India is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and advanced thinking, even in ancient times. Our vernacular architecture, ahead of its era, has always catered to people’s well-being, both socially and physically. However, today, as Western cultures overshadow our own traditions across the globe with their plain glass facades, the question arises: Are they not only robbing us of our identity but also altering the aesthetics, transforming palaces into prisons?

Urban Heat Islands and Their Impact

Over recent years, Indian cities have experienced extreme weather conditions, with half of the country reeling under severe heat waves. The urban heat island effect in India intensifies these extreme events in cities, which are warmer than adjacent rural areas due to concentrated human activity and building construction. The temperature difference between a city and its surrounding rural area can be as much as 6 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit).

Although many other factors like atmospheric pressure, wind patterns, precipitation, and climate change contribute to heat waves, they are significantly impacted by the urban heat island effect in India, that are directly linked to the design of buildings and their relationship to the surroundings.

The Shift Towards Western Architecture

The shift in India began in the 1990s when the country transitioned to a market-based economy, favouring concrete and steel for quick construction. During this time, architects abandoned traditional, climate-appropriate designs for new modern construction inspired by the West.

“In most cities, people have blindly followed the Western model,” says Kuriakose, an architect based in Chennai. “There was no attempt to look at the local climate. There was no attempt to look at the materials which are available.”

This summer, with temperatures hitting 50 degrees Celsius in north India, residents of metro cities only find comfort in their air-conditioned chambers in tall, glass buildings, which provide temporary relief but secretly contribute to the scorching heat, making it worse for the coming years. The old houses, in such scenarios, dispersed heat through their thick walls, clay tiles, mud-insulated roofs, and courtyards for ventilation. In contrast, modern buildings are a major cause of the urban heat island effect in India due to materials like glass, steel, and concrete, which absorb and radiate much more heat compared to traditional materials like mud or earth. Most buildings with glass facades lack insulation or shading aspects like courtyards. Some buildings also have artificial complexities like irregular shapes and non-functional design elements, which require excess materials, eventually increasing embedded emissions. Such poorly designed buildings, which lack consideration for wind movements and the surrounding environment, lead to more air conditioning usage.

Energy Costs and Climate Change

The impact of Modern architecture on climate change is evident. Today, buildings contribute to 40% of total energy costs in the country, including material manufacturing, transportation, construction, and eventual maintenance, cooling, and heating. Does that sound like an efficient cost allocation or even a reasonable option in the face of climate change and Indian cities?

An estimated 90% of modern construction in India still follows heat-trapping Western design rather than climate-responsive vernacular principles. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana affordable housing program, launched in 2015, heavily relied on concrete frames and flat roofs that absorb substantial heat. Mass housing programs like these need to review their design guidelines and construction techniques. Although in February 2022, the Indian government pledged to revise urban planning guidelines and investments to train planners to design cities better, there is an urgent need to update and follow building codes, bylaws, and environmental regulations that mandate or promote climate-responsive architecture across all sectors.

Promising Sustainable Alternatives

Environmentalists suggest rethinking how India builds its cities. Some positive changes can be seen, such as Sustainable building practices in India like the experimental township of Auroville in Tamil Nadu, where thousands of architects promote earth or mud wall construction, which absorbs heat and humidity. In the arid, hot northern city of Ahmedabad, which has experienced some of the country’s deadliest heatwaves in recent decades, Pandya’s firm Footprints E.A.R.T.H. employs careful orientation, overhanging roofs and walls to shade its buildings from heat, as well as central courtyards for ventilation.

The Way Forward

Architect Gautam Bhatia, in the Times of India, writes that ‘the salvage of India’s overheated cities hinges on three critical factors.’ The first is the establishment of better designs in terms of effective planning, materials, and construction methods. Architects must opt for natural materials and incorporate passive cooling strategies, including the use of vegetation, courtyards, and landscaping, which overall create a breathable space.

Secondly, promoting sustainable neighbourhoods, where playgrounds and other amenities are an integral part, is essential. Major cities like Delhi and new neighbourhoods in Pune lack vegetation, shade, and sidewalks, which allows no outdoor life or cuts down on constant traffic pollution.

Thirdly, designing buildings with innovative strategies that experiment with thermal cooling through wind tunnels and hollow walls is crucial. The potential of these strategies can balance the overly built, lifeless structures and create a better urban life.

Modern architecture in India should not merely mimic the West; rather, it should cater to the regional context by seamlessly blending traditional principles with modern technology and promoting energy efficiency in Indian architecture. By harmoniously combining age-old techniques with a contemporary flair, India can develop urban spaces that are not only sustainable and energy-efficient but also resilient against the escalating heat extremes arising from climate change. 

Sources

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261918316799
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/time-to-reimagine-architecture-for-our-overheated-cities/?source=app&frmapp=yes
• https://time.com/6176998/india-heatwaves-western-architecture/
• https://www.theglobaleconomics.com/2022/05/17/modern-indian-architecture/
• https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/heatwaves-frequency-and-measures/