Thisara wins prestigious Geoffrey Bawa Award

Sunday Times 24th July 2011

The night belonged to Architect Thisara Thanapathy, who won the prestigious Geoffrey Bawa Award 2010/2011 for Excellence in Architecture, for his design of the urban Sarath Abeyrathne house.

The First Runner-up 'Commendation' award went to Architect Yudish Ganesan for the Udayampuram School at Periyakallar, a tsunami school. The awards ceremony conducted by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust was held at the Park Street Mews last night.

There were two Honourable Mentions- the New British High Commission designed by Richard Murphy Associates and the Holiday Bungalow at Ulpotha also designed by Thisara Thanapathy.

Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to both Ena de Silva Aluwihare and Barbara Sansoni Lewcock for their contributions to the Arts and Architecture of Sri Lanka.

The keynote address by Booker Prize winner Michael Ondaatje was the highlight of the evening.The Sunday Times and Daily Mirror were Print Media Sponsors for the event. http://sundaytimes.lk/110724/News/nws_66.html

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust shortlists 8 Architects for coveted award

Colombo, Wednesday, 9th February, 2011

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust with the Steering and Judging Committees for The Geoffrey Bawa Award 2010/2011 for Excellence in Architecture came together today to announce the short-listed finalists for its one million rupee award, which will be presented in July. The next step for the 8 short-listed submissions is an on-site technical review, followed by a final judging session which will culminate with July's announcement of the winners.

The following are the 8 short-listed submissions in the running for The Geoffrey Bawa Award 2010/2011 for Excellence in Architecture

UDAYAPURAM SCHOOOL, Periyakallar,Kallar, Batticaloa - submitted by Archt. Yudish Ganesan,
TSUNAMI HOUSING Payagalawatte, Kalutara - submitted by Sheran Henry Associates.
LION MUSEUM, Biyagama - submitted by Sheran Henry Associates
HOLIDAY BUNGALOW, Avissawella - submitted by Archt. Palinda Kannangara,
KALUNDEWA RETREAT, Dambulla - submitted by Archt. Sanath Liyanage,
THE NEW BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION, Colombo 7 - submitted by Richard Murphy
Architects,Scotland , Scotland UK
HOLIDAY BUNGALOW, Ulpatha , Matale - submitted by Archt.Thisara Thanapathy,
SARATH ABEYRATHNE HOUSE, Colombo 5 - submitted by Archt.Thisara Thanapathy,

Encompassing current concepts such as contemporary design, restoration, re-use and area conservation, The Geoffrey Bawa Award 2010 / 2011 for Excellence in Architecture will adhere to principles similar to those of the world-renowned Aga Khan Awards for Architecture, organised by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Geneva. As such, the Geoffrey Bawa Award for Architecture will recognise and reward only the most superior examples of architecture, with the end objective being the encouragement of excellence in this field and the increasing awareness of the importance of the built environment.

The 8 short-listed submissions will again be carefully adjudged by a panel of eminent personalities, who will now also include, as a part of their deliberations, a series of technical and physical reviews of each project prior to a final decision being made.

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The judging panel for the 2010/2011 cycle comprises:
Suhanya Raffel, Trustee, Geoffrey Bawa Trust , Deputy Director, Curatorial and Collection Development at the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane Australia

Kerry Hill, one of the foremost architects of Asia and has won numerous awards including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2001 ,

Ajita de Costa is a Chartered Textile Technologist by profession, heads a well known family owned clothing enterprise. He is also the Chairman of the Heritage Foundation for the Environment and Arts

Architect Jayantha Perera FIA(SL), Past President of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects ( 2008 –2009 ) .

Archt. Channa Daswatte and Archt. C. Anjalendran joins them to help facilitate effective on-site Technical and Physical Reviews.

About Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa

Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa was Sri Lanka's most influential and prolific architect and South Asia's leading guru of tropical architecture. An oeuvre spanning almost 50 years encompassed a wide range of work, mostly in southwest Sri Lanka. Bawa has also built in other countries including India, Indonesia and Mauritius. His genius is recognised in his sensitivity to site and context. In November 2001, he received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Special Chairman's Award. Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa died on May 27, 2003. He was 84.

