ASTHIWAR
START A PROJECT START

Sustainability

Sustainable by design

Comfort designed in, before energy is spent.

Sunlight passing across a clay brick screen.
A perforated brick screen casting shade across a modern facade.

01

Natural cooling

Comfort begins in plan and section.

Designing for the natural flow of air to keep interiors cooler and reduce reliance on artificial ventilation.

Thermodynamic Physics Simulation • Western Ghats Microclimate (11°N Lat.)

Passive Solar Declination & Courtyard Stack Aerodynamics

Solar Time14:00 hrs
Ambient Outdoor Temp35°C
Courtyard Core Temp27°C
Thermal Buffer Delta-8°C Saved
Stack Suction Draft1.5 m/s

Thermodynamic Physics at 14:00: During peak solar exposure (35°C outdoor), the high solar altitude angle is completely blocked by deep 1.8m chhajja eaves. Meanwhile, high solar irradiation on the roof lantern heats exhaust air, accelerating stack draft velocity to 1.5 m/s and continuously pulling cool air across the courtyard water pool to maintain an indoor temperature of 27°C.

Construction material samples and drawings laid out on a work surface.

02

Low-cement / cement-free construction

Ask less material to do more useful work.

Exploring lower-carbon construction methods and material choices while maintaining structural integrity.

Embodied Carbon Audit • Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment

Structural Carbon Intensity: ASTHIWAR vs. Standard RCC

Standard construction relies on high-calcination Portland cement and fossil-fired brick kilns. ASTHIWAR replaces structural mass with stabilized rammed earth and slaked lime, sequestering carbon and reducing structural footprint by 60%.

Project Built-up Footprint3,200 sq.ft (297 m²)
Standard RCC Construction (Portland Cement + Wire-Cut Bricks)420 kg CO₂e / m² · 124.7 t Total
100% Baseline
ASTHIWAR Vernacular Core (Stabilized Earth + Lime Stucco + Local Granite)168 kg CO₂e / m² · 49.9 t Total
-60% Carbon Footprint
74.8 tonnesTotal Net Carbon Prevented from entering the atmosphere during construction.
3,402Equivalent annual CO₂ absorption of mature urban forestry trees.
197Equivalent domestic passenger flight emissions completely averted.

Conventional High-Carbon Assembly

  • Portland Pozzolana Cement820 kg CO₂ / tonne
  • High-Kiln Wire Cut Bricks260 kg CO₂ / 1000 units
  • Synthetic Acrylic Wall PaintsHigh VOC & Off-gassing
  • Structural Steel Rebar1,800 kg CO₂ / tonne

ASTHIWAR Low-Carbon Assembly

  • Excavated On-Site Earth Walls28 kg CO₂ / tonne (-96%)
  • Aged Slaked Lime MortarReabsorbs CO₂ as it cures
  • Natural Mineral Pigment WashesZero VOC & Vapor-open
  • Salvaged Teak & Regional GraniteZero Long-haul Freight
A planted courtyard opening to the sky.

03

Green building

Envelope, daylight, water strategy and material impact reviewed together rather than certified after the fact.

ASTHIWAR is expanding its offering around natural cooling, low-cement and cement-free construction.