In 2004, the small fishing village of Kirinda, located on the southeast tip of Sri Lanka, was ravaged by the great Asian tsunami that killed more than 225,000 people in 11 countries. The community was devastated: hundreds of villagers were killed or left homeless, and over 90 percent of the village’s fishermen lost their livelihood in a single wave. After hearing of and viewing the effects of the tsunami, Philip Bay, the regional director of Colliers Southeast Europe, was compelled to act. Identifying Sri Lanka as one of the hardest-hit regions, Colliers International commenced discussions with the Sri Lankan government, offering to contribute its real estate expertise to the relief effort. Kirinda—one of the most thoroughly devastated communities of the island nation— was identified, and Colliers was asked to lead the reconstruction initiative. Colliers International used its expertise to finance and coordinate the effort to rebuild destroyed homes in Kirinda.

Developer
Colliers Kirinda Trust
Athens, Greece

Design Architect
Shigeru Ban Architects
Paris, France

Website
www.collierskirinda.com

Principal Author(s)
Theodore Thoerig

ULI Awards for Excellence 2008 Winner