Damith Premathilake Wins Gold for Sri Lanka at the ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2026
Architect Damith Premathilake receives the ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2026 Gold Award for KAYA Holiday Retreat. Image credit: Daily Mirror.
Sri Lankan architect Damith Premathilake of DPA Studio has won the Gold Award at the Architects Regional Council Asia (ARCASIA) Awards for Architecture 2026, securing significant recognition for Sri Lankan design talent on one of Asia’s most prominent architectural platforms.
The award was presented for KAYA Holiday Retreat, a luxury boutique retreat located in Diyathalawa, in Sri Lanka’s central highlands. The project received the Gold Award in the Public Amenities: Resort Buildings category, competing against outstanding architectural entries from Japan, China, India, Thailand and several other countries across Asia.
The achievement was reported by Daily Mirror on 30 September 2026 and represents an important milestone for DPA Studio, while also highlighting the growing capacity of Sri Lankan architects to produce work that is competitive within an increasingly sophisticated regional design environment.
KAYA Holiday Retreat: Architecture shaped by its landscape
KAYA Holiday Retreat is situated at the edge of a pine forest in Diyathalawa, an elevated area recognised for its cool climate, mountainous terrain and distinctive highland vegetation. Rather than treating the natural setting as a backdrop, the project was conceived around a design philosophy in which the built environment and the surrounding landscape remain closely connected.
The retreat has been described as a sustainable and environmentally sensitive development, with its architectural character shaped by the existing terrain and forest environment. In this approach, the project becomes more than a collection of buildings; it is presented as an intervention intended to remain responsive to its physical setting.
Such sensitivity is particularly relevant in hill-country architecture, where steep landforms, fragile ecosystems, heavy rainfall and changing temperatures require careful consideration during both design and construction. The use of natural materials, restrained forms and a close relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces can help reduce the visual and environmental impact of development, while allowing the landscape to remain central to the experience of the site.
KAYA Holiday Retreat’s recognition therefore reflects not only visual quality, but also the broader value of design that considers context, environmental responsibility and long-term integration with the land.
AI-generated illustration based on the source image, depicting the architectural character and pine-forest setting associated with KAYA Holiday Retreat. Image includes eLanka branding.
Gold Award in the Resort Buildings category
The ARCASIA Awards for Architecture recognise notable architectural achievements across the Asian region, with emphasis placed on design excellence, innovation and sensitivity to cultural, contextual and environmental conditions.
KAYA Holiday Retreat was entered in the Public Amenities: Resort Buildings category, where it competed alongside projects representing a range of architectural practices and national contexts. The category brought together work from countries including Japan, China, India and Thailand, making the Gold Award particularly meaningful for a Sri Lankan studio working within a competitive regional field.
The award demonstrates that architectural excellence is not confined to the largest cities or most established markets. A project located in Diyathalawa, developed in response to a particular Sri Lankan landscape, has been assessed alongside work from across Asia and received the highest level of recognition in its category.
This is also significant because the project’s strength appears to lie in its relationship with place. Instead of relying on an imported or generic resort model, KAYA Holiday Retreat was conceived around the character of the central highlands, where the forest, topography and atmosphere are integral to the architectural experience.
Recognition presented during ARCASIA Forum 23
The Gold Award was presented on Friday, 11 September 2026, in conjunction with ARCASIA Forum 23, one of Asia’s leading gatherings for architects, industry leaders, academic institutions and architectural professionals.
The forum provides a regional setting in which contemporary architectural practice, education, professional standards and the future direction of the built environment can be considered together. Within that context, the ARCASIA Awards serve as an important mechanism for identifying projects that demonstrate the capacity of architecture to respond intelligently to cultural, environmental and social conditions.
For DPA Studio, receiving the award at such a gathering places KAYA Holiday Retreat within a wider conversation about the future of responsible development across Asia. The recognition also offers an opportunity for Sri Lankan architectural practice to be seen beyond the boundaries of the local market, at a time when sustainability and contextual design are becoming increasingly important to international juries and professional institutions.
Damith Premathilake reflects on the achievement
Reflecting on the recognition, Archt. Damith Premathilake said:
> “This is certainly one of the most memorable milestones of my career. I am immensely proud to see a project from Sri Lanka recognized on one of Asia’s highest platforms for architectural excellence.”
The statement reflects both personal achievement and professional pride in the international recognition of a Sri Lankan project. For architects and design professionals in Sri Lanka, such awards can provide valuable visibility, strengthen confidence in local practice and encourage greater engagement with international architectural forums.
The recognition also carries relevance for Sri Lankan students and emerging designers, who are increasingly working across architecture, interior design, landscape planning and sustainable development. KAYA Holiday Retreat demonstrates how a project grounded in a specific local environment can achieve recognition when its design principles are developed with clarity and applied with craftsmanship.
Continuing international recognition for KAYA Holiday Retreat
The ARCASIA Gold Award is not the first international honour received by KAYA Holiday Retreat. The project had previously received recognition at the AIA International Awards 2025, organised by the International Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, along with several other international honours.
The AIA International Awards provide recognition for architectural work across categories including architecture, interior architecture and urban design, with particular attention given to projects that demonstrate exceptional design quality and responsible practice. KAYA Holiday Retreat’s earlier recognition, followed by the ARCASIA Gold Award, indicates that the project has continued to attract attention from professional bodies beyond Sri Lanka.
Its success is therefore best understood as part of a continuing record rather than an isolated result. The project has provided DPA Studio with an international platform while demonstrating the potential of Sri Lankan architecture to address contemporary expectations regarding sustainability, landscape sensitivity and design excellence.
A positive signal for Sri Lankan design
Damith Premathilake’s achievement represents a positive development for Sri Lanka’s architectural and creative sectors. It shows that projects developed within the country can compete successfully with work from larger and more internationally established markets, provided that the design is carefully considered, professionally executed and responsive to its setting.
KAYA Holiday Retreat’s success is particularly notable because it connects international recognition with the protection and interpretation of a distinctive Sri Lankan landscape. In this respect, the project presents an instructive model for future development in environmentally sensitive areas, where architectural ambition must be balanced with respect for natural systems.
As Sri Lankan professionals continue to work across local and international markets, achievements such as this can help strengthen the country’s reputation for thoughtful, innovative and environmentally conscious design. The Gold Award at the ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2026 is consequently a proud moment for Damith Premathilake and DPA Studio, as well as an encouraging achievement for Sri Lankan architecture on the Asian stage.
Source: https://www.dailymirror.lk/business-news/Sri-Lanka-wins-Gold-at-ARCASIA-Awards-for-Architecture-2026/273-351409
This article was written based on the source https://www.dailymirror.lk/business-news/Sri-Lanka-wins-Gold-at-ARCASIA-Awards-for-Architecture-2026/273-351409, kindly email us at info@eLanka.com.au if any information needs to be corrected.
At eLanka, we respect the rights of creators. If we have used an image you own and you’d like it removed, please email us at info@elanka.com.au and we’ll handle it promptly.
Thanks.
eLanka team
eLanka Disclaimer
Content published on eLanka may be created by the eLanka team, submitted by contributors or third parties, reproduced or adapted from other sources with appropriate source acknowledgement, or provided as promotional/advertising material by our clients. While eLanka takes reasonable care in preparing and publishing content, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Views expressed are those of the respective authors or contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of eLanka. Third-party contributors, content providers and advertisers are responsible for the accuracy of material they supply and for ensuring they hold the necessary rights and permissions for its publication. Advertising and promotional content should not be regarded as an endorsement by eLanka of any product, service or claim.
