Journeys through the Courtyards of Sri Lanka by Hrishikesh Pandit

JOURNEYS THROUGH THE COURTYARDS OF SRI LANKA HRISHIKESH PANDIT

PREFACE The following book is a paper submission of my Perkins Eastman Scholarship work. My interest in Sri Lanka started while working on a school project in Sri Lanka. To be able to design a building that belongs to Sri Lanka, we started to investigate the various buildings designed by Geoffrey Bawa and other important architects. We looked at how architects in the island country close to equator would articulate the building massing and form to mitigate equatorial heat and radiation of the sun. Furthermore, the time these buildings were built, the newly independent Sri Lanka was struggling with providing electricity and water supply to the country; which means these buildings would also provide reasonable habitable conditions without electricity in a climate so close to equator. Add to this, the beautifully articulated spatial qualities that make the projects so unique to the place that Sri Lanka is. This drove me to do a detailed investigation into the architectural studies about the passive solar strategies they might be implementing to mitigate their climate and the unique beautifully articulated spaces they built with such a lack of basic resources like electricity and water. The opportunity really came when I came across a group tour organized by a group called Three Flaneurs, a group of passionate and accomplished architects who do architectural tours all over the world and visit and explore some of the most well known as well as some of the hidden gems of architecture. I really found this opportunity an exciting one and signed up for the tour. Supriya, the Director of PE Mumbai office and my mentor Omar Calderon with whom I worked on designing a school project in Sri Lanka earlier in the year, encouraged me to take up the Perkins Eastman scholarship and supported me with writing the application at a very short notice as the scholarship deadline was very close. I was fortunate to be accepted by the firmwide scholarship review committee and then there was no looking back. About the process further, when we signed up for the tour, we were promised a tour of Geoffrey Bawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work but while we went to Sri Lanka, we were all pleasantly surprised when we were told we would also be visiting architects C.Anjalendran and Palinda Kannangara and some of their work. I found myself in the company of some really passionate architects on the tour group including Shahan Patel my senior colleague from PE Mumbai office. After a long day of visits to various buildings, we would gather together post dinner and share our observations throughout from all visits of the day. Add to this, Sahil Latheef from ThreeFlaneurs would add some really interesting stories of Geoffrey Bawa and his contemporaries. All of these thoughts helped me with my study focus as I noted my observations and analyses and processed my thoughts. Courtyard is an architectural element that was present in buildings of the Indus Valley Civilization where various rooms in the house would receive light and ventilation through the courtyard while exteriro walls would be solid with no openings to ensure privacy. This has largely been the function of courtyards as they descend through history of architecture, into through various building types, in different climates. For example, courtyards in the Arabian Gulf and Najd type houses are tall and narrow to minimize solar heat gain and ensure the space is shaded through most of the time, while the ones in the Chettinad region in South India are wider such that more air is captured and circulated in the building. With a shear change in scale and proportion, the contribution of courtyards to the built environment has been immense and hence I thought it is important to document some of the courtyards on my Sri Lanka trip. The following paper attempts to document the use of courtyards done by some of the best architects of Sri Lanka as they put into practice - their learnings from the indigenious vernacular buildings of the region and their understanding of the contemporary technological advances and best practicesas they adapt to requirements and comfort conditions of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day and age. i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Journey of writing this paper has been an excellent and a memorable one! I would like to thank my family for all their support through this. To my wife Shruti for being supportive through her pregnancy and delivering baby Swarom and my parents for their continued encouragement to keep me focused through the crazy times of the Covid19 pandemic and for taking a whole lot of responsibility of the home and the newly born as I oscillated myself between office work, research work and studying for my LEED exams... I thank you for everything you have done! I would like to thanks Perkins Eastman scholarship committee for offering me the scholarship to pursue my interest in the subject and to Supriya Thyagarajan for encouraging me to take up this opportunity. Best part of this research was the trip to Sri Lanka with Three Flaneurs; thanks to all efforts put in by Sahil Latheef in not only organizing a wonderful trip but also for sharing a lot of stories of the life and work of Geoffrey Bawa, taking us through some of the most well kept projects which are usually difficult to visit and also for the discussions over my research and sharing resources which helped it. An important resource of a research paper is often the talks with experts in the domain and with this trip, I was fortunate to meet Architects C. Anjalendran and Palinda Kannangara who found time for us and shared knowledge and wisdom worth cherishing. I appreciate their time and warmth with which they both hosted us. Thanks to all the tour group for sharing your passion towards the architecture and your knowledge about the works of many architects of Sri Lanka. Special thanks to Shahan Patel for being on the tour and sharing insights and resources with me. The research paper would not have been possible without the support of my mentor Omar Calderon who helped me develop diagramming skills through the PE Mentoring program, pushed me to think hard through the subject, came up with innovative ways of analyzing and contextualizing the study. It was through discussions with Omar that helped me put various analyses together and frame them in a better way. Thank you Omar for the amazing two years of mentorship.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS: PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHAPTER 1: SRI LANKA : THE CONTEXT 2 CHAPTER 2: EXAMPLES OF BUILDINGS WITH COURTYARDS

1. ENA Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SILVA HOUSE 11 2. JETWING LIGHTHOUSE HOTEL 13 3. C.ANJALENDRAN STUDIO AND HOME 15 4. MIRISSA HILLS ESTATE 17 CHAPTER 3: CASE STUDIES 20 1. GALLERY CAFE 21 2. HOUSE NO. 11 27 3. ARTIST RETREAT 33 CHAPTER 4: OBSERVATIONS 39 1. PIECE OF NATURE INSIDE BUILDINGS 41 2. COURTYARDS TO INTEGRATE WATER BODIES 43

3. COURTYARD TO PROVIDE NATURAL LIGHT AND VENTILATION

4. COURTYARD AS AN EXTRA ROOM 47 5. COURTYARD AS A PLACE OF RESPITE 49 CONCLUDING THOUGHTS 51 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 1: SRI LANKA: THE CONTEXT

Introduction:

Sri Lanka in the world

South of India lies a tiny island country of Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon, rich in cultural heritage; whose documented history spans 3000 years, with evidence of prehistoric human settlements dating back at least 125,000 years. Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to the modern Maritime Silk Road. The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trade in luxury goods and spices attracted traders of many countries starting with the Portuguese who landed almost accidentally and sought to control of the maritime regions and lucrative external trade, followed by the Dutch and ultimately the British who colonized the island from 1815 1948.