Lalyn Collure & Shyamika Silva  win at the Geoffrey Bawa Award 2007/2008 for
Excellence in Architecture

Thursday, July 24, 2008, Colombo

Not one, but two architects walked away with the coveted Geoffrey Bawa Award 2007/2008 for Excellence in Architecture, at a glamorous presentation held at the Galle Face Hotel yesterday. Lalyn Collure (winning submission – Boulder Garden Nature Resort), and Shyamika Silva (winning submission – Nalin Indrasena’s House) each received the top award, while Nela De Soyza (Suzuki Maruti Complex) and Palinda Kannangara (An Estate Bungalow) received commendations for their work.

This elegant and special event, hosted by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, saw architects of 9 properties vying for this the award, which models itself according to the principles of the world-renowned Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

According to Lalyn Collure, whose design for the Boulder Garden Nature Resort has been widely acclaimed by architects and the public alike, “the Boulder Garden Resort was an exciting opportunity to create something innovative and different, and I am honoured that the esteemed panel of jurists thought so highly of the project.”

According to Shyamika Silva, whose winning submission – Nalin Indrasena’s House – has been recognised for its minimalist design and contemporary elements, “to walk away with this prestigious award is a significant achievement for me, and this is made much more special since we were given an unparalleled compliment of being recognised at the inaugural award presentation.”

The two architects were presented with the highly coveted trophy, the design of which was inspired by an obelisk placed on top of a gate post at Bawa’s Lunuganga Estate. Made from solid Paramara wood and Ebony, the design emulated similar elements found in the great gardens of Europe – particularly Italy – for which Bawa had a particular fondness. The two winners also shared the one million rupee prize money that was awarded.

Meanwhile, Nela De Zoysa was commended for her design of the Suzuki Maruti Complex, a building conceptualised to showcase the exhibits in a hi-tech, yet minimalist surroundings. Also walking away with a commendation for his work was Palinda Kannangara, for an Estate Bungalow hideout designed to allow its owners to live amidst the green and enjoy nature to the fullest.

Heading the judging panel, Ms. Sunethra Bandaranaiyake, (Trustee – Geoffrey Bawa Trust, and Chairperson – Sunera Foundation) added that choosing a single winner was an immensely difficult task. “Each of the 9 short-listed properties is very special in design, and technical expertise. The judges were highly impressed by the standards being adhered to. We are sure that Bawa himself would have been immensely proud to see how our young architects are now more conscious about the aesthetic beauty of a building.”

Further commenting on the significance of holding an awards ceremony of this caliber, she added that the Geoffrey Bawa Award 2007/2008 for Excellence in Architecture provides talented architects with an excellent platform on which to showcase their designs. “Additionally, these awards will showcase that we have excellent architects who are committed to creating world class designs.”

Each of the 9 short-listed submissions was selected by an eminent panel of judges, and was subjected to an intense technical assessment. The Judging panel comprised of Ms. Sunethra Bandaranaiyake, Archt. C. Anjalendran, Prof. David Robson, Prof. Senaka Bandaranayake, Archt. Jayantha Perera, Archt. Channa Daswatte, and Ms. Eugenie Mack.

Nalin Indrasena’s House by Shyamika Silva is a modern, minimalist home surrounded by trees, all of which were incorporated into the design. The total structure, resembling a large white cube, sits on 5 perches of an 8.8-perch block of land. Its main feature is a double height glass wall that opens up completely, making the living space and garden, one. The space also includes a modern water feature that sits both inside and outside the building separated by a glass wall. A contemporary spiral staircase leads to the upper levels of the house, which feature two bedrooms that overlook the double height space. The open design provides maximum cross ventilation, while a Jacuzzi – on a roof slab - is ideally situated under a canopy of trees.

The Boulder Garden Nature Resort by Lalyn Collure is a 10-roomed boutique hotel designed for nature loving tourists in the thick vegetation bordering Sri Lanka’s world heritage rainforest – Sinharaja.  Its primary aim is to provide unique accommodation in close contact with nature, while the site in itself offers a wide variety of ecological systems that represent typical wet zone forests. Buildings are nestled in the natural contours of the landscape rather compactly yet promising the utmost individual privacy. The Resort is a harmonious dialogue between man and nature. Following ancient traditions of building amongst rocks, this nature resort shares a sensitive response to the natural environment. It has also adapted sustainable development principles by solely relying on local resources of the community.

