Sustainable Home Renovations and Heritage Restorations
We breathe new life into aging properties by blending traditional heritage with modern energy efficiency and functional design.
The renovated facade of the Eco Terre residence. We retained the original plinth of the 33-year-old home and built a new, modern structure that incorporates large windows and natural materials like wood and stone.
The entrance to Eco Terre features a bold, board-formed concrete finish and a `jaali` brick screen, introducing modern, textural materials while improving natural ventilation.
The entrance at sunset, with integrated lighting highlighting the different textures of the facade, from the smooth concrete to the rough stone and perforated brickwork.
This video montage of Eco Terre showcases the dramatic transformation, highlighting the modern exterior, the play of light and shadow, and the seamless integration of the home with its green surroundings.
A view of the Eco Terre facade framed by existing trees, which we carefully preserved during the renovation process to maintain the site's mature landscape.
The boundary wall and entrance area feature a mix of materials and integrated lighting, creating an inviting and modern street presence for the renovated home.
We used bamboo planting to create a natural, green screen for the ground floor windows, enhancing privacy and contributing to the home's eco-friendly aesthetic.
About this collection
In our Eco Terre project, we retained the original 33-year-old plinth and preserved existing mature trees to minimize site disturbance. This approach demonstrates our commitment to adaptive reuse, where we modernize interior layouts and improve thermal comfort without the environmental cost and waste of a full reconstruction.
Renovating an existing structure requires more precision than building from scratch. We approach every renovation with a rigorous structural feasibility study to determine exactly which elements can be preserved and which need modification to meet modern safety and lifestyle standards.
Our Process for Eco-Retrofitting
We begin by analyzing the current thermal performance of your home. By studying sun paths and wind patterns, we introduce passive cooling interventions such as louvers, skylights, and roof insulation to reduce dependency on air conditioning. For older properties, this often involves strategic demolition to open up floor plans while retaining load-bearing walls and traditional materials like teak doors or granite pillars.
Modernizing Heritage
Our design philosophy balances the aesthetic of the past with the requirements of the present. We specialize in:
- Structural Upgrades: Integrating modern plumbing and concealed electrical wiring within older building frameworks.
- Material Upcycling: Carefully harvesting existing roofing tiles or flooring to incorporate them into the new design, maintaining the home's original character.
- Façade Transformation: Applying modern cladding techniques to update the exterior while ensuring the building remains climate-responsive.
Whether you are looking to revitalize a city home or transform a farmhouse, our goal is to create a seamless transition between the building's history and its future utility. We handle the complex technical drawings, from joint details to MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) coordination, ensuring your renovation is as durable as it is beautiful.
MTA Architects
We are MTA Architects, an architectural firm with two decades of experience in creating spaces that harmonize heritage with contemporary living. Our team is dedicated to technical precision, focusing on energy efficiency and structural integrity in every renovation project we undertake.
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