Kamburadeniya Ambalama

Project Description: In the past, an Ambalama or way side inn was utilised by the people as a communal area. Important meetings between leaders, tax collection, community gatherings were merely a few of many activities that took place within Ambalam of the past. Located in upcountry Sri Lanka, within the village of Kamburadeniya on a privately owned paddy field, this Ambalama is generously shared by the client with the village having understood the importance of having a communal space within such a village. Keeping the functionality of the traditional Ambalam in mind, this has been designed as an accessible space for community gatherings with hopes of reviving the intangible culture of past society. In terms of physical access, there is no direct vehicular access to the building. One must tread across the paddy field which serves as a transitional experience for a user. The materials for this structure have been sourced locally and altogether the cost of this 100sqft Ambalama amounted to a sum of 2 million rupees. From the initiation of this building itself, the concept of unifying the community has come to play with the locals partaking in the construction process as paid carpenters as well as those providing voluntary labour. Since its establishment, this Ambalama has gradually been incorporated into the day-to-day life of the village community by becoming a wayside rest for pedestrians, a congregation spot for neighbors and a tea spot for farmers and their helpers specially during the harvesting period. Materials Structure and Construction: The design has traditional Ambalama construction details. The Karagahadeniya Ambalama was studied to gain a better understanding of the construction technique. It is placed on a natural rock, with four stone columns supporting the first layer of timber beams. These timber beams at four corners hold the four main timber columns which in turn support the next layer of main beams that hold up the the roof. The materials used are locally sourced; stone for the pillars, Mee and Hulanhik timber for the columns, beams, flooring, rafters and catch pin (කැනිමඩල) and flat clay shingles (පෙති උළු) for the roof cover. The pinnacle (කොත) is Clay as well. The entire construction process took place at site with the materials being sized and shaped there itself. The local craftsmen were involved in the build on paid basis with villagers volunteering their labor (අත්තම). Importance and Impact of the Project: The rich culture and social system of our villages have been lost to the influence of global culture. The youth has become increasingly isolated and society is weakened by the loss of sense of community. Sensible leaders of society should strive to create more communal places within villages to restore a harmonious and active community with values that can be passed down the generations. From inception to completion to use of the Ambalama, villagers played a role in each stage, gaining a sense of ownership of the place. In such a manner, the Ambalama was eased into their everyday life even before it was completed. It has now become a popular place for gatherings, meetings, celebrations, cultural events and even voluntary workshops and classes. Areas of Innovation: In terms of Architecture, it is heavily inspired by the structure of traditional Ambalam of Sri Lanka. The intention of the New Kamburadeniya Ambalama is to delve into the past in search of our roots to explore traditions that once succeeded in bringing the community together. We believe it is an innovative concept in itself to - rather than invent new methods of bonding a community – revitalize the tactics of the past that have proven to be foolproof. This Ambalama, while being an element of the past has succeeded in harmoniously assimilating into present day Kumburadeniya village. Details of Sustainable Architecture: In terms of Environmental sustainability, the timber for the Ambalama was sourced from the village itself. By cutting trees near the site, the energy waste from long distance transport was avoided. The structure is lightly touching the natural rock maintaining the ground cover at a bare minimum. The Ambalama has gradually become a tourist attraction making it economically sustainable as the owner of the site has begun sales of homegrown vegetables to the visitors. The opportunity provided for the owner and villagers to grow tourism-based businesses makes this an economically sustainable feature to the area as well. The increase in tourist traffic has positively impacted the sales of existing shops as well.