DesignBoom : wiki world’s timber treehouse cluster hides among metasequoia forest in china https://www.designboom.com/architecture/wiki-world-timber-treehouse-cluster-metasequoia-forest-china-merryda-secret-camp-11-08-2025/ #residentialarchitectureandinteriors #woodandtimberarchitectureanddesign #prefabricatedhomesandbuildings #treehousearchitectureanddesign #cabinarchitectureanddesign #architectureonstilts #architectureinchina #architecture #birdhouses #wikiworld #readers
#architectureonstilts
wiki world’s timber treehouse cluster hides among metasequoia forest in china
Treehouses as Companions to Birds in Wiki World's Forest Retreat
Merryda Wiki World - Secret Camp is a forest retreat developed by United Investment Merryda Hotel Management Group in collaboration with Wiki World, located on Cihui Street in Dongxihu District, Wuhan. Set within a metasequoia forest frequented by migratory birds, the project features over a dozen treehouses positioned carefully among the trees. Designed as part of Wiki World's Wiki Building School initiative, the project explores new forms of habitation that engage directly with the natural environment.
Inspired by local birds, seeds, and natural forms, the design seeks to integrate the treehouses into their surroundings. Each structure, named Time Machine, Nomadic Land, Playground, Daydreamer, Red Windmill, and Unicorn, interprets elements of the forest ecosystem through form and material. All existing trees were preserved, and the cabins are built on fully elevated prefabricated timber structures to minimize site disturbance. The ground remains unpaved, maintaining the forest's natural ecology. The project includes participatory features such as Letters from Birds and the Evolution of Birds exhibition, encouraging visitors to engage with the forest environment and learn about local species. A small birdhouse -making activity further connects users to the theme of coexistence between humans and wildlife.
all images by Arch-Exist
Wiki World's cabin Cluster Blends Art, Architecture, and Ecology
Each treehouse presents a unique spatial and conceptual response to the forest context. Nomadic Land translates the idea of temporary settlement into a compact, self-contained dwelling. Time Machine, finished in reflective silver, introduces a futuristic contrast to the natural setting. Playground recalls childhood imagination through playful circulation and interaction with the trees. Daydream uses mirrored metal cladding to reflect the forest, blending the structure into its surroundings. Red Windmill employs a vibrant red palette, standing out as a visual marker within the canopy. Unicorn features a vertical loft form, clad in silver panels that reference mythical symbolism. Together, these structures form a network of elevated dwellings that reinterpret the idea of living among trees through material and spatial experimentation.
The retreat, conceived by Hubei-based firm Wiki World, functions as both an accommodation site and an open forest art gallery. Temporary installations, exhibitions, and workshops are hosted throughout the year, emphasizing collaborative creation and environmental awareness. The Forest Reception serves as a hub for creative projects and eco-friendly design experiments, including the production of bird-inspired objects and natural material studies. The project also hosts the Wiki Building School Sino-French Construction Festival, which invites participants to explore sustainable construction and the concept of small-scale living in natural environments.
Prefabricated Timber Cabins Embrace Minimal, Low-Impact Living
In line with Wiki World's philosophy of 'Build Small, Dream Big,' the design promotes a minimalist approach to habitation. Each cabin focuses on the relationship between human behavior and the surrounding environment, redefining comfort through proximity to nature. By minimizing scale, the architecture encourages sensory engagement.
All structures employ glued laminated timber systems, digitally modeled for precision and fully prefabricated for on-site assembly. The 2-meter-wide home concept reflects a flexible, modular approach to domestic space, allowing variation without compromising efficiency. Facades are clad in hand-fired carbonized wood panels, providing durability and a natural finish. Each cabin is elevated, avoiding ground contact and artificial landscaping. The modular timber components are connected through small metal joints, enabling disassembly and reuse. This approach ensures minimal impact on the existing forest ecosystem and supports Wiki World's commitment to sustainable, low-impact building practices.
