1. Going Back To Your Roots Samira Rathod, an architect and designer, suggests using the wind in a way that it travels through the home making it cooler. For a project called the Cool House, which stays cool even during summers, she did precisely that.

She used a “track-like design with rooms on either side of the house with a courtyard to help the wind circulate”.

2. Evaporative cooling for your home Shipra Singhania, the principal designer of Sketch Design Studio, shares, “Evaporative cooling is a technique where you build an indoor water body, let’s say a fountain, to cool down the temperature inside the house.”

“This method is very effective in homes in the northern parts of the country where the humidity is relatively low,” she adds.

3. Trees and shade keep your home happy According to George Ramapuram, the founder of sustainable design firm, Earthitects, trees are humans’ best friends.

Emphasising the need to plant trees around your home, he says, “They bring in shade, wind and moderate the temperature around them. Plant as many trees as you can around your home and try to incorporate the existing ones in the design.”

4. Direction of the wind and sun Planning and understanding the geography of the land is very important. “The western sun can be harsh, while the southern exposure brings in heat. It’s important to build verandas on these sides of the house to help filter the sunlight and reduce the heat entering the home,” advises George.

For the roof, you could consider making it slanting instead, as they bring in more shade and the sun never hits the entire roof at the same time, shares Shipra.

5. Use Natural Materials “The use of traditional materials such as mud, straw and lime to make homes. Mud is a natural coolant and a lot of people are turning towards mud homes. Additionally, using lime on the floor or the walls can also help you bring down the temperature of the house significantly,” advises Shipra.

6. For existing homes Consider building a terrace or balcony garden for increased shade.

You can also consider painting your roof white so that it reflects some of the heat. “This is quite effective and I have done it in my own home too,” George shares. Shipra advises using khus (a native Indian grass which has traditionally been used as a coolant here) or any dried grass sheet, to keep your windows cooler.