Climatic Zone: Composite

Climatic Zone: Composite

Bidani House, Faridabad

A residential building that responds to climatic needs to provide comfort

General description:

Very often it is stated that it is possible to design climatically responsive buildings on

a larger site, but in most urban situations where the sites are constrained by their

small size and of fixed orientation, it is not possible to develop such a design. The

Bidani House is a project that demonstrates a situation where a climate -responsive

form and design was achieved in an existing urban situation with a fixed site size and

orientation.

Faridabad, located in the composite climate zone, has large climatic swings over the

year, i.e. very hot and dry period of almost two and a half months and a colder

period of a shorter duration. The hot dry period is followed by a hot humid, monsoon

period of about two months with intervening periods of milder climate.

Design Features:

The site

Located in Faridabad, near New Delhi, this house has been designed and built in the

composite climatic context. The site of about 1000 square metres had a plan area in

the ratio of 1:3 with the shorter side facing the road and oriented north.

Planning in response to climate

The demand on building design is to respond to the extremes: eliminate (minimize)

heat gain in hot dry period, maximize ventilation in hot humid period from

zones/areas designed as heat sinks and maximize heat gain in the cold period. This

has been achieved in this house entirely through the form and fabric of the building.

A courtyard facing and opening onto north-east has been designed as a heat sink. 1

Bidani House, Faridabad

Climatic Zone: Composite

The entire house form has been developed around the courtyard with all the main

living spaces wrapping around it and having maximum south-east orientation that is

the ideal exposure for this context. A large volume living space designed as a double

height space is wrapped around the courtyard. Buffer spaces like the toilets and

stores are located on the overheated south-western exposure to eliminate heat gain

in summers.

The three-dimensional form of the building is generated to eliminate or allow solar

penetration according to seasonal changes. Large volume spaces and their coupling

with the courtyard also allow good ventilation from the courtyard (the heat sink).

The plan and three-dimensional form of the building has, therefore, been developed

entirely in response to solar geometry.

Diurnal swings in temperature are attenuated by judicious design and placement of

thermal mass, utilizing local stone as the major material of construction.

The resultant building provides a comfortable environment with the temperatures,

humidity, and airflow levels remaining in the comfort zone during all seasons of the

year.

At a glance

Project details

Project name Bidani House, Faridabad

Site area 10, 000 square metres

Climate Composite

Building type Residential

Architect Dr Arvind Krishan and Kunal Jain

Design features

House form developed around courtyard (acts as heat sink) Large volumes of spaces coupled with courtyard for ventilation Buffer spaces located on the overheated south-western exposure Form of the building allows solar penetration according to seasonal changes

2

Bidani House, Faridabad

Climatic Zone: Composite

Pergola and louvers cut off unwanted radiation Local stone used as major construction material, which provides thermal mass

for attenuation of diurnal swings in temperature

3

Bidani House, Faridabad

Design Features: