RESUME

Education

2019 – 2021 Liverpool John Moores University - UK (LJMU)

MArch Architecture – RIBA part ll – with Distinction

2016 – 2018 Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT)

BSc (Hons) Architecture with a First-class (1:1) honor awarded by Liverpool John Moores University.

2006 – 2013 Ananda College – Colombo – Sri Lanka

Secondary education A/L in Bio Stream

2000 – 2006 School President’s College – Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte – Sri Lanka

Primary education

Work Experience

SLIIT School of Architecture – Sri Lanka – Lecturer (Full Time)

2022 onwards – Lecturing, Design tutoring, Research, Event coordination and management

T2S Architecture – United Kingdom Part II - Architectural Assistant

2021 - 3 Months internship - Involved in Apartment projects based in London

MICDA – Sri Lanka Part I - Architectural Assistant

2018 - 2019 Involved in the multitude of projects undertaken by the firm as an Architectural Assistant mostly covering high end hotel projects and residential projects.

Achievements

• Portfolio Awards - Honorable mentions – for Architectural Sketching – Larsen Liverpool (2022)

• Honorable mentions - Runner up entry - Chester Meadows bird watching shelter competition – Larsen Liverpool (2022)

• Awarded for Best Overall Performance, in Part I examination of Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (2022)

• Nominated to the Architects Journal (AJ) as the Thesis project of the year by LJMU. (2021)

• Liverpool Young Architects (LYA) Drawing prize – Runner up drawing . (2021)

• Shortlisted in the top three final entries in Port city Colombo - Interactive wall design competition. (2020)

• Awarded with the Vice Chancellors postgraduate scholarship by Liverpool John Moores University (2019)

• Awarded with the Prof. Nimal de Silva Gold Medal for Best Overall Performance, in BSc (Hons) Architecture Degree Program – SLIIT (2018)

• Recognized for Academic Excellence and been on the dean’s list of SLIIT for two semesters. (2016 & 2017)

Software Skills

• Sketchup – Expert in efficiently built simple to complex 3d models and use of various plugins. Producing CAD referenced drawings and render ready models for all the compatible rendering software.

• Lumion – Expert in rendering vector graphical to Realtime renderings.

• Photoshop – Expert in architectural drawing and visualization renderings with texture and surface addition and other applications skills such as use of photoshop actions etc.

• AutoCAD – Great efficiency on producing 2d basic to detailed drawings.

• Other software skills include Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Enscape and V-Ray.

Languages

• Sinhala – Native Language I English – Fluent I Hindi – Intermediate

General

• Conducting a model making workshop for 2019 - first year students in BSc Architecture program of SSA

• Student leader in exhibitions / event coordinator conducted by SSA from 2017 to 2018.

• Leading graphic panel composer in SSA exhibitions from 2017 to 2022.

• Student Year representative in the very first batch of SSA in 2016

Personal Skills

ARTISTIC / ARCHITECTURAL / HOBBIES

Efficient and excellent Free Hand drawing skills / Perspective drawing /Graphic Composing / Portrait drawing / Painting / Singing / Tabla playing / Mimicry Artist

PROFESSIONAL

Dedicated / creative /responsible / focused / open minded /available for travel / team player/ adaptable /easy going

+ 94 717874359 ranjakakalhara@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/rkwork_creations/ https://www.behance.net/rkwork

450 / 1 C Temple Road

Thalawathugoda

Sri Lanka

The Galle Face Pier

Seeking The Essence Of A Modern Seaside Pier

The thesis design project is deriving from an urban design proposal implemented in slave island, Colombo, Sri Lanka The project demonstrate the research, origination and resolution of the end part of this proposal in a gradual manner which manifest a development of a 400m long seaside pier running towards the west horizon of Colombo The embarkment point of the pier is the Galle face green area which is a current open recreational realm in a hectic city. The design explores and questions the architecture of piers through research and precedence while imagining new design possibilities. Colombo as a city is going through many urban issues. The disturbing gentrification projects established as High rise buildings are major one to be considered The dominating effect of these projects on the city life is quite critical Major Lack of response to an overall urban master plan is evident when investigating the allocation of these projects For the past ten years local urban dwellers are often threatened with these projects which forces them to move from their native context to another as the commercial development is the only goal behind it Many people half refuse it by leaving first and return with unauthorized and unorganized settlements in every corner of the city they may find if it is close to their area In this scenario the cultural and historical heritage of people and the existing buildings are often neglected and as a result we see a chaotic and an unpleasant urban fabric has formed as the city of Colombo Colombo does not need more of this vertical architecture rather it is craving for horizontal recreational spaces and platforms which would create meaningful connections between the places throughout the city The city should be more permeable to the public and less hectic, chaotic, and insecure which are caused by increased fragility of the urban fabric This thesis project is a part of such a proposal which is planned to uplift the cultural and historical values of the city while providing with a meaningful route that would start from the lotus tower premises and end at the west seaside of Colombo This thesis project was the nominated entry this year - 2021 for the Architectural Journal (AJ) by the Liverpool John Moores University

Urban Issues

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION ON THE SITE CHARACTER OF THE

City

Urban Solution

INTRODUCING URBAN NECKLACE OF “TOWER TO THE PIER”

Connecting Slave Island with the rest of the city by creating a direct route between Beira Lake and Galle Face beach Developing and creating open spaces for more walkability and helping in mitigating urban heat.

