Mumbai Artist Retreat is a steel and bamboo cabin built by Indian studio Architecture Brio in the coastal town of Alibag that's raised on stilts to withstand rising sea levels.
Built next to the sea in Mumbai Bay, the project is an attempt by Architecture Brio to reconcile the attraction of living by the sea with the risk of climate change.
Steel stilts rest on blocks of basalt
"Many coastal areas around the world are facing an immense dilemma," said the studio. "Coastal areas are however some of the most desirable places to live and work."
The retreat is divided into workshop space, a place for short-term residents to stay, and a long-term accommodation area.
Stilts protect the structure from flooding
Facing the metropolitan centre of Mumbai from across the water, Mumbai Artist Retreat is designed to be a rural retreat for artists looking to create in nature but keep the city skyline in sight. Of all the cities in the world, Mumbai is the second most at-risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change, according to a report published in August 2020. The site of the artist's retreat is a coconut plantation by the sea and is very low lying and prone to flooding.
The skylights are also solar panels
Architecture Brio raised the whole structure on stilts so that it can survive encroaching tides. The building is also designed to ultimately be temporary ? it can be taken apart and rebuilt on higher ground.
Stone boulders of basalt, excavated during another...