Archives

by Edward Arambewala

Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera draws architects' attention:

Wheelchair friendly environments in truly 'Equalitarian Principles'

Architecturally accessible environments has been a long long felt crucial need affecting directly and indirectly both, 'still physically active' majority of the 10.5% of the 'disabled' their immediate families (another x%) and further 11% of our ever increasing senior citizens. It has even entrapped me as a 'social prisoner'.

In 2000 there was a full day workshop for all the leading architects in our country. Then you may remember, in July 2003 I again personally got your kind help in highlighting this crucial need in Archwatch.

Even then it was 'buying time' attitudes saying: I quote: "SLIA is aware of this serious problem we are already discussing about it." Years have passed and regretfully, these custodians of our built environments have only marginalised further large numbers of our fellow brothers and sisters.

Words have not turned into action, in spite of repeated highlighting since 2000! It appears giving reasons for not being able to do these essential needs, has become the tradition.

Designing and construction of new buildings

A cry for your humanity, please!

It's encouraging to read of the active support of our own Architects towards resurrecting Sri Lanka after the tsunami disaster.

In designing for the 21st century architects, town planners and builders must not forget the 'senior citizens' and the fact that we are a rapidly ageing population.

By the year 2010 one in every seven persons in our families will be over 65 years of age. Already about 15% of our own brothers and sisters are with restricted mobility to varying degrees.

This does not mean that they are dependants. Very many of them were not born this way. At least good 70% of them are still active and productive but denied of opportunities for social integration due to poor designing of built environments.

These limitations are now inevitable due to natural and man-made disasters (that includes escalating number of road accidents, falling trees even in Colombo and protracted fratricidal war) increase in debilitating illnesses and ageing.

This mere 65,000 square kilometres of precious land is all we have, to share equally amongst 20 million of us, whether one moves on a wheelchair or walks with a white cane or limps on crutches.

Architects are the custodians of all built physical environments. Hence I make this specific request from our every single architect to actively support for 'State Reconstruction on truly Equalitarian Principles'. I am positive they will realise the great value and the significance of this specific request, for the betterment of a future Sri Lanka.

Hence propose and kindly request their active on-going support to "make it mandatory and strict priority that all planned physical environments and facilities they would provide, would truly be architecturally accessible, even by those with restricted mobility, especially those using wheelchairs.

These should include all upcoming condominiums, hotels (their washrooms and toilets in particular) libraries, shops, business establishments, banks, sports stadia, recreational centres and places of religious worship."

'Disability' in fact is only a grave 'social problem' and not a 'medical problem'. "Man built physical barriers to another man", prevents social integration, denies opportunities for continuing to be productive, causes divisions, restricts independence of daily activities of majority of them and hence breeds unwanted social prisoners. A country designing for the 21st century, cannot afford these very costly errors to happen.

Benefits architecturally accessible environments will bring include:

1. Will provide opportunities for every person to become as much as possible independent in attending to his or her essential daily needs, such as shopping, banking, recreation, gainful employment, travel, etc. and thereby none unwantedly becomes marginalised as an added burden to the Family and Society in turning as a social prisoner.

2. Will ensure equality of treatment to all groups of people to live as much as possible independently with dignity, enjoying the essential basic human rights, even on a wheelchair.

A special appeal

I kindly appeal from each and every Architect to actively support for the rapid enforcement and implementation of strict measures to "prevent man from constructing further barriers to his own mankind" in the same environments we live together generally with respect to future constructions of Sri Lanka and specifically with the constructions you may soon undertake to build in tsunami hit towns in Sri Lanka.

Three international speakers at this year's Architects National Conference

This year's National Conference had the privilege of hosting three international speakers of eminence in the field of Architecture Archt. Mario Botta from Switzerland, Archt. Cui Kai from China, and Archt. Brinda Somaya from India.

The President of the Commonwealth Association of architects Archt Llewelyn van Wyke-South Africa was a special invitee at the Conference.

The Member Architects' works on display, numbering 68 attracted a wide interest from the general public and those who were seeking to identify Architectural practices. The work of Archt. Mario Botta was also exhibited to the public.

Over 360 companies offering products and services related to the field of building and construction industry were on display. The visitor turnout at this years exhibition has been the highest with over 80,000 visitors which also included students and parents who showed keenness in the Career Guidance services provided by the SLIA.

The Student's Exhibition jointly by the Colombo School of Architecture and The University of Moratuwa also attracted the public attention.

The Annual General Meeting of the SLIA was held on 19th February 2005 along with the Architect 2005. The following Office Bearers were elected to the Council of SLIA for the period 2005/2006.

