Hamlet

LAURIE BAKER’S HOUSE, “THE HAMLET”
LOW COST HOUSING – CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY – THE HAMLET
SUBMITTED BY – SHEETU GOEL

LOCATION OF “HAMLET” (SATELLITE
PHOTOGRAPH)
 An architect’s personality is reflected in the
way he design his own 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.
 First he built a single room hut of timber, which consists of the library of medical books & also
as bed room, living room , drawing room & study.

 The site was highly contoured and rocky, but baker
did not disturb even a single rock or a tree, so it is
popularly named as “RIGHT IN THE ROCKS”.
 The hamlet’ has been built on a steeply contoured site,
but the incursion of structures on the site is not felt.
 Baker has managed to confine this building to an
area that is easily accessible& yet secluded by the heavy
foliage.
 The journey to Bakers home is like from a
concrete jungle of Trivandrum to the freshness &
shade of the suburbs.
 This is remarkable and unique house built on a
plot of land along the slope of a rocky hill, with
limited access to water

This was the initial design of the
HAMLET
 First he built a single room hut
of timber, which consists of the
library of medical books & also as
bed room, living room , drawing
room & study.
 Later some alterations took
place.

ROOM ADDITION
PLAN OF THE
NEW ROOM
THAT IS ADDED
TO THE INITIAL
PLAN

STEPS DIRECTLY CUT IN ROCK
ENTRANCE HAS SMALL SITTING AREA FOR GUESTS
THE WALL IS DECORATED FROM BROKEN POTTERY, PENS, GLASS
A CALLING BELL FOR VISITORS TO ANNOUNCE THEIR PRESENCE
USE OF NATURAL LIGHT
NEVER CUT TREES INSTEAD ADAPTED HIS DESIGN ACCORDINGLY
INNER COURTYARD …CLOSE TO NATURE
ARCHES LED INTO A BEAUTIFUL OPEN ROOM
COURTYARD HAS MANY GARDENS AND PONDS
PITCHED ROOF MADE OF MANGALORE TILES
BAKER’S FONDNESS OF ARCHES

GABLES FOR PROPER AIR CIRCULATION AND VENTILATION
SIMPLE YET BEAUTIFUL WINDOWS
GRILL MADE OF BITS AND PIECES
CONICAL STRUCTURE USED
COST EFFECTIVE BAKER’S WINDOW
LOUVERED WINDOW TYPICAL OF BAKER’S TYPE
STAINED GLASS EFFECT
WATER TANK FOR STORING RAIN HARVESTED WATER
MATERIAL USED FROM UNCONVENTIONAL SOURCES
FAMILY EATS IN KITCHEN
ELECTRICITY WIRING IS NOT CONCEALED

The Dog House And The
round-shaped NIECERIE
This NIECERIE was built
for baker’s four nieces
Even the dog has
a well placed jali
to let the morning
light filter in Baker was very fond of beautiful carvings
which were usually lost when old
traditional Kerala houses were destroyed
to make ‘modern’ ones

This door is made from two traditional old
Kerala doors when an old building was torn
down which baker bought and joined together
to create this unique door
Newspaper pocket
Door bell
Even the dog has a well placed
jali to let the morning light filter in

Baker always
designed to utilize
sunlight effectively
and minimize the
need for artificial
lighting
The living room, an integration of new
building and salvaged timber from
traditional buildings that were being
demolished.
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 Baker’s bedroom resembles
a long railway compartment
Interior view of baker’s bedroom
Gables for proper air
circulation and
ventilation
Integrated furniture
Use of natural
light in the
interiors

Simple yet beautiful windows of Baker’s type made from waste
wooden planks and grills made of thrown away metal pieces
Another cost
effective Baker
window
Typical traditional tiling used
in South India mostly in areas
where sloped
A traditional Kerala
window

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.
An improvised Baker’s
grill made of bits and
pieces including a piece of
clutch plate
Stained glass effect
Water tank for
storing rain
harvested water
A jali wall
Creative wall fixtures

Irregular, pyramid-like structures
on roofs, with one side left open
and tilting into the wind.
Electricity wiring is
not concealed
Steps leading up to
front door
Baker has cut the step
directly into the rock face of
the sloping plot of land
Never cut trees instead
adapted his design
accordingly

The wall is decorated from broken
pottery, pens, glass
Entrance has small sitting
area for guests
A calling bell for
visitors to
announce their
presence
Inner courtyard …close to
nature

USE OF NATURAL LIGHT

Arches led into a beautiful open room
Baker’s fondness of
arches
Pitched roof made of
Mangalore tiles
Courtyard has many
gardens and ponds
Baker extensively used
arched to lend structural
strength to his buildings

 He used jalis which had many advantages, such
as ventilation, enough light, less material
required.
 Reducing the unnecessary cost of a window with a
shutter.
 Using ‘jali’ in his walls for proper cross ventilation,
enough sun light etc
o Using corbelling instead of a lintel
above the frame, this reduces the
cost of the R.C.C lintel.
o Using less number of bricks to
make a wall of same thickness
and providing cavities in between
for insulation.

The upturned, horned roofs of buildings as found in
Kerala are the direct result of the people of those places,
they knew that hot air rises & allowed it to travel
upwards from the low eaves to the openings at the ends
of the high ridge.
They understood and applied principles of insulation;
then roofing materials formed hollow cellular protective
layers.
Laurie Baker used material from other demolished
structures. Wood planks from an old boat jetty. He even
used old bottles in a structure, which gives a different effect.
Baker creates a variety of textures and patterns by
simple manipulation of the way in which bricks are
placed in the wall.

Hamlet

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