For northern India, where summer temperatures now regularly cross 48 to 50 degrees Celsius, and monsoons are becoming more erratic, these passive strategies for designing buildings are not just historically interesting. They point to a way of architecture that is cooler, more resilient, and less dependent on energy-intensive systems.
The recent collapse of a five-storey building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, which killed seven people, has once again raised questions about the resilience of urban structures. But the question of what makes a building safe and resilient extends beyond structural stability. As exposure to extreme heat, intense rainfall, and other climate stresses increases in India, buildings must be designed not only to remain stable and rigid, but also to remain functional and climate-resilient. This is where the architecture of older buildings in North India offers useful lessons.
Long before modern Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, traditional builders in North India developed structures that passively moderated extreme temperatures and monsoon rains. The Jama Masjid of Jaunpur, constructed in the 1400s under the Sharqi sultans, exemplifies this approach through its elevated platform, thick masonry walls, large shaded courtyard, and arcaded verandas.
Among all the mosques constructed in the city during the Sharqi period, it was one of the largest and most ambitious, reflecting both the religious aspirations and the political confidence of its patron. Every major feature of the Jama Masjid responds to the realities of heat, light, air, and water in Jaunpur. The raised plinth, the large courtyard, the shaded cloisters, the dome openings, and the columnless prayer hall work together to create a building that is climatically responsive. It helps moderate heat, handles heavy monsoon rains, and accommodates large crowds without relying on mechanical systems.
The whole mosque stands on a high plinth, about 5–6 metres (16–20 ft) above ground level, reached by a steep flight of steps. This elevation is not only for visual impact. It separates the building from the ground, reducing exposure to surface runoff, ground moisture, and seasonal flooding. In a region with intense monsoon rains, this simple design choice helps keep the mosque dry and stable over time. From this raised platform, visitors enter a large open courtyard, or sahn, roughly 210 ft (64 m) on each side. The prayer hall is on the western side, and two‑storey cloisters run along the other three sides.
The courtyard may look like just an open space, but it plays an active role. It brings in daylight, allows air to circulate, and helps cool the building. It also provides space for large gatherings and creates a transition between the busy street and the quieter interior. The cloisters around the courtyard support this function. These shaded arcades, about two aisles wide, act as a buffer between the open sahn and the enclosed spaces. They reduce direct solar heat gain on walls and walkways and provide shaded circulation, so people can move around the mosque even in strong sun or rain.
The main prayer hall is designed to be largely free of columns. Instead of many small bays, it uses large arches and vaulted construction to create one big interior volume. This gives an uninterrupted space for prayer and large congregations. It also allows air to move more freely at the level where people pray, instead of being blocked by rows of columns. Above this space rises the central dome, about 11.4 metres in diameter, with windows pierced into its drum. The dome is not only a visual focus; it also acts as a passive climate device that helps regulate temperature.
The Jama Masjid does not offer a ready-made blueprint for modern buildings. Its real value lies in the principles behind its design. The mosque shows how a building can work with the local climate by using elevation to manage water, courtyards and cloisters to control heat and light, and a large domed volume to move air naturally. For a region where summer temperatures now regularly cross 48 to 50 degrees Celsius, and monsoons are becoming more erratic, these passive strategies are not just historically interesting. They point to a way of designing architecture that is cooler, more resilient, and less dependent on energy-intensive systems. In that sense, the Jama Masjid is not only a monument of the past. It is a reference for a more climate-responsive future.
(Swaleh Adeel is a TRIP intern)