Name & Location: Random Rust – Thalawathugoda

Cost of Project: (US$) 150,000

Built-up Area: 3,820 sq. ft.
(In case of public building, minimum built-up area should be 1000 sq. meters)

Description of Project:

Random Rust is an experimental delivery derived through fusing a strong form with designing a lifestyle. It is located away from the urban context in Thalawathugoda, surrounded by lush green environment. The site sits on a hillock covered with beautiful tree canopies, which provide cool shade against the hot tropical sun.

The narrowness of the site and the surrounding greenery were the main inspiration to generate a narrow lightweight structure, showering the house with plenty of light and air.

Random Rust is a series of spaces arranged along a verandah, along the southwest axis, which optimizes air circulation, while double-height volumes enhance vertical ventilation. Rooms are laid out linearly according to their use, with private spaces being located mostly on the upper floor of the house.

Materials of Construction Details:

The usage of materials in their exposed forms helped to realize the concept of the house quite easily. As the name suggests, the house has a truly rustic appearance.

Locally produced clay bricks were used to construct the linear segment of the house, while the cross block was constructed with a rendered finish.

Steel sections are used to support circulation and shading elements, which helped to envelop the structure lightly and elegantly along the façade.

Tall, cement-toned pillars in the living area support the single sloping aluminium roof profile with a wooden ceiling.

The floors are brought to life with cut and polished cement rendering, while solid timber on doors and window sashes celebrates the transition at the openings.

Special Features:

The composition of the building is a dynamic dialogue among horizontal and vertical volumes. The facades are articulated with great specificity and variation.

The skin of the long and linear block varies in opacity, from transparent to semi-transparent. The façade of the cross block, by contrast, is solid and punctuated by openings.

Discreet spaces can be closed with shutters, although no part of the house is entirely air- or noise-tight.

The seamless joints of large clear glass sheets at the corners of the structure extend space beyond its limits, while tall wooden louvers allow air to freely penetrate the building.

Random Rust is a geometric volume that sits lightly on its site. It is a blend of tropical and modern architecture, which employs the language of modernism to present alternative concepts for the house of tomorrow.