The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : On a master builder's 89th birthday

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 03, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

On a master builder's 89th birthday

AUSTERE FUNCTION: Elizabeth Baker (in off-white sari) at the birthday function in `The Hamlet' on Thursday. - Photo: S. Mahinsha

The occasion was veteran architect Laurie Baker's 89th birthday, but Thursday's function was a subdued one as the man to be feted was unwell.

A shamiana to seat 50-odd guests had been put up in the courtyard of `The Hamlet', Mr. Baker's archetypal home at Nalanchira in the city.

The function was at 10 a.m., kept informal to Mr. Baker's liking, and was to be followed by a discussion on rural housing. Social activist Eliyamma Vijayan, Psyche Abu Abraham and economist Saradamani were among the early birds. K.N. Raj came, conveyed his best wishes and left.

At around 10.45 a.m., joint director of Centre of Science & Technology for Rural Development, an NGO, P.B. Sajan announced that "Daddy" (those close to Mr. Baker call him so) would not be attending the function. Costford director T.R. Chandradutt then suggested that Elizabeth Baker stand in for her husband.

Obligingly, Dr. Baker blew out the candles and cut the huge chocolate cake, flanked by her son and granddaughter.

As the slices of cake and paper napkins were being handed out by Costford staff, Mr. Chandradutt initiated a free-wheeling debate on rural housing.

Most of the speakers found time to hark back to their association with Mr. Baker and recount anecdotes connected with him.

Noted architect Gerard D'Cunha, who had come all the way from Goa to attend the birthday function, said that after leaving college in 1974, he had spent one year at `The Hamlet' under Mr. Baker's tutelage.

"It was from him that I learnt what it means to be sensitive to the land, to the people for whom we build, and to locally available material," he said.

Mr. Baker's idea of building for the poor was a lot different from the Government's idea of `One Lakh' housing colonies "where people become mere numbers," he added.

Another architect, Keith Seldanha, said he admired Mr. Baker's boyishness, humour and spontaneity a lot. He recalled that once, on Mr. Baker's request, he had taken him on the pillion of his Bullet motorbike for a roller-coaster ride around the city. The octogenarian passenger had only one pre-condition, "Don't tell my wife!"

Mr. Seldhanha concluded with a moving song titled "Impossible dream".

He said he wanted to dedicate the song as a birthday gift to a man who continued to dream against all odds, "who is willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause!"

M. Harish Govind

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