Colliers Tsunami houses finalist at Asia Pacific event

Global property consultants Colliers International that reconstructed the Sri Lankan village of Kirinda after the 2004 Tsunami in a sustainable, green vision has been selected as one of the 12 finalists for the 2007 Urban Land Institute Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific.

The awards are “the real estate development community's most prestigious awards” and will be announced this month, the company said.

The Colliers Kirinda project was previously honoured at the MIPIM real estate awards in Cannes, France in March this year, where it won the Award for Best Residential Development and received a Special Tribute Award.

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban worked closely with the Colliers Kirinda Trust to reconstruct the village. He and his firm of architects donated their time to produce a radical vision that embraced local traditions and materials. The houses were constructed with rubber tree wood, coconut wood, teak and sun-dried earthen blocks, all natural materials chosen for their durability, strength and beauty, and conform to the highest environmental standards.