The indigenous building practices, crafts and architecture of Burhanpur exhibit a typical
morphological character that involves a shared knowledge of centuries of understanding the context.
This understanding accepted the development of building skills, technical methods and construction
practices harmonious with the natural environment. The traditional residential architecture of
Burhanpur, for example, consists of courtyard houses (see Figure 3), which are an excellent example
of low energy consumption and low pollution levels. The traditional architecture obstructs harsh
sunlight and allows natural ventilation. A deep understanding of the context meant that these houses
depend very little on artificial technologies for comfortable environs, effectively reducing the pollution
of the environment. The historic built environment of Burhanpur offers design lessons and so much
more, that evaluating new developments becomes crucial, because the built environment is a result of
socio-cultural, physical and technological factors manifested in design attitudes during various phases
of history. The vernacular architecture of Burhanpur is an excellent example of passive solar design
and microclimatic conditions (including the orientation of buildings, layout and density) that minimize
the requirements for the cooling or heating of buildings.