POTTERY FACTORY IN THE VILLAGE OF KELIYAPURA

Project idea

"Gammedda - the Legacy Continues"

Rather than being an ordinary disciple who had to go through the process of designing, I would say that my personal approach to this particular project was quite out of the ordinary. As architecture is the kind of practice where problems are addressed by using creativity blended with techniques, dedication, and structurally sound detailing, my key drive was to develop unity in the village of Keliyapura by gathering the residents in one place to ensure the upgrading of their living standards along the respective socioeconomic factors through the mastery of their ancestral knowledge about the industry of pottery.

Hence, the concept "Gammedda," which simply bears the meaning "the heart of the village," was devoted to a functional epicenter rather than a geographically constructed one.

As a mastery art, pottery has the feasibility to interconnect human emotions—even the most intricate ones—since the practice of pottery, the process itself, running from finding the suitable materials to adding the soul to space as a beautiful end product, has the touch of interconnections.

Literally, Gammedda was where the interconnections were formed, nurtured, and continued, and I wanted that very legacy to be continued through my design.

Project description

I wanted to create a space where functioning took the lead—a place that could function in many ways at once. In the language of history and genealogy, Gammedda was the first and foremost receptacle where residents gathered, discussed their issues, shared their knowledge and opinions, socialized, and bonded with each other. Gammedda was that one literal node where everything was profanely interconnected. So, what could possibly be a better place than Gammedda to create the functionality that was the most cardinal requirement in the process of designing a factory for clay artifacts?

When divining in the depths, I realized that pottery was such an earthly industry. Therefore, I wanted to bring out the essence of pottery while highlighting the foretold interconnections in order to create a better design that was armed by the power trio of functional, aesthetic, and subjective aspects.

I have designed this building in order to respond to its physical, biological, legal, cultural, and historical contexts by enhancing and signifying its existence in the location. Hence, the ultimate goal of the design project is to accommodate the production process, which is the higher function of the building; the design has to include highly functional spaces. It should ensure a smooth, efficient, and uninterrupted production process.

To enhance my concept in a more powerful way, I have arranged the main spaces (the entrance lobby, a gallery, a mini-design studio, administration, and technical offices, staff rooms, a food court, and other services), as well as the workstation around a main indoor courtyard space.

In this factory building, I have included a workstation for designing and casting the sample artifacts, and in that, I have provided space for the whole pottery manufacturing circle. (raw material processing, wheel throwing or molding, drying, firing, glazing, quality checking, and packing).
In addition, the requirements of the complete production line have been addressed. For example, storage areas for raw materials and chemicals, finished products, tools, and equipment have been provided.

Further, spaces for auxiliary facilities and services, for example, toilet facilities and changing rooms and lockers (male and female), pantry and dining spaces (separately for admin staff and factory staff), and a generator room, have been provided.

Furthermore, the allocation of the required space for the staff, for example, administrative staff and laborers, was considered during the design.

Other spaces, such as a reception, a gallery, and a mini design studio that shows the product line of traditional pottery, have been provided as fitting to my design.

Vehicle parking and turning facilities, such as loading and unloading bays to handle a minimum 20-foot (6-meter) long container, have been facilitated in my design.

Technical information

I have come up with this design solution while being mindful of the basics of structural stability and the utilization of building materials.
Rammed earth construction was the primary construction technique here. It is a method for creating walls, floors, and foundations entirely out of organic raw materials. This old method uses compressed dirt, lime, chalk, or gravel as a sustainable building material.

Rammed earth walls have the advantages of being an eco-friendly building material and having excellent insulation properties at the same time. Soil and clay are used to form thick walls that can hold heat during the day and release it gradually at night.

Building or constructing using rammed earth doesn't require much experience. We can use the laborers from that village in this construction.

Another reason to select this type was that construction composed of rammed earth lasts longer and also has a high fire-resistance rating. High-fire-resistance materials are compulsory as this is a clay factory.

Strong moisture resistance is provided by rammed earth. Because only natural elements are used in its production and no poisonous compounds are present, rammed earth by its own nature is non-toxic. Additionally, the property has termite issues, so this building material might offer it a great deal of protection as it offers a high level of pest protection.

The entire clay factory design has meaning due to the use of rammed earth walls. Simply said, "clay" was the main focus. Due to the natural color and texture variances present in the construction materials, many architects find it simple to style structures created with rammed earth. By doing so, I have produced something incredibly lovely while simultaneously helping the environment and lowering your carbon footprint.

I used bamboo for the roof structure. Flat bamboo strips joined together with bolts have been used to create bamboo truss structures. Bamboo lends itself well to roof trusses in the same way that timber roof trusses do because of its hollow nature, which makes it comparatively sturdy and stiff.
A frame composed of bamboo poles is used in this design as the bamboo truss. The buildings surrounding the courtyard are the only ones covered by the roof. In a certain way, usually taking the form of the design's roof, poles are joined to one another.

I wanted to add some special rural Sri Lankan architecture to make it a building that is more integrated with the village. I therefore used thatch to cover the roof to give it that aspect. So in that context, it won't be an alien structure. However, as it is a clay factory that employs fire inside of it, I was unable to create it using only thatch. So I used bitumen sheets to cover the roof framework before proceeding with thatch.
Clay and cow dung were used to create the floor, which is cool underfoot.

The design made use of stack ventilation in particular. I've left a space between the walls and the roof structure so that light and natural ventilation can enter, and I've covered it with timber poles (more likely louvers).

Documentation

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