Encompassing current concepts such as contemporary design, restoration, re-use and area conservation, The Geoffrey Bawa Award 2007/2008 for Excellence in Architecture adhered to principles similar to those of the world-renowned Aga Khan Awards for Architecture, organised by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Geneva. As such, the Geoffrey Bawa Award for Architecture aims to recognise and reward only the most superior examples of architecture, with the end objective being the encouragement of excellence in this field and the increasing awareness of the importance of the built environment. Due to the impressive positive feedback of the inaugural awards programme, the Geoffrey Bawa Trust also announced their decision to hold these awards every 4 years.

About Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa
Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa was Sri Lanka's most influential and prolific architect and South
Asia's leading guru of tropical architecture. An oeuvre spanning almost 50 years encompassed a wide range of work, mostly in south-west Sri Lanka. Bawa has also built in other countries including India, Indonesia and Mauritius. His genius is recognised in his sensitivity to site and context. In November 2001, he received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Special Chairman's Award. Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa died on May 27, 2003. He was 84.

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust shortlists 9 Architects for coveted award

The organisers of the Geoffrey Bawa Award 2007/2008 for Excellence in Architecture came together recently to announce the 9 short-listed finalists for the first-ever Architecture award, which will be presented in July. The next step for the 9 short-listed finalists is an on-site technical review, followed by a final judging session which will culminate in the announcement of the winner/s.

The following are the 9 short-listed projects that are in the running for The Geoffrey Bawa Award 2007/2008 for Excellence in Architecture (along with a brief description of the projects they submitted for consideration):

The Boulder Garden Nature Resort by Lalyn Collure, is a 10-roomed boutique hotel designed for nature loving tourists in the thick vegetation bordering Sri Lanka’s world heritage rainforest – Sinharaja.  Its primary aim is to provide unique accommodation in close contact with nature, while the site in itself offers a wide variety of ecological systems that represent typical wet zone forests. Buildings are nestled in the natural contours of the landscape rather compactly yet promising the utmost individual privacy.

The Resort is a harmonious dialogue between man and nature. Following ancient traditions of building amongst rocks, this nature resort shares a sensitive response to the natural environment. It has also adapted sustainable development principles by solely relying on local resources of the community.

The Central Bus Terminal and Retail Shopping Centre by Architects Co- Partnership (ACOP). The urban development authority in Dambulla – a major business centre in Sri Lanka’s central province – commissioned an innovative and simple design for a new bus terminal for the bustling city. Focused on designing a very simple building keeping in mind cost constraints whilst providing the most efficient and convenient facilities to the commuters and users of the terminal, ACOP created a highly stylistic structure. Also featured was a curved, light weight roof on steel trusses supported on 10 metre high steel stanchions. The free space between the roof and the second floor provide good natural ventilation and visual connectivity between spaces.
 
Apart from the main function of the building, the design endeavored to make the complex as a meeting place for commuters, shoppers, and students, with wide corridors and large courtyards.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Minneriya National Park Visitor Centre, by Sunil L. Gunawardena, lies between the ancient cities of Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa. The design concept was that the site belongs first and foremost to the wildlife. For the wild animals too the jungle and the ruins are linked.

It was this harmonious mix of jungle, ruins of ancient structures and wildlife that was the inspiration for this site. The design of this project was conceived as ruins scattered over open patches of thick jungle. The buildings are a series of thick columns of varying dimensions, with natural stone finish and exposed thick brick walls connected with elevated walkways.

Nalin Indrasena’s House by Shyamika Silva, is a modern, minimalist home surrounded by trees, all of which were incorporated into the design. The total structure, resembling a large white cube, sits on 5 perches of an 8.8-perch block of land. Its main feature is a double height glass wall that opens up completely, making the living space and garden, one. The space also includes a modern water feature that sits both inside and outside the building separated by a glass wall.

