Carlo Ratti Associati
Global design collaborator in the multidisciplinary masterplanning process.
Della Townships India | Living Laboratory 02 / 08
The Laboratory of Living Architecture
Where Design Meets Lifestyle.
The built environment shapes far more than the skyline — it influences how people move, experience nature, respond to their surroundings, and inhabit spaces over time, which is why The Laboratory of Living Architecture investigates how masterplanning, biophilic design, sustainable engineering, and bioclimatic principles converge to create functional, resource-conscious, and enduring built environments.
ArchitectureRecreationHospitalityLandscapeUrban DesignSynopsis
Design Intent. Proven in Operation.
Driven by a multidisciplinary masterplanning process uniting Jimmy Mistry Design Studios and global design collaborators including Carlo Ratti Associati with architectural, engineering, landscape, technology, and operational expertise, the laboratory connects design intent with empirical operational learning, while incorporating exploratory circular-construction research with the Environmental Geotechnology Laboratory at IIT Bombay to rigorously evaluate future sustainable building applications based on real-world data and validated performance.
CDDMO™
Proprietary model
Initial planning linked
to long-term management
What we are studying
Four Ways to Build for a Century.
From the masterplan to the building envelope each focus area is designed, built and measured on real world performance.
Landform & contoursMasterplanneighborhood01 / 04
Multidisciplinary Master Planning
A township operates as a connected network of relationships between people, movement, landscape, architecture, utilities, and daily operations, where decisions in one domain directly influence all others. Della brings urban design, architecture, landscape, hospitality, recreation, technology, environmental systems, and operations into a coordinated planning framework utilizing affordance theory and its proprietary CDDMO™ model to link initial planning seamlessly with long-term management.
What we measure
- Route connectivity
- Accessibility to public destinations
- Wayfinding legibility
- Infrastructure coordination
- Operational feedback
02 / 04
Signature Biophilic & Biomimetic Architecture
Biophilic design enhances direct sensory contact with nature through natural daylight, landscape views, vegetation, water elements, and organic textures, while biomimetic design studies strategies found in natural systems and translates those proven principles into high-performance architectural solutions. Della applies biomimetic research to inform self-shading façades, passive ventilation techniques, natural water movement, and optimized structural geometries, alongside living façades and microalgae applications where technically appropriate.
What we measure
- Glare
- Thermal comfort
- Daylighting
- Material durability
- Energy demand
- Occupant feedback
03 / 04
Sustainable Architecture & 100 Year Buildings
Sustainable architecture evaluates total environmental performance across the entire building lifecycle — combining whole-life carbon assessments and circular design principles. Designing for a 100-year lifespan focuses on long-term structural durability, maintenance, and adaptability through shearing layers and open-building principles, incorporating accessible service corridors, replaceable infrastructure components, and digital twin technology alongside predictive IoT maintenance. Exploratory circular-construction research with the Environmental Geotechnology Laboratory at IIT Bombay investigates whether landfill waste streams and construction slurry can be safely transformed into durable construction resources, with applications subject to testing and validation.
What we measure
- Whole-life carbon
- Embodied carbon
- Repairability
- Adaptability
- Predictive maintenance
04 / 04
Bioclimatic Architecture
Bioclimatic architecture establishes a direct dialogue between building design and local microclimates, tailoring structure, solar orientation, shading, thermal mass, and natural ventilation to site-specific environmental conditions. Della integrates solar geometry, prevailing wind vectors, relative humidity, and temperature variations into computational daylighting and thermal-comfort modeling to maximize passive heating and cooling while reducing reliance on mechanical systems.
What we measure
- Thermal comfort hours
- Daylight autonomy
- Shading efficiency
- Energy intensity
How we measure impact
Monitored across seasons. Validated on performance.
Performance is continuously monitored using climate data, commissioning results, and operational metrics — connecting design intent with empirical operational learning.
Focus area
What we measure
Multidisciplinary Master Planning
Route connectivity · Accessibility to public destinations · Wayfinding legibility · Infrastructure coordination · Operational feedback
Signature Biophilic & Biomimetic Architecture
Glare · Thermal comfort · Daylighting · Material durability · Energy demand · Occupant feedback
Sustainable Architecture & 100 Year Buildings
Whole-life carbon · Embodied carbon · Repairability & adaptability · Service corridors & replaceable components · Digital twin · predictive IoT maintenance
Bioclimatic Architecture
Thermal comfort hours · Daylight autonomy · Shading efficiency · Energy intensity
Partners
Partners supporting this laboratory
A multidisciplinary masterplanning process uniting Della’s design studios with global design collaborators and research institutions.
Environmental Geotechnology Laboratory, IIT Bombay
Exploratory circular-construction research — whether landfill waste streams and construction slurry can be safely transformed into durable construction resources.
Group Companies
WANT TO IMPACT THE WORLD? LET'S COLLABORATE.
At Della Townships India, we believe the future is built through collaboration. We invite individuals, companies, research institutions and organizations to join our Future-Fit Living Laboratories, where ideas, research and innovations can be tested, developed and implemented in real-world townships.
If you believe you can shape how humanity lives for the next 100 years, let’s collaborate!