The document proposes several low-cost construction techniques including using funicular shell roofs, geodesic domes, A-frame structures, interlocking hollow concrete blocks, soil cement blocks, and rat-trap bond wall construction. It suggests optimizing designs to reduce materials and costs for foundations, walls, doors, windows, and lintels. Foundations can use rubble masonry with bond stones instead of concrete beds. Wall thickness and rat-trap bonding can reduce brick usage. Concrete blocks and soil cement blocks provide savings over burnt bricks. Alternative materials can lower costs for doors, windows, and lintels.

1. LOW COST
CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUES
PROPOSED TECHNIQUES
&
LITERATURE STUDIES
SUB BY-
ANUJ SINGHAL
GITANSHU VERMA
RAGHVENDRA KAUSHAL
B.ARCH 9th
Sem
SUB TO-
AR.ATUL SETYA

2. FUNICULAR ROOF
FUNICULAR ROOFS-AN ALTERNATE TO RCC ROOFS
THE FUNICULAR SHELL ROOF IS ONE SUCH COMPRESSION
STRUCTURE, WHICH ENSURES CONSERVATION OF NATURAL
RESOURCES BY UTILISING WASTE MATERIALS EFFECTIVELY AND
OPTIMISING THE USE OF EXPENSIVE STEEL AND CEMENT.
FURTHER, THE ARCH DISTRIBUTES
THE POINT LOAD IN ALL DIRECTION EQUALLY THUS, IS ABLE TO
WITHSTAND IMPACT LOADING AT ANY POINT.
•DIAGONAL G RID OF FUNICULAR SHELL GIVES THE ILLUSION OF
A LARGER SPACE.
•ELIMINATE USE OF HIGH-ENERGY STEEL REINFORCEMENT
USED IN THE CONVENTIONAL RCC ROOF.
•ALLOWS EFFICIENT USE OF WASTE MATERIALS AND PROVIDES
PERSONALITY, COLOUR AND TEXTURE.
• MINIMISES REQUIREMENT OF INTERNAL PLASTERS.
• PROVIDES ROOFING AT A LOWER COST.

3. ! A DOUBLY CURVED STRUCTURE ON EDGE
BEAM ENSURES OPTIMAL UTILISATION OF STEEL
AND CEMENT.
! CAN BE DEMOULDED EVERY 48 HOURS.
! A SIMPLE YET SPLENDID ROOFING SYSTEM
USING NATURAL MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY
AS OPPOSED TO THE MONOTONOUS AND
COMPLEX CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM.
! FUNICULAR SHELLS CAN TAKE ANY SHAPE-
SQUARE, RECTANGLE, TRAPEZIUM, TRIANGULAR
OR ANY OTHER SHAPE. THE KNACK LIES IN THE
CASTING OF THE MOULD.
! THE UPPER HALF OF THE EDGE BEAM IS
REQUIRED TO HOLD THE STIRRUPS. IT IS CAST
ALONG WITH THE FUNICULAR SHELL;
THEREFORE, IT CAN ALSO BE A TRIANGULAR
SECTION.
! THE FUNICULAR SHELL CAN CARRY VARIOUS
CONDUITS, TOILET PIPES IN THE AREA ABOVE
THE BRICK -BAT LAYER. THESE CAN RUN ALONG
THE PERIPHERY WHERE THE MAXIMUM DEPTH
IS AVAILABLE.
! FUNICULAR SHELL ROOF FACILITATES THE
INSTALLMENT OF FIXTURES LIKE- CEILING FANS,
LIGHT FIXTURES ETC. A SKYLIGHT CAN BE
INTRODUCED IN THE ROOF. THIS CAN BE
ACHIEVED BY LEAVING A HOLLOW WHILE
CASTING, USING THE INHERENT STRENGTH OF A
RING IN COMPRESSION.
! THE FUNICULAR SHELL ALLOWS AMPLE
FLEXIBILITY IN DESIGN

