“Monsoon isn’t an obstacle to design around — it is one of the most important inputs. Here is how planning for rain changes walls, roofs, and windows.”
The monsoon is part of the brief
A house in Kerala is lived in through two very different seasons. The brief for every project we design starts by asking what the building has to survive: months of driving rain, then months of dry heat.
The usual answer is to add waterproofing and hope. The better answer is to design the building so it sheds water by default — deep overhangs, a pitched enough roof, and openings that face away from the worst of the rain.
What changes when you design for rain
- Roof geometry that moves water away from living areas.
- Overhangs sized to the actual rain, not a standard drawing.
- Damp-proof courses placed where water actually sits.
- Ventilation paths that still work when windows are closed.
Good monsoon design is invisible — you only notice it the first year you don’t have to fix anything.