How To Survive Without AC In 40 Degree Heat? Gujarat's Eco-Friendly 'Cool House' Is Leading The Way For Others

Gujarat: It took around five years to finish the 'Cool House' after much experimentation, sketching, and design work. Samira Rathod, the head architect and founder of Samira Rathod Design Atelier, created it.

Eco-Friendly House: Aam pannas, Nimbu Paani, Lassi, and shikanjis, which offer a cool respite from the sweltering heat, are tantalizing treats that India's summers bring. Indian summers may be severe and punishing, despite these breaks. Most of April through July, several places experience intense heat, with highs reaching 48 degrees Celsius. There is a fascinating home that resists the custom of blasting coolers and air conditioners to battle the heat in the center of Gujarat's dry and parched city of Bharuch. Unlike conventional homes, this unusual dwelling maintains a comfortable temperature without any of these gadgets. It took around five years to finish the 'Cool House' after much experimentation, sketching, and design work. Samira Rathod, the head architect and founder of Samira Rathod Design Atelier, created it.

Closed Structure From Outside

The site was surrounded by three structures and had a road on one side. The neighbor's building would be the only view that the house would have. In that sense, choosing an introverted house was wise. In essence, it is one where you enter a house and it opens up. It would appear to be a pretty closed structure from the outside. The house includes courtyards with trees and an inward-facing design, giving the impression that you are looking outside rather than within. On the first floor of the courtyard, there is a lovely tree with a view that resembles a garden.

Passageway For The Wind

The mansion, which is situated on a 10,500 square-foot plot of land, has a distinctive shape that lets the wind flow through it. The architect planned to make use of Bharuch's cold weather at particular times. She carved up a passageway for the wind, spanning the northeast and southwest. There are courtyards that promote airflow, and the house is built in the shape of a track with rooms on either side. The air cools down as it goes through a water body the designer placed on the south side, even if the breeze is only mildly warm. In turn, the house as a whole is cooled by this air.

Additional Cooling Factors

The terrace garden with another tiny water feature, in addition to the channel, also contributes to cooling the area down. Together with the courtyard with a jali structure on one end and the running channel, this cools the second level. The house takes advantage of 18-inch-thick exterior walls and a calming lime plaster interior to fight the heat, thereby keeping the rooms cool and breezy. Reclaimed wood was also used inside the house to increase sustainability, along with solar panels for energy and solar geysers.

An astounding 10 degree drop in temperature was achieved by the combined efforts of the architect and the adopted design decisions, providing major relief from the oppressive heat. The temperature inside the house never rises above 30–35 degrees, even when the outside temperature is 45 degrees. It is significantly lower in some places. You won't need a fan if you come and sit in the courtyard because of how windy it is. Due to the house's southern orientation and all-day sun exposure, heat naturally builds up inside. However, because of Samira's superb design, the house's temperature stays at just 29 degrees.