Roshun Meezan is a Sri Lankan Architect, who formed a-designstudio where he focuses on residential designs and community projects. Roshun studied Architecture at the Architectural Association and graduated from London Metropolitan University. Roshun’s tenure with Oliver Morgan Architects exposed him to a number of residential and mixed use schemes within Central London. Roshun gained further international exposure through his term at GHM Design Ltd’s new Abu Dhabi office as a Senior Architect and has been involved with several Emirati housing community projects including; Al Falah new Community, Abu Dhabi as the Team Leader and Project Architect for Emirati Housing in the Western Region.

Roshun Meezan, the Architect of the upcoming Serenia Residences sat down with DUNIMAK to discuss about the current state of Sri Lankan Architecture and the challenges of working as an Architect today.

Q| Should architecture evoke emotions?

A | We believe everything evokes emotions. That’s a common human reaction. Design in any form evokes emotion. The creation of design and art begins with a simple thought process, a process that may or may not make practical sense to a thirdparty. The thought process evolves into a physical form, which would in turn evoke an opinion, creating an emotion. Architecture and design should evoke emotion, regardless if its positive or negative outcome, rather than being ignored.

Q | Which architectural movement moves you the most?

A | I’m not a stylized architect. There’s something to learn from every era of architecture, every movement that brought forward a unique set of styles. However, that being said I am a firm believer in simplicity, and ease of use of space. It is important to marry creativity with practicality. Every movement has achieved the above, it has spearheaded the evolution of architecture. Design in the context of architecture does not require complex and controversial outcomes. Simplicity is the epitome of complexity.

Q | Can you elaborate on some of your work.

A | As a practice we are very passionate about design and are guided by our instinct and emotion. We design our feelings, and emotions in the form of architecture. It is not a simple act of considering building laws applicable to the country, and creating a block of floors with doors and windows. Even though it certainly achieves the task of ‘designing a building’ it does not zeal ones’ creativity and enthusiasm in design. Design depends on the site/location, it surroundings, orientation, and the brief. Whilst maintaining site sensitivity, it is important as a designer to preserve it’s natural environment. a-designstudio offers a consortium service in architecture and interior design over a multitude of construction sectors. From private residential and mixed used developments to hospitality and urban development over a variant of project scales. Since the year 2012, we have been fortunate enough to be trusted with over 80 projects around the island and have expanded our studios to Singapore, India, and Dubai in a mere time span of 7 years.

Q | What are the creative influences behind your top five projects?

A | We strive on designing personalized concepts for all our projects, with influences from its surrounding and it’s location, regardless of the scale of the project. Design is also largely influenced by the brief, and its end user. i.e the client. I believe it is an extremely interesting way to get to know them, as you address their distinctive likes and dislikes. Clients who want to build don’t have goals, they have dreams, regardless of the purpose of the build. It is up to us to help them originate their thoughts to reality. One of the key elements in designing the summer house in Ambalangoda was to emphasize on the ocean views. The overall design concept was a modern, minimalist, earth toned 2 storey villa with an ocean view from every space. In terms of the rubber estate in Padukka the gentleness of the plantation would be the growth of the rubber trees,and our aim was to design a camouflaged structure that appears to be engulfed by the trees.

Aqua Surf in Midigama was designed to highlight the setback and beach-bound culture, where we have designed 9 pastel coloured, timber cladded dual level chalets that exuberate the playfulness of the concept. Serenia Luxury Apartments, Talpe is a pristine collective of luxury beachfront apartments, situated along the southern coast. The apartments are elevated above the common used spaces to provide absolute privacy and serenity to the user enhancing the high-end luxury living experience. Eco cottage, Knuckles Mountain Range is hidden away amidst the wilderness in the outskirts of the central province of Sri Lanka. The cottage takes up a mere footprint of 500 square feet of land, and the structure is raised above ground level and held by stilts, reducing the disturbance to the fauna and flora.

Q | What is your take on relationships between nature and buildings?

A | Merging of indoor living spaces with the outdoor natural elements is not something new in architecture. This concept has been mimicked and repeated in a range of tropical architectural designs, in both residential and commercial sectors. We as a team, always try to incorporate this in our designs. It is important to be sensitive, when creating this relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces, of security, pests etc. In the recent years, architects and designers around the world have encouraged clients to use methods of greenery within indoor spaces, in the form of potted plants , creepers, terrariums, etc. It brings in a sense of calm and comfort to a space, especially in spaces which are of high stress for example offices and other work places. It automatically takes your eye away from the bare concrete wall to the green sapling. It creates a moment of blissful distraction within a hectic day.