When physiotherapist David Cummins washed up on a Maldivian island after a near-death surfing accident, he found a community living with nature rather than against it—and it changed everything about how he thought buildings should work.

The bamboo huts with leaf roofs, independent water systems and extensive connection to the natural environment made an impression. So did the close call with drowning after his surfboard’s leg rope trapped him underwater after a wipeout on a 5m wave.

“I wanted to know: how can we learn from these communities of the past to help create a more sustainable future?” he tells The Urban Developer.