NAME OF THE PROJECT: The Staff Quarters for DPMC at Ranna

DESCRIPTION: 

This project, a staff quarters for DPMC (David Peiris Motor Company, Sri Lanka) is located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The of staff quarters is situated close to an existing lake and wetlands. One of the primary factors was a very small construction budget. The building has been kept low rise in response to the context (scrub forests) and the tight budget. Mostly passive cooling techniques have been used throughout the project (as Ranna region is hot and dry).

The plan is simple L shaped. The main living and dining areas open out to the lake on one side and a large garden on the other side. A continuous circulation of breeze from the lakes, makes the living dining areas pleasant despite the extremely despite the hot dry climate of Ranna. Deep verandahs provide shade from the harsh sun as well as rain. The verandah also provides a shelter for the staff who visits DPMC on training and work, to spend their leisure time, watching tv, socializing and relaxing. The garden has native vegetation as ground cover, thus allows for cricket and other outdoor recreational activities.

Materials and Details

The colours and textures used in the project reinforce and blend with the context. A very simple, inexpensive material palette has been adopted in the design, exposed bricks walls painted with cement (creating a rustic finish that blends with the environment) and adhesive has been used for the exterior and public areas, while the rooms have a smooth plastered finish. Recycled railway sleepers have been reused as paving in certain transition areas from the living dining space, while the verandahs have brick pavers as flooring, and the rest have cement rendered floors. The external brick wall has gaps and provides a textural variation and a decorative finish.

The angle of the lean to roof used in the project enables the circulation of the breeze into the interiors. The eaves are exposed (asbestos sheet) painted black (keeping with the small budget). The interiors and living areas have timer ceiling (3/4th inch thick, 5 inch wide lunumidellaceiling).

Special Features

Passive Cooling techniques including the angle of the roof, location of living and dining spaces that remain connected to the water and the garden, allowing for continuous circulation of breeze.

Brick wall with gaps as external surfaces.

Textural differences in materials and finishes of walls and flooring enable greater usable indoor, outdoor areas.

The material palette, colour, finishes and details, apart from its cost effectiveness enables building to completely blends with the scrub jungle environment of Ranna.