Home / ANALYSIS / Design / Can India lead on green?

A residential building in the Mahindra World City that will come up in Jaipur, under the Clinton Climate Initiative. Besides using locally available m

GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Development), which certifies green buildings in India, has about a dozen registered projects. Among them is an integrated township built by Bengal Shristi Infrastructure Development in Asansol, West Bengal.

Spread over 96 acres, the project provides affordable housing in a unique mix of plotted development and multi-storied groups. The buildings will include green concepts based on solar passive architecture with sufficient floor-to-floor height to facilitate maximum daylight and good ventilation to minimise energy consumption.

Says architect Vidur Bhardwaj: “A number of real estate companies are exploring sustainable architecture with the aim of saving on scanty resources such as power.
 

Story continues below

Advertisement

COMMENT   i am searching for an green architect in eastern india.   1 Comments Read more comments »

While the cost of putting up green buildings may be higher initially, the eventual savings in costs can go up to 30 or 40%. Moreover, green technologies can save as much as 30% on the normal power usage and over 70% on water costs.

Modern buildings account for 30% of Green House Gas emissions, 65% of waste output and 70% of electrical consumption. Green buildings, on the other hand, are eco-friendly and involve the use of clean and renewable energy, efficient use of water and recyclable material and healthy indoor air quality by regulating the level of carbon dioxide in a room.”

Bhardwaj designed the Wipro Technology headquarters in Delhi, the largest platinum-rated LEED certified building.

Among the best examples of green buildings in India are the ITC headquarters in Mumbai, Wipro Technologies in Delhi, Orchid’s ecotels and City Palace in Udaipur. The vanguards of this movement are the architects who are convincing their clients about the need to go green.

“Sustainable architecture requires an approach that safeguards the environment through the choice of building materials, ideas and practices,” says Ahmedabad-based Yatin Pandya, an advocate of green architecture.

“I believe that, as architects, it is our responsibility to mediate designs that are in the interest of the environment. Ultimately, the buildings we construct and the materials we use have a direct impact on our surroundings. Besides, sustainability is not just about the environment, but also about traditions.”

For instance, the massive earthquake that flattened most concrete buildings in Kutch, Gujarat in 2001, had no effect on the traditional mud homes of the region. “They survived the devastation because they encapsulate indigenous wisdom, sensitive understanding of local resources, materials, and mastery of techniques,” he says.
“Also, mud architecture is sustainable and environment-friendly.”