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As a historical and cultural city: 

Kandy retains Sri Lanka's cultural and religious leadership

By Architect A. R. H. Amarasekera (FIA-SL) 

Kandy was the base of the last independent kingdom of Sri Lanka which lasted until 1815 AD, before the country was totally subjugated by the colonial powers.

The city has retained a part of this role to date by assuming as a civic entity the cultural and religious leadership of the country.

This is manifest by the presence of the Temple of the Tooth Relic venerated by Buddhists all over the world and the conducting of the annual Esala Pagent (Dalada Perehera) symbolising the rich cultural heritage of the nation. Kandy is perceived to be the custodian of all that if held sacred in the national culture and religion while Colombo is considered to be the agent of foreign cultural and commercial interests.

* The need to conserve our architectural heritage

The idea of architectural conservation is universal in nature. Even the most materially developed countries of the world have a clear policy to handle their heritage. Centuries old buildings and townscape have been well preserved in both western and eastern hemispheres.

Unfortunately, some developing nations including ours, appear to be selling their national heritage for a pot of gold or allowing purposeful destruction of priceless endowments in land, building and artefact in the name of "Development" or worse through neglect and pilferage.

One might ask "Why conservation"? One might as well ask, "Why history and culture?" Civilisation is built upon years of hard work by many millions of people. True products of history whether art or architecture, have a timeless quality in them that defy the ravages of the fourth dimention.

Future generations need to perceive the origins and development of a society in order to map out its future. A society of any worth is based upon a solid cultural and religious heritage upon which spiritual, moral and material development can take place. A society without a heritage may become materially rich but humanely worthless. Any development takes place along these lines.

* The need to spread the message of Architecture throughout the nation.

Architecture is too important and critical for its concerns to be limited to the domain of a few specialists. The whole nation must get to know its role in the nation building process. While the SLIA ensures that architects undergo a rigorous training prior to commencing practice, it also has a duty to educate and inform the general public about the necessity for architecture and architects.

* Importance of having educative programmes at regional level

The nation has been moving away from the metropolis centred method of development. The consequences of city centred development can be seen in most third world countries in terms of propagating both urban and rural poverty. This is quite apparent in this country by way of an urban slum and shanty population, a rural population living mostly below subsistence level and unemployment everywhere.

This is partly the result of most benefits of development flowing into cities.

A city has to be a catalyst and channel for the development of its surrounding area both rural and urban without becoming a parasite drawing in all the resources towards itself. For a long time the SLIA has been propagating the idea of holistic development based on an integrated national policy. Holistic and balanced development has to take place not only in all fields but in all regions of the country as well.

* Past experience of going to the regions

This is not the first instance that the SLIA is organising a regional event. In 1997/1998 under the presidency of Archt. V. N. C. Gunasekera, the SLIA successfully organised events in Anuradhapura, Bandarawela, Galle, Gampaha, Kandy, Kurunegala, Ratnapura and Trincomalee, eight in all.

The main theme of these workshops was "A Vision for an Integrated Development of the Built environment for 21st century Sri Lanka". Architects as well as other professionals presented important papers at these workshops.

* Importance of Kandy as a regional centre

After the administrative and commercial capital of Sri Lanka, namely Colombo, Kandy is the second most important city in the country. While Colombo district population is 2.2 million, Kandy district has a population of almost 1.3 million. The City is considered as the hill capital of the country.

* The need for sustainable urban development with guidelines

Social and environmental destruction occurs when this simple truth is forgotten. If all resources are misused without consideration, not only development but also society itself will come to a standstill.

Ample evidence for this is found not only in the societies of the developed and developing world but also on the whole of the earth.

Therefore, development both social and economic, has to be guided and controlled in terms of the conservation of material, energy, space and environment. The regional workshop due to be held in Kandy, will attempt to answer at least some of the questions arising.

* Reconciling conservation and development requirements

Human society itself comprises the young and the old, one bringing forth dynamism and ideals and the other, the richness of experience. This is applicable to architecture as well, which is no doubt a reflection of the society which creates it.

It is the existence of the young and the old that enriches a society and brings out its greatest potential. Other countries have succeeded in implementing policies based on this fact, specially in terms of the built environment. Then why not us?

