Poorest of the poor

The objective of this discussion is to find ways of converting the uncontrolled settlements to a positive development factor that can be part of the city in its cohesive built environment, rather than an impediment.

This is mainly because ‘city dwellers’ are considered as one of the most important part of the city. Therefore this sector, simply cannot be ignored, that it makes a part of the phenomenon of urbanization.

It can be transformed into a positive development and make it part of the built spaces, rather than, an ignored unwanted, territories of the city. Due to the ignorance of these areas, a close look at the patterns of living, have not been done, and therefore some of the mitigatory measures taken, have so far been failures to address their issues.

It is important to note that considerable section of urban population live in an unauthorised areas, which are not designated for housing, and which are below the specified standards of living.

Therefore one of the greatest phenomenon, is the ignored fact that in the East, it is the employment of many social groups belonging to different occupations, and social standards that run the city and its buildings.

In the Eastern city, unlike in the West many things are functioned by manual operations, and man power is the key to its function. Therefore City and its function is a collective effort of all kinds of people and an interesting spirit is created that is unique, with so much human involvement.

As a result what we see in the Cities of the East cannot be traced in a planned city of the West. It is true that the Western cities are clean and healthy and every thing functions specifically, as planned etc.

But we all know that in our cities this is not happening and natural circumstances always seem to govern in an instances such as these. For example as Charles Doidge, Director of Post Graduate studies, has pointed out in seminar papers (1976), he mentions about such supports that exist around the City buildings in Chandigarh, in the City of India. ‘the secretariat building is backed by, boutiques and little canteens in bicycles and huts’. He further states the need to have places for the poor with in the rich economical settings of the city.

Life in these groups can be categorized into these types, the sources of income, job structure, parental aspirations, child training, and child rearing practices, living habits, slending habits, cohesive community life, extended family life patterns, and dearth of resources, space and materials, so these are identified as a reflection of the characteristics of this type of housing.

Slums and Shanties have become the sharpest expression of housing crisis in the city of Colombo. But people still exist in the urban context among the crisis for their survival. The dwellers of these units never fail to be isolated and they tend to maintain a certain unity among themselves.

This unity is widely expressed in the form of a clustered dwellings, identified as a “ watta” among themselves. The so called “watta” is a special feature that enables to identify this particular category of people. A number of spontaneous dwellings were examined with the case studies to find out their physical, social and psychological structures and how their responses of living. .

Three different “wathu” were identified in three different localities as follows,

01. Settlements along Canal Bank Reservation

02. Settlements along Railway Reservation

03. Settlements along Coastal Reservation

Striving for Survival

An overall examinations reveal that their education standards are very low that most of them depend upon odd jobs, in and around the city of Colombo.

Also it indicates that they have been living in these areas for about 45-50 years of time. It is interesting to note the ways and means adapted for their survival.

Some of the common things that were founded were, type of temporary shelter, the limited space, the living conditions etc. Most of the settlements are with facility of electricity and water and illegal disposal of sewer.

Settlements along Canal Bank Reservation Wellawatte

The dwellers who live along the Canal bank in Wellawatte area have an eight hour working period and rest of the time they tend to be at their

 dwelling units. Most of them are labourers attached to the Municipal council of the same locality.

Some of the female too contribute to uplift their economy by working as domestic servants in wealthy houses for a day pay or attached to the municipal council. Even the female remain at home tend to add some contribution for their family by running a small boutique beside the dwelling unit.

Life patterns identified

Settlements along Railway Reservation

Most of the dwellers who live in Borella area are engaged in the manning market. Most of the time they are out and involved in the activities in the manning market and they search their dwelling unit only for a short break.

Some of them are street vendors, peddlers, brokers, labourers etc. The female too contribute to uplift their economy by working as domestic servants in wealthy houses for a day pay or attached to the municipal council. And few of the females are abroad working as housemaids.

