Institutional-Repository, University of Moratuwa
Welcome to the University of Moratuwa Digital Repository, which houses postgraduate theses and dissertations, research articles presented at conferences by faculties and departments, university-published journal articles and research publications authored by academic staff. This online repository stores, preserves and distributes the University's scholarly work. This service allows University members to share their research with a larger audience.
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Recent Submissions
item: Conference-Full-text
Material innovation as a cultural material practice: coconut based product design for regenerative futures
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) De Silva, CP; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
The growing recognition that sustainability alone may be insufficient to address contemporary ecological and social crises has led to increased attention toward regeneration as an expanded design paradigm. While sustainable design has focused largely on efficiency and harm reduction, regenerative approaches seek to restore, renew, and strengthen the living systems upon which the built environment depends. However, translating regenerative principles to the level of materials and products remains underdeveloped, particularly within design education. This paper examines how regeneration can be cultivated through a practice based and participatory material exploration process. Using Culture Code 2025, a design led educational initiative centred on coconut-based product innovation in Sri Lanka, the study investigates how regeneration can emerge through observation, experimentation, prototyping, and collaboration with craftspeople. Based on the ecological and cultural context of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), the project engages students in hands on exploration that emphasises material intelligence, circularity, and cultural continuity. The findings suggest that practice led material innovation offers a viable pathway for approaching regeneration in the built environment, demonstrating how educational settings can nurture regenerative thinking and action at the scale of everyday products. The findings further suggest that this approach offers a replicable educational model for embedding regenerative thinking within design curricula. By demonstrating how locally rooted, practice-based engagement with natural materials can generate regenerative outcomes, the study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable built environment practice at the intersection of material culture, design education and ecological stewardship
item: Conference-Full-text
Microclimate-aware urban planning in tropical climates: A review.
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Nimesha, JS; Kulatunga, U; Subhasingha, HD; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
Rapid urbanization has adversely affected urban microclimates, especially in tropical regions, where high temperatures, humidity, and seasonal monsoon patterns exacerbate environmental degradation. In tropical urban environments, replacing natural landscapes with man-made structures during urbanisation alters microclimatic parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. These microclimatic changes cause negative impacts on urban areas, such as leading to thermal discomfort and increased energy demand. Despite these risks, economic interests often take precedence because in tropical climates, urban planning lacks the necessary regulatory frameworks and microclimatic awareness to prioritize sustainability by addressing the localised characteristics. Therefore, the present research aims to develop a comprehensive framework that promotes microclimate-aware urban planning in tropical climates. Initially, a background study was conducted to establish a clear research problem, aim, and objectives. This was followed by a comprehensive literature review to identify key relationships between microclimate, urban planning, and urban design strategies. To further refine these concepts, a bibliometric analysis was executed using VOSviewer software. Through the comprehensive literature review, this study identifies the linkage between urban design strategies, their key mitigation mechanisms, the negative impacts of urbanisation, and broader negative consequences for the overall tropical urban environment. By linking urban design strategies such as nature-based solutions, sustainable materials, and building morphology to specific environmental outcomes, the developed framework provides a clear pathway for utilising passive and bioclimatic urban design strategies to improve the quality of life in tropical cities. The developed framework serves as a foundational tool for initiating these essential planning interventions.
