The Architect’s Dream

#Beattheheat – By Riya Pailwan Images Courtesy- Aparna Vaish, Labeeb Jan, Harsh Shah, Muskan Jain Picture this: It’s a blazing hot summer day, and across the country, thousands of air conditioners are running, contributing 6.6% of all electricity use. Each AC running for 8 hours daily over 4 months pumps out 2.78 kg of CO₂ per unit – that’s what it takes a full-grown tree 50 days to absorb! With climate change increasing temperatures, AC sales are skyrocketing by 35% every summer. While there is no 100% alternative to A.C. yet, our traditional methods can still work their magic proved Ar. Monish Siripurapu. In Frame- Ar. Monish Siripurapu The Architect’s Dream Monish, an architect, and a TEDx speaker, believes that we don’t have to choose between comfort and conscience, and refuses to accept that artificial cooling is our only way to beat the heat. While others were installing bigger ACs, Monish was dreaming of walls and roofs that could breathe and cool the surrounding air naturally. This vision led him to create Ant Studio, where art, nature and technology voluntarily blended with tradition. The Birth of CoolAnt From this passion for creating environment-friendly and sustainable solutions, he founded CoolAnt – a sustainability think tank innovating Climate-Responsive Building Envelopes through nature-based energy-efficient cooling solutions. It’s not just a product, but a revolution wrapped in terracotta and flowing water. Imagine building walls that work like giant, elegant air conditioners, but are powered by nothing more than natural materials and ancient formulas. These aren’t ordinary walls. They’re breathing envelopes that drink in hot air and exhale cool comfort. As air passes through these terracotta facades with their gentle streams of water, it transforms – hot becomes cool, artificial becomes natural. One such cool innovation of theirs is ‘Twin toilets’ in Noida, India In Frame- Twin Toilets in Noida Design Concept The project is a commitment to sustainability and low-carbon solutions. It challenges conventional building practices by reusing waste materials—discarded terracotta, broken pots, kulhads, and debris—and transforming them into breathable walls that cool the interiors through natural evaporative processes. The design of the “Twin Toilets” reimagines public sanitation facilities as more than just functional spaces, integrating elements of culture, nature, and sustainability. The project transforms routine acts, such as washing hands into rituals by designing open-to-sky spaces that invite natural light, breeze, and the quiet presence of the outdoors. These “Terrabyte” walls exhibit a biophilic character, mimicking the cooling properties of ancient step-wells and Havelis, water interacting in a way to create a self-sustaining system that not only moderates temperature but also encourages moss growth over time. Fun Facts ● Natural Stone-Inspired Urinals are designed like raw stone slabs, breaking away from conventional forms to integrate with the natural theme. ● Instead of stone, the gabions are filled with broken terracotta, discarded pots, kulhads, and construction debris, also reducing the environmental impact. ● As the founder of CoolAnt, Ar. Monish S became the first architect to feature in Shark Tank India, season 3 The Simple Magic CoolAnt does something beautifully simple – it remembers how buildings used to stay cool before the invention of A.C.Terracotta, waste material, water, sun and shade, working together as they have for thousands of years, but with a scientific twist that makes them more effective than ever. Read the complete article in our 7th Issue ‘Footprints Speak louder than words. How Green is yours?