Buddhist stupa of Anuradhapura

Politics post independence:

Ports map of Sri Lanka

Ceylon, the former British colony for over four centuries, emerged as an independent nation in 1948 and thereafter began a process of systemic decolonization which was partly supported by the British. As they adopted the parliamentary political system for local representation, Government architects designed buildings inspired by the then popular arts and crafts movement. The then newly built Central Administrative Quarter by Lutyens and Baker in Source: Wikipedia New Delhi also was a source of inspiration to these architects which are excellent examples of indigenization of European Architectural styles, while holding firm the underlying imperial aesthetic. To elaborate, the Indian buildings in principle conformed to the then popular British architectural styles however Baker and Lutyens adopted some local aesthetic forms like domes from Buddhist stupas, relief works from mosques, symbols like the bells of Hindu temples, etc. from important religious buildings in the country that reflects an interesting mix of India and the West. Rising dominance of the majotarian:

Climate zones of Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, the architects followed a similar process while designing government buildings. Source: Wikipedia This was manifested in the Buddhist aesthetic - which makes religious majority in the country -

Shrine of Isurumuniya

where the imperial forms borrowed decorative elements from palatial and religious monuments. The former capital city of Colombo rich in colonial architecture was denounced to being a commercial capital when the political capital was moved to Kotte- about ten kilometers South East of Colombo which was abandoned by locals, surrendering to growing colonial hostilities and bigotry through the colonial time which ultimately gradually reverted to being a marsh land. Revitalization of Kotte from Source: Wikipedia being pre colonial city to turning into the national capital is regarded as an important step in erasing the British importance and making underlying majoritarian desires of the Sri Lankans prominent. Being renamed Sri Jayawardhenepura, in 1978 after completion the city was a manifestation of the free and just society that was envisioned for the country; however conceived along Buddhist theories of highest orderwhich in a way silently supressed the other religions of the country. The new parliament building designed by Architect Geoffrey Bawa in 1982 which is one of his master pieces, draws inspiration from the Buddhist temples of Source: Wikipedia Anuradhapura an ancient town in northern Sri Lanka. Although the building is widely recognized for its tropical modernism characters, the underlying Buddhist design principles consolidated this shift. Sri Lankan Civil War 1983- 2009: â&#x20AC;&#x153;By moving the capital and indigenizing democracy along singular Buddhist lines, the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post colonial status was both culturally and spatially inscribed and its ethno- national and hegemonic assumptions were tested in the ensuing bitter

civil war.’ writes Anoma Pieris in her book ‘Sovereignty and Space in Sri Lanka’.

Illustration of Sri Lankan Civil War

The civil war was led by the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a.k.a Tamil Tigers against the Sinhalese majority for the want of a separate Tamil state in the North and East owing to growing discrimation against the minority. Colombo soon became the center of attacks for the LTTE as well as refuge for the minorities fleeing the war zone. The city converted into Source: The Telegraph an embattled cantonment with its buildings and spaces barricaded against its public realm which was highly prone to ethnic pogroms, suicide bombings, etc. Colombo became a place of radical insecurity and intermediate refuge barricading its public building against the separatist onslaught. The war lasted for 25 years and has shaped an entire generation’s life and experiences in the country. What drew my interest in this is how events like these make a long lasting impact on the architectural discipline that addresses the spatial changes and the circumstances that gave rise to them- how did the Sri Lankan architectural discourse evolve over the twenty five years of the war period. Rise of courtyard architecture:

Tall and solid compound walls topped with barbed wires and fences, eliminating views of the outside from within, modest urban presence of architectural typologies and courtyards were some of the typical architectural moves which caught importance along with a robust system of policing and check points established in various parts of the city which allowed people to live in the city. While Colombo was a densely built city, the middle class moved out into Sri Jayawardhenepura Kotte in search of better safer living conditions, land prices in the city could be only affordable to the wealthier ones. The wealthy people retreated to courtyard houses concealed behind tall compound walls and modest street presence as a means of refusal to the neighbourhood and the city. This was over time seen by the locals asway of indigenization linked to rural dwelling spaces in dense urban environments and a post colonial cultural reinvention. Courtyards also became popular in the tourism related spaces and hospitaltity and

retail building proliferated with this character. Climate: The climate of Sri Lanka is tropical and warm as per the KoppenGeiger classification. The island is divided into dry zone and wet zone with dry zone occupying the major North, East and Southeast portion. Annual rainfall in this region is between 1200 - 1900 mm. This region is where the older settlements and religious shrines of Anuradhapura, Isurumuniya, Sigiriya, etc. are located. While this dry zone was prone to water scarcity, the ancient kings developed a sophisticated system of small tanks to large reservoirs connected by canals to redistribute every drop of water received on the land. These reservoirs are organized along a cascading manner with dedicated areas for animals and other species of the ecosystem. It is one of the only man made ecosystems that manages a perfect ecological balance for centuries, keeping water, nourishing soils, allowing to cultivate rice all year round, regulating local weather and allowing the local biodiversity to thrive for centuries altogether. Life in this region even today believes man must live in harmony with nature, respect the course of seasons, the flow of water and biodiversity around them. The Southwest region is the wet zone and receives about 2500 mm rainfall annually. This regions includes the more lucrative trade ports of Colombo and Galle which was primarily occupied and built by the Portuguese, Dutch and British and are today the more popular tourist destinations of the country.

