Spotlight on... Beau Baldock

Author: Joyce Man

Beau Baldock '06 may be a more recognizable presence on the ski slopes as part of Middlebury College's Nordic ski team. Just this January, he came in third overall at the Colby Challenge - while nursing a dislocated shoulder. But Baldock's ambitions run far beyond the ski runs. This graduating History of Art and Architecture major loves sculpture and pottery, and as he leaves the college a year ahead of his class, is heading for India.



The Campus: What specific kind of art are you most interested in and why?

BB: I am most interested in sculpture and pottery because it rides the line between strict architectural form and more abstract creativity.

TC: What kind of artwork have you been involved in at Middlebury?

BB: My artwork while attending Middlebury College has been mostly independent. I enjoy wood carving and furniture design.

TC: What have you been lookin at for your senior work?

BB: My senior work right now is dealing with designing a community art center in Middlebury. Though it is not directly related to the work I will be doing in India, there are lessons to be learned in every challenge we undertake. As Parker once told me, learning how to make a stair that works correctly in an architectural space requires the same set of skills necessary to design a functioning village market in the Himalayas. Right now I am not heading directly to graduate school. I plan to spend a minimum of a year in India discovering what possibilities are out there while also figuring out where I can make my efforts most effective. If I find that non-profit management is something that I can excel at, then I will likely pursue some form of MBA or Masters in Development sometime in the future. In the event that I find myself loving nothing more than playing with mudbrick in India, then I think it would be wise to pursue design school. Either way I am becoming increasingly interested in the economic and architectural development of third world countries and developing countries. I believe that one of the best ways to fight poverty and give people the chance to improve their standard of living is to first provide them with structurally sound and affordable housing. Earthquakes destroy countless poorly constructed homes each year, and the continual use of costly building materials keeps a growing percentage of the world's population from being able to afford a home. These are the things that I would like to work against in India.

TC: How did you decide to go to India and what will you be doing there?

BB: My involvement with India starts all the way back when Parker Croft [Visiting Professor of Architecture] studied abroad there during his undergrad at Williams. He became friends with an Indian gentleman named Bawa Daljit Singh, who happened to be very involved in the poltical side of development in India. Bawa and Parker's friendship has grown over the years, and they have recently collaborated in the construction of a community center in a Punjabi village. With this project off the ground, the precedent is now set for further progress. Bawa and Parker both are interested in the sustainable development of rural areas throughout northern India, and they are looking forward to future projects. Ideas are floating around about manufacturing of mudbrick, educational programs concerning building techniques and other similar topics. My role in this whole process comes down to what one might consider an apprenticeship. Bawa is now 85 and unable to put in the long labor and research hours necessary to push this forward. Parker is retiring from Middlebury and moving on to spend more time with his family. I step in, therefore, to be the guy on the ground that spends time researching and working out the logistics for new projects. Bawa and Parker have cooperated with the Pringawala Society in the past, an Indian NGO dealing with development, and it is likely that we will continue to cooperate with similar organizations in the future. Right now it is simply a matter of spending some time on site and in discussion in order to determine the impact we want out work to have. In some ways this could be considered the start of a fledgling NGO with the potential to grow into a powerful player in the sustainable development of northern India.



TC: What, in your view, are the main challenges to sustainable architecture?

BB: I think one of the main issues that is challenging sustainable architecture today in the developing world is the lack of financial resources. In countries where 60% or more of the people are living below the poverty line, it is impossible for them to provide their families with any sort of housing, sustainable or not. The key lies in devising building techniques and development methods that can be implemented without large amounts of funding. Efficient land useage is paramount. Where density is necessary, the urban landscape must be designed in such a way as to accomodate people in a well structured and sanitary environment. Additionally, not all buildings need to be made out of steel beams and cement. We can look back through history and learn the lessons that our predecessors taught. There are buildings many hundreds of years old made solely out of mudbrick that are still standing in many parts of the world. Our ports are piling up with vacant shippinng containers that show promise as components for housing, but we must invest the energy and have the foresight to understand the possibilities that are presenting themselves to us. In our world, money talks. The bleeding heart approach is used so often that it has lost a great deal of its effectiveness. You will have an easier time implementing methods of sustainable development if you can provide governments with cost effective techniques rather than trying to make it into a moral issue. If we can push forward with cheap (and often free) construction methods such as mudbrick, while adding a dose of modern technology and innovation, it is possible to bring sustainable architectural development into the mainstream for developing countries.

TC: Why are you graduating early?

BB: Graduating early just seemed to happen by odd coincidence. I have picked up various credits from living abroad and the India opportunity opened a door for me to cash in those credits and leave Middlebury early in order to get started on some meaningful work beyond college.

TC: How does being a serious skier affect your artwork and vice versa - do you ever incorporate elements from these separate realms into each other?

BB: Skiing and art don't share the most intuitive connection, but I believe everything we do has a culminating influence in our lives. Both skiing and art have taught me an appreciation for natural and social environments. Each discipline exposes you to a variety of interesting people while interacting either creatively or competitively with the elements of nature that surround us.

TC: As you leave college, will you be concentrating more on art or skiing - or will you be pursuing something entirely different?

BB: I would like to think that in leaving college I won't be abandoning either art or skiing but rather that they will be projecting me into new pursuits. Hopefully, the lessons I have learned through them will be helpful to my work in India.