Holiday Retreat at Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka

Project Name: Holiday Retreat
Location: 74/1, Kodikanda, Aluthwela North, Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka
City/ Country: Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka
Year of Completion: 2023
Land area: 20 perch (505.85 sqm)
Site area: 192.7 sqm
Floor Area: 2401.4 sqft./ 223.1 Sq.m.
No. of floors: Main Chalet (G+1); Guest Chalets (single); Greenhouse (single); Caretaker’s Room (single); Driver’s quarters (single) No. of rooms: 4
Cost of project: 66,920 USD
Cost of land: 20,159 USD  
Introduction
Nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac, 3km from Diyatalawa town, this hillside retreat sits at the edge of a hill adjoining a pine forest. The project is a sustainable design initiative that repurposes leftover timber from pallet boxes, railway sleepers and GI sheets. It is a composition of autonomous structures which work in amalgamation to create a functional and aesthetic retreat for the end user on a holiday to experience the epitome of the hillside climate and atmosphere at Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka.
The site's end-plot location offers both privacy and uninterrupted views, making it ideal in the region's cool climate, where the pine forest serves as both neighbor and natural backdrop to the retreat.
The retreat evolved in phases, beginning with the adaptive re-use of an existing structure into the Main Chalet. The subsequent phase (Phase 2) introduced two Guest Chalets, positioned closer to the Pine Forest, serving as a refuge to experience the nature and the quaint serenity of the forest. With an intention to develop the site while maintaining its open character and visual harmony, glass and mirror cladding were used to make the guest chalets visually dissolve into the surrounding seasonal landscape.
Centralized to the property, Phase 3 of the project introduced a glass green-house serving as the retreat's gathering space, incorporating alfresco dining and housing endemic plants. The caretaker and driver's rooms are tucked away at the edge of the site to ensure the privacy of the guests, but also remain readily accessible.
The design focuses on 3 main factors of sustainability: carbon footprint, passive-heating strategies, and environmental sensitivity.
Design Considerations
The project focused on having a net positive energy therefore, a compact all-inclusive layout was designed in order to achieve a low carbon and energy footprint.
In terms of aesthetic appearance, the design incorporated reclaimed timber from pallet boxes which helped in creating a warm ambiance in a cool climatic context and enhancing the spatial quality. Further, the markings on the timber caused by the nails add a raw character to the retreat.
The careful selection of materiality for the retreat was instrumental to achieve the expected design intent. Timber, steel and rubble became the key construction materials, used in varying proportions, which helped in creating the desired spatial quality. Glass and mirrors were used for cladding and as alternatives to solid wall materials to reduce the visual clutter on site and maintain its open character. Sustainability
The application of adaptive reuse of the existing caretaker’s room into the main chalet minimized the carbon footprint of the structure. Inherently, materials used for construction followed the same notion with reclaimed timber pallet boxes as the primary construction, thereby minimizing the energy footprint and embodied energy of the structure. The guest chalets, though new constructions, echo this sustainable approach, incorporating the same environmentally conscious elements as their predecessor.
To achieve optimal thermal comfort, a psychrometric chart of the site was analyzed to assess the properties of moist air and the atmosphere. This analysis confirmed the favorable climatic conditions of the site, eliminating the need for mechanical heating, cooling, or ventilation systems. The natural climate maintains comfortable conditions throughout the day and year. Furthermore, because of lower thermal diffusivity of timber, heat is stored longer than most materials such as concrete, complementing the natural thermal comfort of the space. Therefore, the holiday retreat benefits from minimal energy consumption while maintaining ideal comfort levels for its users.