Life patterns identified

Settlements along Coastal Reservation

The dwellers along the coastal belt in Moratuwa area are more or less, home based. Most of them are engaged in carpentry and fishing. Some of them have built their own industry adjacent to their dwelling unit and engaged in preparing cheap timber items such as towel racks, baby desks, toys etc. Some of them are attached to the surrounding timber mills.

The female too contribute to uplift their economy by collecting remnant cheap timber to prepare firewood. When considering the fishing community, most of them work under a wealthy person who owns a boat and they get a day pay and share of fish for their meals.

In addition when considering the all three localities the common fact of all was that some of them are engaged in illicit activities such as kasippu, drugs, ganja etc. But most of the males never fail to visit these spots after work which has become a part of their day to day activity.

ARCHWATCH Committee

Daily News – SLIA Architectural Advisory Forum

The Daily News, together with the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, invite you to forward in writing, your specific questions for advice, with regard to Building Design and Construction, relating to Housing and other Buildings, accompanied by supporting plans, sketches, partial drawings, etc. to; Archt.Rehan Tilakaratna - Chairman, Board of Architectural Publication, SLIA Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, 120/7 Vidya Mawatha, Colombo 7 and a copy to Mr. Edward Arambewala Co-ordinator, Arch Watch Daily News, Lake House, Colombo 10.

The Advisory Forum Comprises

Architects Bernard Gomesz FIA (SL) Chairman

Prasanna Silva, FIA (SL)

Ranjan Nadesapillai FIA (SL)

Vasantha de Silva FIA (SL)

Viranjan Kurukulasuriya AIA

(SL) (Co-chairman)

Prasanna Kulatilake AIA (SL)

The Daily News/SLIA Architectural Housing and Building Advisory Forum wish to thank all those readers who wrote to us commending the re-commencement of this page.

We are interested in your ancestral homes

Archwatch is interested in your ancestral homes, if they are over 100 years old, and being maintained in the same way as they were built, with no architectural design and style modifications or changes, done.

We feel that some of these homes should be preserved for their architectural and cultural values, for future generations to see, study, and adopt any aspects in them which may be found feasible to incorporate into the present day designs, by the architects.

Sadly we find, as far as we know that most of these houses have already been demolished and obliterated from the living architecture of that period giving way to modern architectured buildings and homes. Only a very few of them yet remain with the families who take pride in their ancestral homes. We would like to feature these homes in this page, and visit them for that purpose.

Hence we would like those families, who would not mind getting these ancestral homes featured on this page, to write to:

The ArchWatch Co-ordinator

C/o Features Editor, Daily News, Lake House

35, D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha

Colombo 10.

Fax.429210

E-mail - [email protected]

A tool to create awareness

Travel, education through the print and electronic media have contributed towards Interest and the appreciation of well designed spaces not only for infrastructure but also to live in and call home.

Today as land prices and building costs escalate designing spaces is not a luxury but a necessity as it makes possible to utilise spaces to the maximum while considering the aesthetics too.

Therefore it becomes important to create awareness on not only the basic aspects to consider “before you build” and during building but also on aspects like interior decor, maintenance and renovations.

Archwatch page will give the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects the opportunity and pleasure of creating awareness by means of features and also to address you personally if you write into this page to inquire about issues regarding construction.

I look forward with interest to see this page develop into a eagerly anticipated vibrant by weekly issue.

Bernard Gomesz Chairman BAP-SLIA

Getting your building plans approved?

The Arch watch Forum of its meeting last week decided to help Arch watch readers with resolving any problems and delays they may be encountering in getting their building plans approved.

All you have to do is to write with details of your problem giving all the details to Architect Viranjan Kurukulasuriya, Vice-Chairman, ARCH Watch, Board of Architectural

Publications, Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, 120/7, Vidya Mawatha, Colombo 7. Fax 682757.

Please don’t fail to send a copy of your letter to the ARCH Watch Coordinator addressed to the Daily News, given elsewhere on this page.