Other notable Buildings: The port of Colombo was the most important for the British who used it for trade and ultimately made it the capital city of Ceylon. Few notable structures like the Western Provincial Council Building and the Jawatta Lunatic Asylum are now converted to Arcade Independence Square - an upmarket retail complex. The asylum was constructed in 1879 in Colonial architectural style and housed 400 patients in four wings, an entrance block, an administrative wing and stretches of corridors. Prior to its restoration plans, the building served as the complex to accommodate offices of the Government Auditor Generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department and the Government Analyst. The complex was restored with no additions and alterations, with generously allocaed parking spaces, open spaces and sizable patches of flower beds to add to the aesthetic value of the original structure. Beyond its stately presence the Arcade sets the perfect tone and setting to spend leisurely hours with ample space to stroll freely, and a host of shops to visit and restaurants and spaces for dining out. The series of arched windows and doors that display a colonial architectural elegance, along with the sheer length and breadth of the building affect a soothing influence. Amidst this space, a sense of identity is symbolised through a sculpture of lions poised boldly upon a centerpiece. Whether to dine, shop or simply relish in the splendour of the site, the Arcade is a must-see and must-visit attraction for locals and tourists alike. No doubt the complex makes a compelling presence for leisure seekers and is fast becoming the latest â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hang outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the City.

Jamil Ul-Alfar Mosque

Another landmark of the city is the Independence Memorial Hall built at the location where the formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule took place on February 4, 1948. Apart from a monument it served as the ceremonial assembly hall for the Senate of Ceylon and the House of Representatives of Ceylon until the parliament was moved to the new parliament complex. Currently it is the venue for religious events and annual national day celebrations. Among recent additions to the skyline are the Altair tower Source: Wikipedia designed by Moshe Safdie, which is a luxury

Altair Tower

Source: Wikipedia

residential condominium; two high rise towers, one leaning over the other. In the heart of Colombo city, abutting the main road and two commercial blocks on both side, shyly sits the Jami- Ul- Alfar Mosque popularly known as the Red Mosque. Designed in 1908 by H.L. Saibo Lebbe, the mosque buildingidentifies itself to be an example of Indo- Saracenic architectural style, combining native Indo- Islamic and Indian architecture with that of Gothic and Neoclassical styles popular in Britain at that time. Covered in elaborate stripes and patterns created by red and white painted bricks, a candy cane probably comes to mind first. However, its rich rouge hues are definitely akin to the ruby juices of the pomegranate. The domes are even fashioned after the fruit. Pomegranate-like structures adorn the mosque instead of the more traditional onion-shaped domes. Among recent developments in Colombo, the port of Hambantota in Colombo was leased to Chinese venture over a 99 years lease. As a part of its development stands a 356 m tall Lotus Tower which is the tallest self supported structure in Asia. The tower marks the grand entry of the Chinese port in Sri Lanka and is primarily used for communication purposes and also an observatory and leisure recreational activiites.

Lotus Tower Source: Wikipedia

CHAPTER 2: EXAMPLES OF BUILDINGS WITH COURTYARDS

ENA D’SILVA HOUSE - GEOFFREY BAWA COLOMBO (1960) RECONSTRUCTED IN LUNUGANGA (2019) The original house used to be on a 750 sqm plot of land on a busy street in Colombo city. Belonging to Ena D’Silva who became a great batik artist, this was Geoffrey Bawa’s first project no sooner he began his architectural practice. Ena descended from the central part of Sri Lanka and wanted her house to reflect Kandyan architectural features - an enclosure wall, veranda, courtyards, etc. Geoffrey Bawa designed exactly that for her - a house with a huge central courtyard, sitting and living spaces organized around it and then the more private quarters of the home on upper floor. The courtyard is wrapped on all sides by deep colonaded verandahs with Polished Satinwood columns raised on an elegant granite base and deep roof overhangs with ornamental metal gargoyles. Built with local materials and overpowering presence of tiled roof and hand cut granite floor gives a vernacular feel to the ambience of the house. The signature Frangipani tree almost present in all of Baa’s projects sits right in the center of the courtyard. The house was unfortunately taken down to be able to build a parking lot in the city; however the Geoffrey Bawa trust dismantled and catalogued the house and moved it to Bawa’s estate in Lunuganga. The trust reconstructed the entire house very closely as it was built originally and succesfully recreated his magic.

JETWING LIGHTHOUSE HOTEL - GEOFFREY BAWA GALLE (1995) The lighthouse hotel is located on a rocky promontoryonce occupied by magistrates’ circuit bungalow, located between the main road and sea. A massive pergola forms a main entrance which leads to an ornamental staircase enclosed in a vertical drum that spirals up to lead into the main reception on first floor. The staircase was designed by Geoffrey Bawa’s friend and famous Sri Lankan artist Laki Senanayake and is conceived as a swirling mass of Dutch and Sinhalese warriors reenacting the Battle of Randeniya” writes David Robson in his book ‘Geoffrey Bawa: The complete works’ The spiral staircase connects ground floor with reception on first floor and the terraces on second floor and contains a tiny aperture at the apex of its dome roof. The aperture creates a negative pressure in the staircase and effectively catches breezes from the sea over terraces. Furthermore, a waterbody sitting between the terrace and the dome helps cool the prevailing breezes as they enter the hotel. This technique effectively cools down the spiral staircase and reception on first floor providing a blast of fresh air at the entry experience. The hotel is organized around a central courtyard with undulating ground plane and covered in uniformly mowed lawn, some randomly placed boulders and a trellis on one side where one walks under a trellis experiencing a rhythmic play of light and shadow. while one moves into their rooms.

