Simple And Robust

Tree Tops, a holiday bungalow built for an extended family of wildlife enthusiasts, stands on an acre of land parcel in Tissamaharama, Southern Sri Lanka, overlooking the famous Yala national park, famed for the highest density of leopards in the world.

- Chinthaka Wickramage

The land is bounded by the Yala main access road from one side and a secondary gravel road on the other, and opens out to the sanctuary of thorny scrub jungles, seasonal water holes frequented by wild elephants, spotted dear and water birds as well as a great expanse of green paddy fields.

The bungalow itself is orientated along North-South axis along the length of the land, to a narrow linear plan form to obtain the maximum environmental advantage and panoramic views to the building. The building footprint is small, but upper levels have substantial cantilevers, with large overhangs to protect it from the hot tropical sun and the monsoon rains.