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FOCUS Sustainability IN CONVERSATION Chitra Vishwanath, BIOME TRIBUTE Laurie Baker Geoffrey Bawa ARCHITECTURE WallMakers Waruna Gomis

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VOL 29 (10) | JUNE 2016 | www.iabforum.com RNI REGISTRATION NO. 46976/87, ISSN 0971-5509 INDIAN ARCHITECT AND BUILDER

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CURRENT

The latest news, events and competitions in architecture and design from India and abroad.

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PRODUCTS

Information of state-of-art products, from across the globe, which are slick, contemporary and innovation.

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FOCUS

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Sustainability Distinct ideologies, philosophies and theories protrayed by two distinct Masters of Architecture.

IN CONVERSATION

Chitra Vishwanath talks about Biome Environmental Solutions Private Ltd. and their views on sustainability.

INTRODUCTION

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Crossroads of Eco-Systems Laurie Baker’s guide to sustainability

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Learning from Bawa Geoffrey Bawa ‘s approach to a sustainable built environment which employs the principles of Tropical Modernism.

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ARCHITECTURE

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Art of an ecological cycle BIOME has designed these projects with their ecological principles to higher the impact of sustainable development in their journey.

Religious relic of nature’s sanctuary Wallmakers portray a minimalistic approach towards materialising their intervention with this religious edifice.

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Indigenous ideologies blend with innovation iStudio demonstrates an acute illustration of sustainable development by implementing ecologically viable principles.

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Traversing Landscapes Designed by Waruna Gomis, Villa 14 reserves its natural environment with interpolating courtyards and landscape elements.

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Traditional Urbanity The Samuel House, designed by Godridge Samuel, offers a glimpse into coalition of modern and traditional characteristics of tropical modernism.

TRIBUTE

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Baker’s Modern and Sustainable Aesthetic

By Himanshu Burte

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Sustainable Bawa

By David Robson

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BOOK REVIEW

The New Sri Lankan House

Cover Image: © Jino Sam Panayil

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Sustainability T

oday we see our cities transforming into megaliths of reconstruction to build the new; the new that is ordained by the detachment from nature and seemingly forced to exist in the urban environment. The existence of buildings is imperative for human survival and hence the need of the hour has forced man to build fast, negligent of its surrounds and eager to exist on the urban map.

Sustainable design could create a framework for an improved future if incorporated into planning the architectonics of houses, neighbourhoods, cities and nations as a whole. In architecture’s struggle to survive and revive the most significant factor is the approach. With an array of approaches an architect engages in today, ‘sustainability’ is probably the most talked about.

Architects leave behind an environmental footprint with every new building constructed.

Applying assessed knowledge to create sustainable solutions across traditional boundaries; ambiguous perspectives to this ideology have erupted over time.

This issue of IA&B attempts to dissect the meanings of this distinct ideology portraying the theories and approaches to a sustainable design adapted by the Masters of Architecture Laurie Baker and Geoffrey Bawa. The attempt is to analyse the processes and designs that inspired them to build eco-friendly, cost effective and incredible architecture which inspire many even today. The issue also attempts to commemorate architects who follow identical principles fusing them with contemporary techniques in today’s modern times.

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Roadside view of Ramadurai’s Residence.

Art of an Ecological Cycle BIOME has designed these projects with an imperative component of incorporating their ecological principles to slowly higher the impact of sustainable development in their journey.

Text and Drawings: courtesy BIOME Photographs: courtesy Vivek Muthuramalingam and BIOME Compilation: Divya Pai

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hen one takes a step towards creating sustainable architecture, the process emerges only when they consider this methodology as an ongoing process. There must be no limitations or bondages to making these construction processes towards having an environmental sensitivity while analysing nature on a local ecological scale. BIOME is amongst these architectural firms whose beliefs shared this ideologies of ecological progression, where their interventions in their architectural practise understand the projects on a micro level while formulating it.

