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STATE MORTGAGE BANK
EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE DESIGN ARCHITECTURE | SEP - OCT 2019
The State Mortgage Bank building in Colombo was designed by Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. It is located 120 meters south of the tip of Beira lake, adjacent to the northern edge of Hyde Park along TB Jayah Road, a secondary traffic artery in Colombo. The twelve-storey tower is the simple extrusion of an irregularly shaped floor plan. It spans sixty meters long and thirty meters wide at its widest points.The floor plan is roughly in the shape of a lozenge - a rhombus or diamond shape.
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3-DIMENSIONAL ELEVATION
The longitudinal axis of the plan, which connects the easternmost and western most points of the building is rotated forty-five degrees counter-clockwise from the north-south meridian to accommodate building lobbies and vertical circulation towers. A triangular stairwell forms the vertex of the transverse axis on the south elevation, while a trapezoidal stairwell serves as the opposite vertex on the north elevation. The stairwell on the north elevation is surrounded by an elevator core and various enclosed service and lobby spaces.
SPATIAL SHADOW ANALYSIS
Deep concrete spandrels provide additional shading and regulate air-intake through louvers below the vision-glass of the windows. The windows are operable on all floors of the tower, pivoting around their central axes to allow building occupants to regulate cross-ventilation. The building’s plan-shape acted as an aileron to trap prevailing winds and was orientated to minimize solar gain, while its facades were designed as a breathing wall to encourage cross-ventilation.`
3D AXON PART PLAN
Vertical pivot windows were used for easier maintenance of the glass panes and have better structural integrity than horizontal windows as they are kept on the sill. The ends of the sill also have a sloped plane that allows for easier discharge of rainwater to the hidden pipes behind columns, preventing streaking of the facade.
SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Deep overhang eaves are present on all floors of the building. This prevents rain from entering the interior spaces through the horizontal grilles while maintaining the unimpeded airflow. The overhangs also reduce direct sun glare and allow comfortable levels of daylighting into working spaces.
PART SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE
The facade incorporates monsoon bay window specially design to suit tropical climate. With horizontal openings below projecting ledge helps to shelter rain and allow passive ventilation to interior spaces.
FULL REPORT
E-REPORT
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