SENSIBLE TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Buildings being sensible to the environment is very important in

achieving the whole concept of sustainability. Construction and other related
Architectural processes contribute greatly to the greenhouse emissions, both
during the construction and operation of the building. Sensibility in the building
to achieve sustainability has to be incorporated at various levels.
Understanding the site conditions- topography, vegetation, site
features and orientation.
Responding to the Climate and microclimate.
Relation between the site and the surroundings.
Use of locally available material.
Providing comfort to the occupants.
Incorporate less embodied and operational energy.
Use effective use of the resources.
The best example of a building which is sensible to the environment and
satisfies all the above requirements and more would be, each and every
vernacular buildings which our ancestors built. No other buildings of this time
can provide comfort and be more sustainable than the vernacular buildings.
CASE STUDY : CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES,
TRIVANDRUM
The campus for the research institute, Centre for Development Studies,
is one of Laurie Bakers best campus designs, located in a residential area on
the northern outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. The 10 acre campus stretching
across a heavily wooded site houses the Library, Computer centre,
Auditorium, hostels, guesthouses and residential units for the staff.

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. There are little courtyards in between buildings, often acting
as an extension of the building itself and also pools of water which help in
microclimatic control through evaporative cooling. The roofs had often
interesting shapes with funny openings at certain location. These openings
were Bakers interpretation of the gables which were tilted into the wind
direction funnelling it into the space.

The main administrative building is the focus of the campus, with the 6 storey
circular library tower behind. The main entrance is majestic, sloping up
towards the sky with the side walls welcomingly sloping outwards towards a
wide set of steps. Baker has symbolically not provided a front door. The
building is totally open, symbolic of an institution whose aim is to promote
research into helping the poor. The library tower is a circular tower with an
external jaali wall which encloses a circular staircase in the centre. The
staircase winds around a circular shaft which runs from the bottom level all the
way till the top. Baker has used this shaft to provide forced ventilation inside
the spaces. There are small openings in this shaft at each floor level. The air
is forced through these openings and escapes through the open top of the
shaft, maintaining a good flow all around. This shaft is based on the simple
principle of Stack effect. The perforated jaali wall on the external side allows
plenty of diffused natural light inside and creates a beautiful ambience for
reading.

The language is typically that of Baker, his interpretation of a vocabulary

unique to Kerala, where rainfall is heavy and has coastal climate. Exposed
brick walls in beautiful patterns and bonds, exposed concrete sloping roofs
with filler slabs of mangalore tiles forming beautiful patterns and jaalis in the
brick walls of numerous designs creating amazing patterns of light and shade
inside the buildings while at the same time letting in wind and light. The plinths
of the buildings are all of exposed random rubble granite, the white contrasting
with the red of the brick. Baker has used lime mortar for his walls, making the
lime in the site itself by burning sea shells (from the beach a few miles away)
and grinding it. The flooring is in red oxide which imparts a cool comfortable

base to walk on while complementing the earthy materials of the walls and the
roof. There are external pavements in concrete, inset with granite aggregates
in the shape of flowers and leafs. Baker often gave freedom to the masons
and the workers to experiment and play and bring out their creativity.

To keep the interiors of the computer building cool, Baker has devised the
imaginative use of a false external jaali screen wall which acts as a skin. The
air trapped in between acts as insulation and keeps the interiors cool. All the
buildings in the campus are climatically so efficient that even fans are not
required. The interiors are cool and comfortable.
Bakers architecture is more than just the materials and cost effectiveness. He
plays with spaces, light and shadows, creating comfortable spaces.