Mangrove
Tropical maritime trees or shrubs that send out many prop roots and form dense masses important in coastal land building and as foundations of unique ecosystems.
ARC607: Integrated Studio (M.Arch)
TYPE: Climate Learning Center / Research Facility
PROGRAM: Institutional/Educational/Labs
INSTRUCTORS: David Trautman, Lily Wong
LOCATION: Miami Beach, FL
YEAR / STATUS: 2026 / proposal
COLLABORATOR: Carolina Villavisencio
Welcome to the Mangrove Treehouse! Drawing from the adaptive intelligence of mangrove ecosystems and its adjacency to the North Beach Oceanside Park, this project is a living buffer that protects the coast of Miami Beach.
In response to the increasing pressures of sea-level rise, storm surge, flooding, and coastal erosion, the whole building is elevated by the structural system of the mangrove canopy, reducing the number of columns while increasing the porous area on the ground floor that can help dissipate storm surge.
We analysed how architecture can move beyond enclosure to become an active system: filtering, absorbing, shading, teaching, and connecting. In doing so, the Mangrove Treehouse positions design as a mediator between climate, culture, ecology, and community, offering a more generous model for building along vulnerable coastal landscapes.
Mediums: Laser cut basswood, 3D printed PLA, zip-ties acting as ring-trusses holding up building.
In our research and design development stages, we asked ourselves the guiding question: when does nature end and architecture begin? This philosophy directed our approach to this project, given the proximity of the park and boardward to the east along the shore. In the end, we came to the conclusion that, perhaps, nature and architecture can coexist, or maybe even become one.
Physical Model
