Primrose House in Kandy, Sri Lanka, transforms a deteriorating two-bedroom home without erasing the old house at its center. Robust Architecture Workshop preserved much of the existing masonry, then built a lightweight steel structure and a raised roof around and above it.
The space between the old walls and the new enclosure became part of everyday life: a layered zone of windows, built-in seating, daybeds, storage, and sheltered passageways. It also brings in daylight and breezes while helping protect the home from heavy rain and heat.
Rather than hiding its transformation, Primrose House makes it visible. What first seemed like a limitation became the idea that gives the entire home its character.
Architecture: Robust Architecture Workshop Lead Architects: Dr. Milinda Pathiraja, Archt. Ganga Rathnayake Design Team: Archt. Sajeewa Mendis, Archt. Sajith Sivayogaraj Landscape Architecture: Mr. Mudhitha Chaaminda Location: Kandy, Sri Lanka Area: 196 m² Year: 2023 Main materials: Steel, brick
They didn't tear down the old house. They built a new structure around it and above it.
In Kandy, Sri Lanka, Primrose House was a small, deteriorating two-bedroom home.
Surrounded by other buildings, it received little daylight or cross-ventilation,
and on a sloping lot, expanding outward was barely an option.
The solution was to preserve much of the existing masonry
and treat it as the heart of a very different home.
Around the old walls, the architects installed a lightweight steel frame.
Above them, they raised a new roof,
creating more height and new spaces without expanding the house's footprint.
The construction sequence was unusual, too.
First, the new structure and roof were built over the existing house,
only then could the deteriorating roof be removed.
This kept the preserved section protected from the rain.
Instead of hiding the irregularities of the old house, the new structure grew around them,
and the most interesting part emerged in the space between them.
The raised roof and new walls created a livable zone around the old masonry core.
It includes windows, built-in seating, daybeds, storage areas, and sheltered passageways.
This new outer layer also protects the house from the climate.
Overhangs and shaded areas help deal with intense heat and heavy rain.
Openings catch the breeze, while skylights and wind catchers bring light and air
into areas that were once dark and poorly ventilated.
The old core still provides protection and privacy.
Around it, interiors, verandas, and shaded areas open naturally toward the garden and the landscape.
This adaptation continued in every detail.
Doors, windows, and furniture were fitted according to what the old house revealed during construction.
The design did not try to impose a perfect form.
It worked with the reality of the place.
Several small contractors worked together on the renovation,
and the job site also became a place to learn.
Staircases, benches, window boxes, railings,
and built-in furniture were made as custom pieces for the house.
Even the door and window hardware was fabricated on-site using leftover steel from the structure.
The reuse went beyond the old walls.
It can be seen in the way the house was built, in the use of leftover materials,
and in the knowledge developed during construction.
In the end, what initially seemed to limit the design became what defined its architecture.
The old house was not erased to make room for another one.
It remained at the center, while the space created around it and above it
began to expand, brighten, ventilate, and protect the entire home.
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