Govind D. Belgaumkar

and Divya Gandhi

BANGALORE: If you want to beat the heat, it is possible if you can invest some time and money.

Architects suggest that in the case houses occupied already, one could consider a roof-top garden — potted or otherwise. Provide a cheap extra shade to roof: You may go for plastic sheet roof, canvas roof, bamboo-mat roof or thatched roof (which in itself is cooler option). A Mangalore tiled additional roof can be a permanent solution.

"We should give an umbrella-like shade to our house," says architect Anand Prakash. Even a solar panel that spreads all over the roof while energising the whole building can be an option.

Shading the walls exposed to sun is a must, according to him. Grow ivy on the walls, he suggests.

If you are getting direct sunlight through windows, extend the projection over the windows and grow creepers on it.

Plants absorb heat and let you stay cool. Or you could go for a rollable or permanent awning, the architect says.

Planning stage

You can design your house such that you do not depend heavily on artificial devices.

Allow enough space around the house and if possible grow trees on the southern and western sides.

Architect Chitra Vishwanath suggests minimal usage of glass as it lets a lot of heat in.

Thicker walls oriented towards the east and west can again prevent the solar radiation from warming up rooms. Plants and trees always reduce temperatures.

Trees are ideal to shade the home, but creepers can grow quicker, and within a couple of years they will be able to protect the house from heat.

Roof top gardens are the other option to reduce the over-heating of the terrace.

Architects suggest masonry called "Rat-trap bond" — a special arrangement of bricks with air gap between walls.

They also insist on hot air vents right under the roof.

Consider filler slab block roof with clay tiles (Mangalore tiles serially arranged in sets of two to form the first layer and concrete laid over it). Or you could return to the old ways and have a courtyard which acts as a vent to take hot air out, suggests Anand Prakash.

The IGP office complex in Gulbarga has wind towers or reverse chimneys which reduce the temperature inside by up to 10 degrees Celsius.

Hot air from the atmosphere enters the towers and is cooled by water that trickles down along the walls of the towers. The cool air enters each room through a ventilator.

"But most of all what we need is a change of attitude and lifestyle" says Ms. Vishwanath. "Surely we can tolerate two months of heat in Bangalore without having to resort to ACs that spew heat at the other end."

She suggests we may use basements in summers, and upper floors in winters.

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