COOKING SPACE PROJECT ( For Gypsies people )

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

Project idea

Designing a cooking space for a selected user category is a design project in level one in (part one) Architecture department. As for this projects selected user category is Gypsies (ahikuntika) people near to kasbawa lake, kaluthara in Sri Lanka.
Sri lankan Gypsy people are an ethnic group from sri lankan who trace theri origins in india centuries ago. They have no culture, no arts, no religious rituals. But there is some evidence get their information. They are the only nomadic group of people living in ceylon and are known as the " Ahikuntaka " otherwise called caravans. They live in small palmyra huts for 07 days in one place. They mostly speak " Theligu " most follow rudimentary elements of hindusm, while some are christians and yet others adhere to buddhism.
The non-nuclear family system is a nuclear family system. They reside in a group of families. They are between 07 and 12 members of one of these group. There are 03 or 04 families in gypsy group.

Why they need cooking space ?

In the past, they stay 07 days at one place. When the 07 days covered they moved tho another place . The reson is that gypsies are very dirty. By the end of 07 days the worms come in to the tents. So they have to moved elsewhere. So they simple prepare a meal and eat it. They don't need an exact place to cook.
This situation has Changed now that is, they stay long period build on the boats tents. So now they need exact space to cook. One of the difficulties is the inability to prepare food on the boat they should come out and prepare near the road.so they need a space to prepare food.

Project description

Design concept is to create a space where they can prepare meals on the boat. Adapt to their culture and make it easy to use their tents. The uniqueness, ssimplicity and unity that exist between them is a special ferature. Biased on that characteristics, intend to do this design so that the boat near them can interconet.
When study in their tents and boats tents, there is an area of 09 feet and 05 feet. Better way of the create them is a right size that suits them.

An important point is in the designing of the cooking space one of basic function is cooking. But since they are not cooking always.
1. Can they use this place for their other purposes?
2. Can they earn income using this place?

YES, They have talented to made handicrafts form palm leaves. Palm fans, boxes, unique bags are made by them. This place was design for the main purpose of their cooking . But also iintended to be used as a source of income. This is because foreigner attraction is to this place and people and foreigner are tend to study ttheir culture and behaviour.
For create cooking space use main matirials is bamboo, timber and palm leaf. These matirials are don't any hurt for environment, although this is destroyed after long time, no any problem for environment.
" BACK TO NATURE "

Technical information

The gypsies in chosen place are live in near the lake . Hope to design their cooking space as they llive now. That is without any cchanging and suitable for any emergency flooding. Solution to this issues is, based on the information obtained form the study decided to create cooking space at water level above 800mm. The resone for this is the water level rises form 250mm to 300mm in the rain season in this place. Accordingly, the design of 800mm above the exsisting water level wiil not cause any flood damage.

This design for use main matirials are BAMBOO, TIMBER AND PALM LEAF. These matirials are very suits for gypsies and other purpose is this matirials don'd hurt for environment. although this is Destroyed After long time, no any pproblem for environment.
After converted the cooking space. They can use this place make to handicrafts, sleeping, reading plam leaf and anything for thay can do.