4. GEODESIC DOMES
•THE BASIC TRIANGLE OF AN ICOSAHEDRON IS SUBDIVIDED
INTO SMALLER TRIANGLES AND EACH NODE LIFTED TO MEET
THE SURFACE OF THE SPHERE.
• THE MORE THE SUB-DIVISIONS, THE SMOOTHER THE DOME.
EACH SIDE OF THE SUBDIVIDED TRIANGLE RESULTS IN A CHORD
FACTOR, WHICH IS MULTIPLIED BY THE RADIUS TO GIVE THE
STRAIGHT LENGTH OF EACH MEMBER.
•EVEN THOUGH AN ICOSAHEDRON HAS BEEN TAKEN AS THE
BASIC STARTING CONFIGURATION, ANY POLYHEDRA CAN BE
USED BUT THE NUMBER OF VARIATIONS IN PLATE IS LIKELY TO
INCREASE DEPENDING ON THE POLYHEDRA TAKEN FOR THE
BASIC GEOMETRY.
•THE NUMBER OF VARIATIONS IN THE JOINT PLATES IS EVIDENT.

5. GEODESIC DOMES
! SIMPLE MILD STEEL PLATES ARE USED, WHICH ARE EASY TO
FABRICATE CONSIDERING ONLY A HOLE AND A SLOT HAVE TO
BE MADE IN IT.
! SINCE THE PLATES ARE DEPRESSING THE STRUCTURAL STEEL
NO SUB-STRUCTURE IS REQUIRED TO ACCOMMODATE
ROOFING MATERIAL
! THE TOP OF THE STRUCTURAL MEMBER SERVES FOR THE SEAT
OF THE ROOFING MATERIAL.
! A SIMPLE HOLE AND SLOT IN THE PLATES PROVIDE FOR
VARIATIONS IN ANGLES. THE HOLE FIXES THE DISTANCE AND
THE SLOT PROVIDES ADJUSTMENT FOR THE ANGLES.
! BY CURVING THE INNER AND OUTER PLATES AND MOVING
THE SLOT AND THE HOLE BY FEW MILLIMETRES CLOSER
TO THE CENTRE, THE BOLTS ARE MADE TO CONVERGE
TOWARDS THE CENTRE OF THE SPHERE.
! MEMBERS CAN BE DOUBLED IN DEPTH IF REQUIRED.

6. A FRAMES
•ARE WELDED FROM INCEPTION.
THESE MEMBERS ARE MORE RESILIENT
THAN REINFORCED CEMENT
CONCRETE AND HAVE A LARGER
STRENGTH EVEN WITHOUT THE
CONCRETE COMPONENT.
•THIS FORM OF REINFORCEMENT
CONSUMES 30% LESS STEEL.
•THEY PROVIDE FOR A SIMPLE
ASSEMBLY OF BEAMS WITH
CONTINUITY BARS AT JUNCTIONS IN
VARIOUS DIRECTIONS AND REQUIRE
MINIMUM FORMWORK FOR FILLING.
•THEY ARE STABLE WITHOUT
CONCRETE AS CONCRETE IS REDUCED
TO A FILLER MATERIAL.
•THE MEMBERS CAN BE FILLED WITH
CONCRETE AT ANY POINT OF TIME
SUBSEQUENTLY.

7. SWARAN SINGH BLOCK
•TAKE A SIMPLE, MANUALLY
OPERATED BLOCK MAKING MACHINE
AS AVAILABLE WITH MOST OF THE
BUILDING CENTRES
•TAKE A STIFF PVC SHEET OR RED
MUD PLASTIC SHEET CUT TO THE
SIZE OF THE BASE OF THE MOULD.
• COAT IT WITH USED MOBIL OIL TO
PREVENT ADHESION AND
FACILITATE EASY DEMOULDING
FROM THE SURFACE OF THE BLOCK.
•STONE PIECES OF DIFFERENT
COLORS AND ARRANGE THEM IN
PATTERNS AS MAY BE DESIRED FOR
THE PURPOSE OF ARTICULATION OF
MATERIALS.
•PREPARE A 1: 3 MIX OF CEMENT
AND SAND MORTAR. POUR THE
MORTAR EVENLY OVER THE STONE
CHIPS
•THE VIBRATION HELPS
INTEGRATION OF THE STONE
•PIECES WITH THE CEMENT MORTAR
TO FORM AN IMPERMEABLE
DIAPHRAGM..
•PREPARE ANOTHER MIX OF MUD
WITH 2% CEMENT OR 5% LIME OR
THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
THIS MIX FORMS THE MAJOR
PORTION OF THE BODY OF THE
BLOCK. .

