Back to vernacular | Mudhouse | Sri Lanka

8/9/12

i took the flight to SRI LANKA

with a bunch of course mate

and Mak Lin & Kak Sue

under the name of UCSI

experiencing architecture

with the project name :

RETRACING GEOFFREY BAWA

we started the journey from LCCT which travel around 4 hour to reach the destination

the headquarter of the Sri Lanka _ COLOMBO

Sri Lanka having 2.5 hour earlier than Malaysia which means 

in Sri Lanka 8am equal to Malaysia 10.30am..

soon after the arrival at airport, we move to our first ever destination which is 3 hour away from Colombo.

THE MUDHOUSE, which located at Anamaduwa.

we spent 3 days 2 nights at this area by

observing the construction method of the MUDhouse, MUDbrick,

the way the people living there and etc

Everything back to 

VERNACULAR

the area is very rural and out of our imagination

the place is full of vegetation and wildlife.

Due to the Drought season at that time, the vegetation is all drying or dying

we used some time to find the mudhouse and here the entrance which welcome us!

timber construction can be see everywhere

no CONCRETE

no STEEL

no MANMADE

is so nature in such a way that we can feel the village life here.

moving into the mudhouse

the first place that we landed was the Office of the MUDhouse,

according to the manager, mudhouse occupied 25 acre of the whole area

which mean the whole area can be develop into anything they want.

in this mudhouse villa. the only electric that we can find is the office,

here is the only place that provide wifi, internet, electric!

look at the way they live!

thats the LIGHT 

weaved coconut leave as the roof which need to be maintained every two years

 the fiber inside the coconut also become another type of roof

timber as the column

robe that tie the column and beam together instead of using nails

the coconut shell with the leave that rolled up and become one part of the fuel to cook

according to them, a WATER LILY which is the national flower of SRI LANKA

seem to be like a must in every house of the villager

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Moving on to our own house

here, we found the separated wc and bathroom

it is so special compared to the urban area which everything will be attached together.

here, we see how is the spatial relationship between each spaces

here the Wc!

it is 70percent exposed to outside in my opinion

now look at this! is bathroom without room! D:

theres only a layer of coconut leaf to cover the front part or entry part

and the left over part is NATURE!

the surrounding!

seem to be cooling and open!

yet.... SCARY due to the lack of privacy and protection

water dropping down from the tree trunk.

is so nature that they can hide the water pipe into the tree trunk

theres only a concrete platform raised up to indicated the bath'room' which dont have room

definitely a wonderful experience to bathe under SUNSHINE or MOONLIGHT!

anyhow! it is still a wonderful experience we will ever have :)

is so much interesting since we will not experience this at other place!

this is the girl house ;)

6 queensize bed,3 at left and 3 at right~ the whole house apply the same concept of the mudhouse

which there is no window, no high wall!

is totally a open plan

and the special feature of this house is that there is a courtyard at the middle :)

this is the roof structure of the house!is so much interesting and details

look at the jointing,

repetition of line form a kind of rhythm yet symmetry ~

of cause. the trip is not only about architecture!

here the FOOD of the day!

Le dinner for the first day at Sri Lanka:)

traditional food which mainly consist of vegetable and curry

papadam is a must in every meal :)

is like keropok and can be found at malaysia mamak!

the first night at mudhouse ended up with me and others taking the oil lamp 

go to the wc and bathe room

the whole area is only the oil lamp, there is no electricity except the office!

touch light is a must for us to travel from one place to another place

(from our house to the girl house, the restaurant)

9/9/12

 second day!

early of the morning!

we planned to watch the sunrise...

but unfortunelly.

we missed it.. 

we enter the big field from the restaurant!

beside the restaurant was a shelter,

looking into the field...

still...we managed to catch the scene of the entire FIELD!
is so broad

like there is no boundary...

and yea! our only transportation at mudhouse!

the bicycle!

such a green solution instead of having vehicle!

here my little yellow which accompany me throughout the days at mudhouse :)

nature 

landscape

green

flower

grass

everything is just infront of me...

the wind blowing along the field...

cooling yet comfortable 

 the site of the restaurant is so interesting that there having slope,

the shelter are located at higher area.

according to the villager, during monsoon season ,

that area will be flood..

and this shelter will still be able to provide a good view to the field!

nevertheless, the design of the mudhouse which having a large overhang also 

used to prevent the penetration of the rainwater into the shelter.

good morning! breakfast time!

the traditional food >> ROTI!

it look like burger dont u think so? :)

is made of flour, onion ,coconut milk and chili!

the pancake which made of ginger, flour and coconut!

the thing that we noticed is that most of the food using coconut as the ingredient,

of cause same to the herbal !

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secondday afternoon session was filled up with 

the construction method of the mudhouse!

TO BE CONTINUE