Sustainable architecture

Raghav and Ansh Kumar, architects from Delhi, created Tiny Farm Fort, a homestay in Rishikesh. Made using cob, this sustainable retreat aims to reconnect people with nature and traditional building techniques.

From harvesting its own electricity and rainwater to building with earth-friendly bricks, Nalanda University’s stunning new 446-acre campus in Bihar is a living lesson in sustainability.

As sustainable architecture projects take off across India, we train our gaze on the ones that won our hearts. And we pose a simple question: does this material have a future, and can India leverage it?

How did people in India keep their homes cool during scorching summers — long before electricity? There’s a centuries-old design hidden in plain sight that might hold the secret. It’s smart, simple, and surprisingly relevant for modern homes facing rising heat today. Here’s why we should be paying attention.

The mud school is an endeavour by Bhopal-based NGO Muskaan that focuses its energies on informal urban settlements and villages, particularly de-notified tribes. It is crumbling. Help restore it.

This architect from Chennai is showing that homes don’t need cement to be strong and safe. By using earth-based materials and age-old building methods, she’s helped families live in spaces that are healthier and more sustainable. Her work offers a practical path to greener living.

This multipurpose pavilion, constructed with repurposed waste materials by architect Samira Rathod, embodies the story of reuse, resilience and sustainability.

Designed by an Italian architect, this 30-foot bamboo tower provides up to 100 litres of clean water daily — without power or plumbing — and is changing lives in remote communities across the world.

In the sweltering summer of Gujarat, ‘Cool House’, a sustainable home designed by Samira Rathod, uses no ACs and coolers to remain naturally cool.

In cities like Bengaluru and regions like Maharashtra, these five homes stay cool without AC, show us how natural cooling methods and smart designs can save both energy and money.