* The Regional Workshop

Several eminent speakers were invited to present papers at the Kandy workshop. Among them Vidya Jyothi Dr. Roland Silva, Hony. President, International Committee on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and Vidya Jyothi Archt. Ashley de Vos eminent Sri Lankan architect. Is development and conservation reconcilable?

This is the question that is facing all of us. Can we have the best of both worlds? Other countries and societies have been successful therefore why not us?

It is our responsibility as professionals, policy makers and citizens, to ensure that this does not happen. Let us make a move in the right direction and lay the correct foundation for a dynamic and successful future based on a rich heritage.

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Sick Building Syndrome

by Dr. (Mrs.) Indrika Rajapaksha

Senior Lecturer, Department of Architecture, University of Moratuwa

Do we suspect the offices we work make us sick?

Most of us are conscious that outdoor air pollution greatly affects our health, but may not know that indoor air pollution can also have significant harmful effects.

Research on human exposure to air pollution reveals that indoor levels of many pollutants are higher than outdoor levels and when concentrations build up indoor air pollutants promotes long and short-term risks to health.

Generally, it has been an issue in industrial sector but recently poor indoor air quality was recognized as a broader public health problem that affects people working in office buildings.

Awareness of indoor air pollution as an environmental concern is relatively new for Sri Lanka. Recent environmental diagnostic study of the author revealed that the majority of the popular office complexes in Colombo prevails SBS (Sick Building Syndrome) symptoms in varying magnitudes.

Most of the office workers complained on severe headaches, sore throat and sore eyes ailments, dry itchy skin conditions and dehydration feeling. In addition, lack of visual sensations and user controls to modulate the indoor temperatures of air-conditioned interiors, simply by opening a window were apparent psychological issues.

Sick building Syndrome

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a noteworthy phenomenon discloses by World Health Organization as a recognizable disease experienced in an office. Occupants may complain of one or more of the following symptoms: dry or burning mucous membranes in the nose, eyes and throat, sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, dry and itchy skin, fatigue or lethargy, headache, dizziness, nausea, irritability and forgetfulness.

The experienced symptoms are variable and do not fit into a pattern of any particular illness, which is often temporary.

The symptoms are likely to aggravate with the time spent in the building, diminish or disappear soon after leaving the building and recurrence with re-entry.

Some buildings demonstrate long-term impacts and occasionally the complaints are contained to a particular room or zone, or may be wide spread throughout the building.

Indoor air quality and health ventilation

Often the common denominator of SBS is poor indoor air quality. Indoor air pollutes through air borne substances originates inside the building as carbon dioxide (a gas that is produced when people breathe) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from sophisticated interior decor of synthetic materials, building materials and some office equipment.

Most common are the chemicals used to dye draperies, upholstery furniture, coverings of cubicle partitions, plywood used in interior, carpets, wall, ceiling finishes and paints. Lack of adequate fresh air results accumulation and increase in quantities of contaminants, which is a sufficient factor to cause illnesses.

Indoor spaces must receive adequate quantities of outdoor air that has been filtered and cleaned to create an acceptable indoor air quality to ensure comfortable and healthy indoor conditions. This could be sustained by proper ventilation.

Ventilation is a combination of processes such as, introduction of outdoor air, conditioning and mixing of indoor and outdoor air, distribution and exhaustion of indoor air. Meagreness of one or more of these processes deteriorates the indoor air quality.

Cause: "Black box" office blocks with homogenize interiors be cautious of "the air you breathe"

Conventional wisdom cites predominant culprit of SBS is inadequate ventilation. Fresh air and air movement patterns allow a building to breathe and sustain "flushed" and "airy" interiors.

Currently, the building practises on universalise trends are enthusiastic in promoting mechanically conditioned interiors by optimising the use of air conditioning, which convert all indoor spaces to a mathematical and universal measurement of cubic volume rated in tons of output capacity.

The modern office buildings created on speculative concepts are focused on profits and lesser priority is placed on the office worker.

Thus, more attention is paid to its modern identity than to its internal use. With this perspective, the artificial demand for A/C was generated through factors such as commercial need to maximise rent able values, maximise flexibility and occupancy levels and the promotion of a prestigious identity.

Thus, the design objective is to completely segregate the relationships of indoor and outdoor air to attenuate cool air loss in extreme summer conditions. consequently, the offices symbolize "Black box" forms with tightly sealed facades and homogenize interiors.