President - Archt. Rukshan Widyalankara, Senior Vice President - Archt. Jayantha Perera, Vice President - Archt. Chandana Ediririsuriya, Hony. Secretary - Archt. Ranjan Nadesapillai and Hony. Treasurer Archt. Raju Sivaraman.

Sent by: S.M. Colombage, General Manager (SLIA)

Transforming the built environment in cities through urban regeneration

by Archt/Plnr. Deshabandu Surath Wickramasinghe

Built Environment in a city is the complex interaction of the Site, Technology, Climate and other Natural Forces, Building Materials, and the Human Presence. Originally the available space in cities (usually prime land) was utilised to locate building to meet the immediate need of the urban community.

However, there has been a paradigm shift from the turn of the last century with an ever increasing body of knowledge of the subject which had led to the promotion of a green environment through the alleviation of global warming and by the conservation of the earth's resources and the prevention of pollution and other environmental hazards.

These issues have primed the transformation of the built environment in the city through sustainable urban regeneration.

Thus today Regeneration is the 'In World' globally and the Professional Associations of Architects, Planners and Engineers regularly conduct conferences in different parts of the world on different aspects of urban Regeneration.

The problems remain similar to those faced by the developed countries 25 or more years ago. In mega cities of over 10 million people in South Asia like Bombay, Calcutta, Dhaka, Karachi to name a few, the problems are acute due to the lack of regeneration policies.

These include degenerating and obsolete buildings due to age, function, and environmental quality. Lack of open space for leisure and recreation. Socio Economic Problems, Problems of Infrastructure, Problems of Traffic, Transport, Parking and Pollution Problems of Slums and Shanties and Overcrowding. The solutions and the process to solve these problems are complex and costly.

The prime locations in todays "economic hot spots" are occupied by slums and shanties. These need regeneration in order to regain the competitiveness in the city of economy.

If not the scarcity of land within the city causes urban sprawl resulting in the expansion of the city spreading to the use of agricultural land, open spaces and of water bodies resulting in air pollution, health hazards, etc.

With Urban Regeneration, urban sprawl is reduced, jobs are created and new business opportunities emerge, more housing gets built and the security and problems of traffic, parking and transportation are improved.

The environment with open spaces for Leisure and Recreation are created and the environmental pollution will also be drastically reduced. Thus Urban Regeneration was seen as a panacea a cure for ailing cities.

In Sri Lanka's major urban centres, Colombo in particular, urgent remedial action is necessary in order to rectify the situation. There are several types of regeneration connected to the build environment Sustainable Regeneration, Environmental Regeneration, Urban Regeneration, Rural Regeneration, Infrastructure Regeneration, etc.

The Regeneration process can offer land with well-served infrastructure, create possibilities to connect inner cities to nearby suburban areas and reduce urban sprawl, generate jobs and new business opportunities, get financial return on under-utilised or used property and improve the environment and overall quality of urban life.

Singapore, Malaysia and most countries in the developing world have successfully solved these problems through Urban Regeneration and have now become emergent economies.

56 years after independence we are still an under-developed country despite our talented human resources.

The challenge before us is "to rebuild and revitalise" Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is undoubtedly attempting to move forward, but divergent political conflicts in the North and East and in the South are preventing this happening.

The country requires a political leadership that is professional, dynamic, honest and inspiring. If not problems will increase and the masses will remain disillusioned.

A government in power draws up plans for action but successive governments usually have their own agenda. Mention must be made about the western Regional Megapolis Resource Development Master Plan which was completed recently and before that the Colombo Metropolitan Regional Structure Plan. These plans were prepared at great cost.

The challenge of architects is to design the cities with the aim of minimizing the waste of natural resources and conserving its environment. The central theme should be sustainability accompanied by compliance with the following objectives.

1. To identify and secure land for all land uses. Through Regeneration design a sustainable city.

2. Sustained economic growth and coordinating infrastructure.

3. Improving the equality of life and the working environment. projecting the cultural values and image of the community.

In order to meet with the above objectives the principles of design must take into account the following to ensure sustainability of the cities.

Energy Management, Water Management, Noise Pollution and Solid Waste Management, Management of Thermal and Daylight Environment. Appropriate use of materials, Alternate energy generation.

These principles of Design have been incorporated by Surath Wickramasinghe Associates in conceiving Sri Lanka's pioneering urban regeneration project at Panchikawatte.

This project is now beyond a concept. The Financial Feasibility and market survey and the conceptual design drawings have been approved by the Urban Development Authority. The government is now considering granting its approval for implementation as a Public/Private Partnership.

The total land extend in the Triangle is 14 ha. Of same, about 8.2 ha is the land available for re-generation it requires relocation of 2040 tenements, on a site of 4.3 ha which is located to the east of Panchikawatte Road. The design has incorporated a number of sustainable technologies with a view to reducing the running/and maintenance cost of the project.

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