project info:
name: Merryda Wiki World-Secret Camp
architect: Wiki World
design team: Mu Wei, Feng Zhaoxian, Wu Baorong, He Wen, Xu Xiaodong, Liao Xiaotian, Wang Yuanying, Chen Liang
location: Wuhan, China
photographer: Arch-Exist | @archexist
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
The post wiki world's timber treehouse cluster hides among metasequoia forest in china appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
#architecture #readers #architectureinchina #architectureonstilts #birdhouses #cabinarchitectureanddesign #prefabricatedhomesandbuildings #residentialarchitectureandinteriors #treehousearchitectureanddesign #wikiworld #woodandtimberarchitectureanddesign
Ten gravity-defying homes that are raised up on stilts
From an artist's cabin perched above a tidal salt marsh to an entire elevated apartment block in Italy, here is a roundup of 10 homes on stilts from the Dezeen archives.
Hoisting buildings up on pillars allows them to occupy otherwise uninhabitable sites such as lakes, steep slopes and craggy coastal outcrops, bringing inhabitants closer to nature while treading lightly on the surrounding environment.
With floods becoming ever more frequent and severe due to global warming, and around a billion people set to be impacted by rising sea levels come 2050, stilts are also a key way to make our homes more climate-change resilient, according to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Here are 10 examples of raised residential architecture, showcasing how it can slot into different contexts from Chile to the Czech Republic:
Untreated oak boards and cork panels protect this cross-laminated timber (CLT) cabin from the salty winds of the surrounding tidal marsh, while three galvanised steel legs elevate it above the water.
Architect Lisa Shell finished each of the pillars in a durable red paint in homage to the redshank – a wading bird with vibrantly coloured legs that is native to the area, on the coast of eastern England.
Find out more about Redshank ›
Stepping Stone House, UK, by Hamish & Lyons
Swimmers can drift underneath this house extension over a lake in Berkshire, England, to get a closer look at the stilts holding up the building and the black metal ribs underneath its white, corrugated floor deck.
The house itself features exaggerated eaves supported by Y-shaped glue-laminated timber (glulam) columns that create space for a large skylight running along the entire length of the space.
Find out more about Stepping Stone House ›
House in the Orchard, Czech Republic, by Šépka Architekti
This bulbous three-storey home in an orchard on the outskirts of Prague is propped up by a small reinforced-concrete stalk and sprayed in a layer of polyurethane to make it resemble a giant rock formation.
Underneath this textured facade, Czech practice Šépka Architekti built a timber frame clad in birch plywood boards, which are left exposed on the interior.
Find out more about House in the Orchard ›
Photo is by Alexander Westberg
Cabin Lille Arøya, Norway, by Lund Hagem
Accessible only by boat, this summer home is set on a small island off the Norwegian coast and perched on slender stilts to give it an even footing among the craggy boulders.
Architecture studio Lund Hagem painted the exterior black to allow it to blend into its surroundings and finished the interior in raw concrete and rough-sawn pine boards to reflect the rugged natural environment.
Find out more about Cabin Lille Arøya ›
Tree House, South Africa, by Malan Vorster
Four cylindrical towers are raised up on stilts to form this treehouse-style residence in Cape Town, maximising views of the surrounding forest from the highest part of a sloped site.
The Corten steel legs extend all the way up to the roof of the interior, where they act as structural columns, while decorative red cedar battens wrap the building's exterior.
Find out more about Tree House ›
Viggsö, Sweden, by Arrhov Frick Arkitektkontor
Wooden legs lift this timber-framed cabin designed by Swedish studio Arrhov Frick Arkitektkontor into the treetops, giving residents views over the Stockholm archipelago.
The gabled building is topped with a white corrugated metal roof, which transitions into ridged translucent plastic over a generous sheltered terrace.
The Building Descending the Stairs, Italy, by ElasticoFarm and Bplan Studio
Angular metal stilts elevate this apartment block above the street noise in Jesolo, Italy, while providing occupants with maximum sun exposure and a panorama of the Venetian Lagoon.
Split across eight floors, each of the 47 flats has its own private outdoor space in the form of a stepped terrace or balcony, fronted with blue mesh balustrades informed by fishing nets.
