Five of the City School of Architecture’s (CSA) most promising students were treated to a rare tour of AkzoNobel’s regional headquarters and research and development (R&D) facilities in Singapore. 

The study tour showcased some of the latest innovations from the company’s flagship brand, Dulux. During the tour, the students were given invaluable exposure to some of the finest examples of modern architecture in the Asian region, which have been adorned in AkzoNobel coatings. 

The tour was organised as part of a continuous engagement between AkzoNobel and CSA during which time the company has sponsored the bursary for the past three years and worked to support the development of Sri Lanka’s next generation of young architects.

Spanning three exciting days in one of Asia’s most cosmopolitan commercial and urban centres, the students were provided with a personal tour of the numerous prominent landmarks that AkzoNobel has provided coatings solutions for, including world famous sites like the Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, the Burkhill Hall  
Botanical Gardens.

The first day of the tour was rounded out with a visit to some of the country’s most exclusive cafés and restaurants where popular AkzoNobel brand, Dulux paints had been used in innovative methods to achieve distinct moods. In particular, the students were offered insights into the new physical and visual dimensions made possible as a result of the latest range of premium special effects paints, Dulux Ambiance.
Students were selected for the tour following completion of a detailed assignment on the basics of colour, colour psychology, colour usage in exterior and interior environments and the role it plays in defining a space. 
Following a series of learning sessions conducted by renowned architect and visiting lecturer, Nela De Zoysa, participants were then asked to apply their knowledge, first in the form of a written assignment and finally through practical projects creating designs for real-world spaces including the AkzoNobel headquarters in Colombo.

 
Notably, the students were also given a tour of AkzoNobel’s regional headquarters, a certified green building considered a true case study on how bold and vibrant usage of colour can be utilised as a powerful tool for experiential communication. The building incorporates numerous colours and styles, in order to reflect the cultural diversity intrinsic to the 
regional headquarters.

Accompanying the five students on the trip, De Zoysa expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity afforded to her students through the scholarship programme.