The “Rethink Mumbai Flooding: Open Competition and Exhibition” is a ground-breaking initiative designed to educate and empower students, architects, designers, and local communities to tackle the urgent challenges of climate change and flooding in Mumbai. This competition seeks to inspire innovative solutions that can reshape the city’s future. Rooted in the social work, teaching, and PhD research of Architect Santosh Kumar Ketham—conducted in India and Austria at the Institute of Experimental Architecture, Hochbau, Innsbruck University—this initiative embodies a fusion of academic rigor and social responsibility.

Our mission is to ignite meaningful dialogue among diverse groups about climate change and urban flooding, especially engaging those traditionally excluded from the conversation. By bringing all voices to the table, we aim to develop architecture and urban policies that are not only climate-responsive but also equitable, bridging the gap between the affluent and the underserved, the educated and the marginalized, and fostering a future of collective growth and positive transformation.

We believe in the power of visionary design to spotlight critical issues and act as a catalyst for change. Through collaborative efforts, we seek to challenge governments and policymakers to rethink their climate strategies, pushing for profound policy reforms that genuinely reflect the needs and insights of all stakeholders, particularly those on the front lines of these challenges.

We are calling for revolutionary ideas that address the complex issues of flooding in Mumbai. Proposals should be deeply rooted in the local context, reflecting the city’s culture, climate, and community needs, while utilising available materials. Participants are encouraged to select flooding sites within Mumbai, with project scales ranging from architectural buildings to urban and landscape designs/strategies (built, unbuilt, or speculative).

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: (Open to all: Architects, Engineers, Urban Designers, Landscape Designers, and Students with innovative ideas, whether built or unbuilt).

Project Submission Format: 

1. One A1 Panel (Portrait) only.

2. Ensure that the Project Title and Registration Number are included in the specified space only.

3. Do NOT include personal names, company names, or group names on the A1 panel.

4. The presentation and composition of the one A1 panel are at the participant’s discretion (e.g., Drawings, Renders, Sketches, Photos, Text).

5. Only projects registered for the competition will be considered.

6. Once registration payment is done please send us your payment receipt to Email: [email protected] and you will receive Unique Competition Registration Number.

7. Maximum four people in a group/team.

8. Late submissions will be automatically disqualified.

9. Projects submitted to the competition are allowed to be published, republished, and made open source across all media.

10. For any further questions or information please CONTACT Email: [email protected]

Key dates:

Registration Opens: 15 August 2024

Early Registration Deadline: 30 September 2024

Regular Registration Deadline: 30 October 2024

Late Registration Deadline: 30 November 2024

Submission Deadline: 30 December 2024

Results Announcement: 30 January 2025

Submission of Materials for Exhibition and Book: 28 February 2025

Public Exhibition: 14 to 20 April 2025

Book Launch, Open Talk, and Closing Ceremony: 20 April 2025.

Shortlist

BOOK PUBLICATION: 20 April 2025 – The top twenty shortlisted projects will be featured in an exclusive book edition, showcasing the most innovative solutions to Mumbai’s flooding crisis.

Winners

PUBLIC EXHIBITION: 14 to 20 April 2025 – The top ten winning projects will be prominently displayed at The Bombay Art Society, one of Mumbai’s oldest and most prestigious galleries, established in 1888, where the focus will be on engaging the local community.

Jury

Aurelie De Smet, M.Arch. 

Expert in Spatial Planning, Landscape, Cross-Sectoral Collective Learning and Knowledge exchange, 

Faculty of Architecture, KU Leuven,  

Belgium  

Rasha Sukkarieh, M.Arch.

Expert in Advanced Design & Digital Fabrication,  

Architect, Educator and Independent Researcher, 

The Impact Lab Beirut, 

Lebanon  

Priya Chavan, M.Tech.

Expert in Architecture, Housing, and Urban Planning  

PhD Scholar in Disaster Studies and Urban Affairs,  

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay,  

India  

Elif Simge, M.Sc.

Architect and Urban Designer,

Specialist in Mapping, Visualization and Scenography, 

TUM School of Engineering and Design,  

Germany

Panagiotis Papageorgiou, Dr.  

Expert in Digital Preservation & Virtual Heritage,  

Heritage Hub Researcher   

University of Portsmouth,  

United Kingdom  

Avar Almukhtar, Dr. 

Expert in Urbanism, Master planning, GIS & Heritage, 

Senior Lecturer, School of the Built Environment, 

Oxford Brookes University, 

United Kingdom  

Rudroj Ravi Kumar, M.Arch.  

Architect and Urban Designer  

Assistant State Architect, Government of Telangana  

Council of Architecture (COA) Member, Delhi, 

India  

Moritz Elbert, Dipl. Des.  

Curator and Strategic Designer  

Specialist in Design, Art History, and Theory  

TU München/ IUAV Venezia,  

Germany/Italy  

Registration

Early Competition Registration: 30 September 2024: €59.00

Regular Competition Registration: 30 October 2024: €99.00

Late Competition Registration: 30 November 2024: €149.00

"Join us in reimagining Mumbai’s future. Together, let’s build a sustainable, resilient urban landscape that not only survives but thrives in the face of climate change."

Organised by: Ketham’s Atelier.

Supported by: Thinking Hand NGO.

Direct link for competition registration. 

All images courtesy of Ketham’s Atelier. 

> via Ketham’s Atelier