Architect 2008 heralds with valuable presentations

The Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA) marked its First annual sessions at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. The highlight of the session was the National Conference on Architecture, which was held recently.

The theme for the conference was ‘Architect the Initiator’, with many interesting presentations made by a host of eminent professionals in the field, as well as allied professions in Sri Lanka and abroad.

Following the inauguration of the event, an introductory session was held, where Architect Jayantha Perera, President of the SLIA made the welcome address.

This was followed by an address made by Chief Guest Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Construction and Engineering Services and Guest of Honour Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Governor of the Central Bank. Architect Ulrick Plesner, Managing Partner, Plesner Architects, Israel, made the keynote presentation.

Architect Surath Wickramasinghe chaired, and Architect Thilan Koththigoda co chaired session one, which comprised presentations made by Architect Ashley de Vos, Principal Architect, ADV Consultants, and Rajeev Sethi, Chairman/ Founder and Trustee of Asian Heritage Foundation, India.

Session two was chaired by Professor Chitra Wedikkara and co chaired by Architect Hasitha Gunasekara.

Award winning photographer and advisor for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Christopher Silva spoke on ‘Our Origins and Our Heritage’. Architect D. H. Wijewardene spoke on ‘Architect the Initiator ‘ the Sri Lankan Dilemma.’

Professor Lakshman Alwis was the Chairman while Architect Jayanath Silva was the Co-chair of session three. Architect Kishore Trivedi, Fellow member of the Indian Institute of Architects, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, India, made a presentation on the ‘Celebration of Life - the Step Wells of Gujarat,’ which was followed by one made by the Colombo School of Architecture.