Urban Mangrove
Building a Water System
In this model of sustainable urban living, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, is imagined as a city that embraces and embeds itself within the estuarine lagoon ecosystem. A regenerative model that leverages resources the estuary provides while simultaneously supporting and investing in the development of this ecosystem. This proposal is for a holistic approach to future urban development in Batticaloa. The program includes mixed-use residential, local market, community garden & lagoon nursery. The proposed buildings create a system to collect, filter and retain water, generate energy, and re-purpose waste. Beyond the material cycles, a community of people is envisioned who live in harmony, are proponents of social equity, and hold a deep respect for all forms of life. Soil retains its integrity; all forms of life have the opportunity to flourish; and a spatially and temporally complex landscape, with its various components in symphony creates beauty and resiliency.