PORTFOLIO 

My inspiration

​I grew up in the countryside of Sri Lanka till I was 6 years old, I used to see a lot of tree houses called "Pela" which farmers in rural areas use as watch huts to chase aware animals such as elephants, wildboars and deers from their cultivations. They choose the tallest tree in their land and make this small huts by themselves or with the help of the community.

 

I grew in an environment surrounded by a lot of green. I loved tree climbing as a kid and I love still love heights. However, after my parents decided to move to the city I started missing that country life a lot. But there was a huge Almond tree (also known as "Kottamba" or "Tropical Almond") in our front yard which I fell in love with. I used to climb it, sit and lay on the branches. The layered branches of this tree were formed in a way that I could comfortably sit or lay on. I used to appreciate the view of the surrounding from there. I do not wonder my connection with trees as that was our ansestors first home million years back. This tree architecture has influenced me a lot in my designs as I use a lot of elements such as double heights, balconies, level differences, etc.

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I identified my talent for freehand drawing when I was very young. I used to draw a lot of cartoon character from memory. I used to see things, remeber them and draw them. Sketching became my hobby. Later, I started selling portrait drawings and developed that into a design studio called MNX Design Studio within covid, just after finishing my Bachelors in Architecture. 

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The spark

Some people decide to become an architect seeing famous buildings. For me, it began in a modest draftsperson’s office. I used to go there often as my father used to get their service for his engineering drawings. I always fascinated by the well arranged designed tiny office and the 3Ds they  were producing for architects. 

 

Architecture wasn’t a common path in my context. In my community, architects were often seen as something only the wealthy could afford. That made the profession feel distant at first. I wanted to bridge that gap, to show how design can touch everyday life and not just the lives of a privileged few. I extended this ideaology by starting MNX Design Studio and employing my friends who were fresh graduates as well and other graduates from low income countries such as Philiphines, Indonesia and Venezuela. This opportunity gave them an income to survive within Covid when no one was hiring them. 

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Eventually I decided to explore architecture further, and later, I moved to Adelaide to learn my Master of Architecture at the University of South Australia. Through out my journey I have collaborated with many professionals such as architects, consultants, developers, and engineers and diverse set of clients all over the world through MNX Design Studio which has given me a unique identity. I was able to take part in various projects from different contexts and cultures, and learn the differences. Along the way, I could improve my inter-cultural understanding, comminucation, leadership, problems solving and many other skills in addition to software skills. 

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