How a 50-YO Bengaluru Home Was Designed to Stay Warm in Winter and Cool in Summer

Bengaluru has been experiencing a noticeable winter chill. On 13 December 2025, the city recorded its coldest temperature in nearly eight years, serving as a reminder that homes need to adapt across various seasons.

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Now, sustainability in housing is not about reacting to one extreme, but about how a home performs year-round by using less energy and without constant mechanical support.

As weather patterns grow more unpredictable, many older houses are struggling with higher energy use. Sudha Shetty, a sustainability consultant, lived in one such 50-year-old home in Bengaluru before deciding to reimagine it entirely.

Built on a 30×60 ft plot, the transformed house shows how passive daylighting, a 300-litre solar water heater, and climate-responsive design can retain warmth in winter, stay efficient through the monsoon, and remain cool in summer, offering a practical blueprint for all-season comfortable living.

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How old walls became climate-smart

Rather than demolishing the old house and building from the ground up, Sudha chose to preserve the original walls and roof slabs.

The original design had two residential units that were carefully merged into one vertical layout. The internal walls were broken, and new ones were constructed using structural steel material.

The redesign retained the existing garage and utilised the space to create three ensuite bedrooms, two utility areas, a kitchen with a separate store, a dedicated pet kitchen, and more.

One of the most striking features of this green home is a 12-foot solar chimney, a passive cooling structure that draws hot air out and allows cooler air inside.

Other climate-responsive design additions include white-tiled roofs that reflect heat and carefully sized windows that allow ample daylight without letting excess heat in.

High-performance insulated glass ensures the interiors stay bright yet cool. These measures alone reduced the home’s energy consumption by nearly 30%. A courtyard and ample open space with cross-ventilation keep the house breezy.

Saving power, water, and money

The house is connected to a solar power grid that fulfils nearly one-third of its electricity needs. Additionally, a 300-litre solar water heater meets the household’s hot water demand.

The old well on the property was repurposed into a rainwater storage tank, providing water for gardening without straining the city’s water supply or adding pressure on the Cauvery.

Sudha believes that if more homes and housing societies used rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, Bengaluru could reduce its water demand by 32–53%.

This eco-friendly house holds the prestigious IGBC NESTPLUS Platinum certification, the highest green building rating given by the Indian Green Building Council for individual homes that follow energy- and resource-efficient design.

However, for Sudha, the real achievement lies in lower water and electricity bills and an environmentally conscious living space.

Source

‘Preserving Structure, Reimagining Space: The Architecture of Prema-Sudha’: by Yoshita Sriram for The Architecture and Planning News, Published on 2 August 2025