Sikka Residence

Historically, passive environmental systems were essential to daily life in West Asia; not as luxuries, but as necessities. In a region where the abundance of water and greenery found in tropical climates was a distant aspiration, people developed ingenious strategies to adapt to harsh conditions.

Among these were the use of narrow alleyways that encouraged air circulation around buildings and maximised shaded surfaces. Building on these principles, the proposed Sikka Residence reinterprets architecture itself as a climatic tool. Minimalist volumes are wrapped in terracotta battens that act as living skins, enabling evaporative cooling, while the careful arrangement of building masses promotes cross-ventilation. As air passes through narrow openings and across moist surfaces, it cools before entering the interior.

Beyond the individual dwelling, the Sikka Residence contributes to a broader vision of climate resilience. When deployed across neighbourhoods, such buildings can collectively cool ambient conditions, transforming homes into active agents of environmental adaptation.