8. •TAKE A JUTE PIECE LITTLE
SMALLER THAN THE SIZE OF
THE BASE AND DIP IT IN
CEMENT SLURRY. PLACE
THE JUTE PIECE IN THE
MOULD AND FILL THE REST
OF THE MOULD WITH THE
SAME MIX TO ABOUT 2/3 RD
OF THE MOULD AND ADD
ANOTHER LAYER OF JUTE
DIPPED IN CEMENT SLURRY.
•NOW FILL THE MOULD TO
THE TOP. LOCK THE LID AND
USE THE COMPRESSOR TO
COMPRESS THE BLOCK
•SURFACE OF THE WALL AND
WILL REQUIRE A FLASH
COAT LATER IF AT ALL, ONLY
TO EVEN OUT THE SURFACE.

9. INTERLOCKING HOLLOW
CONCRETE BLOCKS

12. VENE BLOCKS
•THE VENE BLOCK IS ESSENTIALLY AN ADOBE BLOCK MAKING
MECHANISM THAT IS SIMPLE AND
EFFICIENT.
•IT COMPRISES OF A MOULD MADE OF TIMBER. THE MOULD IS USED
TO MAKE THE ADOBE BLOCKS RIGHT WHERE THE WALL IS TO BE
ERECTED, AND RELIES ON A SIMPLE NON-MECHANISED
PROCEDURE.
•THE MOULD IS PLACED WHERE REQUIRED AND THEN EARTH MIXTURE
IS POURED IN AND COMPACTED WITHIN THE MOULD. ONCE THE
MOULD IS FILLED AND ALL THE EARTH WITHIN COMPACTED, THE
MOULD IS LIFTED OUT AND MOVED AHEAD TO MAKE THE NEXT BLOCK.
•THE SAME PROCESS IS REPEATED. THE MOULD ENSURES THAT THE
BLOCKS ARE LAID PRECISELY AND GIVES IT A
CLEANER FINISH THAN THE ROUGH, HAND COMPACTED ADOBE WALLS.

13. •BY INTEGRATING THE RAM LOCHAN TILE INTO THE VENE BLOCK
MAKING PROCESS, PLACING THE TILE INTO THE MOULD BEFORE WE
START COMPACTING THE EARTH, WE PROTECT THE ADOBE WALL
FROM
EROSION.
•THE RAM LOCHAN TILE IS A FABRICATED ON SITE A SIMPLE MOULD.
TO ACCOMMODATE THIS 10 MM TILE TILE, THE SIZE OF THE VENE
BLOCK
MOULD IS INCREASED SLIGHTLY.
• BOTH THE REGULAR AND THE CORNER MOULDS ARE MODIFIED IN
THIS MANNER. THE RAM LOCHAN TILE IS ALSO MODIFIED
TO ALLOW FOR TWO DOVETAIL LOCKS.
•FOR THE CORNERS ONE OF THE DOVETAILS IS MADE SHORTER TO
ALLOW
FOR A CLEAN JOINT.THE LOWER DOVETAIL OF THE TILE ALLOWS FOR A
PRECISE OVERLAPPING OF THE TILES.
•THE RAM LOCHAN TILE IS INSERTED INTO THE VENE
BLOCK MOULD DURING CONSTRUCTION AND IS MADE
TO OVERLAP THE LOWER COURSE BY HALF AN INCH ,

14. FILLER SLAB

15. COST REDUCTION
TECHNIQUES
1 FOUNDATION
• NORMALLY THE FOUNDATION COST COMES TO ABOUT 10 TO 15% OF THE
TOTAL BUILDING AND USUALLY FOUNDATION DEPTH OF 3 TO 4 FT. IS
ADOPTED FOR SINGLE OR DOUBLE STOREY BUILDING AND ALSO THE
CONCRETE BED OF 6 (15 CMS.) IS USED FOR THE FOUNDATION WHICH″
COULD BE AVOIDED.
• IT IS RECOMMENDED TO ADOPT A FOUNDATION DEPTH OF 2 FT.(0.6M) FOR
NORMAL SOIL LIKE GRAVELY SOIL, RED SOILS ETC.,
• USE THE UNCOURSED RUBBLE MASONRY WITH THE BOND STONES AND
GOOD PACKING.
• SIMILARLY THE FOUNDATION WIDTH IS RATIONALIZED TO 2 FT.(0.6M).
• TO AVOID CRACKS FORMATION IN FOUNDATION THE MASONRY SHALL BE
THOROUGHLY PACKED WITH CEMENT MORTAR OF 1:8 BOULDERS AND
BOND STONES AT REGULAR INTERVALS.
• IT IS FURTHER SUGGESTED TO ADOPT ARCH FOUNDATION IN ORDINARY
SOIL FOR EFFECTING REDUCTION IN CONSTRUCTION COST UP TO 40%.
• THIS KIND OF FOUNDATION WILL HELP IN BRIDGING THE LOOSE POCKETS
OF SOIL WHICH OCCURS ALONG THE FOUNDATION.
• IN THE CASE OF BLACK COTTON AND OTHER SOFT SOILS IT IS RECOMMEND
TO USE UNDER REAM PILE FOUNDATION WHICH SAVES ABOUT 20 TO 25%
IN COST OVER THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION.

