CIELO

Nagpur’s intense climate and compact urban conditions shape Cielo, a twelve-storey residential building designed by Sanjay Puri Architects. Located on a 900 sqm. site, the project accommodates a total buildable area of 3,600 sqm., with mandatory setbacks limiting each floor plate to just 270 sqm. Rather than treating this restriction as a limitation, the design uses it to establish a compact and climate-responsive residential typology. Each floor houses a single four-bedroom apartment, with three bedrooms positioned at three corners and the kitchen occupying the fourth. This arrangement allows the rooms to benefit from cross-ventilation, while the living spaces are placed centrally as the social heart of each home. The planning establishes a direct relationship between compactness, airflow and everyday interaction. Nagpur’s prolonged summers, with temperatures exceeding 40°C for much of the year, become a defining influence on the building envelope. Every principal room opens onto two balconies- one open and one screened- providing sheltered outdoor spaces while reducing heat gain. The screened balconies are formed through sectional curves that begin as protective screens at one level before sweeping outward to become balconies above. Alternating horizontally and vertically across the façade, these elements give the building its distinctive sculptural expression. Beyond their environmental function, the screens reference the architectural heritage of the region, where screened architecture has existed since the 17th century. At Cielo, this traditional climatic response is reinterpreted through a contemporary façade. The project's sustainability strategy extends beyond shading. A complete solar-panel roof, water harvesting and recycling systems, together with the screened envelope, reduce the building’s lifecycle carbon footprint and dependence on air-conditioning.