Over the past two decades Anjalendran has established himself as one of Sri Lanka's leading architects. Born into a family of Jaffna Tamils and a student of the prolific and influential Geoffrey Bawa, Anjalendran's buildings are known for their simple directness, modern spirit, and acknowledgement of the rich vernacular traditions of Sri Lanka. His studio has provided all the detailed and varied drawings in this book. Based in Sri Lanka with an intimate knowledge of the island, its people, culture and architecture, Dominic Sansoni likes travelling with no agenda. His photographs enliven the pages of this book, adding another dimension to the drawings. An author, architects and professor of architecture, David Robson has written a number of books – on low-cost aided-self-help housing and housing for the elderly; a comprehensive monograph on Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa (2002), followed by two further books on Bawa; and a book on the life and work of Sri Lankan Architect C. Anjalendran.

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE. Architect C. Anjalendran, aided by an army of assistants and students, has been recording Sri Lanka's architectural heritage for almost 30 years. The result is a collection of exquisite measured drawings, all made with ink and pencil on tracing paper documenting many interesting and often neglected buildings in Sri Lanka. This book features these, along with photographs and insightful text, to highlight a broad cross-section of buildings of many different types and from many periods from the ancient classical era of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, from medieval times, from the colonial period and from the years after Sri Lanka regained its Independence in 1948. The book continues the work of Barbara Sansoni who started to record ancient buildings of Sri Lanka during the early 1950s.

This beautifully illustrated book showcases the works of one of Sri Landa's most influential architects--Anjaledran, an ethnic Tamil and visionary artist. During the past 25 years of civil war in Sri Lanka, Anjalendran has stayed on, creating architecture that has attracted interest across the entire Indian subcontinent. In Anjalendran, David Robson explores this unique man and his uncommon vision. Anjalendran's buildings have a simple directness, and although totally modern in spirit, they acknowledge the rich design traditions of Sri Lanka. Whether working with ample budgets or at rock bottom cost (like his SOS Children's Village orphanages), his work focuses not only on creative buildings, but--a la Frank Lloyd Wright--also their landscaping, furniture and decoration. Just as interesting as the architecture is the process by which Anjalendran works—:from home, never employing more than four student assistants, with no office, no secretary, no car and no cell phone. He operates without a bank account and has never signed a contract with either a client or a builder. With stunning color photographs, plan details and behind-the-scenes insights, Anjalendran sheds light on the works of this exceptional man.

The last overview of termites for the non-specialist was published several decades ago and in the intervening years, both knowledge, and the termites themselves have moved on. A 27-year eradication effort for one termite infestation in Devon has shown that UK structures are becoming vulnerable as the climate changes and also that extermination of a colony can be difficult even when there are no other termites waiting to invade. Heritage buildings often present even more problems. Survey work and treatments may be complicated by structural and material complexity overlain with a requirement to retain as much undisturbed and original fabric as possible. There will be concealed cavities not inspected, and inserted barriers, both chemical and physical, will inevitably be incomplete. This study discusses the modifiable environmental parameters that govern termite activity and offers a resume of the baits and chemical treatments that have been developed so that the most appropriate can be selected where necessary. It is primarily intended for those involved in conservation, both in the UK and elsewhere, who commonly have limited resources. It is hoped that it will also be of use to architects, surveyors and others with an interest in Heritage structures.

Sri Lanka Style showcases 30 of the finest traditional and modern dwellings in Sri Lanka. Reflecting its location and status as a hub of Indian Ocean trade from time immemorial, the tropical island of Sri Lanka has always been open to the movements and patterns of world culture. Indigenous architects and cultural traditions, colonial incursions and the vagaries of living in a tropical environment have combined to produce a distinctive Sri Lankan architectural style: thick lime-washed walls, tall windows and doors, terracotta or granite tile floors, open pavilions and verandas, courtyard gardens, elaborately carved furniture and vibrant hand-looms. The Sri Lankan homes vary from private homes to retreats and resorts, all designed by the island's most creative architects and interior designers including some by the world-renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa that have never been seen before. These works demonstrate the essentials of the Sri Lankan spaces open to the elements and the natural use of space and decor, contributing to a palpable sense of peace and discipline. In addition, there are practical design ideas that can be applied to any tropical locale. Photographed entirely on location, Sri Lanka Style is an inspirational sourcebook of contemporary tropical style.

The role of the home, the domestic sphere and the intimate, ethno-cultural identities that are cultivated within it, are critical to understanding the polemical constructions of country and city; tradition and modernity; and regionalism and cosmopolitanism. The home is fundamental to ideas of the homeland that give nationalism its imaginative form and its political trajectory. This book explores positions that are vital to ideas of national belonging through the history of colonial, bourgeois self-fashioning and post colonial identity construction in Sri Lanka. The country remains central to related architectural discourses due to its emergence as a critical site for regional architecture, post-independence. Suggesting patterns of indigenous accommodation and resistance that are expressed through built form, the book argues that the nation grows as an extension of an indigenous private sphere, ostensibly uncontaminated by colonial influences, domesticating institutions and appropriating rural geographies in the pursuit of its hegemonic ideals. This ambitious, comprehensive, wide-ranging book presents an abundance of new and original material and many imaginative insights into the history of architecture and nationalism from the mid nineteenth century to the present day.