In many cities, a misunderstanding of environmental impacts has led to many harmful creations and developments in areas better suited as green belts. The negative impact of these developments is seen Indian Architect & Builder - June 2016

when disaster strikes communities in places that are inappropriate for construction. The planning of an environmentally sustainable building needs strong considerations that are given to maximise the building’s energy efficiency and reduce the energy expended throughout the construction process. It is a little-known fact that the construction industry is one of the world’s greatest contributors of greenhouse gases, and in some countries, forms 50 per cent of the total carbon dioxide emissions.

Water Management being the prime issue to be dealt with in majority cases in today’s times, here are few exploratory projects

by Biome which elaborate their dissection of these intelligent sustainable processes.

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A shared coutryard of clustered units at Govardhan Eco Village.

Govardhan Eco village (A Social Intervention) The site is located 100 kms north of Mumbai, in a rural area at the foot hills of the Sahyadris, and lies between the hill Kohoj Gad and River Vaitarna. It has an undulating terrain with prominent ridges and valleys.

Agriculture, primarily paddy was grown in the valley areas. The valleys with black cotton soil also formed the drainage for the rainwater.

The higher lands had groves, mostly of teak, some of which had been denuded by the previous owners of the land. These lands also had the best wind conditions. The site had all the extremities of weatherheavy rains, hot summers compounded by hot winds blowing off the rocky face off Kohoj hill. Nights can be considerably chilly in the winter months. Other than rains in which provided for agriculture, all domestic and animal husbandry depended on groundwater for sustenance. It was important that groundwater management be integrated into the planning exercise from the onset of planning activities.

The project was to develop a retreat for the devotees of ISKCON, Mumbai. The brief included, other than accommodation to develop seminar, prayer, wellness, dining facilities and a Gaushala for 100 cows. With groundwater management being a crucial aspect for sustenance of the project, a Hydro-geological study was commissioned at the onset and the findings were an important input into the land-use planning. The study divided the site into clear recharge and discharge zones and the buildings, water retaining and recharge structures, services and roads were laid using the input from this study. Care was taken to avoid locating buildings and roads in valleys, allowing for water to flow uninterrupted and agriculture to continue. The buildings are built on High ground where they receive better flow of air and are only one bay deep to allow for cross ventilation. Large semi-covered spaces provide for comfortable daytime use.

Holistic approach to the development meant that the soil got from excavating the ponds was then used to make Compressed stabilised earth bricks(CSEB) for the walls and CSEB tiles from which then precast roofing elements were made. Use of CSEB “U-blocks” for sill and lintel ties reduced the need for centering and finishing works.

Standardising of building elements like arches and windows allowed for faster construction in the window of eight dry months that the site received. Waste water from the buildings is treated by use of the Soil Biotechnology developed by IIT, Mumbai. The available water is then used for agriculture allowing for the possibility to raise another crop, post monsoon.

Sustainability can be approached even with the smallest and the simplest elements of any design. The ability to develop these elements is important and needs to be a progressive one. While one tries to discipline these methodologies, the ecological improvements become automated and can be slowly seen with each step as a milestone on a macro scale.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design team Client Project Area Structural Engineer Contractor Project Estimate Initiation of Project Completion of Project

: : : : : : : : : : :

Residence for Vasanthi and Ramadurai Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore, India Biome Environmental Solutions Bangalore Chitra, Lakshmi and Smita Ms Vasanthi and Mr. Ramadurai 3700 sqft Ravindranath Bontadka Mr Ranganath ` 59 Lakhs 07/01/2011 12/03/2013

Project Name Location Architects Site Area Initiation of Project

: : : : :

Rainbow Drive Layout Banglore Biome Environmental Solutions Bangalore 34 acres 2004

Project Name : Location : Architects : Design Team :

Site Area : Built up area : Completion of Project :

Govardhan Eco Village Galtere village, Palghar, Maharashtra Biome Environmental Solutions Bangalore Chitra Vishwanath, Sharath Nayak, Anshu Ahuja, Surabhi Pandurangi 73 acres ~ 2,00,000 sqft Phase 1 to Phase 3 (2009 to 2013)

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CROSSROADS OF ECO-SYSTEMS Laurie Baker’s guide to sustainability With the eras of architecture transforming at a lightning speed, the complexities to connect with nature in this phase of urbanisation have been elaborately abridged through Baker’s Architectural perspective.

