CUBIC CoverDec08.indd - Colliers

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COLLIERS CARES KIRINDA, A COMMUNITY REBUILT With vision and compassion, Colliers International rebuilt the village of Kirinda — winning awards for excellence in sustainable building and healing a community torn by disaster BY SHERALYN TAY THE CHAOS lasted mere minutes. But when the devastating Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 – triggered by a massive undersea quake – unleashed its deadly force on the coasts of Asia, it wiped out entire towns and villages in Indonesia, South India and Thailand, and claimed an estimated quarter of a million lives. The low-lying fishing town of Kirinda, located on the southern end of Sri Lanka, was defenceless against the 30-metre-high onslaught of raging water and more than 200 of its people perished in what is now called one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history. But the residents of Kirinda have rebuilt their town – and their lives – thanks to a generous fund set up by Colliers International. Moved by images of destruction and driven to reach out to those whose lives had been so tragically affected by the tsunami, Colliers International announced the establishment of a US$1 million trust just days after the disaster to design and construct 67 homes for displaced families in the community. At the helm was Philip Bay, the Regional Director of Colliers Southeast Europe, who had proposed the ambitious project. Without a clear plan or professional track record in disaster relief, but guided by a sense of doing what was right, Bay flew to Sri Lanka and, in consultation with the central government, made the decision to help Kirinda, a minority community of Malay Muslims in largely Buddhist Sri Lanka. It was a move to ensure that help was distributed evenly to all the victims. In the same spirit, world-renowned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban took on the project – despite offers of 10 other projects – stating that “it was for a smaller community and a minority group in a more difficult situation”. It was to be the beginning of a three-year project that has won admiration and awards for its high standards, sustainable masterplan and holistic consideration of the community’s needs. Working with the senior advisors of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Colliers Kirinda project has also become a benchmark for other organisations, such as the United Nations, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and numerous NGOs. Far from hastily built emergency structures to provide for the most basic of needs, Shigeru Ban Architects – hailed by TIME magazine as one of the Top 100 innovators of the 21st century – designed sturdy and sustainable residences suited to the needs and climate of the town and its residents. Researching the materials, styles and history of residential construction in Sri Lanka, Shigeru Ban Architects resolved to use traditional practices suited to tropical climates. Each spacious house has two bedrooms, two rooms of living space, a roofed court, a kitchen and a bathroom – ample space for the families of the community. “I am so lucky to receive a mansion like this,” said one resident, M.R. Riyvaldeen, a fisherman whose house and boat were completely destroyed in the floodwaters. Created from natural and renewable material that came from the community’s own tree farms, wood from rubber trees, coconut palms and teak, together with sun-dried earthen blocks, the spacious and airy homes have been built to breathe in the heat, making them comfortable and liveable even in the searing weather of the dry seasons. Previously without power, running water or sanitation, the new homes have hydro-electric energy, water and septic tanks. The community even has bragging rights to the first fully solar-powered street lighting ever introduced in Asia. Recognising the empowering value of grassroots participation, the project team made sure that Kirinda residents were actively involved in the rebuilding process, holding five town hall meetings to gain their feedback and insight, as well as listen to concerns and needs. Because of this personal relationship and communication, the Colliers project is the only one to have masterplanned the community based on original property lines and according to genuine title deeds. The village was also restored to its original layout, with the mosque as the focal point. Interior partitions were included in the homes to allow gender separation according to the level of religious orthodoxy of the families. Villagers themselves pitched in to help in the construction of the new homes. Project Manager Anthony Benjamin also noted, “While a majority of post-tsunami projects were implemented away from the original dwellings and relocated, Colliers’ Kirinda project was done in the exact location, thereby enabling the community to get back to their day-to-day activities.” More importantly, rather than just being a one-off charity project, Colliers continues to provide infrastructure facilities and sustainable programmes, he added. To help the community be more self-sufficient and resilient, Colliers has implemented income-generating projects that include the participation of the community’s women. Microfinance has also been arranged to seed fund small businesses. 54 January 2009 |
