Palinda Kannangara designs a tropical paradise in this inward looking home in Sri Lanka

“Life In Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka has changed much since the first description of it in Ibn Battuta’s travels. Way back in 14th Century CE, he described a city of clean straight streets ruled over by a Malay prince. After its capture by the Portuguese and the later colonial powers, it was transformed into the chief city and port of the country and remained so till 1982.

Its expansion was accompanied in the 19th Century CE by a garden city laid out by British planners, which inspired the city state of Singapore in its own bid to transform itself. Only vestiges of this remain in the Colombo of recent years which has changed into a bustling metropolis of chic restaurants, elegant shops and high rise living. Now not many people can afford the gardens and quietude that came with the garden city. Today architects like Palinda Kannangara strive to find paradise and peace within the houses themselves taking cues from traditional inward looking architecture and that of the early modern work of Geoffrey Bawa and Minette de Silva.” – Channa Daswatte

Sri Lanka’s rich and extensive biodiversity defies its size. The island with abundant natural resources has rightfully been at the heart of glorious tales of yore and is also credited with furthering modern tropical architecture across the globe. But cut to the present day, as industrialisation sweeps Asia, that perfectly beautiful tropical paradise becomes a remote dream. It is not only inspiring, but also endearing, the ways in which a slice of Sri Lanka’s geography, landscape, tropics and value systems find ways within current day architectural practices.

In Colombo is a home by Palinda Kannangara that is, in many ways, a metaphor to the country, its beauty, tradition and beliefs but located on a land that offered no merits. Created for a young entrepreneur, and his family, the 5,045 sq ft structure, spanning two floors, is built within a dense suburb. Since the precinct had little to offer, the home is designed looking inward, and vistas are choreographed for the people living in it.

“The idea was to connect the full length of the building through a series of gardens, verandahs and courtyards. The ground floor comprises the living and dining spaces interconnected by a series of linear courtyards. The central courtyard doubles as a shallow pool during monsoons and dry court during the dry season,” explains Palinda.

He continues, “We have two monsoons, which gives us enough rain and water.” On drier days, the karanda (pongamia) trees planted around the courtyard add colour and life to the space. While the guest bedroom is located on the ground floor, the master bedroom and children’s room is situated on the upper level, exactly above the dining and living areas respectively, overlooking the Karanda trees located in the courtyard.

What truly stands out is the minimal decor, emphasising rich spatial experiences over material possessions or objects. Luxury is crafted via nature’s essence, in a manner that even though natural resources are not wholly present, the experience prevails.

For example, the Colombo home incorporates a material palette of exposed concrete on the external walls to blur the indoors and outdoors, as the courtyards, gardens and landscapes offer the allure and qualities of the tropics. The living room to dining is accessed via courtyards, water pool and garden. The boundary wall is raised till the upper level, to create two seamless boxes, akin to parallel pavilions, which also gave the project its name.

By maintaining the heights, the entire home is contained as a single entity, and the gardens become a part of the indoors. Reclaimed stone salvaged from an old tea estate is used on the outdoor flooring and polished cut cement is used indoors. On the upper floor, timber flooring is used. To mitigate the city’s heat, architectonics and use of materials come into play. Double-layered windows allow deep shading.

Timber windows that rotate on a pivot control light and privacy. Lean-to-roofs create higher volumes and enable stack effect. The master and children’s rooms feature lean-to roofs, which give additional volume, enable stack effect and offer views of tree canopies. When shutters are closed, indirect light filters through the gap between the roof and windows. Green roofs on the upper floor regulate stormwater and maintain a cool temperature. The vegetation is a mix of edible plants and other tropical species.

Even when nature isn’t fully at hand, the experience remains paramount, and interestingly without adding embellishments or flourishes. For this, Palinda, who has practised in India and Nepal, credits his country. Despite its size, it offers much more in terms of resources, and more importantly, a mindset.

“We are a small country, perhaps like an Indian state, or even a city. But it has everything that a country can offer — an expansive coastline, mountains and two monsoons. The larger intent of architectural interventions, or at least the way we were trained, was to maximise existing conditions. We are blessed with natural resources, lovely tropics, which gives us a distinguished style of architecture,” he asserts.

And there is also another layer that shapes their work — the Buddhist influence and way of life of the people. “Buddhism has shaped the way of living in a big way. We imbibe simplicity, minimalism and detachment from things. People are okay with less furniture, it’s not something that we dictate, but the mindset definitely helps.

And this is evident when we visit sites even after a decade, they are intact. And while we prefer using natural materials, traditional ideas, we do bring in technology when required,” he further states. When you bring both entities together, architecture becomes more about maximising good conditions, creating comfortable micro-climates and offering solutions.

And like in the case of the home in Colombo, if the site does not allow it, the architects create the conditions. In the essence of their pursuits, they have harnessed these conditions, harmonising tradition with progress. In this country, where architecture’s hand has guided both past and present, it now moulds the future by synchronising with evolving lifestyles and ways of being.

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