Multi Sensory Kithul exploratorium at Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

SLIIT

Project idea

The project focuses on designing a livelihood based exploratorium for the villagers and visitors of Sinharaja rain forest where the local means of livelihoods are utilized for the purpose of exploration by the visitors. This exploration is ultimately aimed at celebrating the dignity of the community and their traditional values.

Sinharaja rainforest.

The Sinharaja rain forest was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1988. It is a bio diversity hot spot in the country and has a prevailing tropical climate ( average 27 degrees Celsius temperature and a annual rainfall of 3000 mm - 5000 mm) and thus tropical vegetation and wildlife. This rain forest is also the water shed of many rivers.

Site analysis.

The proposed site is located adjacent to the Kudawa bazaar of the Kudawa village in the north western boundary of the Sinharaja rain forest buffer zone. The kudawa village is the most developed out of the 30 peripheral villages of Sinharaja.
The site is accessed by the Colombo-Kalawana road which runs along the eastern boundary of the site. The site has the provision of the water supply and electricity from the national supply.
The Colombo-Kalawana road runs towards Sinharaja, through the Kudawa junction which acts as the meeting point of five villages. Thus the site has easy access from the villages and the city.

Environmental features of the site.

As the site is located in the wet zone of the country and in close vicinity to two water bodies, it is subjected to monsoon rains and subsequent flooding. hence the site is in a water logged state where the flora species are limited to wetland species such as rushes, bracken species.
The site is at a depression of 7 meters below the road level and is situated on a valley. hence it is subjected to prevailing winds from the north and south.
the fauna species found in the site are amphibian species who breed and thrive in the wetland environment.

Project description

The kitul industry of Sinharaja is one of the most early and widespread livelihood means of the forest villagers where the kithul / fishtail palms were tapped to extract the sap and manufacture treacle and jaggery. It originated as a result of the forest based lifestyle led by the villagers prior to the establishment of nature reserves such as UNESCO.
These conservation projects largely affected the industry and changed its traditional structure. These changes can further be clarified by the following figure which focuses on the industry of the prior and post conservation periods.

The Problem identification.

Along with the establishment of the Sinharaja rain forest reserve as a UNESCO world heritage, the traditional kitul industry , gradually became obscure and is been replaced by the present kitul industry which is practiced by many new comers who does not possess the knowledge on the traditional industry and its cultural aspects.

Thus this problem of the dying kitul culture which originated as a result of the close contact between the forest and the industry, is been focused as the design problem of the project.

Hence the project aims at revitalizing the traditional kitul culture by creating an interactive space where the dispersed kitul tappers as well as the visitors are given an opportunity to return to their roots through the multi- sensory exploration of the industrial culture.

Conceptual development.

‘’ Return to the core’’

The conceptual idea was derived from the notion of bringing together the dispersed kitul community within a mutual environment which would act as a replacement of the role played by the Sinharaja rainforest in early times.
Thus the conceptual idea of ‘return to the core’ signifies the return from the present road oriented forest life to the previous ‘forest’ oriented forest life. This concept of returning from ‘the road to the forest’ was derived as a result of the symbolism used by the villagers where the laying of the tarmac road signified the disruption of their previous life.

The conceptual ideas considered in the spatial resolution.

As the concept of the project is ‘’return to the core’’, the following conceptual ideas were identified as the main driving elements of the spatial configuration and its resolution;

1. The directional flow of spaces through the theme of ‘’from the road to the forest’’ and vice versa.

2. The notion of moving forwards the heart of the forest and into the past.

3. The exploration of the early multi-sensory adaptations to the environment as was practiced by the early kitul tappers.

Conceptual realization through tectonic resolution.

The spatial qualities of the design have been shaped by the concept of ‘’return to the core’’ as was mentioned earlier. The realization of this concept have been put into action from the entrance itself, as explained below

The entrance to the building is signified by the visual link created through the front facade to the forest at the rear end of the site. To emphasize this link the front facade is devoid of other openings. This is the first indication which moves the visitors from the road to the forest and subsequently into the building.

The entrance is marked in accordance with the line of trees lining the road on either side.

1.The lobby.

The lobby is zoned beyond the entrance, which acts as the transition space between the direct and indirect paths of the building. Thus the space is equipped with the minimalist in-built seating unit facing the intended direction towards the forest and the four ‘’green spots’’ indicating the entrances to the;
1. Kitul community space
2. Lake terrace
3.Toilets
4.The downward gallery.

Thus the strategy of ‘’green spots’’ have been utilized in leading the visitor through spaces and in order to exemplify these greenery, the lobby is designed with a contrasting grey shade of grey pigment rammed earth panel walls and gravel textured floor.

