Sri Lankan response – revisited

Combining an office and residence of an architect, located by a marsh in Rajagiriya Sri Lanka, the property sits on an urban fringe near a series of high-rise buildings close to the main road. In response the building is designed like a fortress sealed from the Colombo heat with specially designed double screens to limit western and southern exposure, traffic and road noise, however once within the dwelling reveals unexpected views of the adjoining marsh and is totally permeable to the natural setting.

Designed by Palinda Kannangara Architects the building plays with volumes to create areas for living, work and leisure, materials and tectonic devices create a cooler microclimate within the building, encouraging daylight, and views of the marsh, harvesting and regulating rainwater, and creating gardens for biodiversity.

The design also takes into account its location by the water, creating garden spaces that act as detention area during monsoons, preventing the living/ workspaces from flooding.