Text: Divya Pai Photographs: courtesy Vineet Radhakrishnan and “Laurie Baker official documentary film Uncommon Sense: The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker”

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introduction

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B

uildings, that we surround ourselves with today, are gradually losing their impact representing themselves as mere faceless façades. This inevitable change happened over time due to many issues including exploding population, time saving demands and the negligence towards it’s environmental repercussions. Detachment from the environment is clearly evdient in an urban situation, while one attempts to divert the focus more towards “Habitation for Inhabitants” in their designs. As planners and designers, the thoughts to preserve the natural setting of our immediate environs while creating meaningfully rich spatial configurations for its inhabitants; must form the basis of our artistic sensitivity in architectural practices were amongst the many ideas devised, followed and embraced by Laurie Baker in his designs.

“I’m concerned about surroundings that already have controlled their own pattern of buildings in the neighbourhood. The various styles of architecture are all the result of thousands of years of ordinary people trying to make buildings that keep out the rain and wind and sun by using whatever materials there were, lying around or growing in the place where they live.“ Laurie Baker, whose works are recognised as ‘Poetry in Bricks and Mud’, had made an interesting journey to be an inevitable mentor in sustainable and low cost architecture. Born on March 2, 1917 into a very staunch Christian Methodist family; Baker after his matriculation, joined the Birmingham School of Architecture and became an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of Architects (ARIBA) in 1938. In his late teens, Baker left conventional Christianity and became a Quaker.

Quakers strictly followed a non-violent, simple, frugal life dedicated to the service of others. This appealed to him greatly. In 1939 when the World War 2 broke out, wishing to help, Baker joined a Quaker medical service unit (F.A.U.). It was during this period that he was trained as a nurse, midwife and anaesthetist.

A Mango Spiral Roof of Admin Block at CDS. Indian Architect & Builder - June 2016

In 1941, Laurie volunteered for wartime medical duty at a military camp in China. He came across a leper settlement in need of someone to run it and with the permission of the Quaker medical unit left for the settlement despite leprosy being a highly contagious and often fatal disease in the 1930s-40s.

After four years working in isolation with lepers in China, he had to come to Mumbai and wait for a few months for a ship back to England.

During this time he happened to meet Gandhiji who was known to the Quakers who Baker was staying with. Gandhi convinced him to return back to India, telling him how the housing needs of the many millions in India was far greater than the need in Britain and how their chances of getting capable architects to help rebuild the country were very low.This realisation made him stay and understand the architectural techniques and traditions of India, which seemed primitive at first but which, he soon realised, were very suitable to local climate, living styles and used local materials and methods. He combined this traditional know-how of local masons with the more advanced technical and structural ideas he had been taught about at the School of Architecture. His structures were not only cost-effective but it revealed the true essence of the materials used in building them. For over four decades, Laurie Baker had been known for his pioneering practice of cost-effective architecture in Kerala. Famous as the builder of affordable homes for poor, Baker was also a unique creative artist whose originality, technical control and unique sense of whimsy combined low-cost technology and high architectural and construction quality.

“Cost-effective houses are not just for the poor, they are for everyone.

The equation that a cost-effective house is a house for the poor, implying a bad looking house, can definitely be proved wrong. Isn’t it the responsibility of the upper and middle classes to stop indulging in extravagance and make better looking houses instead? This entire classification is wrong.”

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With the Green Building technologies and cost efficient issues flattering the world of architecture and sustainability, the process to filter out the necessities from the vast lot of unwanted has disoriented the entire course of practises. While one tries to bring globalisation of sustainable ideas into localisation of their designs, the economic benefits are available only to the set of crowd who can afford them.

