Terracotta Performance in Interior Design: A Quantitative Study of Thermal, Acoustic, and User Perception in Semi-Urban India

This study examined terracotta as a performance-based material in contemporary interior design by analysing its thermal and acoustic qualities along with the perceptions of 120 design professionals in semi-urban India. The findings show a clear gap between awareness and actual usage. Although professionals recognize terracotta’s benefits, its practical application remains limited due to structural and market-related barriers. The study strongly supports terracotta’s thermal and acoustic performance. Most respondents agreed that it helps reduce indoor temperature and improves acoustic comfort, with statistical analysis confirming these results. These findings are consistent with existing scientific research, leading to the acceptance of H1 and H2. However, H3 was rejected, as awareness showed no significant relationship with actual usage. Despite high awareness levels, factors such as client preferences, market trends, cost, and installation challenges continue to restrict adoption. The study therefore highlights that the issue is not lack of knowledge, but limitations within current design and construction systems. In conclusion, terracotta has strong potential as a sustainable and climate-responsive interior material. Wider adoption will require standardized systems, cost-effective solutions, and performance-focused design approaches rather than awareness campaigns alone.

1.                    Ali, M. M. (2013). Passive cooling and vernacularism in Mughal buildings in North India: A source of inspiration for sustainable development. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 7(4), 346–375. 2.                    Ant Studio. (2017). Deki Cooling Installation. Retrieved from http://ant.studio/beehive 3.                    Arenas, J. P., & Crocker, M. J. (2010). Recent trends in porous sound-absorbing materials. Sound and Vibration, 44(7), 12–17. 4.                    Asquith, L., & Vellinga, M. (Eds.). (2006). Vernacular architecture in the 21st century: Theory, education and practice. Taylor & Francis. 5.                    Binici, H., Eken, M., Dolaz, M., Aksogan, O., & Kara, M. (2009). An environmentally friendly thermal insulation material from sunflower stalk, textile waste, te, and stubble fibres. Construction and Building Materials, 23(6), 2283–2292. 6.                    Chelliah, S., Swaminathan, P., & Ramachandran, S. (2021). Thermal behaviour analysis and cost-saving opportunities of PCM-integrated terracotta brick buildings. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2021, 6670930. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6670930 7.                    Givoni, B. (1998). Climate considerations in building and urban design. Van Nostrand Reinhold. 8.                    Hall, M. R., Lindsay, R., & Krayenhoff, M. (Eds.). (2012). Modern Earth Buildings: Materials, engineering, construction, and applications. Woodhead Publishing. 9.                    Jain, A., Mehendale, S., & Bhavsar, R. (2024). Analyzing the acoustic performance of unglazed terracotta in an indoor office environment. Journal of Salutogenic Architecture, 3(1), 64–79. 10.                 Manu, S., Shukla, Y., Rawal, R., Thomas, L. E., & de Dear, R. (2019). Performance evaluation of climate-responsive buildings in India: Case studies from cooling-dominated climate zones. Building and Environment, 165, 106393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106393