Opposite page: A nighttime view of the Kirinda homes Right: Philip Bay Regional Director, Colliers Southeast Europe (in garland), and Kirinda Trust trustees Charith Gunatilleke and Pradip Jayawardane at the handover ceremony on April 2006 COLLIERS CARES To make the most of the site’s scenic beauty and tourism potential, as well as provide a sustainable income stream, a Shigeru Bandesigned eco-friendly boutique hotel staffed by villagers has been built. For its design, the Kirinda project has won three prestigious awards – a Special Tribute and the Best Residential Development award at the MIPIM real estate awards in Cannes in 2007, and, more recently, winner of the 2008 Urban Land Institute Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific. Said Kirinda fisherman M.T. Ramis, 60, “This is much, much more than I ever expected.” More information can be found at www.collierskirinda.com From destruction to renewal. Kirinda residents now have spacious, sturdy – and award-winning – homes in which to rebuild their lives COLLIERS HONG KONG AWARDED FOR CHARITY WORK FROM bringing joy to disadvantaged children to raising funds for charities and holding community activities, Colliers has long been a prominent player on the charity and community scene in Hong Kong. In the past few years, Colliers Hong Kong has held at least 14 events for community organisations. These included Service Day in Ocean Park for the Comfort Care Concern Group – a hospice-care charity – and carnivals for the children’s charity TREATS. For its commitment to philanthropy and the community, the Colliers Hong Kong office was awarded the Caring Company Logo by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) for the fifth consecutive year in May 2008. The scheme, which has been running for six years, recognises good corporate citizenship, and aims to raise public awareness of the companies and the organisations that have contributed to a caring community. Speaking at the award ceremony, HKCSS Chairperson, the Hon Bernard Chan, expressed appreciation for the companies in the Caring Company Scheme. “To look into the future, Hong Kong society is facing all sorts of gradual, longterm challenges. We need new thinking and new concepts to mobilise all sectors to tackle them collectively,” he said. Colliers Hong Kong was one of the companies and organisations commended for their contribution to the community. According to Colliers, the recognition of its contribution to Hong Kong gives a sense of satisfaction to the company, as well as the staff who have participated. “It also represents our important role in caring for society. The recognition also gives us encouragement to continuously make donations to charity and help those people who are in need,” said Piers Brunner, Chief Operating Officer, Asia and Managing Director, Hong Kong. “It is a motivation to further enhance our quality of social service.” Moving forward, Colliers is committed to doing more good work and is in the process of establishing a mentorship programme administered by a local charity that will address life skills for children, such as financial wisdom and career management. From left: Embrace the Difference Charity Event. Service Day at Ocean Park | January 2009 55
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ASIA’S PROPERTY MAGAZINE JANUARY
Page 5 and 6: 30 CONTENTS 02 FOREWORD 04 LOGISTIC
Page 7 and 8: ’S LEFT: Artist’s impression of
Page 9: LOGISTICS FUTURE With Hong Kong bei
Page 12 and 13: GREEN BUILDINGS Another instance is
Page 14 and 15: Another example is the Wuhan Tiandi
Page 16 and 17: A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO WORK In the usua
Page 18: ART SCENE Danny Lane’s Shan Shui,
Page 21 and 22: VITAL STATISTICS Model Audi R8 Engi
Page 23 and 24: Left: Taipei 101 Right: Precinct 4
Page 26 and 27: Photo: Corbis 24 January 2009 |
Page 28 and 29: VIETNAM RISING BELOW: Work in progr
Page 30: Kumho Asiana Plaza Saigon & Kumho E
Page 33 and 34: N LIVING LARGE IN THE CBD The vario
Page 35 and 36: LANDGENT HOLI APARTMENT ( ) Serving
Page 37 and 38: Mr Magar - against the backdrop of
Page 39: Magarpatta Township INDIA RESIDENTI
Page 42 and 43: ADVENTURES IN SPACE No walls; No ce
Page 44 and 45: LUXURY LIVING Site plan of Plaza In
Page 46 and 47: UED BIZHUB HUBBING UNIT North facad
Page 48 and 49: UED BIZHUB Artist’s impression of
Page 50 and 51: Gadgets DIGITAL WATERPROOF CAMERA T
Page 52 and 53: Credit Nguyen Vu Khoi and www.disco
Page 54 and 55: Destinations DESTINATIONS PHU QUOC
Page 58 and 59: CUBIC WORLDVIEW BLUE STATE, RED STA
Page 60 and 61: OUT AND ABOUT WITH COLLIERS & CLIEN
Page 62: BOOK REVIEW CORPORATE JUNGLE Birds
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CUBIC CoverDec08.indd - Colliers

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