BEYOND GREEN DESIGN

What you need to keep in mind when designing for longevity, belonging and environmental integrity

- By ZAFAR CHAUDHARY

Sustainability in residential architecture isn't a checklist; it's a mindset. True sustainability is less about trend-driven technology and more about making deliberate choices that endure. Choices that honour the climate, reduce excess and foster a deeper connection between humans and their habitat. When designing homes, begin by questioning what truly needs to be built. Orientation, passive cooling and the choreography of natural light should not be afterthoughts—they are the foundations.

For instance, use courtyards not for nostalgia but to regulate air, effectively creating thresholds of privacy and allowing for natural ventilation with minimal mechanical dependence. This isn't innovation for its own sake, it is intuitively informed by decades of lived experience and site response.