"UNIQUENESS OF PLACE" AS THE BASIS FOR LOCAL PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT; A STUDY OF SELECTED TOWNS IN SOUTHERN, SRI LANKA. A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA FOR THE FINAL EXAMINATION IN M.Sc. (ARCHITECTURE) " 74093 7 2 . - © J ABSTRACT Man began to build to make a better and comfortable surrounding as he lives with the environment. These created environments were best suited to surrounding environments and there were no conflict at all. But the unsatisfied man needed more and more comfort and this resulted in the introduction of technologies and new ways of lifestyles, thus man came to be enclosed in built structures. The relationship between man and environment further diminished day by day. And the creation of built environment became the responsibility of professionals. These persons who create built environment came to be known as architects, planners, urban designers etc. Most of these places taken up by professionals for creating built environments were totally strange places to them. Though their task was to create meaningful places very few could achieve success. The basic problem was lack of coordination and understanding among the professionals of the various relevant fields and the environments. Proper understanding is important as each place is unique and different from each other and each has its own inherent qualities. Therefore for each place should be responded V according to its individuality. There fore 'uniqueness of place' is very important to examine. It involves learning lessons from the past of successful experience of quality concern. Present contexts of urban spaces are analyzed and reviewed with in their framework as an effort to convenes the important of 'uniqueness of place' as a gesture to make better places for us. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am deeply indebted and thankful to many inspiring individuals who helped me through out this study to make it a reality. First and foremost to Dr.Dayaratne, my tutor and sixth year master, who with his great patience, advised and guided me with every detail of the study, providing me constant encouragement to fall in to the correct tract of thinking etc. To Dr. L.S.R Perera, sixth year master and coordinator of Dissertations for giving me in valuable comments and guidance. To my friends, Nilanthi, Thilini, Geethika, Bahula, Indika, Nuwan, Sandyamali and Ruchira by providing me texts, photographs, helping, encouraging me in numerous ways. To my sistersarrd'cousins who encouraging and supporting me in numerous ways. To my parents for their relentless supports' and especially my' Thathi', who accompanied with me in field surveys and has been a source of strength to me right throughout this course. To each and every one, who's names I have tailed to mention here I say a big 'thank you' for being there with me sparing your time being a valuable part of my effort in making this study a possibility. n CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Topic explanation 1.2 Aims and Objectives 1.3 Methodology 1.4 Scope and limitation. 02.CHAPTER ONE- SPACE AND PLACE 1.1 Space-Introduction 1.1.1 Types of spaces (a) Pragmatic (b) Perceptual (c) Existential (d) Architectural and Planning space (e) Cognitive Space 1.2 Space and Place 1.3 Place - A General Interpretation 1.4 Concept of Place 1.5 Architectural Interpretation of Place 1.6 Uniqueness of Place III 1.7 Conclusions of Chapter One 20 3.0 CHAPTER TWO - LITERATURE REVIEW ON PLACE 2.0 Identity of Place 22 2.1 Constituents of Environmental Image 2.1.1 Structure of Place 24 (a) Inside, outside 24 (b) Boundary 25 (c) Character 25 2.1.2 Meaning 28 2.1.3 Identity 29 2.2 Basis For Identification of Place 33 2.3 Examination For The Basis 2.4 Conclusions of Chapter Two 4.0 CHAPTER THREE • CASE STUDIES 3.1 Basis for Selection of Case Studies 3.2 Case study one-Devinuwara 3.3 Case study two- Walasgala 3.4 Case study three- Tangalle 3.5 Conclusions of Chapter Four 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION 4.1 Unique characteristics in places in 67 4.1.1 Divinuwara 71 4.1.2 Tangalle 76 4.1.3 Walasgala 7g 56 58 53 65 4.2 Uniqueness of Places for the basis for planning 4.3 Conclusions and Recommendations BIBLIOGRAPHY