Ena De Silva House, Colombo by Geoffrey Bawa
"This house was built for a friend, Ena de Silva, soon after Geoffrey Bawa started practice. There was close cooperation and understanding between client and architect throughout the design and building stages, with the certain knowledge that the house would be lived in well.
All the buildings materials were local - except for the very little glass that was used and the steel reinforcement for the first floor slab and supporting frame. The large mango tree in the courtyard was on the site, but the other almost-as-large Plumeria was brought in with the help of an elephant, a tractor and a host of helpers. The ground floor paving is of granite, cut and also uncut, as in the courtyard; the walls are of brick and plaster, and the roof of tiles.
Taylor, B.B. (1995, pg 46)
It is stated in the "Complete Works of Geoffrey Bawa" that the design for the house for Dr. Noel Bartholomeusz was developed in the spirit of the Ena de Silva House, though the plot was narrower and longer.
The house, from the plans can be seen having a similar roofing system as the one Bawa used for the later Bartholomeusz house. The essential use of courtyard within the complex to separate different sections of the building is also apparent in the plans. From the pictures (and the plans), Bawa designed this building with many openings like his later Design for his office, he adorned the building with windows, doorways, hallways & columns instead of heavy solid walls.
Plans & Elevation
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