Long white house on the beach
View(s):Michael Bolier is clearly a Geoffrey Bawa enthusiast. “When I was in Sri Lanka I visited almost all the houses designed by Geoffrey Bawa.
We contacted the current occupants and asked if we could look around and everybody was very welcoming so they let us take a tour around, and I developed a good sense of the work of Geoffrey Bawa and how to build in Sri Lanka – so although the house itself doesn’t look like anything built by Bawa, it was certainly inspired by him” he says. 
Born in Sri Lanka to a Sri Lankan mother and Dutch father, Michael moved to the Netherlands when he was young and studied architecture there. Influenced by famous architects such as Leendert Cornelis van der Vlugt he is used to designing for an European climate.
Therefore, when his parents asked him to build a beach villa in Ambalangoda,back home, he had to do a lot of research. However, his effort seems to have paid off because apart from designing a villa which his parents are happy with, he has also been short-listed for the Geoffrey Bawa Award for Excellence in Architecture.
Look at the villa from a distance and you will see a narrow, long one storied structure which stands out in all its pristine white glory. Named ‘Olu Beach Villa’, it seems to have merged Michael’s experience in building in Europe with his new found knowledge on building in Sri Lanka. The building, entirely white and fairly open has what Michael calls a warm vibe.
Walk in from the road side and you can go straight through the villa to the beach on the other side. Because the house is only around 20 feet (6 metres to be accurate) in width about 155 feet or 35 metres in length, and the doors and windows are fairly large, the villa has a warm, airy and tropical feeling that almost makes you want to run to the beach for a quick dip in the Indian ocean.
Inside, there are three bedrooms with attached bathrooms, an open kitchen and a large living room. The whole villa takes advantage of the sea breeze through vents above the windows which allow the breeze to flow in even when the windows are closed. “It’s a very straightforward house but that took a lot of effort. Don’t be mistaken.
To make a house that minimalistic, that took a lot of effort and time to accomplish,” explains Michael. For instance, the water tank which would normally be in a tower on top of the house had to be hidden under the roof near the bathrooms so that it did not disturb the minimalist shape of the building, he elaborates.
“I think most people who visit the building are impressed or really like it. How it sits on the plot and how it relates to the ocean is also admired. This completely full white interior and exterior is something I hear people like,” he says when pressed for details of people’s reactions to his work.
The house doesn’t only excite newcomers. For Michael, who is used to building in the Netherlands, designing a building for the Sri Lankan climate has been exciting. “The climate is completely different and the culture of building is completely different which opens up all kinds of possibilities.
A building like this you could never build in the Netherlands, so this was a fun project,” he says, explaining how the walls of buildings in the Netherlands need to be insulated to withstand the cold European winters. The brick walls have also benefited from this because the inside and outside of the house both have a brick finish devoid of plaster. The walls have been painted white so that both sides have a similar feel. “That’s a very interesting effect for us, this monolithic wall which is not possible in the Netherlands” he says.
As for the possibility of winning the award this year, Michael feels he should wait and see what happens. “That of course would be fantastic but I have no idea,” he states simply, adding that he hopes to see the other projects at the award ceremony.
Views of the white villa and left, Michael Bolier
He also feels that hard work is the way to go for anyone wanting to succeed in architecture. “Don’t give up because when you just start it’s difficult to get clients, you have to learn everything and it can be a frustrating time; just keep at it and it will work out,” he says.