Estate Bungalow

BRIEF
1 .

This is a report on a residential architectural project in Matugama, Sri Lanka by Narein Perera and
his design team which was completed in 2010.

2 .

The client is a young entrepreneur who wanted a bungalow house where he can oversee the
functioning of the estate periodically and also as a get-away for him and his family and friends.
He also wanted a flexibility to be able to rent out the bungalow to accommodate a clientele seeking
to escape the busy life of the city, a place that would allow quiet rest.

DESIGN CONCEPT
3 .

After receiving the brief, Petera and his team finalized that the concept should turned to
the simplicity of local architecture
They focused on Simple Form that is
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4 .

Elevated
Protected
YET Connected
ALLOWS Maximum vantage
HAS a Single Entry
_could be_
Dismantled
Reusable
But the Primary concept is that it Touches the Earth Lightly.

The solution is to adopts primarily an elevated deck extending off the hill,
a fungible space that encompasses all living and functional aspects needed with the private
areas tucked into a compact timber clad box.
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The simple asymmetric roof, skewed

its structure extending, touching the earth creates a certain imbalance, temporariness
to the whole.

CONTEXT
The Bungalow is roughly 120m2 and has only 3 bedrooms with attached bathrooms
5 .

On the ENTRACE LEVEL located

-

6 .

On the MEZZANINE LEVEL

-

7 .

1 MASTER BEDROOM
Stairs to the DECK LEVEL

On the DECK LEVEL

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8 .

1 BEDROOM
Stairs to the MEZZANINE LEVEL

1 BEDROOM
A Pantry
Multifuctional Space

THE SERVICE PERSONNEL and ancillary spaces needed for the running of the bungalow
and the estate
-

In existing buildings downhill

hidden by the tree canopy
allowing the occupier to completely disconnect from all daily routines and yet be
provided with all his needs.

9 . The levels are linked using an almost external stairway,

10 .

Resulting in several enclosed spaces

Bedrooms can be afforded the Maximum privacy envisioned
Positioned strategically within a sturdy framework composed of
STEEL
TIMBER
BAMBOO

CONSTRUCTION
The structural concept adopts the whole as an element placed on the hill side, rather than
one that is embedded into it.

The steel supports are the extended lines of the form itself, touching the naturally
undulating ground at varying heights in the landscape.
11 .

The materials used are limited to steel, timber and bamboo

12
13 .

. -

attempting to keep the lines thin as possible imbuing it with a sense of flimsiness,
keeping intervention on site minimal
letting the natural ground, the vegetation the runoff of water to flow inhibited.

The bed rooms are timber clad using the board and board technique of wall cladding,
imbuing a certain texture inside and out, and easing the solidity of the box, yet creating a
protective envelope for the occupant.
The east facing faades of the bed rooms are left unclad, allowing maximum views.

RESULT
14 .

The final outcome is a bungalow that gives a sense of temporariness and minimal site intervention
WHILE fulfilling the brief by allowing MAXIMUM VIEW and MAXIMUM PRIVACY at the same time

15 .

. THROUGH
Strategic choices of cladding by only cladding a certain facades Needed for MAX PRIVACY
and MAX VIEW
elevated enough that ALLOWS it to OVERLOOK THE AREA but also hidden enough by TREES
CANOPY for Max privacy.

ALSO FOR MAX PRIVACY

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External stairways
Separate service and ancillary spaces.