ANJALENDRAN HOME AND STUDIO - C. ANJALENDRAN COLOMBO ‘Tranquility’ is the first word that comes to mind when one visits Architect C. Anjalendran’s house in Battaramulla - a suburb in Colombo. C. Anjalendran is the next most important architect in Sri Lanka after Geoffrey Bawa and has been assistant to Mr. Bawa in various of his projects. ‘The most appropriate building type for a tropical climate such as in Sri Lanka is an open pavilion’ believes Anjalendran and the house is a perfect example which is organized around a courtyard, a verandah on the outside and a humble built form. The purpose of architecture is to uplift human spirit is what he believes - which is true especially in a war ravaged country like his where peace has only recently been restored and is prized and cherished. -writes Varna Shashidhar a reknowned landscape architect from India who also interned with the architect. The open designed with courtyard in the center allows breeze to flow through all rooms of the house. One can listen to chirping of birds or drumming of monsoon rains although wide overhangs protect water from getting into the house. The courtyard in this case is a extension of the living room with furniture, artwork and trees a part of it. A coutryard covered in local red soil, along with an unpretentious building form and a soothing colour scheme designed with guidance from reknowned Sri Lankan artist and architect’s friend Barbara Sansoni defines his ‘soulful architecture a term which Varna writes in one of her articles about the work of Anjalendran.

MIRISSA HILLS ESTATE- C. ANJALENDRAN MT. CINNAMON Mount Cinnamon, is an estate bungalow, built on a hillock, off the south coast of Sri Lanka. It has spectacular views of sunrises and sunsets, the southern sea beyond the Weligama Bay, also of rice paddy, tea, coconut, rubber and hillocks in the distant. Architect C. Anjalendran designed this house for Miles Young an advertising head at Ogilvy and Mather. The house is approached through a modest sunken entrance and opens into a view of the sunset on the horizon as one climbs up the steps. The rusty orange coloured walls enhance the effect of sunset as one walks through the hallwat into the living areas. The building also opens up to spectacular views of the hills to the north. The house is organized around a large courtyard which is modestly landscaped with native trees, ground covered with lawn and a swimming pool across the living room- which is very different from rest of Sri Lankan courtyards we saw. The modest landscape lined by hedges and swimming pool almost lends a ceremonial feel to the courtyard. The formal and informal living and dining spaces sit sandwiched between courtyard to the East and spectacular views of sunset to the West beyond a verandah that protects rain from entering the rooms. The house is full of artworks sourced from some of the most reknowned artists in the region.

The client was keen on making Sri Lankan origin of cinnamon known internationally and also providing good quality living conditions for the cinnamon peelers which are considered the lowest caste and are kept separate from the regular course of the upper caste 18 community.

CHAPTER 3: CASE STUDIES

GALLERY CAFE - GEOFFREY BAWA COLOMBO (1961 - 63) The Gallery Cafe in Colombo is popular as a fashionable cafe and gallery, but it was used as the office of Bawa and, looking back further, it was designed as a private house for Dr. Bartholomeusz, but, since the client cancelled just before completion, Bawa took over it as his office. The site is long and narrow sliver in the dense urban fabric of Colombo with 15 meters in width and 70 meters in depth which is common in various dense urban environments in Asia. The site contains three courtyards arranged alternating to a built form and establish a orderly combination of indoor, semioutdoor and outdoor spaces. The first built mass abutting the main street is the gate house which doubles up as servant quarters. The gate house followed by large Frangipani trees in first courtyard, work as buffer from the bustle of the neighborhood and immediately fill the visitor with quietness. After entering a small door and passing the narrow corridor in the central block, the second courtyard appears. It is composed of slender water body in the same axis as the narrow corridor and the main entrance which presents the most popular feature of this project. The pond is surrounded by semi open walkways surrounding it, with tile roof and an open to sky space to the south. Also is a small in situ sitting alcove tucked in one of the walls, north of the pond. Various private rooms, which get in and out of the courtyard, surround those.

This is a unique courtyard composition where inserting a water body and deviating from peripheral walkways to central cut 22

through walkways introduces a complex yet serene order. Where multiplicity of spatial organizations are made possible, the complexity that covered, semi-open and open to sky space within a courtyard, creates a microcosm and makes it an engaging and contemplative space. Trees hang like roofs and a high wall stand between the neighboring house, so the sky is out of sight. This courtyard blocked from outside sight which adds to the calmness. It is an extension of another living room with large void, lit by natural light and conditioned by natural air. If it had been a residence as was originally designed, it would have been an ideal place to lead a tropical climate life comfortably. However, we see this courtyard because of its pure composition and variety of spatial experiences it is capable of adapting itself to, provides visual and mental relaxation to any program and activity designed around it. While Geoffrey Bawa and his team worked out of this space, we can only imagine how comforting and the same time inspiring this courtyard must have been for the architects engossed intensely into designing some of Sri Lankaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architectural masterpeices.

Sandwiched between the middle courtyard and the backyard are the main programmed spaces of the building; originally designed as the living room on ground floor and bedrooms on upper floors, this configuration was reconfigured as Geoffrey Bawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office and meeting areas on ground floor and his studio and staff area on the first floor. Today this space is used as a cafe seating space for individual and smaller groups on 24

lower floor and on upper floors are accommodated the larger groups. The lower floor also accommodates a confectionary on top of a case insitu reinforced concrete dining table designed by Geoffrey Bawa which used to be his working and meeting desk. In terms of its current program, the building is used as a cafe and a gallery. Cafe program is more prominently established in the third and final courtyard where Architect Channa Daswatte- a disciple of Geoffrey Bawa and the head of Geoffrey Bawa Foundation built a modest addition to accommodate covered cafe seating. The final courtyard was originally designed as a backyard of the house which stayed through as Bawa operated through the years. This kind of unexpected oasis with tall compound walls on all sides in the middle of densely built up urban fabric cuts off the visual connection to the outdoors and provides a relaxed rural Sri Lankan house feel to the space.

