geometry in the architecture of Laurie Baker, VIT’s P.V.P College of Architecture, Pune
Laurie Baker: The Unseen side, Architecture + Design, August 2007
Tributes to Laurie Baker and Geoffrey Bawa, Indian Architect & Builder Magazine
JUne 2016
Guillaume Delacroix, Lessons from the life of Laurie Baker, the Gandhi of Architecture, Asian Paints, Beautiful Homes
The logical Indian (2017), The Gandhi Of Architecture, Who Built Sustainable Buildings With Natural Occurring And Local Materials, https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/get-inspired/laurie-baker/
Clare Elizabeth Kennedy, 2015 Laurie Baker -- Brick Genius, http://moremargie.com/ article/bricks-of-kerala
Laurie Baker’s CDS, Trivandru, http://arkistudentscorner.blogspot.com/
Poetry in brick: the infamous architecture of Laurie Baker, Disser taion
Illustration Credits
Chapter 0
Fig 0.1 & Fig 0.2 Typical material Scheme in Laurie Baker’s Staircases
Fig 0.3 CDS Entrance of Hall
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Chapter 1
Fig 1.0 Laurie Baker’s illustration with one his prominent work Indian Coffee House, Trivandrum
Source: Isabel Seliger / SEPIA
Fig 1.1 Laurie Baker’s personal sketches
Source: Courtesy of Gautam Bhatia
Fig 1.2 Roof profile of LBC’s Dormitory Block
Sources: By Author
Fig 1.3 Jaali Work at CDS
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 1.4 Rubble pathways and roof of LBC’s Dormitory Toilet Block
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 1.5 Hamlet, Laurie Bakers reidence
Source : https:// www.instagram.com/rahulvenugopal
Fig 1.6 CDS, Tvm
Fig 1.7 Indian Coffee House, Tvm
Fig 1.8 Karimadom Colony, Tvm
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Chapter 2
Fig 2.0 SEWA logo
Source: www. sewa.org
Fig 2.1 Source: By Author
Fig 2.2 Location of SEWA
Source: Google Earth Image
Fig 2.3 Nooliyode road abutting SEWA
Source: By Author
Fig 2.4 SEWA campus from the entrance
Fig 2.5 Site Plan showing Built Forms along with circulation path
Fig 2.6 SEWA entrance
Source: lauriebaker.net
Fig 2.7 Stairway leading to Admin and Cafeteria
Fig 2.8 Dormitory Entrance
Fig 2.9 Rear Profile of Dormitory
Source : By Author
Fig 2.10 Site Plan showing Contour Profile
Fig 2.11 Preferrable building placement according to the Contour Placement
Source: Rural Community bUildings by Laurie Baker
Fig 2.12 Building with surrounding elemnts and placement of a buikding on a contour
Source : Ching F.D (1979)
Fig 2.13 Site Plan showing and prevailing wind flow diagram
Fig 2.14 Site Plan showing level of privacy amongst each other
Fig 2.15 Diagram showing individual and collective relationship in the settlement
Fig 2.16 Spatial Layout of Dormitory building organically flowing with the natural surrounding
Fig 2.17 Diagram showing Links and placement of spaces around and inside enclosure
Fig 2.18 Diagram showing relationship of each blocks to each other
Fig 2.17 Diagram showing connections between blocks
Fig 2.18 Circulation path aroung the site
Fig 2.19 & Fig 2.20 Spatial organization of spaces in the admin & Dorm
Fig 2.21 Entance through the curvilinear mangalore tiled roof can be seen from the road side also.
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 2.22 Stairway moulded carefully along the countour levels becomes the node of all the interaction between the buildings and main mode of circulation in the whole site . Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 2.23 SEWA form the abutting road
Fig 2.24 Roof cutout for the entrance of Hall
Fig 2.25 Jaali Work at the Multi purpose Hall on both the walls
Source : By Author
Fig 2.26 Roof profile over the Stairway
Fig 2.27 Filler roof slab on the roof
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 2.28 Rubble masonary
Source : By Author
Fig 2.28 Rubble masonary
Source : By Author
Fig 2.29 Exposed Brickwork
Fig 2.30 Corner conditions of the building
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 2.31 Rat Trap Bond construction using tools at site
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 2.32 Jaali work as a means of ventilation and opening for light
Fig 2.33 Jaali work as a oepning
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 2.34 Combination of flooring material such as oxide, terracotta tiles, and cement
Source : By Author
Fig 2.35 Sketch of traditional Opening of a room by Laurie Baker
Fig 2.36 Frameless opening at SEWA dorm block
Fig 2.37 Usage of salvaged glass bottles as an element
Fig 2.38 Simple yet modern Grill design at SEWA
Source : By Author
Fig 3.0 Sketch of SEWA front view from the abutting road
Source: https://www.picuki.com/
Fig 3.1 Roof plan of the Admin Block
