This paper explores the evolution of traditional Sri Lankan house architecture, examining the impacts of colonial influences and the subsequent experiments made by Geoffrey Bawa. Since the mid-first millennium, Sri Lanka has endured numerous foreign invasions. Arabs and Chinese were the earliest invaders, followed by the Portuguese in 1505, the Dutch in 1656, and the British in 1796. These interventions significantly influenced the country's architectural styles. The article delves into the residential projects of Geoffrey Bawa built from the 1950s to the 1990s and traces its adaptations from Sri Lankan, Portuguese and Dutch houses .

Comparative Analysis of Sinhalese, Portuguese and Dutch house types with Geoffrey Bawa’s work. 

One can see the similarities between the plan of the Sinhalese houses, Dutch houses, Portuguese houses, and the contemporary houses built by Geoffery Bawa in Sri Lanka. (see table 1).

Two of the most appreciated house projects have been taken to discuss the planning, typology, and spatial configuration of the spaces. 1. The House no 11, 33rd Lane, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 2. The House of Ena de Silva, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

The Planing and overall spatial configuration 

The plans of the Sinhalese, Dutch, and Portuguese in Sri Lanka were generally simple and were constructed in a grid, which we can also find in many of the projects of Geoffery Bawa.

Compared to the traditional Sinhalese houses, the colonial houses, in the houses by Geoffery Bawa the front space of the houses, opened to the public to occupy is larger. (see image 1 ). His planning involves a series of interconnected spaces that flow naturally within each other. The houses which he made were articulated by a sequence of discovery throughout the space, which often makes the space unpredictable. This often includes the use of open plans, natural ventilation, and views that frame the landscape, all contributing to a sense of continuity and connection with nature. Bawa uses this type by creating a front porch (loggia), followed by a wall with an opening for car parking, which creates a buffer between the street and the house without completely differentiating it. (see image 2 ).

  Courtyards

The courtyards have been an internal part of the traditional Sri Lankan Architecture.

They are visible in houses made by the Sinhalese to houses made by the Dutch. The main intention of having a courtyard was to deal with the climatic conditions of Sri Lanka.

As Sri Lanka is surrounded by the sea, it has to deal with the humidity. They act as a light well allowing ample daylight to illuminate the space, making it more airy and breathable. The courtyards create possibilities to interact with nature, allow various entities to occupy the space, and it also creates a welcoming gesture for whoever enters the house. The size of the courtyard varies from Sinhalese architecture to Dutch architecture to the experiments in Bawa’s work. .  In the Sinhala houses the courtyards are usually small whereas one can see huge courtyards in the Dutch Houses  The courtyards in many of Geoffery Bawa’s projects are small but many in number and  interconnected, where he creates dwelling spaces around the courtyard. The courtyards of House no 11, 33rd lane, and the Ena de Silva house are different. One is placed in the center of the house while in the other there are a series of courtyards throughout the house, but play a similar role in both houses. There is also a tree placed in the center of the courtyard xxx to get filtered sunlight, which overall increases the ambiance of the space. He also creates affordances that allow residents  to sit and have a chat in the courtyard by adding four huge stones at each corner of the courtyard. The floor of the courtyard is kept free without adding flooring to it to get a sense of being in touch with nature. Hence House no 11, 33rd Lane, and the Ena de Silva House are examples of houses where the courtyard plays an important role, and more value and increases the overall aesthetic of the place. 

The table no 2 discussed how the courtyard shifted according to the contemporary time, and which were implemented in the projects of Geoffery Bawa. 

      Connectors 

The second most prominent feature of Sri Lankan architecture are  the passages and the verandas. They are the connectors that connect the overall house with the courtyards. Typically the verandah is a semi-open space with a covered roof, which allows you to be indoors but in touch with the surroundings. In the Sri Lankan houses, it plays an important role in dealing with the climatic conditions as well as increasing the overall aesthetic of the space. It serves as a versatile space, creating various affordances between the indoors and the outdoors. They help reduce the direct exposure of the sun entering the house and create a buffer between the indoors and outdoor. 

The use of verandas and the passages has been used from the Sinhalese to the Dutch.

The connections between the Portuguese shipping routes and South Asia certainly helped the Europeans to live in hot and humid climates.  A similar flow of the verandas and the passages is visible in House no 11, 33rd Lane, and the Ena de Silva House. In the Ena de Silva House, the verandah wraps the courtyard completely, creating a buffer between the courtyard and the rooms. The verandah is further extended to become a dining space creating a flow between two spaces. In House no 11, 33rd Lane, here there are no specific verandas but the spaces are crafted along the courtyards to act as a buffer between the indoors and the outdoors. According to David Robson, Bawa’s biographer: ‘[The house] is an introspective labyrinth of rooms and garden courts that together create an illusion of endless space on what is, in reality, a tiny suburban plot. Moving through the house there is a sense of continuity which is achieved through the verandah.

Conclusion

The influence  of the Dutch, Portuguese and British have contributed to the overall Sri Lankan architecture. Geoffery Bawa used the elements from colonial buildings in a contemporary way to achieve climatic comfort and overall aesthetics of the space. He blends the european spaces and elements with south asian spatial configurations and elements to create a dwelling habitable in the tropical climate.