Rugel Chiriboga, Brad J. Bartholomew, and Allison Elsaesser from Little have proposed a sustainable skyscraper complex for one of the world’s most dense urban landscapes: Mumbai, India.

With its large population and the richness of the wetlands that surround the city, what Mumbai’s new construction needs to focus on, say the designers, is sustainable practices that can protect the environment surrounding the city, but also nurture the people who live there. A new complex needs to also be fully connected to its surrounding urban fabric, says the group.

The Dharavi Building complex will feature a multitude of uses: it will have two residential towers, which will feature both indoor gardens and outdoor rooftop gardens, and vertical farming sections. With live plant life, the façade performs a green function, and the building as a whole serves as a sustainable icon, a new gateway for the city. In the complex will be a new market square and a new community plaza that will be surrounded by storefronts that offer social services to the public.

Naturally, the building will make ample use of energy conservation systems and natural lighting, and will be building with local materials. The Dharavi building complex will serve as a precedent that Mumbai can follow to ensure a prosperous future by preserving the riches of the present.