WATER BODY

IN SITU SEATING

GARDEN

COVERED WALKWAY

What is interesting to note here is how the entrance of the building makes a grand gesture on the street with a large arched doorway almost barely seen otherwise in Colombo city. The reason for this can probably be the fact that this was designed before the civil war and hence the notion of refusing the street and the neighborhood was not considered.

HOUSE NO. 11 - GEOFFREY BAWA COLOMBO (1960 - 98) The House No. 11 is Geoffrey Bawa’s private home in Colombo; an amalgamation of four adjacent bungalows combined into one. In 1958 Bawa bought 3 small row houses out of 4 at the end of a narrow suburban lane and converted it into a home with a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen and a servant room. The entry is a humble one with a modest street presence. Entry into the home is through a simple black metal framed door with etched glass panel depicting ancient mythical figures of the Indian subcontinent. Right next to it is a wood framed garage door with wood slats placed at an angle; a contemporary wooden take on Mughal screens. It gives a very little of what exists behind the doors. First impressions up on entering however can be fairly captivating. The garage is full of artwork with vehicular entrance on one side and pedestrian gate on the other; a batik wall hanging with sunburst designed by Sri Lankan artist Ena D’Silva, a native tree growing into a skylight above an elaborate furniture set and amid all of these, a 1960s Rolls Royce car which bawa purchased as a student in London.

The corridor leads one into living room on one side through a humble entrance which is currently used as an introduction space for visitors along with an office of the Geoffrey Bawa Foundation. Right next to living room is a staircase. A bold and curvy cast iron railing painted in black stands out vividly among the otherwise white painted walls which occupy most of the wall finishes across the home. The corridor extends into Geoffrey Bawa’s bedroom along with a series of little 28

courtyards alternating on either sides. One sees the play of light with trees, texture of soil, elaborate wooden columns and trellisses, and sparingly used unfinished local stone defining the courtyard, all against the all shiny white painted walls and floors. “He is so spectacular in bringing the beauty and magic of nature into his architecture, it appeals immediately to the soul” says Suhanya Raffel - director of M+ museum in Hong Kong, who knew Bawa when she was a child. The tiny courtyards hosting the native tropical plants also serve to enhance the natural lighting and ventilation. The home was developed through the 1970s when the independent country Sri Lanka was starting with its nation building activities and in the process electricity was a luxury; it was expensive and discouraged the use of air conditioning. “So he brought the weather into the house” writes Dayanita Singh an Indian photographer who exhibited images of Bawa’s projects at the Frith Street Gallery in London.

The primary function rooms of the home are placed alog the central spine of the plan with service areas like kitchens, toilets, laundry spaces, etc. and courtyards lined all aroundboth serving each space through the periphery almost as a buffer from the neighborhood. The master bedroom sits right in the center of the entire house plan; next to a courtyard bringing in ambient north light. The room is lined by a corridor on South which turns West to enter into the bedroom. Right in the center is placed Bawa’s elaborate bed and axially across the East West axis is a vista to his trademark Frangipani tree through a series of loosely organized lounge spaces on either sides. The 30

tree would be seen as Bawa would sleep on his bed. Surrounding lounge spaces boast a collection of art work including a grand piano and large canvases of cubist influenced Sri Lankan paintings of the 1940s featuring figures who look like an attentive audience. The upper floor has above house 4 is a suite currently; an expensive sophisticated homestay serving luxury tourists which has a private roof garden. On top of the suite is a roof garden with sitting and landscaped spaces; a homage to Le Corbusier. Geoffrey Bawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house no. 11 presents a combination of Bawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design sensibilities that evolved over years through his career while also giving a glimpse into his ultra luxurious lifestyle and captivating personality -a miniature version of his exuberant lifestyle as one witnesses in his private estate in Lunuganga. While the home grew larger, it was designed and perhaps redesigned over fifty years. It is hence that it hints towards the then happenings in the country with the socialist austerity of the 70s followed by the Civil war from 1983 all the way through 2009. The house also probably seems to turn inwards with tall compound walls on all sides; a vandalism resistent entry door and a series of courtyards throughout the home.

ARTIST RETREAT - PALLINDA KANNANGARA PITTUGALA (2017) From the Architect: “Located near the busy Southern Expressway buffered by paddy fields on the edge of Colombo, this is the home, studio and exhibition space for an artist couple, J.C. Ratnayake and his printmaker wife. The architecture aims to be a backdrop to the artist’s simple lifestyle, providing them with a close connection to the natural environment Built on a small budget collected gradually over the three years of design and construction with interruptions to the process as the client regularly ran out of money. The building is a split-level construction responding to the sloping site. The ground floor comprises the artists’ studio and gallery space overlooking internal gardens and paddy fields beyond. It also includes dining, kitchen and garage spaces and is completely open without doors or windows. The upper level is secure and comprises the family’s bedrooms and a rooftop pond. The entire house is passively ventilated, built using local bass workmen, with local and reclaimed materials.”

A visit to this humble house in Sri Lanka which has won multiple design awards and dominated the architecture scene of South East Asia came in as a treat presenting a contemporary architectural voice in the otherwise extravagant (also extraordinary) work of Geoffrey Bawa. While the building carries forward the pedagogy of the Sri Lankan master Bawa, the project is set in a completely different set of situations and time. Unlike most of Bawa’s clients who have been the elite and wealthy, this project finds itself to a rather humble yet extraordinary artist who allowed Architect Architect Palinda Kannangara to experiment strategies to build a home for him,his wife and daughter. The home is built 34

in exposed concrete, brick and wood and presents a brilliant interplay between the materials as well as the built vs. open spaces. Very similar to most other houses in Sri Lanka, the front facade is a mostly solid wall with a brick screen on some parts of first floor. The main door and garage door both are built in wood slats arranged horizontally in a metal frame Upon entry, one walks through a narrow hallway with a garage on one side while the other side being walled up in exposed concrete hiding the courtyard beyond. As the building grade drops further, attention is drawn to end of the building on the other side into paddy fields adjoining the property. As one enters further in, to the left is a living space with some seating and courtyards on either sides and the third one across the hallway.