Considering the general concept of sustainability, it has to be free even from the economic barriers for a better urban development.

Laurie Baker’s architecture had these techniques to fit the proposal according to its user and retaining his principles with every layout that is being formulated. Design principles cannot be hampered by the economical evaluations practised in general, instead strategies should be such that over a period of time, the users evolve and modify the entire scheme without destroying their surroundings in organic ways. Every built form is different from the next one and cannot be replicated in a similar pattern on a different site. The need to understand site’s characteristics and cost efficiency while the project gives maximum output to the clients is where the designer plays his vital role. The creativity of a designer needs to combine their principles and then conclude over their creation thinking on a broader scale. The ‘modernism’ observed in styles does not always need to follow the rigidity provided by the modernist from the western part of our world.

Laurie Baker, whose style was viewed as a part of Modernism, had advanced this method regionally and made this practise functional on a local scale. The “Master of Masons” believed in exploring his site and not exploiting it with the worldly advance approach. This standpoint, to not negotiate with one’s principles and retain true dignity in his design, gave his built-forms prestigious elegance with unbiased ilk.

Laurie Baker was on the first pioneers of sustainable architecture even before the word was coined. It’s not the economy that defined Laurie Baker’s style but builiding an edifice for its users; small or

big, rich or poor, with minimal damage to this ecosystem. Depiction of nature’s true essence can be experienced when one uses Baker’s architectural methodology. Through his years of experience in the War and the selfless virtue to serve the people which drew him to India, he dedicated years of his life to creating humble and noble architecture.

He truly adhered to these principles through his life’s works and inspired many generations of architects and workmen around the world clearly showing the relevance of his ideas even today.

‘I never build for classes of people, HIG [high income group], MIG [middle income group], LIG [low income group], tribal [tribal people], fishermen and so on. But I will build only for a Matthew, a Bhaskaran, a Muneer, or a Sankaran.’

Local Site Stone Steps at Hamlet.

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An exterior view of the arched edifice.

Religious relic of nature’s sanctuary St George Orthodox Church, Kerala, India.

Wallmakers portray their decoded understanding of Sustainability which includes a minimalistic approach towards utilising the resources in materialising their intervention with this religious edifice.

Text: Divya Pai Drawings: courtesy Wallmakers Photographs: courtesy Jino Sam Panayil and “Laurie Baker official documentary film - Uncommon Sense : The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker”

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ustainability, currently setting its trends in India, have had many philosophies and iconic mentors in the past which can be referred by today’s designers. While the resources seem to shrink down to its minimal, honest and truthful utilisation of materials is the last resort for all the planners and developers in the town. The initiation of sustainable development can begin with the potential to use local materials and cut down on exaggerated designs, which gives a cost efficient solution to the spaces that can be constructed in its simpler yet functional form. Some planners implement vernacular styles in their designs to make it compatible with green buildings; but their responsibility does not end there. A progressive and manageable planning of materials also needs to be retained in Indian Architect & Builder - June 2016

those designs. Spaces should be such that the users should enhance and enlighten themselves in it, unlike being outlandish in the vastness of those enclosures. St George Orthodox Church is one of those instances where the influence of Baker’s architecture, which believes in play of uncomplicated forms and true use of materials, is proficiently adapted and contemporaneous essentials are added in its structural characteristics.

St George Orthodox church at Mattanchery was the first church for Christians in Kerala, set in 1615 AD. The head of the Christian sect of Kerala took a brave step in rebuilding this structure while keeping the original foundation intact. Architects elaborated the clients,

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arch and vault building without extensive shuttering, this was initially an approach given by Hassan Fathy.

“Bricks to me are like faces. All of them are made of burnt mud, but they vary slightly in shape and colour. I think these small variations give tremendous character to a wall made of thousands of bricks, so I never dream of covering such a unique and characterful creation with plaster, which is mainly dull and characterless. I like the contrast of textures of brick, of stone, of concrete, of wood.”

