Financial Times

There will be two zones at the Victoria Range – one would have 140 bungalow type houses with private gardens and the other would have 120 cost-effective houses that would be priced lower but constructed, as done always in Nivasie housing projects, according to British construction standards to ensure complete safety of the structures.
The highest quality raw materials bearing the SLS and ISO certification will be used at all times and special consideration will be given to eco-friendly building techniques that do not damage our forest and water reserves consistently throughout the entire project, officials said.

By Priyeni de Silva McLeod

Sarath Weerasooriya, Chairman, Finco Group of Companies, a conglomerate of business enterprises, was enthusiastic about the latest bungalow housing project his company has embarked on in the Kandy district.

Weerasooriya spoke passionately to The Sunday Times FT but it was not of the business aspect of the venture or of the rupees and cents they hoped to earn by way of profits that he spoke of but about another aspect of the project, an aspect very close to his heart.

“A unique feature of the Victoria Range is that only 58% of the 62 acres of land which is delineated for the project will be utilized for buildings; this special housing project will have roadways, parks, ponds, jogging tracks and also conserved natural forest areas in 42% of the total extent,” he explained.

Nivasie Developers and ICC (International Construction Consortium) which is implementing the first bungalow housing project in the Central Province are companies attached to the Finco Group of Companies.

This project fills a void that has been created in the Kandy district for housing as there is limited land available in and around the city resulting in housing costs rising higher and higher.

The highest quality raw materials bearing the SLS and ISO certification will be used at all times and special consideration will be given to eco-friendly building techniques that do not damage Sri Lanka's forest and water reserves consistently throughout the entire project, officials said.

Weerasooriya, an avid nature lover who was exploring the Knuckles region at the time he met the newspaper, sounded very satisfied with the aspect of preservation of the natural surrounds of the project as he envisages the property to be a sanctuary for birds in the mountainous region of Digana village.

“Many endemic, as well as migrant birds will find the forest belt a haven and bird lovers will be attracted to the Victoria Range” he expanded. “It will be a wonderful environ for children to grow up in, observing the natural, scenic beauty of the region and also being aware that man can easily live in harmony with nature. This project is a step towards achieving a key vision of mine, to educate our children on the importance of nature conservation and nurturing their interest in the exotic fauna and flora of our country,” he said. “All roadways, parks and even the jogging tracks will be landscaped to complement the surrounding area and attract the maximum species of birds, butterflies, moths and small animals such as squirrels, hare etc.”

He says it will be an unusual experience for residents to have red deer and sambur as neighbours in the forest reserves, as these are species found in the region and will certainly inhabit the undisturbed wooded area.

ICC wants to use material such as concrete and steel instead of timber for the construction of roofs to minimize the use of wood. “As much as possible, we try to preserve the eco system and not intrude or destroy nature,” he said.

At the recently concluded MTI Global Forum held in Sri Lanka, MTI Bangladesh edged out its counterparts in the Indian Sub-Continent and Middle East to bag the coveted Best Country Operation Award.

This is the first time MTI has instituted the award and it was judged on the effectiveness of Customer Conversion, Value Delivery and adherence to The MTI Way – which is the unique manner in which MTI processes work and deliver profitable value to customers.

MTI’s Bangladesh operation started in June 2005 and since then has successfully worked on projects for leading businesses such as Beximco, Gemcon Group, Meena Bazar, Renata (formerly Pfizer), and Kazi and Kazi Tea among others.

Housed at the Sheraton Office Complex in Dhaka, MTI Bangladesh plans to act as a Regional Development Centre serving Nepal, Bhutan and Calcutta.

Speaking at the award ceremony in Sri Lanka, Country Manager, Malka Shamrose (who has worked with Unilever, Nestle and BAT) said, “Sri Lankan business conglomerates and brands should seriously consider entering the Bangladesh market, as Brand Sri Lanka has a very positive perception there.
Further the Sri Lanka market experience has many competencies that can be effectively transferred to the Bangladesh Market.”

Lanka Realty Services, an e-based real estate company, has re-launched its website www.lankarealty.com.

Since the inception, the company through its website has brought its discerning patrons in touch with property transactions; a most effective buying guide and sales tool, the company said.

The distinctive feature of the website is the instant photographic access it provides visitors to the properties it details.

These include detailed construction descriptions and architectural layouts, affording customers a better chance at making informed and useful purchase decisions. A new feature at the site is the Virtual Reality function, which would afford patrons a 360 degree view of the building interior, as seen from inside.

"The website could easily be classified as one of the most comprehensive in its class; consisting detailed descriptions of personal and commercial property, supplier, builders, renovators, interior decorators and even financial assistance.

Condominiums have been given a special listing – architectural layouts, plans, etc. – with the hope of attracting investments in that area," the company said.

It commenced operations in 2004, and consists over 200 listings of land, houses and commercial structures.

Virtusa will partner the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the University of Moratuwa, to develop and deliver programmes in software architecture as part of its M.Sc./PG Diploma in Computer Science.

Under this partnership, Virtusa will provide professional services to design and deliver two modules of the Moratuwa M.Sc. under the direction of the University.

Software Architecture is the discipline of solving real world problems in a predictable and repeatable manner by visualising, abstracting, decomposing and developing large-scale systems.

Software Architects typically have technical ownership for the success of software development projects, acting as central technical communicators with all stakeholders and key decision makers.

“Software Architects are highly sought after worldwide and are in extreme short supply,” said Madu Ratnayake, General Manager Virtusa, Sri Lanka.

“Strong education programmes in Software Architecture practices fall short today, primarily due to the highly industrial nature of the discipline. We are delighted to be part of this pioneering effort and trust that it will lay the foundation for a complete Masters programme in Software Architecture in the near future.”