Find out more about The Building Descending the Stairs ›
Stewart Avenue Residence, USA, by Brillhart Architecture
Floridian practice Brillhart Architecture set out to reimagine stilts as a "meaningful and deliberate piece of the architecture" at inside Miami residence, which was built to withstand rising sea levels.
This is achieved by propping the structure up with a mixture of skinny galvanised steel pipes and hollow concrete columns containing different utility rooms including a garage.
Find out more about Stewart Avenue Residence ›
Manshausen 2.0, Norway, by Stinessen Arkitektur
These raised holiday cabins are set on an island in the Arctic Circle home to the largest population of sea eagles in the world.
Metal stilts lift the buildings above a rocky coastal outcrop, well out of the way of projected climate change-induced sea level rises, while aluminium panels protect the CLT frame from saltwater exposure.
Find out more about Manshausen 2.0 ›
Dock House, Chile, by SAA Arquitectura + Territorio
Just a short walk from the Pacific Ocean, this pine-clad home designed by Chilean firm SAA Arquitectura + Territorio is elevated above its sloped site to provide views out to sea.
The building is propped up by a structural wooden plinth and diagonal pillars that gradually increase up to a size of 3.75 metres to keep its floor level despite the uneven terrain.
Find out more about Dock House ›
The post Ten gravity-defying homes that are raised up on stilts appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #residential #architecture #houses #architectureonstilts #roundups
Akin Studio raises Drovers' Bough cabin on stilts at English farm
Wooden stilts raise this treehouse-like holiday cabin above a drovers' track in rural England, allowing sheep to be herded underneath while providing views through the treetops from the living areas.
London-based Akin Studio designed the rental cabin, named Drovers' Bough, for a 27-acre farm in southwest Herefordshire.
Akin Studio has created a treehouse-like holiday cabin in rural England
The chosen site is on a drovers' road, a track used for moving sheep from one place to another, and is surrounded by overgrown hedgerows and trees.
Akin Studio's original plan for the project was to install a low-impact treehouse but the existing trees were not deemed suitable to support such a structure. Instead, the architects sought an alternative that would immerse guests in the treetops.
The structure is raised on stilts
"The house reinterprets the experience of living within the tree canopies by building as close as possible to them, without felling or damaging their roots," explained the studio.
"This ambition, combined with the functional aspect of the drovers' track, led to the house being lifted up on legs, allowing sheep to be herded underneath and nature to thrive and grow around the structure," the architects added.
It is elevated over a drovers' track to allow sheep to be herded underneath it
The long and narrow form of the Drovers' Bough cabin responds to the width of the track and the available space between the existing trees. Its gabled form and vertical timber cladding reference local agricultural buildings.
Metal screw-pile foundations support the green-oak pillars that lift the cabin two metres above the path. This ensures the majority of the structure is concealed among the branches, which was a requirement laid out in the planning consent.
[
Read:
Precht creates four cartoonish "treehouses" for Austrian restaurant
](https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/03/precht-bert-treehouses-austria/)
Almost no earth was disturbed or excavated during construction. The foundations and the oak structure can be easily removed and will leave a minimal trace after their lifetime.
The simple gabled volume was constructed using prefabricated timber panels. The farm's owner, furniture maker Mark Hamilton, was responsible for the build, the joinery and some of the furniture.
A galley kitchen features inside
A long staircase extends from the drovers' path up to the cabin, which is brushed by branches and features carefully positioned openings that make the most of the available views.
The front door opens into a functional zone containing a galley kitchen and bathroom tucked below a mezzanine bedroom.
There is a mezzanine bedroom
All of the remaining space is occupied by a double-height living area with south-facing doors that provide access to a sun terrace.
Small windows positioned within the cooking, washing and sleeping zones provide carefully framed views and ventilation.
South-facing doors open the living room to the outside
The majority of materials used to create Drovers' Bough were sourced locally, including the green-oak columns, rough-sawn larch cladding and oak windows.
Reclaimed materials, including the floorboards, insulation and a large piece of slate that forms the first step of the external stair, were also used to enhance the building's sustainable credentials.
