Green Sponge in Ramsar - Sri Lanka Institute of Landscape Architects’ Head Office Part 1 Project 2020 Buddhimal Wickramanayake City School of Architecture | Sri Lanka Wetland areas are permanently flooded. During the dry season, wetlands release water that it stored into the atmosphere, whereas in rainy season, they act like a sponge in soaking up the excess water. It acts as a carbon sink, absorbing about 30% of the world’s carbon dioxide.Humans have contaminated them by converting them to wasteland, by filling or burning it. An estimate of 30% of Colombo wetlands have been destroyed since 1980s.The design is to create a sponge within the building, acting as an artificial wetland to help recreate the natural qualities of a wetland through technology. This would help to create a healthy outdoor environment.Monumental Purification Towers capture optimum rainfall & artificially enact the function of a wetland by purifying the collected water & controlling its release back into the environment.The Wetland is further celebrated with A green corridor between the two buildings with a path running through, which aims to intimately acquaint the users with the wetland.An extraordinary role of nature is undertaken; to act as a functional, artificial wetland by purifying rainwater & controlling its release, powered by an Algae power-generating façade, as a true “Green Sponge in Ramsar”. Buddhimal Wickramanayake Tutor(s)