Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
Located in the south-east coast of Sri Lanka, Kirinda is a village of Islamic community of fishermen. Because of the Sumatra Earthquake on December 26, 2004, most of buildings of the village were swept away by Tsunami. The villagers were forced to live in temporary houses under the serve situations. This post-tsunami rehabilitation project includes construction of 67 houses and a mosque, and tree plantation.
Each house has two bed rooms, a hall and a roofed court which is a semi-open space. The hall and the roofed court could be a large room. However, to respect the lifestyle of the villagers, these rooms are separated by folding doors. It is necessary for women to avoid seeing their guests in person. The roofed court is a space like the shade of a tree, which protects from direct sunlight and ventilates through the house. Therefore this space plays an important role in the life of inhabitants; having a meal with family, enjoying socializing with neighbors and repairing their fishing nets and equipments.
Since this is a rehabilitation project, the important is low budget and reduction of construction period. Principal material is CEB (compressed earth block) which is available in Sri Lanka with low cost and doesn’t need trained constructors. The block has an uneven surface, so that it can be easily interlocked and built up like LEGO. In addition, the furniture units are also placed into the house. They are made of rubber tree which isn’t normally used for architectural material. In Sri Lanka tire industry is popular, so the trees are planted over the country. The units are pre-fabricated and set up on the spot.
For more information about Shigeru Ban’s 2014 Pritzker Prize, please read http://www.architectmagazine.com/architecture/shigeru-ban-architects-wins-the-2014-pritzker-prize_o.aspx