The Architect - July - September 2010

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Cecil Balmond a Sri Lankan born structural engineer has taken a step further transforming the role of the engineer in contemporary architecture.
Throughout history, light has been used as a medium for navigational aid not only in a literal and spatial sense but also metaphorically. In metaphorical terms, light is identified as a medium that conveys content, both informative and informational. Thus, designing with light offers immeasurable creative scope, as the design process is ultimately just the route followed to arrive at a particular point with in-between spaces lighted for the appreciation.
A large Banyan, the neighbouring buildings and even a marshy section of land responded to the award winning structure Architect Godridge Samuel had designed and built. The Resource Centre and Open-air Theatre emerged from a blend of modern, traditional, accessible and environmental themes.
Waruna Gomis, an architect by profession, has also risen high in a world which was once simply a hobby, a world which not only enhanced his creativity, but also helped him experience architecture through a different eye ... a camera lens.
The domestic architecture of ancient Ceylon was influenced by sociological factors such as the caste system, based on land tenure, feudal landownership and elitism. Domestic architecture was regarded as the ultimate symbol of status expression. Further, environmental factors common to regions around the Indian Ocean also shaped the architecture in Ceylon, resulting in buildings suitable for the respective settings.