Chandima’s gem industry-inspired design wins at Asia Young Designer Awards
Chandima’s winning design
Representing Sri Lanka at the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA), Chandima Gawarammana, an architecture graduate of the University of Moratuwa was the proud winner of the Best Design Impact for his design of a Gem Promotional Centre. Due to COVID-19, the competition was held virtually with participants making online presentations to a panel of international judges followed by an in-depth Q&A session.
Chandima’s award was in the Architectural category under the theme of “Industrial and Cultural Exposure”.
As a youngster, Chandima always wanted to ‘do something big’. At the time he wasn’t sure where to channel his creative energy but as his interests developed he soon realized that architecture was the path for him.
He first took part in AYDA in 2016 and with support from Nippon Paint was motivated to compete this year as well. “The experience was marvellous,” he says, “I was able to talk with different architects and industry professionals from around the world. That opportunity and connection means everything to me.”
The Asia Young Designer Awards was launched as a part of Nippon Paint’s vision to nurture the emerging generation of design talents and since its inception in 2008, AYDA has extended its reach to Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Chandima Gawarammana
Considering the competition theme of “Forward: A Sustainable Future”, which challenged participants to showcase designs with a focus on functional and social sustainability elements, Chandima was reminded of Ratnapura and the major challenges the area has faced such as frequent flooding and how it has affected gem mining. While gems are highly valued, the process by which they are mined is not well known by most. After visiting Ratnapura and observing the mining process himself, he was inspired to create his winning design which focuses on preserving gem mines and revitalizing traditional gem mining techniques passed down from previous generations.
“This year’s entries, to me, were very interesting and diverse. Some of the entries were very poetic, historical, and proves that the participants dived deep into researching the environment and how to address different environmental issues,” said Paul Noritaka Tange, one of the judges from the Architectural Category and Chairman & Senior Principal Architect, Tange Associates.
“It was a proud moment,” said Chandima upon learning his design was a winner. “Participating and winning an award as a Sri Lankan on an international level gave me great pleasure knowing I had done something for my country.”
The awards ceremony was held virtually via Zoom on July 10.
Looking back at his journey so far, Chandima is grateful for the support from his parents, his mentors and lecturers from the University of Moratuwa, the team at Nippon Paint and his colleagues all of whom helped him develop his work through their guidance and feedback.
His work though is driven by his own beliefs. “As an architect we have to evoke ourselves in our designs. That is the greatest outcome as an architect in my opinion- being yourself.”