High-rise living with biophilic character

This high-end residential complex provides a natural haven in one of India’s most populous cities, upgrading the greenery of Carmichael Road with a series of unique, naturally ventilated indoor-outdoor homes.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is celebrating the completion of Carmichael Residences, a beautiful new residential tower in Mumbai that evokes tranquillity amid the city’s activity. Carmichael Residences, located in Tardeo, a neighbourhood famed for its historic bungalows and spacious gardens, meets a rising demand for high-rise living. Distinguished by a western red cedar facade enhanced with flora visible across its 21 storeys, the design beautifully complements its surroundings while adopting passive design principles influenced by regional architecture.

“This development adds a new residential experience for the neighbourhood,” says SOM Partner Laura Ettelman. “We designed the building as a vertical landscape, leveraging the biophilic identity of Carmichael Road and maximising the airflow and flexibility essential for comfort in a tropical climate.”

From the street, the driveway leads to an elevated and exclusive lobby covered in curved glass. Gardens surround the lobby, providing a peaceful respite from the city with perfumed flowers, trickling water, luxuriant vegetation, and finishes constructed of locally produced granite and western redwood. The landscape rises to the parking floors, covered in vegetation hanging down the chhajjas. Just above the parking levels, an amenity floor houses a gym, a garden, a multifunctional area, and an outdoor yoga terrace, while a pool and another garden share the rooftop with photovoltaic arrays that power the building’s back-of-house. All onsite vegetation is irrigated with captured runoff, which is critical to the project’s Indian Green Building Council Green Homes accreditation goal.

Carmichael Residences adheres to the Vastu architectural style, emphasising symmetry and connection with nature. It determines the physical design of a home, from placing a communal space in the centre to placing entrances facing east to encourage health and prosperity. All 28 flats, spread throughout the top 14 levels, are designed in an open-plan layout and may be joined into larger rooms. The 70-meter-tall tower is encased in high-performance, fully operable glazing, with broad overhangs—known as chhajjas in India—to protect each unit from the sun and monsoon rain. Greenery streams down the chhajjas, adding shade and texture to the building’s appearance. Sliding oak screens open each unit’s patio to breezes and breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea while also providing privacy and protection from severe weather when closed. This passive design concept effortlessly cools each unit via cross ventilation, minimising the need for air conditioning across the complex.

“Our approach coalesces comfort and sustainability simultaneously,” mentions SOM Principal Peter Lefkowitz. “We replicated the verdure of Carmichael Road into the building itself, creating an open and intimate experience.”

For more details, visit: https://www.som.com/

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