The textured floor is aimed at creating the feel of the threshold in between the road and the other spaces of the building.

2.The kitul community space.

The kitul community space is zoned beyond the lobby along the direst path and is the climax of the building. This space is accessed by a visitor unknowingly as he follows the visual link created at the lobby towards the forest.

In order to signify the ultimate realization of the concept within this space,many
strategic spatial elements have been used;

2.1 The form of the space as geometric circle which creates a sense of
togetherness and through the psychology of people allows them to
rest their journey at that space.

2.2 The notion of arriving at the heart of the forest created through the
rammed earth panel walls and the textured flooring with earth
pigment.

2.3. The liyana incorporated timber pergola roof and the overlying
poly carbonate roofing in order to attain the play of light and the
notion of being underneath the forest canopy.

3.The downward gallery.

The first space encountered on the indirect path is the downward gallery, which is accessed vertically through the lobby by the means of a kitul ladder inspired stairway.
As this space is inspired by the descent of a kitul tapper on the forest ground, specific spatial elements have been utilized in order to create the spatial effect;

3.1. The green floor is the first encounter of the space felt by the
visitor on his descent. This change of textures and material from a
gravel textured flooring to a turf ground creates the sense of landing
on the forest ground.

3.2. The green walls surrounding the space; the cor-ten steel frame walls
with creepers and the biophilic slope which acts as a wall of the
space.
These elements have created the sudden transition from the ‘road to the forest’ where the amount of greenery increases.

4.The fiber gallery.

The fiber gallery is accessed after the downward gallery, which have been
inspired by the horizontal tight rope walk of tappers from one palm to the other, in places where the palms are situated close to each other. Thus this space creates the notion of moving on air, over ground.

Thus the space is designed with an exposed beam floor where the only flooring is the narrow steel mesh walkway at the center. The walls are half walls of rammed earth panels which creates the feeling of the ground giving way and the air taking over.

The steel mesh walkway which have been designed as per the structure of a tight rope gradually becomes an outdoor walkway where the space have reached its concept of ‘walking high above’’.

In order to attain a support free structure for the walkway the material of pre-cast steel mesh segments are utilized in creating a tensile overhead bridge.

5.The smell gallery

The mesh walkway of the fiber gallery leads to the enclosed smell gallery where the function is focused on exemplifying the smell of kitul products; jaggery and treacle. Hence the space is designed with minimal openings in order to retain the smell emanated through the directed exhaust outlet from the kitchen.

Yet in order to control the accumulating heat within the space, the rammed earth panel walls which are breathable elements are used along with the window layout which supports stack ventilation.

6.Nocturnal and tactile gallery.

This space is accessed beyond the smell gallery and is inspired by the nocturnal experiences of the kitul tappers who spent overnight in the forest within caves. Thus the space is characterized by the low light and the subsequent tactile experience created through it. The elements of;

1. The space shaped as a tunnel to minimize the light gain.
2. The kitul timber tactile wall surfaces.
3. The constructed bird breeding zone on the exterior facade to gain the
the effect of sound,
have been utilized in creating a space where the lack of visual clarity creates a nocturnal environment and experience.

7.Core circulation point.

The nocturnal and tactile gallery leads to the core circulation point which provides access to the overlying kitul community space where the multi-sensory spatial exploration ends.

The core circulation point is within the structural hollow surrounded by the structural columns and the non-load bearing envelope constructed of pre-cast clay panels with narrow light shafts. This enclosed space is designed in order to create the final transition to the climax of the building.

As this space signifies the backbone of the kitul community space through its structure and its form, it is incorporated with flora in the interior and exterior to create a uniform green tower at the center of the building.

This incorporation of flora surrounding the space is also to achieve the spatial quality of the ascending kitul tapper who moves from within the greenery of the forest towards the sky, and this notion of the sky is created through the poly carbonate and pergola roof.

Technical information

contextual implications on the technical resolution.

As mentioned previously, the site is a marshy land with ta high water table and a clay soil category. This environmental factor has influenced the types of foundation, choice of foundation material and the choice of material for the super structure.
Due to the state of the unstable soil pile foundation comprising of kumbuk (water resistant timber type) pile with a concrete cap has been utilized.

The super structure is a column and beam structure with the main building material of " self healing concrete" which allows for the self healing treatment of cracks in the concrete created by water due to the bacteria reaction in the concrete.

The main building material of the building is a rammed earth hollow wall prototype which is an alternative for the compressed solid rammed earth walls. ( more details are presented in the project drawings and images)

Thus the technical resolution of the project was carried out in par with the contextual requirements as well the conceptual idea which promotes the emergence of the traditional way of life in the forest ( the usage of local and natural materials; rammed earth)