Archive · 23 Jul 2025
Sunderbans Builds Cyclone-Resistant Homes with New Architecture
Imagine a place called the Sunderbans that gets hit by really strong storms called cyclones.
After one big storm, people there needed to rebuild their houses, but they wanted homes that could handle these storms.
An architect, Udit Mittal, came up with a clever plan: to use local materials like bamboo and mud to build homes that are strong but also easy to make.
They built houses with special features, like floors that are raised up high to avoid flooding, and roofs designed to stand up to the wind.
These new homes not only keep families safe but also use materials and methods that local people can understand and use themselves, so they can keep rebuilding and making them even better!
After the 2020 Amphan cyclone, locals in the Sunderbans adopted new cyclone-resistant home designs.
Architect Udit Mittal collaborated with French architect Laurent Fournier and NGO Mukti to develop the designs.
Homes use local materials like brick, bamboo, mud, and thatch with elevated floors and aerodynamic designs.
Key innovations include shallow brick domes for floor slabs and bamboo for roofing, designed to withstand high winds.
Over 50 homes have been built using these techniques, with training programs and material access facilitated by Mukti.
- Who
- Architect Udit Mittal, French architect Laurent Fournier, and villagers.
- What
- Cyclone-resistant homes are being built in the Sunderbans using local materials and techniques.
- When
- After the 2020 Amphan cyclone.
- Where
- Sunderbans, India.
- Why
- To build homes that can withstand cyclones and are built using local materials.
- Architect
- Udit Mittal
- Materials
- Brick, bamboo, mud, thatch
- Location
- Sunderbans, India
- Key Feature
- Elevated floors, aerodynamic design
- Roof Style
- Do-chala