Question

The Indian Coffee House, Thiruvananthapuram was designed by

• A. Charles Correa
• B. Laurie Baker
• C. Raj Rewal
• D. B.V. Doshi

Hint:

When studying architecture, focus on the distinct styles of each architect, as this will help you identify their works. Laurie Baker's designs are characterized by the use of local materials and sustainable methods.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Laurie Baker was renowned in Kerala specifically for pioneering low-cost, locally appropriate architecture that used local materials (brick, laterite) efficiently and avoided unnecessary structural waste, in contrast to more expensive imported-material modernist approaches used elsewhere in India at the time.

1. Charles Correa: Worked mainly in Mumbai/Delhi and other major cities on larger institutional and housing projects, not specifically associated with Kerala's cost-effective building movement.
2. Laurie Baker: Settled in Kerala and became the leading figure of its cost-effective, brick-based architecture movement, directly matching the coffee house's known design philosophy.
3. Raj Rewal: Known for large-scale housing and institutional design elsewhere in India, not the Kerala low-cost movement.
4. B.V. Doshi: Primarily active in Ahmedabad, focused on institutional and academic architecture rather than Kerala's cost-effective public buildings.

The regional and philosophical association with Kerala's cost-effective architecture movement confirms Laurie Baker as the designer.

Therefore, the correct answer is Laurie Baker.

Answer 2

We can also eliminate options based on where each architect was primarily active and worked most closely with Kerala's building traditions.

1. Charles Correa: Primarily based in Mumbai, with major projects across India but not specifically noted for Thiruvananthapuram's public buildings.
2. Laurie Baker: Lived and worked in Thiruvananthapuram itself for decades, making him the architect with the closest direct connection to buildings in that specific city, including this coffee house.
3. Raj Rewal: Primarily based in Delhi, known for large public projects there, not Thiruvananthapuram specifically.
4. B.V. Doshi: Primarily based in Ahmedabad, with his major works concentrated in Gujarat, not Kerala.

Laurie Baker's decades-long residence and body of work specifically in Thiruvananthapuram confirms him as the architect of this building.

Therefore, the correct answer is Laurie Baker.