Windows are carefully placed to frame views
A grid of solar panels on the farm provides the cabin with electricity, while water is sourced and pumped from a local spring.
Akin Studio was established by Ross Keenan, Louis Jobst and James Woodward in 2020. Jobst developed the internal lighting for Drovers' Bough, which includes a cylindrical counterweighted pendant light suspended in the middle of the living area.
Occupants can look through the treetops when inside
Other treehouse-like holiday homes featured on Dezeen include a series of tubular structures designed by architecture studio Precht for the Steirereck am Pogusch restaurant in Austria.
The four cartoonish buildings are the first iterations of Bert, a modular structure developed by the studio with tiny-homes startup BaumBau.
The photography is by David Grandorge.
The post Akin Studio raises Drovers' Bough cabin on stilts at English farm appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #residential #architecture #instagram #uk #england #architectureonstilts #holidayhomes #woodenarchitecture #cabins
ElasticoFarm and Bplan Studio design arc-shaped block of holiday apartments in Italy
Architecture practices ElasticoFarm and Bplan Studio have created an arc-shaped cluster of holiday apartments overlooking the Venetian Lagoon in Jesolo, Italy.
The apartment block, called The Building Descending the Stairs, is elevated on angular metal stilts above a piazza and swimming pool.
The Building Descending the Stairs is a collection of holiday apartments that were designed by ElasticoFarm
Providing 47 apartments above a podium of new commercial space, the project sits just 150 metres from the coast on a site in Jesolo's tourist centre. It was designed by ElasticoFarm, which has offices in Italy and Canada, together with local practice Bplan Studio.
Driven by the desire to frame sea views for residents while not blocking those of its neighbours, the practices created the block's distinctive arc shape, maximising exposure to the sun and surrounding a new public space below.
It was built on angular stilts
Facing south towards the sea, the inside of the crescent features a series of stepped terraces and balconies, clad in small white mosaic tiles, that provide each apartment with private external space.
On the northern side facing the city, a series of colourful walkways provide access along and between floors, alongside a separate volume containing lifts.
It contains 47 apartments
The blue mesh of these balustrades is informed by the fishing nets used in the nearby Venetian Lagoon, while the bright orange entrance blocks to the apartments are designed to look like buoys.
"The suspended building takes the form of an arc and organises the apartments so that, moving back upwards, they are enriched with large terraces and open views towards the sea," said ElasticoFarm.
"In doing so, each unit makes the most of its position," it continued.
[
Read:
Network of Architecture raises "treehouse" hotel on stilts above park in South Tyrol
](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/01/15/floris-hotel-extension-noa-south-tyrol/)
To maximise usable space, the residential block was elevated above the new commercial spaces below, creating a sheltered podium level atop a concrete base housing a supermarket.
Concrete steps lead up onto this podium, where a solarium and swimming pool sit alongside a landscaped area, with green concrete planters arranged at the bases of the block's metal supports.
Blue mesh surrounds walkways and was informed by fishing nets
"The roof of the commercial space became a new artificial territory and a stilt structure, capable of supporting the eight residential floors rising above it," said the practice.
"The new apartments can therefore enjoy an open and partially covered area for amenities, while also being raised above the street noise," it continued.
[
Read:
Šilta Šiauré clads block of holiday apartments in charred timber
](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/09/28/silta-siaure-jura-spot-holiday-apartments-lithuania-architecture/)
ElasticoFarm was founded by Stefano Pijatti, Alberto Del Maschio and Sara dal Gallo in 2005.
In South Tyrol, Italian studio Network of Architecture recently completed an extension to a hotel comprising a cluster of "treehouse" guest suites raised on stilts to preserve the landscape.
In Palanga, Šilta Šiauré built a block of four holiday apartments that were clad in charred timber.
Photography is byIwan Baan.
The post ElasticoFarm and Bplan Studio design arc-shaped block of holiday apartments in Italy appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #architecture #publicandleisure #italy #architectureonstilts #holidayapartments #elasticofarm
Brillhart elevates Miami home on stilts in response to rising sea levels
Responding to floods and weather caused by climate change, Florida-based Brillhart Architecture has raised a residence in southern Miami on galvanized steel stilts.
