“Solis Ortus” -meaning my rising of the sun is a private residence located in Pelawatte (urban context - within the capital city of Sri Lanka - Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte). The concept of this residential house is to connect to the environment, in sites deeply embedded in the urbanised and rapidly urbanising “grid” of Colombo and its suburbs, of which the capitol city is very much a part of. The approach focuses on integrating the environment without the heat, humidity of the tropical context. On a more detailed level the approach to the building envelope is cognizant of its immediate function of sheltering the internal spaces, as well as their impact on future usage patterns. Cavity walls that ease the heat gain - left bare, freed of the need to paint over reducing life-cycle cost, inviting to the touch, changing colours and how it is perceived with the rhythm of the sun - insulated roofs, with photo-voltaic panels that render the naturally lit, naturally ventilated house a net-zero energy entity.