- Feb 5, 2022
- 3 min read

Is your clothing and your building the same?

" BUILDINGS ARE AN EXTENSION OF OUR SKIN, A SECOND LAYER OF SKIN AFTER OUR CLOTHES. "

We all know what climate is. As vast as the subject of climate, climate change and its impacts is, we will not dwell into it, yet. February 5, 2022 marks the day of Vasant Panchami, a hindu tradition where people prepare for the change in season, spring in particular, through prayers for Goddess Saraswati. While we prepare for the change in season through traditions, let’s get to know how change in climate and seasons affect the architectural expression.

Climate of a place is one of the most important factors that we architects take into consideration before we begin designing. You ask why?

It is said that Climate impacts 3 basic things for humans.

Dress

Diet

Dwelling

Think about it. The food we eat, the dress we wear and our activities are dependent and derived from the climate of the place we reside in. The clothing people wear for a particular region can be easily related to the architecture of that place. Let’s see how.

Case in point #1

Climate Zone: Cold and Wet

Example: Hill stations of Nilgiris etc

A person from a cold region prefers to eat warm food, wears layers after layers of clothes to keep them warm, their work schedule, daytime activities everything depends on the weather. Likewise, the building in that region will have layers on walls, rooms will be designed on the basis of its users’ activities, sunlight will be brought in through sun rooms and so on.

Click image to know more!

The plans of houses are usually designed to keep living spaces warm and to trap as much heat as possible. Fireplaces have become a staple. Small Sized windows to keep maximum areas for thick walls that act as blankets. South side of the house will be with a glass roof or windows to allow south sun to creep in. Building materials with high thermal mass are often used like Stone, Timber, solid packed mud walls, glass and so on.

Case in point #2

Climate Zone: Warm and Humid

Example: Chennai, Pondicherry and most coastal cities of India

Warm, hot sun with humid air, tropical climates makes people wear light clothes that are light in texture, light in material and colour that allows skin to breathe, inorder to allow perspiration. It is noted that people in warm and humid places are usually active and outdoors.

Click image to know more!

Similarly, buildings in this region are designed with ample openings/windows to allow maximum cross ventilation, blocks in direct sun. In addition, openings and breathable walls aid in moderating the humidity within the spaces.

The aim in design is to eliminate heat from the space and bring in cooler air into it. These are achieved using multiple passive techniques like shaded verandahs, courtyards, Skylights, clerestory and so on.

Case in point #3

Climate Zone: Tropical Hot and Dry

Example: Hyderabad , Jaisalmer.

Tropical Hot and dry attributes hot summers with dry winds. Lack of Humidity in the air and scarce rainfall. People of this region due to its semi arid climatic conditions prefer breathable fabrics for summers and also heavy textured clothes for the night when it gets cool and breezy.

Click image to know more!

Likewise, buildings in hot and Dry climate zones are usually designed with techniques to avoid direct heat gain into the house by use of buffer spaces like verandahs, Semi shaded spaces, courtyards for air exchange and walls with high thermal mass that allows time lag in heat gain. Use of Filler slabs for roofs creates a buffer/void to prevent heat penetration. Jaali walls allow the rooms to receive funneled air. Evaporative cooling is carried out by introducing water bodies, to increase humidity in the air.

We can go along to list every climate zone and its specific characteristics. While our clothes keep us and shelter us against exterior conditions, keeping us warm/cool; likewise, our building should be designed to keep us warm/cool depending on our surrounding micro climate. Designing smart buildings ensures the users are taken care of and kept thermally comfortable without the need for any artificial heating/cooling. While we don’t ignore the existence of such artificial cooling/heating systems, we believe that its need can be reduced multifold, so that its impact to the Earth can also be reduced.