Climate change stands out as the foremost challenge of our era, marked by the alarming pace of Earth’s warming. The rise in global temperatures has spurred an increased demand for mechanical cooling, constituting a significant component of the worldwide electricity consumption in the built environment, and is anticipated to surge. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the development of a climate-responsive built environment that, through its inherent design, minimizes reliance on mechanical cooling while ensuring thermal comfort. The vernacular architecture of a region offers valuable insights into developing a climate-responsive built environment with reduced dependency on active climate control systems. It is also valued for its energy efficiency, even for present-day requirements. As a part of a larger research, this paper aims to ascertain whether a city’s built heritage can serve as a reservoir for fostering climate responsiveness in urban areas, focusing specifically on Hyderabad. The paper examines a century-old residence in the heart of the city and its climate-responsive features. Extensive documentation of the residence was taken up, along with indoor and outdoor temperature readings. Detailed field investigations were conducted to identify and assess the climate-responsive features of the residence, viz., the layout, form, spaces, materials and construction techniques, and natural ventilation, and these are explained at length. The behavioral adaptation patterns of the family and their transformation over time are also examined. Findings show that the residence is climate-responsive to a considerable extent and provides a high degree of thermal comfort even in summer, reducing the need for mechanical cooling. A thorough understanding of regional climate-responsive features may offer practical insights to enhance the climate responsiveness of the contemporary regional built environment, thereby paving a pathway for more resilient, people-centric, energy-efficient, and sustainable urban infra-structure crucial for mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change.