Geoffrey Bawa's iconic Horagolla house for local Sri Lankan socialite Sunethra Bandaranaike has a fascinating back story. The reinvention of this Sri Lankan stable into the architectural landmark it is today was a work of genius. Sunethra Bandaranaike was told that the stable itself was an ancestral house. As the years passed, it was abandoned, but it gained a new life. Behind the stable was a clump of tall, straight trees that extended deep into the forest. Bandaranaike was particularly fond of clay POTS, which brought a sense of decoration to interiors and gardens.

Geoffrey Bawa was Sri Lanka's most prolific and influential architect. His work has had tremendous impact upon architecture throughout Asia and is unanimously acclaimed by connoisseurs of architecture worldwide. Highly personal in his approach, evoking the pleasures of the senses that go hand in hand with the climate, landscape, and culture of ancient Ceylon, Bawa brought together an appreciation of the Western humanist tradition in architecture with needs and lifestyles of his own country.Bawa started practicing at the age of 38, but his architecture of the past 25 years or more is widely acclaimed in Sri Lanka. His strong commitment to the close connection between architecture and nature is witnessed by his attention to landscape and vegetation, which are key environments for architecture.