ACCESS PROJECTS – CREATING INNOVATIVE SPACES & WORLD CLASS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
The Access Group consists of some of the country’s pioneering and innovative companies that have contributed to Sri Lanka’s corporate landscape.
Access Projects is among them – they commenced their own unique journey into creating iconic buildings with their flagship Access Towers 25 years ago. At the time, it was a unique building with its own footprint.
Heading the Access Projects is Managing Director Dilshan Ferdinando who has been associated with creating architecturally exceptional innovative spaces that have gone on to be some of the finest buildings in Sri Lanka.
The company made their mark in the field of construction in the leisure industry – from the interior fit out of the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, to the lobby refurbishment and improvements of Chaya Blue in Trincomalee and Chaya Tranz in Hikkaduwa.
Another unique project was The Water’s Edge Golf Club, Club House and the banquet hall, undertaken personally by Dilshan himself to transform a marshy land into Colombo’s second Golf Course. This was a sustainable venture that was spread over 160 acres with an engineered set of water ways, lakes and canals. It involved removing perimeter urban waste and dredging 50 acres and using that material to create the golf playing fields. It still stands today with every tree retained and functional as a banquet facility.
“ This was at the time when the war had ended and the hospitality industry was taking off. “ recalls Dilshan, “ We went on to do several banquet halls for city hotels as well as the renovations of the villas of Club Dolphin at Waikkal, yet another iconic hotel.”
The interiors of Waters Edge Golf & Country Club including the banquet hall was designed and built by Access Projects initially.
Yet another unique venture undertaken by Access Projects was the construction of Cape Weligama, a 50 key ultra-luxury resort for The Dilmah Group. “The project involved creating one of a kind, iconic villas with 13 swimming pools – the moon shaped pool was the largest infinity pool in Sri Lanka at the time, in 2014. The projects sought to use timber and locally sourced material for sustainability. It came with specific attention to detail, creating spaces that were all its own,” he adds.
When the iconic Galle Face Hotel sought restoration and renovation to meet the design elements of the Fifties, they chose Access Projects to handle the construction. Dilshan recalls carrying out extensive research with old photographs, paying attention to details and highlights that brought out the old world look and feel. A new ballroom was added to blend in with the existing architectural design of the old one, while all systems were renovated and updated.
Access Projects has also undertaken several iconic projects such as the Anantara Resort , a 250 key luxury hotel for the Hemas Group along with staff quarters and the banquet hall.
Access Projects was tasked with the construction of a modern 18 storeyed building for the Academy of Design – it came with specific design requirements – ‘ we made sure every one of those requirements were met – within budget and the time frame given.” he says. Accredited with ISO 9001 – 2008 and ISO 14001 – 2004, and accredited to CIDA (Construction Industry Development Authority) , Access Projects specializes in midscale specialist construction projects that call for attention to detail and meeting exacting architect and customer needs.
