Sustainable architecture

With soaring temperatures and warnings of heatwaves in several Indian cities, architects share how to build homes that stay naturally cool and don't require air conditioning at all times.

Architects Nithin MS and Manoj Badkillaya, built a sustainable home in Udupi that has reused old wood and roof tiles along with locally-sourced materials.

George Ramapuram, founder of Earthitects, is an expert in designing homes in harmony with nature. Estate Paathiri, his project in Wayanad, Kerala, is built around a decades-old tree and preserves the ecosystem by seamlessly blending indoor-outdoor living.

Srijit Srinivas, an architect, built 'Brickhaus' a net zero, sustainable brick home in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Here are its fascinating features.

Our ancestors built and lived in homes that served all their needs. These houses were well ventilated while we need ACs now, says Aravind.

Looking for ideas to build a modern nalukettu mud house? Karai weekend home near Chennai uses mud and reclaimed wood to fuse modernity with Tamil Nadu's traditional architecture.

Madhavi Bhatia runs the quaint eco-friendly homestay Sunnymead for travellers in Shimla, which is built using repurposed wood and the ancient Indian dhajji dewari technique, which makes it earthquake-resistant.

Leaving the corporate world behind, Mangal Shetty's quest for an eco-friendly lifestyle led him to build a sustainable home in Karnataka’s Aghanashini estuary and establish the Panchabhuta Conservation Foundation, an NGO that works with local communities to develop green enterprises.

Built by architect Vinu Daniel, ‘Chuzi’ is a sustainable home made with mud, old plastic bottles, and many other eco-friendly elements.

Mirai The House of Arches in Bhilwara was designed and conceptualised by architect duo Sanjay Puri and Nina Puri. It is designed to keep the interiors cool even in peak summers using materials like terracotta, bricks, sandstone and lime plaster.