The house is a series of alternating solid and void spaces with no doors or windows whatsoever; what only defines the volume on ground floor is the enclosure provided by the built volume on the floor above.The three courtyards on three sides are built in three different configurations, mean different activities and present distinct spatial qualities and seem to create a unique living experience for the user. The courtyards on both sides of the living room space are more formally organized. What catches the eye immediately upon entry is the stepped courtyard with steps finished in stone masonry and brick walls surrounding it on two sides. It offers an extension to living room on one side to host more guests while connecting to the dining space and kitchen on the other side. It contains little vegetation with shrubs lined up on one side and an asymmetrically placed tall tree. Courtyard on the other side of living room presents itself as a forest 36

extension to the living space with heavy plantations through the open to sky space and creepers over the brick screens.The heavy vegetation also adds a layer of privacy from street outside. Courtyard beyond the garage follows the natural terrain of ground, connects the garage on one end and the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studio space on the other end and hosts a variety of tropical trees. It presents itself as an extension of the studio space; a place for introspection, creativity and inspiration. While one navigates through all these spaces to climb up to the upper floor of bedrooms, one barely knows the best part is yet to come. As one traverses beyond the master bedroom toward what feels like a dead end, one is pleasantly surprised with a side of hallway opening itself to a lotus pond. The pond sits on top of the garage on the south east corner of the house which helps prevailing winds flow over the water body into the house thereby creating convective cooling and distributing pleasant fresh air across various bedroom spaces. A bench against the brick screen looking at the pond offers another contemplative spot to the users to reflect, relax and rejuvenate.

Such a truly refreshing residential pavilion in the heart of Sri Lanka is carefully wrapped in a rather minimal facade envelope which exposes the concrete frame structure, brick infill walls and brick screen. The use of each of these elements is however carefully orchestrated keeping in mind passive solar design- to block solar heat gain from South East, South and West, receive ambient daylight light from the North through floor to ceiling glazed facade and while maintaining privacy and 38 resistence to vandalism.

A visit to Sri Lanka certainly proves to be a refreshing one; and a special one for an architect like me when they visit such architectural masterpeices that are awe- inspiring. I was lucky to find myself visiting some of the most privately held architectural masterpieces designed by Geoffrey Bawa, C.Anjalendran and Palinda Kannangara however I consider myself even more fortunate to be able to meet the masters Anjalendran and Palinda themselves and to have spent time with them. These architects are very different from each other and very strong individual personalities, both have their own set of principles and share very different aesthetic principles but in some way pay respect to their original master Geoffrey Bawa. Bawa’s works are so ingrained into their conscience, that in Palinda’s words, no one in Sri Lanka really teaches you about work of Geoffrey Bawa; you just happen to know it, it is always there with you no matter where you go and what kind of practice you do, you can never forget Bawa.

CHAPTER 4: OBERVATIONS

Following chapter is an attempt to identify some underlying principles and ways in which courtyards have been designed and used in various buildings I visited. While one visits various buildings, one realizes how the knowledge and culture of designing to be able to live in harmony with nature and making it a part of daily lives has been passed on all the way from the villages of Anuradhapura to the everyday life of the modern Sri Lankan family. One cannot help but appreciate how fundamentals of design if adapted well with time can help build ‘soulful’ architectural spaces with enhanced focus towards holistic wellness.

COURTYARD AS A PIECE OF NATURE INSIDE BUILDING Incorporating nature into built spaces is an important aspect of architecture and the importance increases as we speak about wellness in architecture. Living in proximity of trees and biophilia has been proven to improve cognitive functionality and performance and takes care of psychological factors such as attention, concentration, emotions, mood, etc, and physiological responses such as lowering of blood pressure, stress hormone, etc. Integrating nature into architectural spaces means including trees, plants, birds, insects, butterflies that are attracted to the plants, smell of flowers that spreads around the various spaces. We see this through various projects such as the Gallery Cafe where a series of three courtyards are placed alternating between two floor tall built up volumes, Each courtyard is differently designed from the first one which has fancy Frangipani trees and some shrubs which provide an instant quietness from the bustle of the street, to the middle courtyard which hosts a waterbody with fish, along with densely landscaped garden and semi covered walkways. Anjalendran’s home and studio and Ena D’Silva house are other examples where the living room extends into courtyard covered in soil and rubble, populated by artwork around shrubs and shaded by trees thereby developing a sense of silence and serenity in the space. while facilitating the concept of living with nature.

The principle is also evident in the Palinda’s Artist Retreat where the densely vegetated entry courtyard adds a sense of living in the woods to the otherwise minimal and tiny 42 living room space.

COURTYARDS TO INTEGRATE WATER BODIES Courtyards can play a key role in celebrating human relationship with water which goes back to the early times of civilization where civilizations settled around rivers and sea coasts. We can mimic this relationship to a certain degree by integrating water bodies in courtyards thereby providing a sense of calmness and serenity as well as enhancing microclimate of a building. Although waterbodies have been extensively used in various parts of India and South East Asia to improve micro-climate within built spaces, it is interesting to see how the Sri lankans leverage built form in a unique way to enhance microclimate. This was particularly important until post independence when electricity was a luxury and most houses depended on architectural solutions to mitigate the extreme heat and humidity in the region due to its close proximity to equator and ocean surrounding on all sides. Geoffrey Bawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lighthouse hotel presents how a courtyard on upper floor hosts a water body that is strategically placed to receive warm wind flowing from ocean side into the hotel but the negative pressurized entry staircase on other side of the water court pulls the hot air out allowing air to cool down as it flows over the water body effectively cooling down the build mass.

