GARG RESIDENCE 78

Quick facts

• Facade transformation of an existing luxury villa
• Climate-responsive terracotta screen system
• Double-skin and single-skin facade strategy
• Designed according to sun path and prevailing winds
• Perforated terracotta screen with varying densities
• Integrated green facade elements
• Conservatory seating with shaded outdoor terraces
• Earth-toned material palette
• Sustainable passive design approach

Project summary

Villa 78 demonstrates how climate-responsive design can redefine a home’s identity while significantly enhancing environmental performance. A custom-designed terracotta screen wraps the primary façade, functioning as a breathable second skin that filters sunlight, encourages natural ventilation and creates dynamic patterns of light and shadow throughout the day. The result is a timeless architectural expression that blends sustainability with contemporary aesthetics.

The project sought to transform the façade of an existing villa into an environmentally responsive architectural envelope. Rather than relying on mechanical solutions, the design uses passive strategies and natural materials to improve thermal comfort, privacy and visual character while responding directly to the site’s climatic conditions.

Design challenge and response

• Upgrading an existing villa without altering its structural framework.
• Reducing heat gain on the south and south east facing façades.
• Balancing privacy with daylight and outward views.
• Improving thermal comfort through passive design strategies.
• Creating a distinctive architectural identity using natural materials.

Response

The design introduces a perforated terracotta screen that wraps the villa’s most heat-exposed façades, creating a breathable double-skin envelope. The density of perforations is carefully calibrated—denser where greater shading and privacy are required, and more open where daylight and views are prioritized. This responsive skin works in harmony with prevailing winds to improve natural ventilation while creating ever-changing patterns of light and shadow that enrich the living experience. Green integration, open terraces and conservatory spaces further strengthen the connection between architecture and nature.

Material palette

• Terracotta screen blocks
• Architectural concrete
• Pine wood ceiling panels
• Earth-toned exterior finishes
• Rattan and wicker finishes
• Glass glazing
• Landscape planting
• Metal structural framing
• Natural stone paving

Sustainability / Climate Response

• Climate-responsive terracotta façade designed according to the sun path.
• Double-skin façade reducing direct solar heat gain.
• Perforated screen promoting natural cross ventilation.
• Variable perforation density optimizing daylight, privacy and views.
• Integrated greenery improving the microclimate and visual comfort.

Outcome / impact

Villa 78 demonstrates how a carefully designed façade can become both an environmental solution and an architectural statement. By integrating passive climate strategies with a timeless material palette, the project improves occupant comfort, reduces solar heat gain and gives the existing villa a distinctive contemporary identity. The terracotta screen becomes more than an exterior element—it transforms the building into a living, breathing façade that evolves with light, climate and nature.