16. REAMED PILE FOUNDATION

17. ARCH FOUNDATION

18. 2 WALLING
•WALL THICKNESS OF 6 TO 9 IS RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION IN″
THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS ALL-ROUND THE BUILDING AND 41/2 ”
FOR INSIDE WALLS.
• IT IS SUGGESTED TO USE BURNT BRICKS WHICH ARE IMMERSED IN
WATER FOR 24 HOURS AND THEN SHALL BE USED FOR THE WALLS
3 RAT – TRAP BOND WALL
•IT IS A CAVITY WALL CONSTRUCTION WITH ADDED ADVANTAGE OF
THERMAL COMFORT AND REDUCTION IN THE QUANTITY OF BRICKS
REQUIRED FOR MASONRY WORK.
•BY ADOPTING THIS METHOD OF BONDING OF BRICK MASONRY
COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL ENGLISH OR FLEMISH BOND MASONRY, IT
IS POSSIBLE TO REDUCE IN THE MATERIAL COST OF BRICKS BY 25% AND
ABOUT 10TO 15% IN THE MASONRY COST.
•BY ADOPTING RAT-TRAP BOND METHOD ONE CAN CREATE
AESTHETICALLY PLEASING WALL SURFACE AND PLASTERING CAN BE
AVOIDED.

19. COMPARISON

20. • 4 CONCRETE BLOCK WALLING
• IN VIEW OF HIGH ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY BURNT BRICK IT IS
SUGGESTED TO USE CONCRETE BLOCK (BLOCK HOLLOW AND SOLID)
WHICH CONSUMES ABOUT ONLY 1/3 OF THE ENERGY OF THE BURNT
BRICKS IN ITS PRODUCTION.
• BY USING CONCRETE BLOCK MASONRY THE WALL THICKNESS CAN BE
REDUCED FROM 20 CMS TO 15 CMS.
• CONCRETE BLOCK MASONRY SAVES MORTAR CONSUMPTION,
SPEEDY CONSTRUCTION OF WALL RESULTING IN HIGHER OUTPUT OF
LABOUR, PLASTERING CAN BE AVOIDED THEREBY AN OVERALL
SAVING OF 10 TO 25% CAN BE ACHIEVED.

21. 5 SOIL CEMENT BLOCK TECHNOLOGY
•IT IS AN ENERGY EFFICIENT METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION WHERE SOIL
MIXED WITH 5% AND ABOVE CEMENT AND PRESSED IN HAND
OPERATED MACHINE AND CURED WELL AND THEN USED IN THE
MASONRY.
•THIS MASONRY DOESN’T REQUIRE PLASTERING ON BOTH SIDES OF
THE WALL.
•THE OVERALL ECONOMY THAT COULD BE ACHIEVED WITH THE SOIL
CEMENT TECHNOLOGY IS ABOUT 15 TO 20%

