Climate Responsive Strategies in Architecture: Their Contemporary Relevance through the Lens of Culture, Heritage, and User Experience

Abstract

Climate-responsive architecture has long been recognized as a fundamental principle of sustainable design, particularly within vernacular settlements where buildings evolved in response to local climatic conditions, available materials, and cultural traditions. Traditional architecture in India demonstrates how passive environmental strategies such as courtyards, verandas, thick masonry walls, jaalis, and locally sourced materials contribute to thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and long-term building performance. However, rapid urbanization and increasing dependence on mechanical cooling systems have reduced the application of these climate-responsive principles in contemporary architecture. This study examines the contemporary relevance of climate-responsive strategies through the interconnected perspectives of culture, heritage, and user experience, using Ahmedabad's traditional pol housing as the primary case study. A qualitative research methodology based on literature review and case study analysis is adopted to evaluate how traditional passive design strategies influence building longevity, environmental performance, cultural identity, and occupant comfort. The findings indicate that climate-responsive architecture extends beyond environmental sustainability by strengthening cultural continuity, fostering community interaction, and enhancing users' psychological attachment to place. The study argues that contemporary architecture should reinterpret, rather than replicate, traditional climatic principles by integrating passive environmental strategies with modern construction technologies. Such an approach can improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and preserve regional architectural identity while responding to present- day functional requirements.

Keywords: Climate-responsive architecture, Vernacular architecture, Heritage conservation, Passive
design, Ahmedabad Pol Housing, User experience, Sustainable architecture, Cultural identity