Design practices to promote uniform and constant indoor thermal environments trigger ill health by removing stimuli that may activate protective responses by increasing metabolic rate and stimulating the immune system.

When buildings become sealed and finished with modern interiors, restricted indoor airflow patterns allow pollutant 'build-up' owing to poor air exchange. To dilute and to remove indoor contaminants, mechanical systems must take in adequate amounts of outdoor air.

Since an economical measure, these systems are designed to reduce the intake of 'fresh' outside air because it is cheaper to re-circulate air that has already cooled than to take in outside air and cool it.

Furthermore, air conditioning systems are all sources of biological air pollutants and poor maintenance provide a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and fungi, which promotes microbial contamination.

Majority of the offices with non-operable windows rely on re-circulation of the indoor air, which increases the ever-growing air borne contaminants. People working in these offices with insufficient ventilation rates breathe re-circulated indoor air contaminated with chemicals and microorganisms, which assist maladies of SBS.

Fortunately, these symptoms are preventable, but it is important to trace the principle cause, which will only increase as time goes on if action is not taken today.

Remedy: "Tropical" office block with diversified interiors

Improved ventilation is an effective preventive strategy for symptoms prevail in sick buildings. There is a need to invent an appropriate design for office blocks, which coincide with the particular values of people and place. The resulted architecture could transform our relationship with the elements and experience of the work-place and it is being propelled by a return to an old principle-windows that open.

People prefer a control rich, naturally ventilated environment. Passively conditioned environments utilise bio-climatic design concepts to promote wider variations in indoor conditions and technology for personal control. Thus, ensure healthy, comfortable and safe operation as well as adaptive comfort.

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In the country's development programmes:

Government calls for support of professional organisations like the SLIA

Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama on Friday emphasising the fact that architects have a significant role to play in the development programmes of any country said he would call upon the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA) and other professional bodies in the country to extend their support to the development programme launched by this government.

Dr. Amunugama was inaugurating a two day workshop in Kandy organised by the SLIA on the theme - 'Architectural Heritage in Sustainable Urban Development', opened at the Queens Hotel in Kandy last Friday (August 28).

Dr. Amunugama observed architects render a commendable service to make the country a beautiful place to live.

"Architects play significant role in promoting the tourist industry by planning beautiful hotel buildings in keeping with the country's cultural heritage. They have showed that a house is not just a box to live, but a beautiful and pleasant place to live in an atmosphere of significant beauty", the Minister said.

The Government gives priority to the growth of tourism in its economic agenda. In the early 1980s, 200,000 tourists visited Sri Lanka. This number shot upto about 500,000, but unfortunately with the unfortunate incidents in 1983, the situation reversed. The decline of tourist inflow continued for about a decade, Dr. Amunugama said.

The Government is doing its best to rebuild that trade once again and policies to support that were being formulated. The support of professionals and their organisations like the Architects Institute are highly appreciated.

He further said "Kandy is a very beautiful city recognised as a World heritage City by UNESCO. They were hoping to develop with all its, scenic beauty, environmental, cultural and architectural values preserved. It is a city that has attracted tourists and letting that city to deteriorate will be a setback to the tourism industry as well as to the whole country," he said.

A project to process solid waste in Kandy had been planned to be implemented with Japanese funds amounting to Rs. 1,000 million. Under this project, Kandy's old and dilapidated sewerage system will be modernised. This will be a sanitation project of great importance", the Minister said.

"For the past four to five years, successive governments failed to obtain a six acre block of land from Gannourwa for this project due to protests by a few individuals making use of political influence. Unless they get the land in time, Japan will withdraw funds and divert it to another country. Those who protested were doing so without knowing the project's benefits", Dr. Amunugama said.

Dr. Amunugama said the development process had to go hand in hand with the political will.

"In the absence of a political will development projects would go waste. The Government has already commenced work on a Rs. 5,000 billion water supply scheme to provide drinking water to millions of people. "Water supply schemes benefit all. Development projects should be treated above party politics."

He concluded saying the Government will have to take tough political decisions to make development projects successful and serve the people, said Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama.

"This is because some individuals are attempting to bungle the projects through political influence or otherwise," Dr. Amunugama told at the inaugural session of a two-day workshop organised by the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA) at the Queens Hotel, Kandy.

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