22. •6 DOORS AND WINDOWS
•IT IS SUGGESTED NOT TO USE WOOD FOR DOORS AND WINDOWS
AND IN ITS PLACE CONCRETE OR STEEL SECTION FRAMES SHALL BE
USED FOR ACHIEVING SAVING IN COST UP TO 30 TO 40%.
•SIMILIARLY FOR SHUTTERS COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE BLOCK
BOARDS, FIBRE OR WOODEN PRACTICAL BOARDS ETC., SHALL BE USED
FOR REDUCING THE COST BY ABOUT 25%.
•BY ADOPTING BRICK JELLY WORK AND PRECAST COMPONENTS
EFFECTIVE VENTILATION COULD BE PROVIDED TO THE BUILDING AND
ALSO THE CONSTRUCTION COST COULD BE SAVED UP TO 50% OVER
THE WINDOW COMPONENTS.
•ALUMINIUM, IRON, CONCRETE FRAMES CAN BE USED
•7 LINTELS AND CHAJJAS
•THE TRADITIONAL R.C.C. LINTELS WHICH ARE COSTLY CAN BE
REPLACED BY BRICK ARCHES FOR SMALL SPANS AND SAVE
CONSTRUCTION COST UP TO 30 TO 40% OVER THE TRADITIONAL
METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION.
• BY ADOPTING ARCHES OF DIFFERENT SHAPES A GOOD
ARCHITECTURAL PLEASING APPEARANCE CAN BE GIVEN TO THE
EXTERNAL WALL SURFACES OF THE BRICK MASONRY.

23. LAURIE BAKER
• LAURIE BAKER, AN ARCHITECT FROM
BIRMINGHAM, NOW SETTLED IN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, HAS
EFFECTIVELY COMBINED TRADITIONAL
TECHNIQUES WITH INDIGENOUS
INNOVATIONS AND HAS MANAGED TO
BRING DOWN THE COST OF
CONSTRUCTION BY HALF.
•
• HIS TECHNIQUES NOT ONLY USE
CHEAPER MATERIALS BUT ALSO
ELIMINATE REDUNDANT DETAILS FROM
THE DESIGN.
• CONCRETE IS RARELY USED.
MANGALORE TILES ARE USED FOR THE
ROOF WHICH MAKES IT LIGHT AND
INEXPENSIVE.

24. • HIS APPROACH AND SIMPLE PRINCIPLES TO LOW COST
HOUSING ARE GANDHIAN, WHICH CAN BE ADOPTED BY
EVERY BUILDER. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MAINSTAY OF
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF HIS HOUSES.
• PLANNING OF SPACE– LESSER WALLS, MULTIPLE USES OF
SPACE, SHORT SPANS OF ROOF, AGGLOMERATION OF
BUILDING SERVICES, FLEXIBILITY IN GROWTH.
• LOCAL BUILDING MATERIAL– BRICKS, TILES, LIME, SURKHI,
TIMBER, THATCH, STONE, PALM, MUD.
• BRICKS AND JALIS – PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADE,
UNIDIRECTIONAL VISION.
• UNPLASTERED WALLS.
• LINTELS AND ARCHES.
• ATTENTION TO DETAILS.

25. • BAKER’S WORKS INCLUDE, PRIVATE RESIDENCES,
SOME INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS, LIKE ‘CENTER FOR
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES’, KERALA. HE IS VERY ACTIVE
IN THE WORKS OF ALL THE BUILDING CENTERS
WORKING IN KERALA AS WELL AS IN THE OTHER
PARTS OF COUNTRY. RATHER IT WAS HIS INITIAL
EFFORT TO PROMOTE THE LOW COST HOUSING IN
INDIA, WHERE HOUSING IS A BIG PROBLEM.
• HIS TECHNIQUES NOT ONLY USE CHEAPER
MATERIALS BUT ALSO ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY
DETAILS FROM THE DESIGN. CONCRETE IS SPARINGLY
USED. MANGALORE TILES ARE USED FOR THE ROOF
WHICH MAKES IT LIGHT AND INEXPENSIVE.
• HIS PROJECTS FOR LOW COST BUILDINGS INCLUDE
1. CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES –
TRIVANDRUM
2. 'THE HAMLET', LAURIE BAKER'S HOME
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,

26. CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT
STUDIES - TRIVANDRUM -1975
• LESLIE BAKER’S
‘MASTERPIECE,’ THE CENTRE
FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
IN KERALA, IS A 10 ACRE
CAMPUS AT A COST OF RS15
LAKHS, DEMONSTRATED THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF HIS PLAN.
• THE INSTITUTE INCLUDES
A RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
A GRADUATE SCHOOL
DEDICATED TO UTILIZING THE
STUDY OF ECONOMICS TO
HELP THE POOR.

