A pioneering moment occurred on the morning of the 12th November 2020 at the Southern Campus of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, where the Department of Architecture of the Faculty of Built Environment and Spatial Sciences had the ceremonial opening of the Department of Architecture Research Cell (DARC). This research cell is the first established academic research unit unique to the Southern Campus of KDU, which was initiated and conceptualised by Dr. Thushini Mendis – the founding Chair of DARC, with the support of the Head of the Department of Architecture, Archt. Kihan Pathirana, academic staff members of the department, including Archt. Kasun Gayantha and Archt. HDS Asoka, and non-academic staff and students. This occasion was graced by the Chief Guest – the Rector of Southern Campus, Brig. EADP Edirisinghe psc, and was followed by a short programme introducing the aims and objectives of DARC, and a tour of the research unit. DARC intends to strengthen the research scope of students and academicians, provide them with the required human and physical resources for the conduct of original research, promote research culture within the department, and collaborate on local and international research-related activities whilst focusing on the publication of original research in top-ranked indexed journals.