– Laurie Baker Apart from parting with its religious significance, St George Orthodox Church has made its users understand the importance of building with earth. The uniqueness in its creation is naïve, the characters added to it with the help of mud and bricks locally made has not only reduced the energy in its process but also trained many students and masons the art of mud architecture. Sustainability, which has various decipher and differs subjectively, here is presented by the architect radically and they have parted their prospective embracing certain elemental guidelines from the past mentors.

FACT FILE:

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Project Name : Location : Client : Completion of the project : Architects : Site Area : Built up area :

St George Orthodox Church, Mattancherry Cochin, Kerala, India.

His Holiness Moran Baselious Marthoma Paulose- II 2013 Wallmakers 29616.72 sqft 3450 sqft

Blending of metal and earth in the arches creating elegnace at every opening.

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Indigenous Ideas blend with Innovation The Brick House, Pune

iStudio demonstrates an acute illustration of sustainable development by implementing ecologically viable principles to create a comforting ambiance one with nature.

Text: Meghna Mehta Drawings and Images: courtesy iStudio architecture

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ustainability through its many meanings faces the danger of defining it too broadly or too meagerly, making it difficult to draw useful conclusions — instead, one is left with empty generalisations.

On the other hand, there is also a danger of focusing too closely on the particulars of one strategy, examining technical details that are not applicable to all circumstances. Exploring the emergent idea of sustainability which considers the natural environment and human interaction in equal measure not only reconciles preservation and development but also helps in achieving social justice and equality. It would thus be fair to ascertain that individual approaches to design with social and environmental sensibilities will gradually catalyse the sustainable responsibility. Istudio has attempted to address the apparent issues of easy ventilation, cost effective material use and sustainable methods of construction following principles of Laurie Baker’s ideologies and ecological awareness.

After living in the city for most of his adult life, the client wanted to move back to his native place Duparepada, a small village close to Wada, Pune. While wanting a quaint surround to enjoy reading, teaching and farming, he wanted to experience a quiet life, close to nature, involved with the surrounding social culture. The initial ideas of planning spaces which merge with the surrounding, spaces responding to climatic conditions, using local materials in its naked form and using low cost technologies formed the basis for the project.

The functional layout has been designed such that each space flows into another along curved lines, leading into a seamless space held by the central courtyard. The observer begins his journey along the Indian Architect & Builder - June 2016

curved jali brick wall offering tantalising glimpses of the interiors, creating dynamic compositions of light and shadows.

The stark contrast of the stone entrance wall against the exposed brick work lends a realisation of the textural difference of both materials. On entering the structure, one is greeted by the warm sunlight falling upon the central body of water and creating a soothing ambiance within the structure. The interior space is dominated by the two huge arches of brick and stone, opening to countryside vistas of farms and hills. The furniture seems to be an extension of the walls and floor contemplating one’s eyes to comprehend the interesting play of materials.

Zoning of activities responding to the climatic conditions and views was achieved with the use of levels leading to a single yet distinct living room, kitchen and dining. This practice is an unusual one for an Indian household yet due to its location, the kitchen becomes the centre of the household. The ground floor also has a master bedroom and a study area with a private court. The levels further continue through a stone staircase onto the upper private bedroom, connected by an open terrace. The built mass of the first floor bedroom provides shade in the courtyard due to its south-west location, thus keeping the central water body and the living space cool through the day.

The Brick house has been inspired by both the philosophies and the works of Laurie Baker. Local materials such as brick, black basalt stone, kadappa, bamboo, wood in the exposed form, ferro-cement and RCC, using low-cost eco-friendly techniques like rat-trap bond and filler slabs have been used. The architect’s claim the project to be a

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Brick Jali is used to induce natural light and ventilation at strategic places instead of using usual windows, in turn saving material and costs of construction. Brick arches are used to form openings, eliminating the need of RCC lintels. Openings are created on the west side to get maximum ventilation with strategic placement of windows on the eastern side and at the same time ensuring that they are shaded by built mass to avoid thermal heat gain.