27. MAIN FEATURES OF THIS BUILDING:
• HE DESIGNED THE BUILDINGS AT
THE CENTRE TO PRACTICALLY COOL
THEM.
• HE RENDERS JALIS, A PERFORATED
WOODEN SCREEN FOUND IN
TRADITIONAL INDIAN
ARCHITECTURE, IN BRICK;
• THE OPEN GRILLWORK ALLOWS
COOL BREEZES TO WAFT INTO THE
INTERIOR WHILE FILTERING HARSH,
DIRECT SUNLIGHT.
• SOME BUILDINGS INCLUDE A SERIES
OF SMALL COURTYARDS
CONTAINING SHALLOW POOLS IN
THE CENTER, WHOSE EVAPORATION
HELPS COOL THE AIR.
• PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE
EXISTING SITE AS HE BEGAN TO
DESIGN THE PROJECT, BAKER LEFT
AS MANY COCONUT PALM TREES IN
PLACE AS POSSIBLE TO CAST
COOLING SHADE ONTO THE
CAMPUS.

28. • THE COMPUTER CENTRE AT THE
CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT
STUDIES,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. HERE
BAKER EVOLVED AN
INNOVATIVE SYSTEM OF
CURVED DOUBLE WALLS TO
SAVE ON COST AND TO
CONSERVE THE ENERGY .
• IN EVALUATING THE CAMPUS
FOR THE CENTRE, BAKER
PLANNED ROADS ALONG THE
LOWER, WHILE FOOTPATHS
WERE ROUTED ALONG
NATURALLY OCCURRING
ELEVATED AREAS; FOLLOWING
THE NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY
HELPS TO LIMIT EROSION AND
DESPOILMENT OF THE
ENVIRONMENT.

29. • BRICKWALLS WERE LEFT
UNPLASTERED AND BRICK
CORBELLING WAS USED
RATHER THAN MORE
EXPENSIVE CONCRETE LINTELS.
• 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.
• THE ARCHITECTURE OF THIS
ACADEMIC COMPLEX WAS
CONCEIVED AS A
DEMONSTRATION OF
ECONOMICALLY RESPONSIBLE
BUILDING PRACTICES.

30. BAKER’S HOUSE “THE HAMLET”
• BAKER’S OWN RESIDENCE IS
CALLED ‘THE HAMLET’. IT HAS
BEEN BUILT IN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
BUILT ON A STEEPLY SLOPING
AND ROCKY HILLSIDE THAT
HARDLY HAD ANY VEGETATION
WHEN BAKER STARTED
CONSTRUCTING.
• BAKER HAS TRULY ADOPTED
HIS MOTTO TO “MAKE LOW-
COSTERY A HABIT AND A WAY
OF LIFE” BY REUSING
EVERYTHING, FROM BRICK TO
GLASS BOTTLES, AS BUILDING
MATERIALS.
• KEY FEATURES OF HIS HOUSE
ARE:
ALL THE WALLS ARE MADE OF
MUD BRICKS.
TIMBER SALVAGED FROM AN OLD
BOAT JETTY.

31. • ONE OF THE OTHER SIGNATURE
ELEMENTS OF HIS DESIGN
INCLUDES THE USE OF
CIRCULAR WALLS, WHICH USE
FAR LESS BRICK THAN
RECTANGULAR WALLS.
• IN ADDITION, WHEN HE DOES
USE CONCRETE FOR A ROOF, HE
EMBEDS CHIPPED OR BROKEN
TERRA COTTA ROOFING TILES
INTO THE MIXTURE.
• THESE TILES, WHICH NORMALLY
WOULD BE THROWN AWAY,
CONTRIBUTE TO THE STRENGTH
OF THE ROOF, ALLOW LESS OF
THE EXPENSIVE CONCRETE TO
BE USED, AND REDUCE THE
STRUCTURAL LOAD OF THE
BUILDING.
• HE USED BROKEN TILES FOR
THE OUTER PAVED AREA OF HIS
GARDEN.

32. • HE MADE AN EXTENSIVE USE OF
TIMBER IN HIS HOUSE, LIKE IN
THE LIVING ROOM OF HOUSE,
THE DETAILING IN WOOD AND
MUD BRICKS ARE WONDERFUL.
• THE LIVING ROOM, AN
INTEGRATION OF NEW
BUILDING AND SALVAGED
TIMBER FROM TRADITIONAL
BUILDINGS THAT WERE BEING
DEMOLISHED.
• BAKER'S INNOVATIVE USE OF
DISCARDED BOTTLES, INSET IN
THE WALLS GIVING A VERY
GOOD EFFECT OF LIGHT AND
CREATING AN ILLUSION OF
STAINED GLASS.