Carlo Ratti building digitally connected retreat in the Himalayan mountains
Construction has started on a digitally connected co-living and co-working retreat in the Himalayas, designed by Italian architect Carlo Ratti.
Carlo Ratti Associati has teamed up with Turin-based architect Michele Bonino on the Pankhasari Retreat, a remote getaway where guests will be able to live and work like they would in a city.
Despite its position in a valley in India's Darjeeling region – surrounded by waterfalls, a fast-moving river and one of the world's tallest mountains, Kanchenjunga – it will offer high-speed internet and teleworking facilities.
![Carlo Ratti building digitally connected Pankhasari Retreat in the Himalayan mountains](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/09/pankhasari-retreat-carlo-ratti-associati-michele-bonino-west-bengal-himalayas_dezeen_sq-852x852.jpg)
Ratti said the resort comes close to the vision of the late urban designer Melvin Webber, who in the 1970s claimed "it might be possible to locate on a mountaintop and to maintain intimate, real-time and realistic contact with business or other associates".
"Though a mountaintop might be a bit extreme to some, the Himalayan valley of Pankhasari is an ideal place for staying connected and testing new longer-term concepts of international living and working, trying to build a bridge between the local and the global communities," said the architect.
Ratti, who is also a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has worked on several projects that combine physical environments with digital systems, including a smart heating system and a digital supermarket.
The Pankhasari Retreat will combine ideas from some of these projects with regional expertise and craftsmanship.
The complex will be made up of three blocks, arranged around a set of sacred black boulders and connected by a wooden footbridge.
Buildings will be constructed from local materials – including stone, farmed teak and sissoo wood – and will incorporate typical forms, like gabled roofs and verandas.
![Carlo Ratti building digitally connected Pankhasari Retreat in the Himalayan mountains](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/09/pankhasari-retreat-carlo-ratti-associati-michele-bonino-west-bengal-himalayas_dezeen_2364_col_2-852x549.jpg)
"We wanted to oppose both architectural choices that are indifferent to their geographical context, and any uncritical cult of a local tradition" said Ratti. "The result is a more collaborative architecture, opened to the influence of people from different backgrounds and with different skills."
The lightweight structures will also be easy to dismantle, ensuring the resort has a minimal impact on the landscape.
Inside, each one will contain facilities for up to three or four residents, including living spaces arranged around a fireplace, work studios, bedrooms and bathrooms. Built-in furniture will also feature.
Ratti hopes the project will help to promote a more sustainable form of tourism.
"I think these buildings stand out as an example of how you can reconcile the opposite dimensions of local and international architecture, utilising an open-source design approach," he added.
"Pankhasari has a unique flavour, located at an equal distance between the global zeitgeist (the spirit of the time which is reflected in contemporary architecture) and the genius loci (the profound spirit of a place)."
![Carlo Ratti building digitally connected Pankhasari Retreat in the Himalayan mountains](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/09/pankhasari-retreat-carlo-ratti-associati-michele-bonino-west-bengal-himalayas_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x415.jpg)
The project is backed by developer ASCO Projects. Construction started earlier this week.
"Carlo Ratti and I started reflecting on the visions for Pankhasari about 10 years ago," revealed company CEO Chiradeep Sirkar. "Finally we are ready to make this project real, and to bring a beautiful design and deeply respectful construction to this site."
Project credits:
Architects: Carlo Ratti Associati, Michele Bonino
Client: ASCO Projects
Local architect: Alleya and Associates (Ashish Sharan Lal)
Structural engineer: Sankha Choudhuri