A 14-Story Office Building in Nagpur, Maharashtra Responding to an Extreme Hot Climate

Nagpur, Maharashtra, India is home to “Stella,” a compact office building designed by Sanjay Puri Architects. Built on a site of 836.07 sq.m., the project accommodates 5,575 sq.m. of office space across 14 levels, with four offices on each floor. The restricted plot size and statutory open space requirements led to a vertical configuration that maximizes usable area while ensuring natural light and ventilation.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Nagpur is among the hottest cities in India, with summer temperatures reaching up to 48°C. In response to this extreme climate, the façade is conceived as a layered, climate-responsive skin. Semicircular open decks and planters wrapped in aluminum louvers alternate horizontally and vertically along the building’s perimeter, reducing direct solar heat gain. Integrated greenery further contributes to shaded conditions and cooler microclimates around the interior spaces.

Green buffers envelop the façade, enhancing thermal performance and visual comfort. The service and circulation core is positioned along the eastern edge, allowing the north, west, and south sides to open up for naturally lit office areas. Larger offices are placed at the front and rear, benefiting from daylight, cross ventilation, and outward views.

Rather than adopting a fully glazed office typology unsuited to tropical climates, Stella presents a contextual architectural response. The design minimizes heat gain and reduces operational energy consumption while providing sheltered, well-illuminated workspaces with indirect sunlight. Conceived as a direct response to its climatic setting, the building integrates passive strategies, greenery, and a contemporary expression into a sustainable workplace environment.

About Sanjay Puri Architects

Sanjay Puri Architects is ranked No. 32 in Archello Amsterdam’s Top 100 Architects worldwide and is also included in the Top 100 lists by ArchDaily, Architizer, New York, and WA UK. The firm has received over 540 awards, including more than 400 international architecture awards. Major recognitions include the World Building of the Year 2024 by World Architects Switzerland, the Most Sustainable Architecture Firm of the Year by Architizer New York, and the Practice of the Year award by A&D Perspective Hong Kong. The firm’s work has been published over 2,000 times in more than 200 publications globally. Sanjay Puri has served as a jury member for the World Architecture Festival, Plan Awards Italy, Architecture Review Awards UK, Dezeen UK, Architizer New York, INDE Awards Australia, Inscape Awards South Africa, and The Architecture Hunter Awards Canada. Currently, the firm comprises a team of 108 professionals and is involved in over 200 projects across 55 cities. Its design philosophy emphasizes contextual and sustainable solutions while exploring innovative spatial experiences.