This anchor design for the Cold climate zone is in active development. The full plan, SVGs, materials schedule, and statutory compliance for Shimla, Manali, Srinagar, Leh, and Gangtok will land in the next sprint.

What's Coming

The Cold zone (Himalayan towns, Kashmir, Ladakh) flips every assumption from the rest of India:

South-facing Trombe wall — 230 mm stone or concrete wall with south-facing glazing in front, storing winter sun heat in the day and radiating it at night.
Compact insulated form — minimum surface area to volume ratio; double-skin walls with 75–100 mm rockwool / EPS insulation; double-glazed windows with thermal break frames.
Sloped roof at 35–45° — sheds snow load (locally 60–120 kg/m² in Shimla, 200+ kg/m² in Ladakh); local materials: slate (Shimla) / GI sheet (Manali) / clay tiles (Srinagar) / mud + willow (Ladakh).
Bukhari / pellet stove as primary heating; supplementary electric or kerosene.
Sunspace / sunroom on south — 8 × 12 ft glazed buffer; passive solar gain in winter, ventilated in summer.
Boot room / vestibule at entry — keeps snow + moisture out of the living space.
Vernacular references: Kashmiri kothi-banai timber-stone, Himachali dhajji-dewari infill-frame, Ladakhi rabsel sun-rooms.

Suitable Cities

Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Srinagar, Leh, Gangtok, Tawang, Nainital, Mussoorie.

Status

Design development. The Hot-Dry and Warm-Humid anchor plans are live — see Courtyard Haveli and Verandah Pavilion.

For climate-zone design strategy reference: Passive Design — India Climate Zones.