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Was not born into a Quaker family. They were staunch Methodists. Was called Daddy by all those close to him including his masons, workers Could write and draw with both hands Had an inimitable and irreverent sense of humour Has designed and built a dance village, computer institutes, fishermen’s huts, chapels and churches, factories, schools, film studios, orphanages, tourist resorts, residences, technical institutes, earthquake and tsunami resistant houses, leprosy homes, a Literacy Village, hostels, slum dwellings improvement, an ornithology centre, government buildings, a blind children’s international school and a museum. Didn’t have an office. His handbag and his self-made diary were his mobile office. A corner of the bedroom was his ‘formal’ office. Never employed draftsmen and other staff to keep unnecessary costs for clients down He always went on the site and worked alongside his masons. Raised issues such as water harvesting, sustainable architecture much before it came into the general public consciousness Couldn’t speak Malayalam well at all so used to draw and explain to his workmen and masons A testament to his frugality, Baker was often seen rummaging through salvage heaps looking for suitable building materials, door and window frames Pacifist in all respects. Did not believe in violence in any form Socially responsible citizen: Baker often wrote letters to newspapers and authorities on various public issues Drew an entire volume of cartoons on hospitals and the medical profession while he was recuperating from major surgery Was fascinated by all the jargon used in computers. Drew another series of cartoons on these computer acronyms Always reused paper: used old envelopes and waste paper for his work whenever possible Has two brothers, Leonard and Norman and a sister Edna In his later years, created a vast collection of mango designs, each one unique |
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