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How climate-resilient homes in India are reducing dependence on air conditioners

With over 90 of the world’s hottest cities in India, heat-responsive architecture will become vital. Architects and home owners weigh in<br>Updated - May 13, 2026 03:00 pm IST

Sangeetha Devi Dundoo

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Inside the house in Kollur, Hyderabad.<br>| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement/Iki Builds

The sun is out in full force and the journey to Kollur, a suburban locality in the western outskirts of Hyderabad, isn’t exactly comfortable. Summers in the city are notoriously bone-dry, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, and heatwave alerts are a norm.

A view of the house in Kollur, Hyderabad.

A recent observation from AQI.in, which tracks real-time temperatures, notes that more than 90 of the world’s 100 hottest cities are in India. Beyond the statistic lies a collective lived experience of stifling conditions, driven by shrinking green cover and unchecked urbanisation.

Vamshidhar and Mounica Reddy.

On reaching the location, a residence in an emerging gated community, there’s a discernible dip in temperature inside the house. “We have not installed air conditioners. Ceiling fans suffice even in summers,” says architect Vamshidhar Reddy of Iki Builds, an architecture firm in Hyderabad, as we walk through the courtyard that allows cross ventilation and natural light. A climate-resilient home that does not make us reach for the air conditioner remote seems like a luxury in these stifling conditions. While it ensures day-to-day comfort, it helps slash utility bills in the long run.

A view of the house supervised by Sathya Consultants.

The home owners — part-time blogger Sarita Chebbai and her husband Rajiv Shivane, who runs a software startup — say that when they began planning the house, they wanted to avoid ACs as much as possible. “Neither of us like it, much to the annoyance of our children. So we wanted a home that stays naturally cool. Hence, you will find windows on every wall in addition to jaali ventilators,” says Sarita.<br>Homes like these are part of a growing shift towards climate-resilient constructions. Across cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Chennai and states like Rajasthan and Gujarat that are prone to harsh summers, a niche clientele are seeking climate-friendly homes and architects are catering to this demand.

A view of the house supervised by Ant Studio.

Alternate approach<br>In these constructions, apart from design that allows ventilation and light, the use of traditional materials for the roof, flooring and walls provide thermal insulation. These include materials such as Madras terrace roof, Athangudi tiles from Chettinad, Kadapa stone, unplastered rammed or poured earth walls. Rainwater harvesting channels are also integrated into the design, along with solar panels wherever feasible.<br>“We draw from the past to learn about climate-resilient materials and use them in a modern way. A lot of research goes into eco-friendly constructions,” says Reddy. At the Kollur house, this is evident in the sourcing and use of materials. For the ground floor, soil excavated from the site has been used for the rammed earth walls. Quarry debris from nearby areas have been used for the poured earth walls on the first floor. Lime and cement are used for binding, with cement limited to 4-7%. Reddy explains that the walls have been tested for durability and do not require maintenance in the form of repainting every few years. “Our research and development team is now focusing on reducing the cement further, to enhance thermal insulation.”

Monish Siripurapu.

Driving factors<br>Bengaluru-based architect Sathya Prakash Varanashi, who has been focusing on environment-friendly constructions since 1993, says the difference in approach from a conventional concrete structure begins at the planning stage. “The area is analysed for heat, light, air, rain, glare, humidity, dust and sound to see if an eco-friendly construction is viable.We go ahead if we are confident of several, even if not all, parameters.”<br>These homes are designed to be in synergy with nature, extending in and out, so that more windows and external walls can allow light and ventilation into the home across seasons and at different times of the day. His residence in Bengaluru and the home of the couple Surya and...