The placement of the building on site retains all existing trees.

The building’s linear footprint allows optimized natural ventilation and brings sunlight to all internal rooms.

Rammed earth walls provide thermal mass.

The building’s placement on site accommodates all existing trees.

A series of formal and informal platforms for reading are organized in and around the library; its spatial progression unfolds as an experiential journey across diverse volumes.

The building informally wraps around an internal courtyard that is also an extension of the external landscape.

Framed views, and blurred definitions between inside and outside.

This project explores the possibility of using real building projects as training grounds for skill development.

The library follows the scale of adjacent buildings and enhances the natural charm of the landscape.

Training tasks were planned early and built into the design, an approach that can be extended across the building industry as a policy to build workforce capacity.

To overcome general de-skilling of the construction workforce, and to promote the army’s participation in post-war reconstruction.

The slip-form, rammed earth wall construction process is projected as an opportunity to transfer technology to locals and former soldiers.

The subsequent training tasks were planned at an early design stage, various components of the system and formwork were delineated, the fabrication/training tolerances defined, the production site (training ground), minimum module and sample labor gang (for training) were established, and fabrication steps laid out.

The simple pavilion building sits lightly in the landscape, respecting existing trees.

Rammed earth walls and other recycled materials are used to reduce the building’s ecological footprint.

Post-War Collective is due for completion in early 2015.

Training tasks were planned at an early design stage including various components of the formwork.

Developed in collaboration with Sinha regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, the project is under construction and provides training in building techniques to soldiers through the construction of a community library.

Young men from underprivileged socio-economic backgrounds are being trained in building techniques through their involvement in the construction of public structures, such as the community library which is due for completion in early 2015.

Project update January 2015 – Post-War Collective: Community library and social recuperation, Ambepussa, Sri Lanka

The building sits lightly in the landscape and wraps around an inner courtyard, taking full advantage of cross ventilation and daylight use.

The building’s placement on site accommodates all existing trees, follows the scale of adjacent buildings and enhances the natural charm of the landscape.

The single-story building mass spans nonchalantly across the landscape, touching the earth as lightly as possible.

The building informally wraps around an internal courtyard that is also an extension of the external landscape.

Re-used steel sections gathered from dilapidated old factories and discarded timber railway sleepers collected from a neighboring train station provide other key materials for structure and floor respectively.

A serene flow of space across landscape.

The placement of the building on site retains all existing trees, while its linear footprint allows optimized natural ventilation and brings in sunlight to all internal rooms; rammed earth walls provide thermal mass.