Brillhart Architecture designed the home for a man whose prior residence had sustained significant damage during the storm surges of Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Brillhart Architecture designed this home in a high-risk flood zone in Miami
In order to respond to the intense weather conditions that have been exacerbated by climate change, the studio raised the new project in Coconut Grove up above the waterline on galvanized steel pipes – a precondition for building in Miami's extreme flood zone (VE).
Based on coastal communities like Stiltsville and influenced by the tropical modernism of Alfred Browning Parker and Rufus Nims, Stewart Avenue Residence's living areas are all one storey above the ground. The architects also tried to make the "understory" space architecturally interesting in itself, not just ancillary or unused.
Stewart Avenue Residence has an overhanging roof and structural concrete
"We thought about how those 'stilts' could be reimagined as a meaningful and deliberate piece of the architecture, both structurally and conceptually," Melissa Brillhart told Dezeen.
To do so, some of the stilts are extremely slender, and some are angled "so that they appear more organic, mimicking the roots of the nearby mangroves", while others still are much larger, forming circular rooms with walls reinforced with rebar.
The understory has a sculptural staircase
These storage spaces, which include a garage, are porous and built for water to easily escape. A sculptural stainless steel staircase leads up to the living areas.
Raised on the stilts, the main living areas take up two separate volumes connected by a covered breezeway, where the primary entrance to the home is located. The home has 4,500 square feet (418 square metres) of indoor space.
A covered breezeway seperates the two volumes
With facades of board-form concrete, the two living areas are divided into a single-storey volume meant for entertaining, and a second two-storey block that houses the kitchen, living, and bedrooms.
Each of the two volumes is incredibly thin; the main, two-storey volume is 25 feet (7.6 metres) wide while the single storey is only 18 feet (5.4 metres) wide.
The pool is also elevated on stilts
Inside, the concrete of the facade continues, with the addition of western red cedar, and tongue-and-groove cypress detailing in the millwork and the ceilings.
A large ipe deck spreads out from the two-storey volume, with a pool elevated above the ground. Also in this outdoor area is an additional reflecting pool and a planter. Having all of these elements on the living level as opposed to on the ground "cements the idea of the new ground plane and its direct connection to the living area" according to the architects.
[
Read:
Architecture "lagging behind all other sectors" in climate change fight says IPCC report author
](https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/06/ipcc-climate-change-mitigation-report/)
For the landscaping, the preexisting coral wall that surrounds the property was maintained, and the construction process aimed to conserve as many palm trees as possible.
"The issues of storm surge, coupled with the fact that sea levels are expected to be 10 to 17 inches higher than 2000 levels, demand more resilient and adaptive design strategies, but ones that can still feel natural and aesthetically pleasing," said Brillhart.
Flooring is punctuated by river rock
Brillhart Architecture was founded in 2007 by Jacob Brillhart, who teaches at the University of Miami School of Architecture.
The studio's other projects in Miami include a home with wooden shutters built among tropical plants outside of the city.
Architects and designers have responded to the growing concern over sea level rising with a variety of solutions. Last month Dezeen rounded up 10 climate-resilient homes that have adapted to the realities of global warming.
The photography byMichael Stavaridis and Stephan Goettlicher.
Project credits:
Builder: Martin Rodriguez - IBuild Miami
Structural engineer: ASD Consulting Engineers
Landscape architect: Christopher Cawley Landscape Architecture
The post Brillhart elevates Miami home on stilts in response to rising sea levels appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #residential #architecture #miami #usa #houses #architectureonstilts #florida #americanhouses #floodprevention #climatechange #brillhart
Brillhart elevates Miami home on stilts in response to rising sea levels
Responding to floods and weather caused by climate change, Florida-based Brillhart Architecture has raised a residence in southern Miami on galvanized steel stilts.
