2013 March Visit: Department of Architecture welcomes Dr Charles Doidge, British senior don who was responsible for the commencement of the M.Sc. in Architecture four decades ago

Dr Charles Doidge was happy to see the progress made in theDepartment of Architecture welcomes Dr Charles Doidge, British senior don who was responsible for the commencement of the M.Sc. in Architecture four decades ago Department of Architecture on 4th March 2013. Dr Doidge was invited to assist in the development of the postgraduate teaching in Architecture at the Department and in 1973, the initial batch comprising of five students were enrolled for the first time in Sri Lanka for the M.Sc. in Architecture. He left the department in 1977 after the postgraduate programme was well established.

He was a lecturer who adopted a Sri Lankan life style and went beyond the call of duty when he conducted lectures and tutoring classes even at his home at Park Road always entertaining the students to snacks lunches and dinners . Architectural model making classes were conducted in his garage and students were often taken on study tours for days along with his young family and the MSc programme have given the former students, now very senior architects and academics an unforgettable post graduate experience!

He was invited to be the RIBA external examiner twice on the very course he started and was the key note speaker when the department celebrated 50 years of architectural education in Sri Lanka in2011. When he visited the department in March 2013 he conducted a lecture followed by discussion for students and both his wife Theress and him, said 'how much they felt like being at home in Sri Lanka'. The department wish them both good health and contentment in their retirement in UK.