Tree Tops Wild Life Bungalow

A land parcel of One acre extent of land bordering paddy fields, wild life sanctuary overlooking a seasonal lagoon was purchased by wild life enthusiast owner to construct a wild life bungalow both as a holiday home for himself & family and as rented accommodation for guests visiting Yala National Park, South East Sri Lanka. This rectangular plot of land had spectacular panoramic views on all four sides consisting of paddy fields, wild life sanctuary and seasonal lagoon. It was decided to construct a two story narrow linear bungalow ‘belvedere lookout’ following the shape of the rectangular land with a ground floor open plan pavilion and an upper floor consisting of multi bed dormitory style bedrooms at tree canopy level.

The land is bounded by the ‘Yala National Park’s main access road from one side and a secondary gravel road on the other, and opens out to the sanctuary of thorny scrub jungles, seasonal waterholes frequented by wild elephants, spotted dear and water birds as well as a great expanse of paddy fields.
PROJECT TECHNOLOGY

Bungalow is constructed out of RCC Column and Beam Structural skeletal framework with a combination of pad footings and strip rubble foundations under walls. First Floor is reinforced concrete slab while roof structural support consists of RCC concrete portal frames, spanned by Roller steel joists in turn supporting 2” x 6” (50mm x150mm) Hardwood Timber rafters with generous eaves

MATERIALS

Limited palette of materials such as concrete, cement, timber, glass and corrugated zinc aluminium roofing sheets were used to create a simple light weight building. The eastern face of the building with its glass door windows and multiple sashed glazed windows and open balconies welcome the much cooler morning sun. Eastern Windows are protected by the mono pitched sloping roof, whereas the west facing façade is shielded by a horizontal timber trellis work, protecting the corridor and the interiors from the harsh evening sun. Timber trellises not only gives a certain softness and elegance to the building exterior, but also contributes to the change of spatial quality within the building by its play of light and shadows, from sun rise to sun set. Plastered Bricks, Concrete, Steel & Timber were the main materials used to keep the bungalow cool, despite the hot tropical weather and also due to the familiarity of materials to the local construction workers.
ARCHITECTURAL REPORT

Tree tops wild life bungalow Kirinda Yala was mainly designed as a holiday home for the owner and at the same time also to serve as a rented wild life bungalow for wild life enthusiasts visiting Yala National park Sri Lanka, where family friends and guests can stop by for an overnight stay and have a good time enjoying the wilderness, before embarking on an early morning safari inside the Yala National Park, situated in the south east corner of Sri Lanka. The bungalow consists of a ground floor double bed, bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, Open Plan Lounge, Dining & Kitchen for cooking for guests. Ground Floor main Hall of the building serves as a flexible multi -purpose space for guests to chill out, lounge, dine or even as a yoga area. Upper floor consists of dormitory style multi bed bedrooms, guest bathrooms and belvedere lookouts to the surrounding paddy fields, wild life sanctuary and lagoon. Second Floor open to sky roof terrace has been designed to provide panoramic views of the surrounding lagoon, water hole close by and paddy fields. The ‘rectangular narrow linear’ architectural form relates to the shape of the land, but also functions to allow wind to flow through smoothly within the open plan design and generate panoramic views of surrounding semi wilderness. The narrow front of the building was designed with an open pavilion outlook, to receive the full view of the surrounding greenery. Cantilevered upper level approach was used to protect and shade the building from the hot tropical sun and monsoon rains. Cement Grey is the main colour used on the walls, making the building merge with the surrounding wilderness and greenery. The highlight of the exterior is a multi-sashed glazed timber window with top fixed timber paneling, that shows off the craftsmanship and expertise of the workers, who are particularly skilled in carpentry & joinery.
Constraints and Solutions achieved:

Wild Life Bungalow is located in excessively Hot Tropical climate in the Hambanthota District in the South East of Sri Lanka, one of the driest districts of Sri Lanka with minimal rainfall. Therefore dealing with this extensively hot tropical climate was the biggest challenge faced. As a response Large Parts of the Ground Floor of the house was designed as an open pavilion, inducing ample cross ventilation and through breezes, while first floor was cantilevered on both sides from the narrow linear in plan ‘umbrella fashion’ giving shade to the lower levels. Additionally First Floor Roof also is provided with ‘generous extended eaves’ to increase the shade from the hot tropical sun and monsoon rains, when North East Monsoon Rains hit. Upper floor Bedrooms were provided with Openable Multi sashed Windows throughout the total lengths of the Bedrooms to facilitate cross ventilation natural light and panoramic views.

Details of landscaping

A soil Embankment was constructed to prevent storm water running along the side gravel road entering the site and turfed to prevent soil erosion. Few root ball replanted dry zone trees were planted around the bungalow so that tree canopy will ‘cocoon’ the bungalow when fully grown, and in turn will protect the bungalow from the harsh tropical sun. Ground around the bungalow is turfed with buffalo grass, while existing mature trees at site were protected during construction.


PROJECT AMBIT

Site Area: 4048.00 Square Meters
Plot Ratio: 3.7%
Built Area: 310.00 Square Meters
Living Area: 26.07 Square Meters
Circulation Area: 50.92 Square Meters
Parking Area: 23.80 Square Meters
Landscape Area: 3878.30 Square Meters


A land parcel of One acre extent of land bordering paddy fields, wild life sanctuary overlooking a seasonal lagoon was purchased by wild life enthusiast owner to construct a wild life bungalow both as a holiday home for himself & family and as rented accommodation for guests visiting Yala National Park, South East Sri Lanka. This rectangular plot of land had spectacular panoramic views on all four sides consisting of paddy fields, wild life sanctuary and seasonal lagoon. It was decided to construct a two story narrow linear bungalow ‘belvedere lookout’ following the shape of the rectangular land with a ground floor open plan pavilion and an upper floor consisting of multi bed dormitory style bedrooms at tree canopy level.

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT

With a single room thick ‘thin’ cross section, building captures the views and responds to the changing weather conditions and allow the winds blowing across the paddy fields and the scrub jungle, to blow through the building. A simple and robust form was adapted, to withstand the harsh weather conditions of the region, so that the building will age gracefully, with minimal maintenance. A subdued and a natural colour scheme of Cement and timber were adopted to the buildings so that it will merge with the natural surroundings. Despite its raised podium and the concrete structure, a gently sloping single pitched roof with vast overhangs was introduced including the use of glass and timbre trellis work, to soften the robustness of the structure. This further is achieved by the layout, where all public functions are located on the ground floor podium which has enabled less solid walls and more open areas, , contributing to the balance of solids and voids of the building. Upper floor comprises an open dormitory style sleeping areas, allowing the whole upper floor interior to experience the maximum views at tree canopy level. The use of Dormitory style bedrooms, instead of separate bed rooms have enabled vast expanses of multiple sashed timber framed glass windows, high volumes and undisturbed views across the sanctuary, with ample cross ventilation within the first floor level, leaving a ‘camp site’ feeling within a built and well protected space. ‘Tree Tops Wild Life bungalow’, with its simple and versatile character, is expected to be an oasis and a refuge, to reinvigorate and rejuvenate guests lives, before another round of their hectic urban lives.