Another example where this is evident is Palindaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artist Retreat where the strategically located lotus pond on the first floor South East corner picks up prominent breeze and cools it down as it makes its way into the built spaces. Air temperature is reduced to as much as 3 to 5 degrees when warm air flows over waterbodies which eventually cool it 44 down.

COURTYARDS TO PROVIDE NATURAL LIGHT AND VENTILATION Many of the buildings from the examples mentioned previously contain not one but a set of tiny courtyards organized throughout the building. At the onset one thinks of these as a set of independently operating open to sky spaces which are too small to be used for any particular function, however deeper investigations into the organization suggest, the courtyards could operate as a system of open spaces that create convective air currents throughout the building, thus introducing another way to enhance the microclimate of the entire building. Geoffrey Bawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House no. 11 is an excellent example where a series of courtyards with openings alternating into the rooms to the north and corridor to the south, work in harmony to draw in air currents in and out of the various spaces. While some bring in the wind, others create negative pressure drawing air through the individual rooms to escape out from courtyards on the other side. This creates a system of air changes throughout the enclosed built space effectively facilitating cross ventilation throughout the building.

Another excellent example of this is Anjalendranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crooked House where a set of tiny little courtyards are organized strategically throughout the building facilitating excellent breezes throughout the various rooms. While talking to the architect, he mentioned about some researchers coming into this home with thermal monitoring systems for studies and they found out the interior of the house is on an average about 5 degrees cooler than the exterior and he was proud of this achievement without any 46 mechanical ventilation systems.

COURTYARD AS EXTENSION OF A ROOM/ AN EXTRA ROOM Courtyard can play an important role in planning of buildings as they allow the possibility of bringing in natural light and ventilation from any desired side of the building. Best example of this is Palindaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artist Retreat where all living spaces are carefully orchestrated around multiple courtyards. Each courtyard is designed differently designed and assigned separate architectural agenda from being a temporary room extension to creating desired microclimate and providing privacy from public realm. Each courtyard operates independently as well as they all work together to create a healthy sustainable living environment for people. Other examples of courtyard planning strategy are the Mirissa Estate and Anjalendranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home and studio. While Mirissa Hills home sees value in traditional courtyard planning where central courtyard allows separation of public areas from private and servant areas, Anjalendranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home is envisioned as an open pavilion designed around courtyard planning principles where environment flows through courtyards into various built spaces.

In Sri Lankan context where courtyards are seen to be planned as extension of room and designed to cool down the effect of harsh sunny climate, courtyards have also been widely used across various parts of the world to appropriate with the climates. Courtyard planning is one of the oldest planning strategies which is evident in the Indus Valley Civilization (5th century B.C) and holds up relevant through such examples even today where courtyard planning is effectively supporting modern day living coupled with holistic wellness of its 48 inhabitants.

COURTYARD AS A PLACE OF RESPITE/ PLAY SPACE One of the principles of courtyard design observed in Sri Lanka is how courtyards form the heart of the building. Courtyard provides a free loosely programmed open to sky space with built mass surrounding it. It often connects the main spaces of the building and hence can be used as an extension of any of the spaces to perform different kinds of activities. For e.g in the Ena D’Silva house, the courtyard is the first place upon entry, a person arrives into. There are various sitting spots organized in the corridor surrounding the courtyard. There is a formal sitting area and a formal dining area on the other side of entry beyond the courtyard. The courtyard is populated with lots of art collection of the couple as well as some of Ena’s works which keeps one well engaged specially when coupled with the trees and the play of light and shadow through the day. There is no formal living room in this house but it is this very organization of the courtyard that makes it the main living room. Another excellent example is Palinda’s Artist Retreat where the stepped courtyard makes continues as an extension of the living room so as to overpower its existence and offer a much better quality of space than what a flat floor, enclosed living room could offer. The sloping courtyard on the other side becomes an extension of the artist’s studio space and a great place for inspiration and contemplation. This flexible nature of the courtyard offering multiplicity of possibilities within a small space is what makes the users spend most time in the courtyard hence making it the heart of the building. 49

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS While we all look to develop architectural design as a combination of mass and voids, it is the “mass” that typically includes the heavily programmed areas that are derived out of the client’s requirements. Design of these areas is driven by the workflow of activities performed, and is populated by the furniture and equipment required, the adequate temperatures under which the prescribed activities are supposed to be performed and so on. This is further regulated by costs of construction which requires the mass be designed to maximum efficiencies and minimum wastage of built area.

refuse the street and neighborhood during times of the civil war, and have a piece of nature within one’s own premises. Courtyards have also often been seen to become the iconic image that give an identity to the architecture. Gallerfy Cafe is one such example where one barely remembers what the building facade looks like, but one associates the project with the long narrow

In current times, we are all experiencing shelter in place, in order to avoid the possible contact with the ones contacted with COVID-19 disease. Most of us live in apartment buildings (condominiums) which are composed of the “mass”. The apartment spaces are highly efficient and designed to optimize the ergonomic needs and hence capitalizing every square inch of the built environment owing to skyrocketing real estate prices, and the “void” element is nearly