Brillhart Architecture designed the home for a man whose prior residence had sustained significant damage during the storm surges of Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Brillhart Architecture designed this home in a high-risk flood zone in Miami
In order to respond to the intense weather conditions that have been exacerbated by climate change, the studio raised the new project in Coconut Grove up above the waterline on galvanized steel pipes – a precondition for building in Miami's extreme flood zone (VE).
Based on coastal communities like Stiltsville and influenced by the tropical modernism of Alfred Browning Parker and Rufus Nims, Stewart Avenue Residence's living areas are all one storey above the ground. The architects also tried to make the "understory" space architecturally interesting in itself, not just ancillary or unused.
Stewart Avenue Residence has an overhanging roof and structural concrete
"We thought about how those 'stilts' could be reimagined as a meaningful and deliberate piece of the architecture, both structurally and conceptually," Melissa Brillhart told Dezeen.
To do so, some of the stilts are extremely slender, and some are angled "so that they appear more organic, mimicking the roots of the nearby mangroves", while others still are much larger, forming circular rooms with walls reinforced with rebar.
The understory has a sculptural staircase
These storage spaces, which include a garage, are porous and built for water to easily escape. A sculptural stainless steel staircase leads up to the living areas.
Raised on the stilts, the main living areas take up two separate volumes connected by a covered breezeway, where the primary entrance to the home is located. The home has 4,500 square feet (418 square metres) of indoor space.
A covered breezeway seperates the two volumes
With facades of board-form concrete, the two living areas are divided into a single-storey volume meant for entertaining, and a second two-storey block that houses the kitchen, living, and bedrooms.
Each of the two volumes is incredibly thin; the main, two-storey volume is 25 feet (7.6 metres) wide while the single storey is only 18 feet (5.4 metres) wide.
The pool is also elevated on stilts
Inside, the concrete of the facade continues, with the addition of western red cedar, and tongue-and-groove cypress detailing in the millwork and the ceilings.
A large ipe deck spreads out from the two-storey volume, with a pool elevated above the ground. Also in this outdoor area is an additional reflecting pool and a planter. Having all of these elements on the living level as opposed to on the ground "cements the idea of the new ground plane and its direct connection to the living area" according to the architects.
[
Read:
Architecture "lagging behind all other sectors" in climate change fight says IPCC report author
](https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/06/ipcc-climate-change-mitigation-report/)
For the landscaping, the preexisting coral wall that surrounds the property was maintained, and the construction process aimed to conserve as many palm trees as possible.
"The issues of storm surge, coupled with the fact that sea levels are expected to be 10 to 17 inches higher than 2000 levels, demand more resilient and adaptive design strategies, but ones that can still feel natural and aesthetically pleasing," said Brillhart.
Flooring is punctuated by river rock
Brillhart Architecture was founded in 2007 by Jacob Brillhart, who teaches at the University of Miami School of Architecture.
The studio's other projects in Miami include a home with wooden shutters built among tropical plants outside of the city.
Architects and designers have responded to the growing concern over sea level rising with a variety of solutions. Last month Dezeen rounded up 10 climate-resilient homes that have adapted to the realities of global warming.
The photography byMichael Stavaridis and Stephan Goettlicher.
Project credits:
Builder: Martin Rodriguez - IBuild Miami
Structural engineer: ASD Consulting Engineers
Landscape architect: Christopher Cawley Landscape Architecture
The post Brillhart elevates Miami home on stilts in response to rising sea levels appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #residential #architecture #miami #usa #houses #architectureonstilts #florida #americanhouses #floodprevention #climatechange #brillhart
Built environment must adapt to "widespread and severe" climate change fallout says IPCC report
Cities are failing to prepare for climate change and should focus on resilient design solutions such as building houses on stilts or creating floating neighbourhoods, according to the latest report from the United Nations' climate change panel.
Published this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report blamed cities for a "lack of climate sensitive planning" and proposed ways to redesign homes and urban areas to protect citizens from extreme weather and rising seas.
"Many cities and settlements have developed adaptation plans but few have been implemented so that urban adaptation gaps exist in all world regions," the report said.
