Home to many courtyards

BEAUTIFUL SPACES

Dipika Dharmadasa has a well-known architectural and interior design practice in Colombo. The firm’s portfolio consists of residential, corporate, hospitality projects in Sri Lanka. Dipika is an inspiration to architecture students who often complain about lack of time to dedicate to design. Dipika pursued part-time studies in architecture as part of an architecture programme at City School of Architecture (CSA) while working with architect Nela De Zoysa.

Dipika’s own home built 14 years ago, on 7 perches (approx 1900 sqft) of land was crucial in helping her establish her independent architecture practice. Dipika designed her house while she was still a student at CSA and it was constructed before she completed her architectural studies. The design and building of the house took three years and was completed in 1997. Not only was the designing process and the construction of the house a great learning experience for Dipika, but the wonderful student project proved a great start to a career in architecture. She recollected that she received several architectural commissions from the early visitors to the house.

Roofless living space
With its high walls the house presents an appearance of anonymity and stolidity but within the house the sense of enclosure dilutes and there is a feeling of expansive space. The fortress like enclosure walls also helps in disconnecting the house from its location in a busy commercial part of the city- the surrounding traffic drones are imperceptible within the serene interiors of house. The Dharmadasa house is essentially an introverted roofed pavilion that overlooks a large courtyard.

The entrance courtyard is the locus of the house and acts as an extension of the living space. The living space is like a roofed garden pavilion but open to the courtyard. The living area which has ochre tinted polished cement flooring contains simple polished cement built in seating as well.

The living room furniture also consists of two butterfly chairs apart from low wood chairs, antique wood chests that act as side tables. Dipika has displayed her collection of terracotta, pottery and various bronze artifacts in the living and dining spaces

A verandah surrounds the courtyard; the wall facing the living has an Ivan Peiris painting in earth tones. A simple yet sculptural staircase faces the central courtyard. The aggregate filled courtyard transforms during the course of day and as well on occasions.

With exercise equipment installed, the courtyard is an outdoor gym, extension of the living space and as well as meditative space- a visual respite and apart from providing ample space for the family’s dog to run around. Dipika mentions that they entertain frequently and when they do they open out the garage doors and the house extends into the compound, and the party moves outdoors -while the rest of the time it functions as an introverted house.

A large double height paved entrance pavilion space is the garage, unlike a typical garage it’s not enclosed and placed out of the sight from the rest of the house but opens out to the courtyard. The family’s bright red vintage car has a sculptural presence in the courtyard.  An office room is located at the entrance which overlooks a smaller courtyard while Dipika’s architectural studio is located in an annex towards the far end of the plot and is thus separated from the house.

Green spaces in the house
The house has two smaller planted courtyards (walled garden spaces), that ventilate various spaces within the house apart from adding an element of surprise. The narrow courtyard adjoining the dining provides diffused light into the space. It has been planted with tall tropical plants. The dining area has large glass sliding doors with overhead windows.

Dipika has a collection of contemporary Sri Lankan paintings including modernist masters like George Keyt.  In the dining room, a George Keyt painting occupies one wall while artist Druvinka’s painting occupies the opposite wall. The kitchen which has views of the entrance courtyard is accessed through antique swing doors.

Dipika has placed the dining room and kitchens a few feet higher than the living space this allowed her to create a semi basement which contains the utility rooms and the domestic help’s rooms. These spaces are ventilated through the courtyards.

The upper floor has four bedrooms and a family/lounge space. The guest room is located towards the front of the house and is connected to the upper living space through a linear bridge. The guest room is endearingly quaint and is ventilated by one of the smaller courtyards- it has views of the palm tree canopies – a surprise element in the guest room is a small pitch roofed balcony –with built in seating . The balcony overlooks the large courtyard and is a wonderful place to read.

The master bedroom is split level, the higher level space contains the wardrobes. This space opens out into tree canopies through a multi-panel doorway. The master bath has an open to sky shower with a random rubble living wall inhabited with lush ferns. The stone of the rubble wall act as storage ledges for toiletries.

Dipika has reduced the use of glass in the house opting instead to create openings with grilles and wood shutters. By creating permeable landscape spaces, continuous access for breeze, semi covered and open spaces, and a careful choice of materials and finishes she has managed to create a cooler micro climate within the house.

The Dharmadasa house with its multiple courtyards, pavilion like built structures, captures the experience (the light, weather, the vegetation) of verdant Sri Lanka. The overall effect is similar to living in a large garden.

(The writer practises landscape architecture.)