DSMA | Damith .S. Munasinghe Associates

Lake villa by Carlson

This hideout is located in a suburb area near Bologoda river which sits approximately 15 Kilometers away from Colombo city. The owner of the house lives overseas and wanted to convert an old building structure into a private villa that harmoniously blends among the characteristics of tropical and Scandinavian architecture, which is also known as the ‘Duality’ of two opposites in the architectural world. This phenomenon gave birth to a concept of a’Hygge’ with owner’s personal flavour of Scandinavian architecture in creating a physical coziness and the spiritual warmth on a built structure, whilst making it more comfortable and it’s conviviality atmosphere that engenders the feeling of well being. Since inception the ultimate challenge in making this project a success was to utilise minimum variety of elements, while bearing in mind the budget constraints which was an essential concern to the client. The awkward position of the existing structure triggered the architectural sense to creatively convert the existing front facade to a Scandinavian wing shaped appearance while creating dominance to the tropical architectural ambience. While playing with geometric shapes the design remains clean and void of any distracting elements keeping the buildings’ functionality as a priority without sacrificing its appearance. Landscape design and the existing greenery surrounded by the structure created a clear demarcation from the haphazard micro context of the site whilst making an opportunity harmoniously blending these two architectural characteristics. Natural materials and colour palettes have given a reverence to the craft of architecture by making its core and skin more visually attractive within this context. The interior of the villa was designed in order to give an essence of the typical tropical Sri Lankan architecture with a touch of rich Scandinavian elegance. Borrowed views of the river and garden broadens up the viewers visual experience. The shading devices fixed to cut off the excessive sun rays makes the experience more convenient to ones sight. The concept lends itself perfectly to one’s home. ‘Hygge’ warmly welcomes you to an ambience capturing feelings of contentment and wellness taking you off to an unforgettable experience light as flying a kite

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