Architecture Asia Special Issue - ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2020

HONORABLE
MENTION
The Box House
D-2
Conservation Projects
Architect:
Malisha Kodituwakku
Location:
Marakolliya, Sri Lanka
The concept used for developing the villa's form is a traditional one, despite the use of a
non-conventional construction method. Two parallel 40-foot containers were placed 20 feet
apart; a portion of this gap was formative of the central courtyard, part of which was roofed to
create the central living and dining space. This space has a roof reminiscent of a clerestory, that
is, a series of glass windows offering a glimpse of the sky and treetops. Flanked on one side by
the courtyard and by a pool surrounded by towering satinwood trees on the other, the space
truly blurs the boundaries between the interior and the exterior.
JURY CITATION:Experimenting with repurposing discarded shipping containers is always a
challenge and excitement for architects. The Box House looks like one of the rare successful
cases as a villa for commercial purposes. Sri Lanka has a hot and humid climate all year round,
which coordinates with the characteristics of container housing. The Box House seems to step
away from the notion that luxury is always indulgent and wasteful and can be seen as a sustainable
and responsible piece of architecture.
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