Kanpur and Lucknow sit in a composite climate: hot, dry summers, a humid monsoon and cool winters. A cool house here starts with orientation, shaded west and south walls, openings on opposite walls for cross-ventilation and an insulated roof, all decided at the drawing stage.
What a composite climate asks of a house
Central Uttar Pradesh has three seasons that pull in different directions. Summers are hot and dry, often above 40°C. The monsoon is humid, so moving air matters more than shade. Winters are cool enough that you want the sun back in. A good design keeps summer heat out, lets breeze through in the monsoon and lets low winter sun in, without relying on air-conditioning for all three.
Orientation: the decision you cannot change later
The single biggest factor in how hot a house gets is how it sits relative to the sun. Where the plot allows, keep the longer walls facing north and south and the shorter walls facing east and west. North light is soft all day; south light is easy to shade with an overhang; east and west sun is low and hard to block.
Shade each side differently
| Side | Sun it gets | What works |
|---|---|---|
| South | High sun in summer, low in winter | Horizontal overhangs sized to block summer sun and admit winter sun |
| West | Low, harsh afternoon sun | Fewer and smaller windows, vertical fins, jaalis, or service rooms and stairs on this side |
| East | Low morning sun | Vertical shading or a verandah; milder than the west |
| North | Soft, indirect light | Larger windows for daylight with little heat |
Let air move through, and let hot air out
Openings on opposite walls let breeze pass through a room instead of stalling in it. High ventilators, clerestory windows or a stair shaft let hot air that collects under the ceiling escape. In the monsoon this matters more than shade, because still, humid air is what makes a room feel unbearable.
The roof is your biggest heat source
On a top floor most of the heat comes through the roof slab. Insulation over the slab, a light-coloured or reflective finish, or a shaded terrace can make the top floor livable in May and June. Uttar Pradesh's draft urban cooling policy points to cool roofs for exactly this reason.
Courtyards, materials and trees
- Keep courtyards modest and shaded. A small, deep court stays cool and pulls air through the house; a large open one collects summer sun and dust.
- Thick walls and materials such as stone, brick and lime plaster soak up daytime heat and release it slowly, which evens out indoor temperature.
- Trees on the west and south shade walls and the ground around the house, and keep paving from radiating heat back at you in the evening.
Planning a home?
Space Designers has designed homes and interiors across Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and Uttar Pradesh since 1996. Tell us about your plot and brief.
