Environment awareness center

University of Moratuwa (UoM), Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Moratuwa

Project idea

•Designing the building by responding the layout of tree grid in the existing rubber plantation and reducing the damage to the site due to construction waste, damages, soaking and vibration.

Project description

Environment a topic discussed all around the world affected by ignorant human activities for generations, people still suffer side effects of it. The sri Lankan context is subjected to constant natural disasters. Awissawella, where our site is located is subjected mainly to landslides and the lower areas to floods. A major cause for this is improper construction technique.

Problems Identified n Awissawella area
1) Constructing houses and building in the areas which are highly cause to landslides.
-damage to the soil increases because of the wrong construction techniques used by people.
2) Deforestation increases because of plantation and construction in forest areas.
- Forest are destroyed as non-crumbling waste are added to the environment from those buildings.

Design Innovation
Design proposal is to create a building system that can be designed within the plantations preventing its removal and thus saving the forest.

Design concept
Innovation inspired by Nature

Technical information

Environmental responsiveness
• Take the precautions and make guidelines to minimize the environmental pollution. The architectural decisions to be taken as solutions to environmental issues.
• Replace environmentally unfavorable material by using natural materials and treat them to expand the lifetime with better thermal performance.


• Experiment with the possibility of using recycle and reused materials and explore the use of free fabricated elements that minimize consumed resources and cost.
• Reducing the damage to the site due to construction waste, damages, soaking and vibration while construction using prefabricated elements.
• Designing the building by responding the layout of tree grid in the existing rubber plantation
• Organic waste is collected and produces compost and reuses it for plantation.
• Simple detailing used to resist for possible cyclones, heavy rains, mud flows etc. (e.g. Brazing system, roof stabilization, flexible ground layer)

Spatial flexibility
• In-between common space for adapt according to different communal requirement.
• Flexible ground floor layout act as a commercial and public layer and in a heavy rainy season can set free and let water to flow through.
• Promote comfortable breathing space to provide adequate light and ventilation and simultaneously as gathering spaces.
• Provide space with adaptability for change in function: spaces that can be used/transformed for multiple uses.
• Provide adaptability in change of capacity.
• Establish adequate inside-outside relationship: provide possibilities for space to open out and extend outdoors, explore the validity of introducing the semi closed spaces, with capacity for temporary closure in case of rain and sun
• Maximize living space by minimizing.

Social adaptability
• Providing facilities and training about construction methods, detail, and materials which reduced the environment damage.
• Use unskilled labors in the community by knowledge training them.
• To balance resources, the user can benefit from other investments for products, labor, land and machinery.
Technically robust
• Researching and implementing innovative and low-cost constructions and materials for reducing environment damage.
• The research considers locally available material resources and the local mode of living, introducing innovative construction techniques.

Socio-cultural acceptance
• This is a resilient Programmer for built their own house and the village to reducing environment damage.
• Knowledge transfer to the community people- during the building construction and execution.
• Knowledge, capacity and empowerment which will comprehend by the community is a social investment.
• Final product should shape according to their personal preference, still being within the given architectural frame, understanding and guidelines.

Environmental compatibility
• Totally respond to the land condition and its zoning due to different slopes.
• Design was formulated being upon identified principles that are to mitigate landslides.
• Deep slopes have been preserved as vegetated areas without constructing.
• Proposed vegetation is to mitigate landslides- reduce soil erosion.
• Different drain systems have been introduced to control flowing water on the surface.
• Retaining walls- in required places-rubble, sandbags, tires, barrels.
• Surface has been protected by laying bamboo wattle mesh, gabion mesh
• Building construction and operation- lesser energy consumption.
• All buildings are naturally ventilated and light up – during daytime.
• Breathing spaces have been provided within cluster and around the clusters.
• Warm colors have been used to exaggerate the mental thermal balance.
• Usage of Eco-friendly materials.

Considered problems for research
1. When a tree died,
Usually the structure is built during the early cropping season, so the trees are relatively young. So, there is no chance of a single tree die.

2. When a tree is damaged,
All joints have an intermediate elastic rubber layer, so it minimizes any damage through contact.

3. When the structure got heavier,
The tree adapts itself to new loads through extending its root network

4. When a tree is swaying,
- Usually in monoculture plantation the tree movement is identical.
- The structure is supported by a central fixed joint surrounded by four flexible joints.
- The movement of trees depends on size of the canopy and rubber tree have very small canopy and the movement is minimum.