A contemporary spiral staircase leads to the upper levels of the house, which feature two bedrooms that overlook the double height space. The open design provides alot of cross ventilation, while a Jacuzzi – on a roof slab - is ideally situated under a canopy of trees

The Thicket by M M G Samuel has been created as a retreat to unwind, relax, and achieve peace of mind. A site in Sri Lanka’s Gampaha district was purchased in 2005 and later an adjoining paddy field was added to bring in its distinct character, with its ever changing harvesting seasons.

To convert this unkempt estate into a nature retreat, the concept for this garden was developed with the idea of relaxing the mind from the point of entry. The garden offers visitors with many unique places to stop and contemplate, and the experience is topped off with a pavillion in the South East corner of the garden that overlooks the lake and paddy fields.

The Saffron Beach Villa, by PWA, is a modern interpretation of the traditional beach Villa. The Villa incorporates all the aspects of a modern holiday home, but also reflects the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the owners. Particular vernacular and historical references in material and space were used to provide the design direction required to capture the distinct differences between buildings endemic to Sri Lanka and building in other tropical countries. The sea forms the most prominent feature of surrounding landscape and the stillness of the horizon provided the balance. The building also conveys a sense of both movement and stillness.

The Bed Sitter by Prasanna Jayalath, is situated by the side of a road that borders an extensive landscape, and spread over 1529 square feet on a narrow site of 142 perches in its extent. The land was initially separated to build an office and a residence, with the office at the road and residence towards the rear. The main challenge in this design was to conceptualise two environments, the building at present and its future. Creating the most comfortable setting for two unique situations became the architect’s main objective.

The interior of the bed sitter consists of a utility core where the pantry, toilet and store are located, and a more flexible living quarter containing a master bed room, as well as living and dining rooms. The use of interactive spaces allow for the extension of boundary for each function.

An Estate Bungalow by Palinda Kannangara, is a hideout designed, in essence, to allow its owners to live amidst the green and enjoy nature to the fullest. The structure consists of three rectangular boxes housing the main activity areas, comprising living and dining rooms, and three bed rooms and bathrooms, all of which are slightly angled to optimise the magnificent view of the forest across. The two main blocks are linked with a glass passage.

The dining room is the focus of the building as a 'glass box' on a steel structure protruding towards the forest and floating above the infinity edge swimming pool.

The Suzuki Maruti Complex by Nela de Zoysa, stands on a 100 perch rectangular site, and is bound on two sides to create an acute angle. Dictated by the two roadways, two linear winged structures with lean-to roofs meet at the apex of a triangle to present passersby with an overwhelming entrance.

The directional skylight supported by an aerodynamic truss creates interplay of light and shade, casting shadows under the tropical sky, bringing in the Suzuki's into sharp focus. The exhibits are further highlighted against the hi-tech, sparse minimalism of the double height space that invites the environs in.

Encompassing current concepts such as contemporary design, restoration, re-use and area conservation, The Geoffrey Bawa Award 2007/2008 for Excellence in Architecture will adhere to principles that recognise and reward only the most superior examples of architecture, with the end objective being the encouragement of excellence in this field and the increasing awareness of the importance of the built environment. The 9 short-listed submissions will again be carefully adjudged by a panel of eminent personalities, who will now also include, as a part of their deliberations, a series of technical and physical reviews of each project prior to a final decision being made.

About Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa
Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa was Sri Lanka's most influential and prolific architect and South
Asia's leading guru of tropical architecture. An oeuvre spanning almost 50 years encompassed a wide range of work, mostly in south-west Sri Lanka. Bawa has also built in other countries including India, Indonesia and Mauritius. His genius is recognised in his sensitivity to site and context. In November 2001, he received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Special Chairman's Award. Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa died on May 27, 2003. He was 84.

About Geoffrey Bawa

Geoffrey Bawa was Sri Lanka's most influential and prolific architect and South Asia's leading guru of tropical architecture. An oeuvre spanning almost 50 years encompassed a wide range of work, mostly in south-west Sri Lanka. Bawa has also built in other countries including India, Indonesia and Mauritius. His genius is recognised in his sensitivity to site and context. In November 2001, he received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Special Chairman's Award. Geoffrey Bawa died on May 27, 2003. He was 84.