The “void” on the other hand is the unbuilt. In various forms like courtyards, terraces, atria, etc, it hopes to cherish the relationship of human with the built environment in a way “completing the architecture” of the building. It invites the users to relax and rejuvenate, offers them a place of respite where they can take a break from the otherwise regimental and rigirous spaces in the building. Courtyards are an important type of “void” which offers such intangible qualities of architecture and contribute to holistic wellness and the experience of being indoors. Courtyards provide a place of respite where the mind can rest and heal, where the human can look at the sky, experience the sun, the wind, the light, the weather from within the building, Courtyards offer a curated relationship with the outside - where one can choose the level of engagement they wish to have with nature, the neighborhood, the street - and work towards improving these relationships as they engage with the built environment. Examples in the paper explain how courtyards 53 in Colombo were used as a way to

waterbody in the courtyard. Not only in Sri Lanka, it is evident globally where architects use images of the void to represent the best picture of the architecture they designed. It is also evident in some of Perkins Eastman’s projects like Ashoka University and the Indian School of Business where we use images of courtyards in those buildings for marketing and recognition purposes.

absent in our daily life. The home in a dense urban environment is not a place to rejuvenate and recreate and hence we are used to going out on regular vacations in public open spaces, under trees in the woods, on a beach, or a river bank. It is the basic connection of the human with the nature that asks oneself to get out into the natural environment on a regular basis, experience the soil, trees, water and sky where one can rejuvenate, heal and freshen

up for the following rigorous work week. In this current situation, one cannot help but think if we could all have a piece of nature reserved for ourselves. Although the COVID-19 pandemic is one of a kind global health emergency and we all hope such an unfortunate event never happens again, with increasing climate change, pollution levels and sea level rise, one can sense that frequency of public health emergencies and climate related emergencies may be growing in near future. It might hence be important to think about wellness within the built environment and using courtyards can help achieve this goal. While it is impossible to replace going out into nature with having courtyards with trees and waterbodies, what we can definitely get from a well designed courtyard, is a relief from the regimental worklife in suffocating enclosed spaces. Looking at a global scale, courtyards are an architectural element that has been used around the world in all types of buildings, climates, socioeconomic environments, throughout the history of world architecture and have adapted themselves to various forms over the years to suit every different context as they serve the connection with the ground, water and sky inside the building that is basic and important for the well being of the inhabitants. It is hence important for us as architects and designers to rethink of relationship of the built with the nature as we design buildings around various parts of the world and courtyards are a tried and tested, infinitely adaptable form of void that allows cherish the intangible as we work towards wellness of the users of our buildings.

REFERENCES BOOKS: 1. Geoffrey Bawa the Complete Works (David Robson, Thames & Hudson, 2002) 2. Courtyard Living: Contemporary Homes of the Asia Pacific, Thames & Hudson (2019) INTERNET RESOURCES: 1. https://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2018/04/09/sri-lanka-palinda-kannangara-built-an-artist-s-residence-in-the-paddies.html 2. http://www.future-scape.co.jp/g2051engrishspanish/g205307travel/g200307travel02english/g200307travele3122400srilanka/g200307travele3122411bawa0501paradise.html 3. http://brandoncwh.blogspot.com/2010/04/ 4. https://www.ft.com/content/494a9926-0552-11ea-a958-5e9b7282cbd1 5. https://www.stirworld.com/inspire-people-celebrating-geoffrey-bawa-s-delightful-buildings-and-gardens-on-his-101stbirthday 6. https://www.palindakannangara.com/artist.php 7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SseB0wtR_gU UNDP Climate _ Ancient water tanks of Sri Lanka to adapt to climate change 8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x40z5TH8u_4 Bengal Institute_ Context & Identity : A Contemporary Practice of Sri Lankan Modern Architecture - Channa Daswatte 9. http://serendib.btoptions.lk/article.php?id=1439&issueId=56 Arcade Independence Square: A Modern Renaissance Of Colonial Grandeur _ Prasadini Nanayakkara 10. https://zafigo.com/stories/zafigo-stories/jami-ul-alfar-masjid-red-mosque-sri-lanka/ Zafigo_ Jade Jansen_ 2019 11. https://www.wadeasia.com/iinsight-into-sri-lankan-architecture-glimpses-of-projects-by-goeffrey-bawa-nela-de-zoysa/ 12. https://www.deccanherald.com/content/159225/soulful-architecture.html - Varna Shashidhar 13. https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-projects/fzfg/mount-cinnamon-mirissa-sri-lanka-1-3-project-pages.html 14. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/sri-lanka-finally-admits-20000-missing-tamils-dead/ 15. Sri Lanka Trip visit courtesy: Three Flaneurs - www.threeflaneurs.com

JOURNEYS THROUGH THE COURTYARDS OF SRI LANKA Courtyard is an architectural element that was present in buildings of the Indus Valley Civilization where various rooms in the house would receive light and ventilation through the courtyard while exteriro walls would be solid with no openings to ensure privacy. This has largely been the function of courtyards as they descend through history of architecture, into through various building types, in different climates. For example, courtyards in the Arabian Gulf and Najd type houses are tall and narrow to minimize solar heat gain and ensure the space is shaded through most of the time, while the ones in the Chettinad region in South India are wider such that more air is captured and circulated in the building. With a shear change in scale and proportion, the contribution of courtyards to the built environment has been immense and hence I thought it is important to document some of the courtyards on my Sri Lanka trip. The following paper attempts to document the use of courtyards done by some of the best architects of Sri Lanka as they put into practice - their learnings from the indigenious vernacular buildings of the region and their understanding of the contemporary technological advances and best practicesas they adapt to requirements and comfort conditions of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day and age.

About the author: Hrishikesh is an architect working with Perkins Eastmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mumbai office. He received his M. Arch degree from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with major in Ecological Design. Hrishikesh is interested in exploring how intelligent vernacular built environments were conceived around the world and believes in an architecture that is derived out of a deep understanding of the history, culture and climate. His work experience involves design of international schools and master planning along with residential, commercial, and cultural buildings within and outside India. He is an active advocate of sustainability in built environments and has also worked on designing of net zero energy buildings.