This used to be an old and diminished house situated in the sub-urban context of Kottawa, Sri Lanka.
Existing house was used for renting. Initially the client wanted to demolish the old part of the house and construct a new build. However, the limited budget for the project led us towards a renovation instead.
It was the architect's challenge to bring life back into an outdated and diminished building. The main requirement of the client is to have a simple, practical home with calm and relaxing spaces to wind down after their hectic work schedule. The design entails the client's brief which is summed up to a two-storied house to make two additional bedrooms with bathrooms and increase the space for the living, dining, kitchen using the limited space in the plot.
The Initial inspections revealed the old structure, spaces, and the colour scheme to be very unorganised, and the walls and columns were not structurally up to standards due to exposure to many years of wear and tear. The stability of the structure and all the hidden problems had to be addressed prior to starting any major building works. Therefore, the structure was re-strengthened and required measures were taken to protect any parts of the building that could have been vulnerable to damage during the main construction stage.
The existing design did not allow an adequate amount of light and ventilation into the house. Therefore, few of the walls were removed to let in the sufficient air and light required. The details such as the doors windows, floor and wall finishes, colour scheme, textures, were carefully designed to add the earthy ambience of the entire design scheme and create a calming atmosphere.
One of the key features of the new design is the neatly organised spaces that creates a permanent indoor/outdoor link from any part of the house, which brings the dweller soothing vistas connected to surrounding landscape.
The Existing plot did not offer much greenery to design with, which led us to create a modern simple facade with living greens which blended with the context without a loud statement.
With the limited available resources, we were able to successfully design an elegant, lush full entrance feeling and create a connectivity between the indoor/outdoor spaces from different levels.
The final atmosphere created within this House is a perfect example to show the positive effects that the combination of carefully designed key factors such as greenery, color scheme, form, shapes and textures have on individuals' mental and physical wellness, as well as how they bring architecture to life.
