Tonal map of Casa Pieris II © Factum Foundation
De Silva was an inspirational and innovative figure whose work from the 1950s through to the 1970s took modern architectural ideas and translated them into a South Asian context. She was ahead of her time, integrating traditional references and crafts into her buildings, engaging communities in the houses she was to build for them, and anticipating some of the environmental concerns that are commonplace today. Unfortunately, she is not as well known as she deserves to be, and her legacy is under threat.
Factum Foundation’s Imran Khan taught at ‘Museum Intensive’ (29 September – 2 October, 2025), organised in Colombo. Titled ‘Documenting Modern Buildings’, the course focused on methods of recording architectural history and De Silva’s Pieris House II was identified as the perfect hands-on workshop site, resulting in a high-resolution 3D model of one of De Silva’s most known buildings.
Imran Khan during the workshop at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka © MMCA Sri Lanka
Imran Khan during the workshop at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka © MMCA Sri Lanka
Imran Khan during the workshop at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka © MMCA Sri Lanka
Tonal map of Casa Pieris II © Factum Foundation
Tonal map of Casa Pieris II © Factum Foundation
During the course, the students had the opportunity to record and process objects from the museum, creating 3D models:
