← Climate Atlas
Karaikudi
Chettinad & Tamil country
Long dry heat inland, humid air off the coast.
Hot & dryWarm & humid
Merchant mansions built a whole economy of coolness: deep courtyards in sequence, lime-polished walls, handmade Athangudi floors that stay cold underfoot, and the Madras terrace roof layering timber, terracotta, and lime into a breathing lid.
Born here · 4 techniques
Āthangudi tilesHandmade oxide floor tilesTamil Nadu (Chettinad)
Dense cement-and-oxide tiles hand-cast on the sand of Athangudi, laid over a lime bed.
Store & slow heatWarm & humidComposite
Madras terraceLime-and-brick flat roofTamil Nadu · South India
Flat bricks set on edge over closely spaced timber joists, bedded in lime.
Store & slow heatWarm & humidComposite
Aangan / SahnCourtyard stack ventilationPersia · Arab world · …
The shaded courtyard collects dense cool night air; by day, hot air rises out of the open top while cooler court air is drawn into the surrounding rooms.
Catch & move airHot & dryWarm & humid
Rat-trap bondCavity brick wallIndia (popularised by Laurie Baker)
Bricks laid on edge so each course leaves a hollow air gap inside the wall.
Store & slow heatHot & dryComposite