Adhering to Laurie Baker’s ideologies of using the available resources, retaining the natural surrounds while using construction methods which are ecologically and economically efficient, the project justifies its many claims in principle. Innovative elements and techniques such as a unique roof have been blended with indigenous concepts

to create an acute illustration for sustainable development within an urban environment.

FACT FILE: Project Name : Location : Client : Architect and Interior Designer : Design team :

Contractors : Area : Cost : Initiation of Project : Completion of Project :

Brick house Wada, District Thane, Maharashtra Mr Vitthal Dupare iStudio architecture Prashant Dupare, Amit Patil, Shriya Parasrampuria local masons 2500 sqft ` 18 lac April 2010 May 2014

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Learning from Bawa Geoffrey Bawa As an approach to a sustainable built environment, Bawa employed the principles of Tropical Modernism, first conceptualised by Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew at the AA, London thereby influencing the following generations of architects in Srilanka and South-East Asia.

Text: Dhwani Shanghvi All drawings and archive photographs are presented courtesy of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust. Other photographs are by David Robson or have been drawn for the most part from the collection of Harry Sowden.

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Jayawardena House, Mirissa.

and natural light into the shallow depth of the offices within. The staircase and lift lobby is located along the perimeter of the building.

This helps reduce the energy load on the building as it does not require artificial lighting. The peripheral circulation core also acts as a buffer between the harsh sun and the interior spaces. Thus Bawa designed, what can be considered, one of the earliest “Bioclimatic” building designs of the modern era.

“sustainable” and a lack of understanding to achieve the same. This is why it becomes important to take clues from the past and look at the works of architects like Bawa, Wright, and Buckminster Fuller, who achieved timeless architecture through their intuitive designs.

After the Industrial Revolution, the potential of fossil fuels as producers of energy is recognised. This leads to the advancement of medicine, modern sanitation systems and electrical consumption, all of which form the materialistic perks of a modern lifestyle. However, they come at a price. The use of non-renewable energy sources has left an irreversible impact on the environment. In 1987, a United Nations commission to define sustainable development is set up which says: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Sustainable architecture follows on the principles of sustainable development, and works towards the preservation of not just the ecology, but also economy, culture and society at large. With the advent of the information technologies, different approaches have cultivated, in most cases, the result is not as efficient as those seen in older models. This is due, in part, to the popularisation of the term

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Bawa with (L-R) - Chana Daswatte, Ismeth Raheem and Anjalendran C at Lunuganga.

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Sustainable Bawa

By David Robson Photographs: courtesy David Robson and Sebastian Posingis

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Bishop’s College – an example of Tropical Modernism.

W

hen Geoffrey Bawa started out on his career words like ‘sustainability’ had not entered the vocabulary of architects. Indeed, if you had described him as a sustainable architect to his face he would simply have chuckled and lit another of his favourite Peacock cigarettes.

Bawa came late to architecture. Having first qualified as a lawyer, he developed a passion for gardens that inspired an interest in buildings. This led him to enrol as student at the Architectural Association in London during the mid-1950s. In 1957 he qualified as an architect and became a partner in the near moribund practice of Edwards, Reid and Begg.

His first buildings were conceived with crisp white cubic forms and concrete brise-soleil in the Tropical Modern mode that had been promulgated by Max Fry and Jan Drew in the A.A. Tropical School. Experience soon revealed, however, that this way of building didn’t really work in a monsoon climate. It was also over-reliant on imported building components and on materials like steel and concrete that had a high carbon footprint. Acknowledging that the roof was the most important single element in a building for the tropics and that much could be learned from traditional construction, Bawa shifted towards a regional modernist position.

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Kandalama – a view of the vegetation engulfing the building.

