Brief Garden - Beruwala

 Brief Garden is a landscape garden and former home in Beruwala, Sri Lanka designed by landscape architect and owner Bevis Bawa. Bevis Bawa (1909 – 1992) was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was a major of the Ceylon Light Infantry, a horticulturalist and a landscaper.

 In 1929 Bawa was bequeathed the family rubber plantation by his mother, Bertha Marianne née Schrader (1876–1946). The estate's unique name was derived from the fact it was purchased by his father, Benjamin, with funds from a successful legal brief. Bawa realized that he lacked the self-discipline to operate and maintain a successful plantation and focused instead on developing the estate's garden. The original estate was approximately 81 hectares (200 acres) with Bawa selling off portions of the estate to reduce it to manageable proportions. He continually worked on the garden until his death in 1992. The estate was inherited by his employees, with Doohlan de Silva, currently managing the property. Dooland de Silva worked with Bevis Bawa from 1969 to 1990. Brief Garden Designs is a subsidiary of Brief Garden private Ltd, which is a 5 acre landscaped garden, and nursery for ornamental plants & root-balled trees, & palms.

 For more information:

https://briefgardendesigns.com/

https://www.greatgardensoftheworld.com/gardens/brief-garden-by-bevis-bawa/

 We visited the Brief Garden during our recent visit to Beruwala, and also had the privilege of meting Mr. Doohlan de Silva in person for a short time, thanks to our colleague Archt. Iresha Katukurunda. Here are some photos taken during our visit to the Briefs. 

The Palms - Beruwala

 

The Palms Hotel in Beruwala, Sri Lanka, is a beachfront resort known for its family-friendly atmosphere and recent renovations. It’s part of the Colombo Fort Hotels Group and a sister hotel to The Sigiriya Village and Club Palm Bay. Originally known as Wornel's Reef before the 2004 tsunami, it was later acquired and rebranded as The Palms. The hotel emphasizes Sri Lankan hospitality and has a commitment to sustainability, including environmental preservation and community support. 

The Palms Hotel is managed by Beruwala Resorts Plc, a subsidiary of Colombo Fort Hotels Ltd, according to EMIS Next, and the Palms underwent renovations in 2012, giving it a contemporary and stylish ambiance, according to Agoda.com. 

The hotel offers a range of amenities including a swimming pool, spacious rooms, and an open-air restaurant. The hotel’s entrance is some 600m down a lane off the Galle Road close to the 57km post. These are a few photos of the hotel premises taken during our stay there while participating to the AGM & member’s get-to-gather 2025 of the Architects’ Union of CECB.

Beruwala - 2025

 These are a few photos taken during our stay at the Palms Hotel while participating to the AGM & member’s get-to-gather 2025 of the Architects’ Union of CECB (AUCECB). Thanks to the AUCECB Executive / Trip Organizing Committee members for organizing such a memorable event. A few of us also had the pleasure of visiting the Briefs Gardens on our way back home. Photo Courtesy also goes to Kumari Gamage.