Caged: A reflection on the subaltern self in Absurdia

An Exhibition by Rajitha Rupasinghe

Graphics and text by Rajitha Rupasinghe

SLIA Student Jamboree 2013

Student Jamboree is an annual event of SLIA organized by the Board of Architectural Education (BAE) commencing last year. Jamboree 2013 was held very successfully at the Army Detachment Camp, Belihuloya from 06^th to 09^th September 2013.Participants for the Jamboree were nearly 100 students in total from Department of Architecture of Moratuwa University (UOM) and the City School of Architecture, Colombo 07 (CSA).

Talents, creative abilities and skills of the students of two schools vary. Student Jamboree builds a stage for the students of the two schools to get together, build closer friendships, exchange ideas and so on. Finally they both are benefitted by such interaction in the social, environmental and business arena where they live and work.

Student Jamboree 2013 at Belihuloya had been strengthened with 2 major activities while the food and lodging facilities were provided at the army detachment camp which is situated in a rural village area in Belihuloya with eye catching sceneries of mountains, paddy fields, forestry etc.

Team Build up and Survival programme 

Students of the two schools were mixed together and separated into 4 groups. Tasks given to the groups were full of adventure and entertainment.  Team work and Responsibility was the main theme and marks were given accordingly. At the end of the day each team displayed their creative abilities by staging a drama around the camp fire mainly based on the experience gained by the adventure activities performed during the day.

Community programme – 

Held at Sri Shariputra Maha Vidyalaya.  Imbulpe, Balangoda. One full day of the Jamboree was spent to paint a school building. Paints and painting instructions were provide by the kind sponsorship of CIC.

architecture student jamboree 2012

For the first time, SLIA (Sri Lanka Institute of Architects) has organized and successfully concluded a student jamboree for the architecture students of the island. Nearly 80 students from the 2 architecture schools (Mora and CSA) took part in this event. Event was hosted at the MAS Institute of Management and Technology (MIMT) at Thulhiriya from 17th  to 19th August.

One of the key events of this venture was to refurbish a school building at the Senanayaka School in the Thulhiriya area. Students accomplished the task of color washing (with the kind sponsorship of AkzoNobel paint) of a classroom block, landscaping the main pathway (with the kind sponsorship of Green Lanka Plants 033-4928131) during the second day of the Jamboree.

The event was organized by the SLIA via its educational arm, the Board of Architectural Education. I am proud to be a member of the group who organized this pioneering event. Hope there will be many more student jamborees to come and that SLIA will make an effort to turn these future events to international affairs.

Kudos to the organizers, board members and those who, whole heartedly supported this venture from the beginning.

Poster: UOM + CSA = Us > 'api'

Day1

Day2

Day3

Photos: Janaka Dharmasnea, Thejani Shalika, Pathum Gallage

coming of age - a mid centuary architectural conversation on more than architecture

 Recently we has very interesting seminar  under the theme "Coming of Age - A mid century architectural conversation on community, shared values and possible horizons" at Moratuwa university. Apart from  seeing quite a few interesting projects from different parts of the world we had the opportunity (and time) have a lively discussion at the end and true to the title of the seminar actually the participants were able discuss thing beyond architecture and how these issues impinge on our architecture from time to time. Presenters went beyond their presentations were keen to see the Sri Lankan perspective on things.

Recurring themes at the discussion were;
- what have you guys been doing, in terms of architecture;with  the wonderful climate you have in this country.
- What does post / neo colonialism means to you?

There were more direct questions like
- policy on affordable housing in Sri Lanka
- and finally the most in teresting, I think this came from Julie Eizenberg "we come and show all these things, what do you  think of us"

The presenters at the seminar were
Julie Eizenberg - The children Museum at Pittsburgh
Ricardo Vanucci - Beyond the prototype: After the CBF in Ougadougou
Emanuela Valle - The student cafeteria at the Polytechnic of Turin
William Lenart - The relocatable classroom design program in Florid
Hank Koning - Low cost high value housing in California
Paolo Tombesi - On measure in architecture: The toilet of the Sydney Opera House
Ashley De Vos chaired the proceeding 

archt. valentine gunasekara to visit mora archi. dept.

Archt. Valentine Gunasekara who is back in Sri Lanka after a long time (25 years?) will be meeting the Architecture students and staff today at Katubedda and will be talking to the students.

Coincidently, about 3 weeks ago I had the opportunity take 2nd year students to Valentines Jesuit Chapel in Bambalapitiya (Colombo 05). Here are a couple of photos of the Chapel and also of the Tangalle Bay Hotel, I managed to visit sometime back.

Tangalle Bay Beach Hotel
Imagining Modernity 
Photos: JD 

rubanization - online chat with Tay Kheng Soon on 30th March

Remember Rubanization and  Tay Kheng Soon?


The National University of Singapore is having an interesting event happening soon featuring Mr. Tay Kheng Soon as he talks about Rubanization. The talk will be streamed live from Singapore on the 30th of March at 7:30pm (Singapore time).

Do join them in their online chat where you can ask questions directly to Mr. Tay!

Official Website: www.nus.edu.sg/ualive

Tweet or FB  if you have any questions!
http://twitter.com/NUSGraduates
http://www.facebook.com/#!/nus.graduates


from Valerie from the National University of Singapore

fellowship night

Guys, just a reminder for the fellowship night a.k.a. dinner dance. This plug is for my mates Dilumini and Dilshan, who are heavily involved with organizing the event.

Also the ticket looks cool.

SLIA annual sessions and the exhibition

SLIA Annual Sessions and the Exhibition 'Architect 2011' will be held at the BMICH from Feb 23rd to 27th 2011.
Actually the so called"sessions" consist of;
      Inauguration - Exactly that! - 23rd
      Exhibition - Architect 2011 - 23rd to 27th
     National Conference - Architecture for all: City + Community - 24th
     AGM - (members only) - 
    Fellowship Night - zzzzzzzz - 26th

Here is the SLIA site, but if you are looking for the schedule of events don't go there, it wont tell you! Neither does the separate web page for the Exhibition as it takes ages to load. But if you are a 'flash' fan definitely worth a visit!. Call the SLIA, that is the best.

This time the theme is "Architecture for all: City + Community"

jean nouvel and our nouvels

My mate Narein has highlighted the remarkable similarities between these two sets of structures; temporary pavillion at the Serpentine Gallery by Jean Nouvel and the 2009 SLIA Exhibition structures, especially the members stall. Remember that  the SLIA Exhibition came before Jean Nouvel's structure.

more details of Jean Nouvel's Pavillion at Serpentine Gallery could be seen  here.  As this an annual event, there are a series of pavillions designed by prominent architects. Oscar Niemeyer would have been in his late nineties when he desinged the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in 2003. Not bad at all! Vida longa, Oscar.