Brick has an inherent charm; a timeless quality and an artistic flair. On a long, winding residential street, an intricately-designed brick facade immediately catches attention. When an elderly couple approached lead architect Tapan Shah of Studionine Architects to build their home, he decided to make a terracotta jali screen façade as the main attraction of the 3-BHK. Located in suburban Ahmedabad, the home sits on a compact site of 1,360-square-feet, with a built-up area of 3,000-square-feet. “The clients wanted a simple, efficient and low-maintenance home with ample natural light and breeze coming in. The jali screen served as an effective, passive cooling device, especially in the hot and dry climate of Ahmedabad, and was an intuitive response to the south-facing orientation of the house,” reveals Shah.