Fig 3.2 Section BB through the Admin area, storage and Earlier Bakery area and on the lower ground through the working area
Fig3.3 Section AA through the Corridor on upper floor with stirage area and on th elower level through the duct and manufacturing area and the Pulp making machine area
Fig 3.4 Circulation plan in and around of the Admin Block
Fig 3.5 Ground Floor Plan of Admin Block
Fig 3.6 First floor plan of the Admin Block with the Paper making extension unit
Fig 3.7 Entry to the Paper Making Unit
Fig 3.8 Entry to the Building
Fig 3.9 View of the rear side of the building from the stairway
Fig 3.10 Stairway leading to the Lower level to the Admin Block, Cafeterian and dormitory
Fig 3.11 Entrance foyer
Fig 3.12 Roof plan of admin block showing Rainwater harvesting Openings on the roof
Fig 3.13 Stairway as a landscaping element and also being a focal point at site for built spaces around
Fig 3.14 & 3.15 Cutout opening/ chimney for the Bakery unit
Fig 3.15, 3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 3.19 & 3.20 Configuration of openings of the building
Source : By Author
Fig 3.21 Working space inside the Paper manufacturing unit showing built in furnitures
Fig 3.22 Elevation A
Fig 3.23 Elevation B
Fig 3.24 Elevation C
Fig 3.25 Elevation D
Fig 3.26 Letter Box made out of Brick at the entrance of the Campus
Fig 3.27 Stone flooring in front of the Admin Block
Fig 3.28 Curved Profile of the roof and the surrounding from the entrance foyer
Fig 3.29 Central stairway
Fig 3.30 & Fig 3.31
Diagram showing amount of light entering through the opening
Fig 3.32 & Fig 3.33
Diagram showing visibility through openings
Fig 3.34 & Fig 3.35
Diagram showing ventilation pattern of the enclosure
Fig 3.36 & Fig 3.37
Diagram showing access points of the units
Fig 3.38 & Fig 3.39 Jaali of the Multi purpose Hall
Fig 3.40 Roof plan of the Hall Block
Fig 3.41 Section AA through the Centre of the hall showing stage
Fig 3.42 Section BB through the Hall and on the lower level through the cafeteria counter and service spaces
Fig 3.43 Circulation plan of the Hall Block and around it
Fig 3.44 Floor plan of the Cafeteria
Fig 3.45 Floor Plan of the Hall
Fig 3.46 Opening on thr roof profile to make an entrance for the hall
Fig 3.47 Hall view from the foyer side with pond
Fig 3.48 Snaps of activity happenings inside the hall
Fig 3.49 Rear access of the Hall
Fig 3.50 Toilet Block for the Hall unit
Fig 3.51 View of the entrance of the Community Hall
Fig 3.52 Picture showing jaali work on the rear wall of the hall
Fig 3.53 Stairway towards cafeterai showing entrance of the Cafeteria
Fig 3.54 Elevation A
Fig 3.55 Elevation B
Fig 3.56 Elevation C
Fig 3.57 & Fig 3.58 Diagram showing amount of light entering through the openings
Fig 3.59 & Fig 3.60 Diagram showing visibility through openings
Fig 3.61 & Fig 3.62 Diagram showing ventilation pattern of the enclosure
Fig 3.63 & Fig 3.64 Diagram showing access points of the units
Fig 3.65 to Fig 3.78 Details of Ms Grill Design of the Hall window and Doors
Fig 3.79 View of the Dormitory from the staircase
Fig 3.80 Roof plan of the Dormitory Block
Fig 3.81 Section AA through the Dorm Room, Corridor and guest room and on the lower level through the room 5
Fig 3.82 Section BB through the Ground level Dorm rooms
Fig 3.83 Circulation plan of the around the Dormitory Block
Fig 3.84 Ground Floor Plan of the Dormitory Block
Fig 3.85 First Floor Plan of the Dormitory Block
Fig 3.86 View of the Dorm Front facade
Fig 3.87, 3.88, 3.89 Rear elevationo of the Dormitory
Fig 3.90 View of the entrance of the Dormitory from the staircase
Fig 3.91 View of the dorm from the higher level of site
Fig 3.92 Entrance of the Dormitory First Floor
Fig 3.93 Plastered Brick wall
Fig 3.94 Built in Bunk Bed inside the Dorms
Fig 3.95 Brick jaali for ventilation above the room
Fig 3.96 & Fig 3.97 Framed and frameless Window opening
Fig 3.98 Corridor of the First floor shows curve plan
Fig 3.99 Ground Floor MS grill Door Details
Fig 3.100 & Fig 3.101 Dormitory’s terrace showing openings and Brick partition walls with jaali work
Fig 3.102 Traditional Window Opening is being used
Fig 3.103 Elevation A
Fig 3.104 Elevation B
Fig 3.105 Elevation C
Fig 3.106 Elevation D
Fig 3.105 Detailings of the MS grill of Doors and openings
Fig 3.106 & Fig 3.107 Diagram showing amount of light entering through the openings
Fig 3.108 & Fig 3.109 Diagram showing visibility through openings
Fig 3.110 & Fig 3.111 Diagram showing ventilation pattern of the enclosure
Fig 3.112 Front Entry to the Paper making Unit
Fig 3.113 Paper Making area with equipments
Chapter 4
Fig 4.0 Rainwater harvesting Pond in front of the Site with approx 450 sqm area.
Fig 3.1 to 4.0 Source : By Author
