A commission to design a collection of boutique villas in the remotest reach of the Sri Lankan peninsula has allowed the team at WEIJENBERG to explore the relationship between nature and architecture in its most visceral form.

The team started by investigating the landscape, the wind, the sun’s direction, and researching existing construction methodologies in Sri Lanka. This resulted in a curved building angled towards the bay so that prevailing winds would create a passively cooled building.

A series of long lines organize the natural landscape. By continuing these lines into the main building and carefully situated clusters of villas, there is an integral relationship between the human space and the landscape.

The landscape itself provided inspiration for our choice of building materials.  We wanted to weave human-made structures to appear as if it is a part of the peninsula. This resulted in the choice of rammed earth as the main building’s material, reflecting the red-brown hues of the cliffs, boulders, and soil of the peninsula.

back to F&B/Hospitality/Residential/Commercial

‍