The Kandalama Hotel of 1992 provoked some controversy when it was being built. It was sited against a cliff, high above the southern shore of an ancient reservoir, and critics claimed that it would have a negative effect on water catchments. Bawa responded by changing the design halfway through construction: the resultant building had almost no impact on the reservoir and is one of the most ecologically benign hotels in Sri Lanka. The hotel roofs are heavily planted and the facades carry a framework that supports thick vertical vegetation. This provides an outer protective screen that reduces solar gain and encourages transpirational cooling as well as ensuring that the buildings merge with the surrounding jungle – they are almost invisible when seen from a distance. The hotel is served by open-sided corridors and the reception spaces are generally open to the elements. Only the rooms themselves require air-conditioning.

David Robson is an architect, academic and writer. He is the biographer of Srilankan

architect

Geoffrey

Bawa

having written three books about his life and works - BAWA: The Complete Works (2003), Beyond Bawa (2005) and Bawa : The Srilankan Gardens (2009). He is also the author of Anjalendran : An architect

Geoffrey Bawa always designed with the site rather than against it. He used the terrain and the landscape to create a sense of place and tried to break down the barriers between inside and outside space. Using locally sourced materials added to the sense of place but also supported the local economy and reduced transport costs. Working before the advent of widespread airconditioning, he strove to create energy-efficient buildings that were cooled naturally.

of Sri Lanka (2011). David Robson was

He never wrote explicitly about sustainability. For him building sustainably came as second nature, and he avoided clichéd mantras such as ‘touching the ground lightly’. One of his few written statements about his work appeared in 1968:

for Washington new Town during the

“In architecture we have looked again at our country – its lush beauty, the rains and the sun, the dramatic sky and the fertile land....... A building in Ceylon must be in accord with that ambience.

When you look at better examples (from the past) you find that they all look at life in Ceylon squarely in the face. They look at the rain, at the termites, at the view, at the needs of life.”

This article previews a new book, ‘In Search of Bawa’, by David Robson and Sebastian Posingis which will be published in mid 2016 by Talisman of Singapore.

also Professor of Architecture at the University of Brighton until 2004. His architectural career centred on housing and he was the chief housing architect 1970s, and also worked as an advisor to the Sri Lankan Government during the early 1980s.

Sebastian Posingis is a photographer who specialises in architecture and divides his time between Sri Lanka and Europe.

© David Robson Brighton May 2016 Indian Architect & Builder - June 2016

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Front Cover.

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Back Cover.

The New Sri Lankan House explores the evolution of the house form in Sri Lanka as influenced by the works of Geoffrey Bawa with an emphasis on the impact of the tropical climate of the island country.

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he New Sri Lankan House, authored by Robert Powell, is a monograph on the architectural typology of houses in Sri Lanka. Powell holds accolades in the multidisciplinary fields of architecture, city planning, academics, and writing. His previous works include Singapore: Architecture of a Global City (2003), The Modern Thai House (2013), and Contemporary Houses in the Philippines (2014). The book also exhibits contributions from architect and author, David Robson, and photographer Sebastian Posingis. Like Powell, Robson is also notable in the field of architecture, academics and writing and has written books on the works of Sri Lankan architects like Geoffrey Bawa and Anjalendran. His notable works include BAWA: The Complete Works (2003), Beyond Bawa (2005) and Bawa: The Sri Lankan Gardens (2006). He is also the author of Anjalendran: An Architect of Sri Lanka (2011). Posingis is a German Photographer who has spent most of his childhood in Iran, India, and Sri Lanka. Preceding his collaboration with Powell, he has worked on SRI LANKA The Island from Above.