Six Way Junction

BRINGING ORDER INTO CIRCULATION

COMMUNITY SQUARE

INTRODUCING A CIVIC HUB

Upgrading existing roads by providing shade and wider walkways

Creating a scenic route which will let you experience what the city has to offer Understanding the value of existing historic buildings and open spaces and linking them

Restoring Beira lake by bringing more biodiversity near and on the water Flood prevention strategies on Beira lake and south of Galle Face

Urban Floating Village

BRINGING LIFE TO BEAIRE LAKE

A SEASIDE PIER

BRINGING LIFE TO THE SEASIDE

INCREAMENTAL HOUSING

BRINGING ORDER INTO COMMUNITY LIFE

The early overall form of the 400m pier can be seen in this illustration The treescape on the pier is fairly allocated referring to the shape lines of the pier The north side of the pier next to the tree line is a clear promenade which is also a cycling, and a jogging track goes until the end Although the design is too simplified in this phase the peculiarity of it was opening to new probable applications in the future during design development The open-air cinema was criticized for being there as an object on the pier Rather the cinema itself can be a formation of the pier which gives the essence of a being part of a greater element The sunset lounge mass was also accompanied with this theory. Rethinking and more work on these functions were to be done As the design is adopting pier gardens, the ideal material for the whole pier was concrete to work as a stable platform to accompany the loads,

The embarkment point of the pier from the Northwest side is illustrated here. It gave the idea of the extension of the beach and the overall outlook of the Galle face front façade along with the restaurant An idea of a public ramp starting from the beach level towards the pier deck level was also discussed with this formation. Potential of having fishing decks on the lower levels were some other point made through the reviews This illustrations also show the chaotic backdrop including the Highrise buildings in Colombo and how the pier rooting out from that atmosphere.

Below the pier garden there is a space that would be a potential wedding hall/exhibition hall or an adaptable space for occasions This particular wedding hall can be an asset which can be hired from the Galle face hotel for weddings A wedding on the pier would be something beautiful which has not been held on a Sri Lankan context before. A delightful event that could be arrange on the waters would be an ideal setting and will have a great value when receiving bookings in the seasons Currently the Galle face hotel provides space for weddings and occasions as such. So, this might be a revolutionary extension for that need. Apart from the wedding hall, below the pier garden and the sunset lounge, facing the northwest, there would be a small Bar and a café It is always pleasant to have your drink at the end of the pier while watching the sunset These moments are preciouses on a place as such where the designer should be sensitive enough to capture

In the initial phase of approving the design, the thought process was to find the best progression, accompanied by the formation of the Galle face pier. This was the trial of seeking the fundamental base of the pier and what sort of function it could potentially deliver With the design intents, it was certain that a sunset lounge would be an ideal setting. Apart from that an open-air cinema to watch cricket and movies or an open-air theatre to have cultural events started to merge into the design project.

Urban heat and lack of recreational parks therefore lacking trees are major problems in the context of Colombo. Following these issues, as a solution the pier itself was formed as a new pier park that will accommodate several native and appropriate nonnative trees to form a route through sheltering points along the pier This will be a major environmental goal to provide with shelter on the pier in order reduce the urban heat generating in the city. In the group urban proposal, the idea was to plant as much trees as possible forming enclosed gardens on the Galle face green area to cool the sea breeze flowing inside the city. Keeping that in the proposal, the pier will be used as the initiative to strengthen this concept while making it the seaside pier park for the public Ultimately the pier got extended by 13 meters from initial stage making the pier length 400 meters The middle neck of the pier got elongated with this as it is adopted with the lane of street food / small market / shops selling cultural souvenirs of Sri Lanka and the pier

This early sectional drawing of a seafood restaurant which is an intangible part of the Galle face hotel located on the newly proposed Galleface pier in Colombo seaside, in the tropical island of Sri Lanka It would hold the classic nature yet bearing a slightly dynamic, crustacean-like, and modern character which will help towards breaking the rigidity of the colonial Galle Face Hotel building which is a historical colonial Dutch building. The intention was to contrast and complement the Architecture between the two buildings, the old and the new As the restaurant roof breaks down with the identified concept, the end part of the restaurant represents a possibility of a viewing amphitheater that might also be granted a part of the outdoor dining experiences and other recreational activities for the public This particular section represents a phase of design struggle to find out the potential functional applications that may suit the immediate context and also briefing of the structural framework that may tally with the overall essence of the restaurant and the seaside pier. The idea was to make the restaurant a sole part of the pier structure rather than making it a mere object on the pier. The concrete materiality of the pier gradually turning into the wood through the restaurant interiors until it reaches tropical timber roof can be seen here as a relevance to the Sri Lankan context while also running back to the Victorian era of the wooden pier architecture where the pleasure and the promenade piers were originated The above free-hand drawing is an expressive work of sketching that brings out the life in the space of the particular building while decorated with selected annotations that signifies a peculiar design development method. The drawing was the Runner up entry for LYA(Liverpool Young Architects) society Drawing Prize - Postgraduate category in 2021

As the restaurant is an intangible part of the Galle face hotel it should hold the classic nature yet bearing a slightly dynamic and a modern character which will help towards breaking the rigidity of the Galle face Hotel building and its façade grid The intension was to contrast and compliment the Architecture between the two buildings.

Canal Housing

Dense And Site Responsive Urban Housing Solution