item: Conference-Full-text
Microclimate-driven spatial patterns for adaptive urban design: Evidence from Kotahena, Sri Lanka
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Dheshan, K; Perera, N; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
Rapid urbanisation and unplanned vertical expansion in tropical cities have intensified environmental pressures within dense informal neighbourhoods where urban form evolves beyond formal planning control. In many global cities, including those in Sri Lanka, everyday urban environments emerge through incremental development driven by economic constraints, with buildings predominantly constructed through labour-intensive and experience-based practices rather than professionally standardized construction processes. This ad-hoc development, combined with a growing population, has produced saturated built environments that intensify microclimate stress at street level. Interventions for such contexts typically rely on conventional sustainability frameworks that prioritise technical or climate-based solutions, while insufficiently engaging with the lived spatial and social dynamics of everyday urban environments. While climate-responsive urban research frequently evaluates environmental performance, fewer studies examine how microclimatic conditions shape spatial behaviour patterns that structure everyday urban life. This paper investigates the relationship between microclimate and spatial behaviour in dense informal contexts using Kotahena, Colombo. The study integrates spatial analysis, behavioural observation and microclimatic simulation to examine how urban morphology influences thermal comfort and patterns of urban activity. Comparative analysis reveals consistent relationships between thermal conditions and spatial behaviour patterns. The research proposes a framework for microclimate-driven spatial patterns capable of informing adaptive urban design strategies for this dense tropical environment. The patterns provide practically applicable guidance for policy and planning, supporting climate-responsive urban environments while remaining compatible with informal and experience-led urban development practices.
item: Conference-Full-text
Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation: a systematic review of evidence, performance mechanisms, and implementation conditions
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Rahubadda, RVAD; Ingirige, B; Kulatunga, U; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
Flooding is one of the most significant natural hazards worldwide, with risks intensifying due to climate change, rapid urbanisation, and land-use transformation. In response to the limitations of conventional grey infrastructure, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have gained increasing attention as sustainable strategies for flood risk management. This study presents a systematic literature review examining how NBS are applied and evaluated in flood mitigation research. Peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2026 were identified through structured searches in Scopus and Web of Science, guided by the PRISMA framework and a SPIDER-based review structure. Following duplicate removal and eligibility screening, 136 studies were retained for analysis. Evidence was synthesised using structured coding, descriptive statistics, and thematic synthesis to examine NBS types, flood hazard contexts, performance indicators, hydrological mechanisms, co-benefits, and governance conditions. The findings show that urban green infrastructure and low-impact development measures dominate the literature, particularly for pluvial flooding, while wetland restoration and river restoration approaches are more commonly applied to riverine flood management. Key hydrological mechanisms include increased infiltration, floodwater storage, hydraulic roughness, and hydrograph desynchronisation. However, the evidence base remains dominated by modelling approaches, with limited long-term empirical monitoring of implemented interventions. This review contributes by linking NBS types, flood hazards, performance evaluation metrics, and implementation conditions. The findings highlight the need for stronger empirical evidence, standardised hydrological indicators, and integrated grey–green infrastructure approaches to support the wider adoption of NBS in sustainable flood risk management.
item: Conference-Full-text
Occupational stressors among Sri Lankan construction professionals
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Peiris, SDNB; Gunatilake, S; Ilangakoon, IWMAD; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
The construction industry is widely recognized as a high-pressure work environment due to demanding workloads, strict deadlines, and challenging work conditions. Occupational stress is a significant concern among construction professionals. Despite growing attention to mental health in construction, limited empirical evidence exists on the relative significance of occupational stressors affecting construction professionals, particularly in the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, this study aims to identify and rank the most significant occupational stressors among Sri Lankan construction professionals and highlight their implications for psychological resilience. A quantitative research approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire survey. Data were collected from 41 construction professionals across engineering, quantity surveying, architecture, and site supervision/management through snowball sampling. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess the significance of identified stressors, and Weighted Mean Rating (WMR) was employed to rank them. The findings indicate that task-related stressors are the most dominant. High workload and strict deadlines jointly emerged as the highest-ranked stressors, followed by long working hours, lack of resources and task complexity. Among organisational stressors, workplace injustice recorded was identified as the most significant factor. Poor work environment and exposure to dangerous working conditions were the most prominent physical stressors, while poor work–life balance was identified as the leading personal stressor. The study concludes that occupational stress among Sri Lankan construction professionals is systemic and multidimensional. By identifying the most critical stressors, the research provides a context-specific basis for targeted stress management interventions and resilience-building strategies within the construction industry.