Powell, in this book, has catalogued the development of private houses in Sri Lanka since the 21 st century. The introduction comprises of three essays, the last two of which are written by Robson. In the first essay, New Direction in Tropical Architecture in Sri Lanka Powell familiarises the reader with the 21 architects whose works are showcased in the following chapters of the book. He calls these architects “next generation architects”, and traces the trajectory of the architects by Indian Architect & Builder - June 2016

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Galle Fort with Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British settlements.

book review discerning their techniques and design principles, and contextualising with respect to their academic and professional backgrounds. A special reference is made to the different ways in which this third generation is influenced by Bawa- directly or indirectly. The author has also used this essay to establish the criteria of selection for the houses illustrated in the book. He uses his encounters with architects like Geoffrey Bawa, Charles Correa and C Y Lin, to create, what he calls a checklist, of an ideal home in the tropics. The design of an ideal dwelling in the tropics must thus have features like overhanging eaves, transitory open spaces, tall rooms, orientations to encourage convection cooling, fountains and pools, plenty of shade; and avoid features like glazing, and gutters. The list also stresses on the retention of the existing plantations on the site. In this context, Powell highlights the importance of a building which is environmentally efficient, and also viable as a model of contemporary architecture.

The second essay, At Home in Sri Lanka, traces the history of the country and the evolution of the house form. Starting from the first millennium BC, when the island country was inhabited by indigenous Stone Age inhabitants, and lived in huts made of mud and wattle, Robson maps the dwellings of the following generations of residents of the island. This chapter is tremendously enlightening as it maps the growth of the house, from the mud-thatch houses of the 12 th century, to the 19 th century walauwes that formed the dwelling for the bourgeois.

The next part of the essay deals with the changing pedagogies in the field of architecture after independence in 1948, when the country was left with only 20 qualified architects. It also speaks of the two

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generations of pioneers of the discipline, which include Minnette de Silva, Geoffrey Bawa and Valentine Gunasekara. Although de Silva fades into oblivion towards the end of her career, Bawa and Gunasekara had thriving careers, first at the practice of Edwards, Reid & Begg; and then with their individual practices. Robson has also outlined the upcoming practices of the following generation of architects, who have been influenced by Bawa, one way or another.

The most prolific is perhaps C Anjalendran, known for his design of the SOS Children’s Villages, who not only worked for Bawa in the 1970s but also continued to assist him for another decade, while running his own practice. The essay ends with Robson throwing light on the urban situation in the country since its independence and the consequent attempts by the government to initiate effective city planning as a means to solve issues of housing and population. Like Powell, Robson also recognises the impact of Bawa and his works had on the following generations of architects and cites this as part of the reason their work stands out and is published in this book.

The third essay, Bawa’s Legacy: The Horagolla Stables, documents the design of the Haragolla Stables, one of the few surviving houses designed by Bawa. The project forms the omphalos of his career and was built for Sunethra Bandaranaike, a close friend of the architect.

The house was built by the client’s great grandfather as a walauwe and Bawa’s contribution to the project involves the remodelling of the surviving neo-classical stable on the site. Robson uses this project as a means to situate the following chapters of the book which illustrate the selected works.

Bawa’s original drawings of the Horagolla Stable.

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City Houses - Ranatunga House.

The crux of the book is formed by the 26 projects which express the author’s notion of “The New Sri Lankan House”. They are divided under four categories: Country Houses, Coastal Houses, Houses on the Edge, and City House, although this division is not explained by Powell.

Each project description sheds light on the architect’s background and interprets the design. Details are provided on the layout, materials, philosophies and possible influences.

Robert Powell has also exhibited the works of internationally acclaimed architects, Shigeru Ban and Tadao Ando in the book. By his own admission, they are not the best examples of the tropical house, owing to the architects’ unfamiliarity with the landscape, but he has included these projects as they stand as profound instances of modern architecture dedicated to a house typology. The images presented

by Posingis support the text and elucidate the photographer’s understanding and familiarity with the island country and the works of the architects.

FACT FILE:

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City Houses - Ranatunga House.

Indian Architect & Builder - June 2016

Book Author Photographer Publisher Language ISBN Reviewed by

: : : : : : :

The New Sri Lankan House Robert Powell | Essays by David Robson Sebastian Posingis Talisman Publishing Pte Ltd, Laurence King Publishing English 978-178-06-7574-9 Dhwani Shanghvi