"Exposure to climate-driven impacts… in combination with rapid urbanisation and lack of climate sensitive planning, is affecting marginalised urban populations and key infrastructure."
Above: floating buildings, like this home on Chichester Canal by Baca Architects, can help cities adapt to rising sea levels. Photo by Floating Homes. Top: Home's on stilts like Redshank artist's studio, could also help. Photo by Hélène Binet
The report found that record heatwaves, floods, droughts and storms have already caused severe damage to the health of ecosystems and people across the world, as well as to buildings and crucial infrastructure.
Although these hazards are especially compounded in cities due to their rapidly growing populations and the urban heat island effect, not enough is being done to prepare them for this new reality, the report found.
However, the UN's IPCC has also highlighted the built environment as a key area of opportunity in the fight against climate change if retrofitted, upgraded and redesigned to be greener, more equitable and renewably powered.
"Cities and settlements are crucial for delivering urgent climate action," the report reads. "The concentration and interconnection of people, infrastructure and assets within and across cities and into rural areas creates both risks and solutions at global scale."
Climate hazards will be "unavoidable"
Written by 270 researchers from 67 countries, the report marks the IPCC's most comprehensive look to date at the impacts of climate change and follows on from last year's report on its causes.
The latest report found that man-made global warming has created unexpectedly "widespread and severe" damages while displacing more than 13 million people across Asia and Africa in 2019 alone.
"One of the most striking conclusions in our report is that we're seeing adverse impacts that are much more widespread and much more negative than expected," Camille Parmesan, a researcher from the University of Texas who was involved in the report, told the New York Times.
[
Read:
IPCC climate report a "call to arms" say architects and designers
](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/08/10/ipcc-climate-report-architecture-design/)
These climate hazards will be "unavoidable" and become increasingly frequent and intense as we approach 1.5 degrees of warming – the crucial threshold around which countries are trying to stabilise global warming in targeting net-zero emissions by 2050.
Currently, the world is on track to warm by two to three degrees this century compared to pre-industrial levels, by which point the report says some regions and small islands could become completely uninhabitable.
"Accelerated action is required to adapt to climate change, at the same time as making rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions," the report concluded.
Nature-based solutions "under-recognised and under-invested"
In the built environment, this means not just eliminating operational and embodied carbon but also making buildings more resilient.
Viable solutions listed in the report include elevating houses on stilts and creating "amphibious architecture" that can float on the surface of rising floodwater.
As global temperatures rise and heatwaves are exacerbated, homes will also need to be built or retrofitted with passive cooling technologies such as wind towers, solar shading and white or green roofs to cool interiors without relying on emissions-intensive air conditioning.
On a city level, the report says there needs to be a greater focus on combining grey infrastructure projects with "nature-based solutions", which are currently "under-recognised and under-invested" despite being more affordable and flexible.
To become more flood resilient, for example, cities should invest in pervious pavements and underground tunnel systems to absorb stormwater, while also increasing the number of urban green spaces and regenerating mangroves and wetlands along coastlines so they can act as buffers against storm surges.
Green roofs, like on RDHA's Springdale Public Library, could help absorb floodwater. Photo is by Nic Lehoux
As sea levels continue to rise, the report says small island nations and low-lying coastal cities might find "the only feasible option" is to completely avoid building on high-risk shorelines or relocate their population inland.
"We are accelerating towards a near future we neither want nor can survive, with global cities on the frontline of cascading and compounding climate impacts, threatening the lives and livelihoods of many of the world's most marginalised and most vulnerable," commented Mark Watts, the executive director of international network C40 Cities.
"If global leaders sit on their hands and let our cities fail, we will all fail. There is no time to waste."
The report is one of three being released as part of the IPCC's first major assessment of climate change since 2014.
The third and final installment, which is set to be published this spring, will explore solutions for decarbonising the global economy and halting global warming.
The post Built environment must adapt to "widespread and severe" climate change fallout says IPCC report appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #architecture #news #landscapeandurbanism #architectureonstilts #cities #floatingarchitecture #climatechange #intergovernmentalpanelonclimatechange
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