According to the United Nations, the urban population will grow by about 2.5 billion people by 2050, which translates to 80 million new residents per year, 1.5 million new residents per week, or 220 thousand per day. As a result, it’s necessary to engage the vertical dimension of cities to accommodate the population influx while reducing urban sprawl.
Indeed, using high-rise buildings is not the only way to increase urban density. However, cities are embracing the tall building typology for various reasons, including land prices, demographic change, globalisation, urban regeneration, agglomeration, land preservation, infrastructure, transportation, international finance, and air rights, among others. There has been an unprecedented, accelerated pace in the construction of significant high-rises in the last 20 years or so.
Prashin Jhobalia, VP, marketing strategy, House of Hiranandani, says, “High-rises are an effective solution for metro cities such as Mumbai, where space is limited. A holistic approach while designing high-rises can curtail many challenges which we fear may hamper the social fabric and health of a city. Presence of amenities and spaces that foster community development is the key in development of holistic spaces. It makes them socially active, improves physical and mental well-being. Socially active groups may also include celebrations of festivals and special occasion, thus promoting the social fabric of the city.”
Shalin Shah, senior manager, design & architecture, Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate, says, “With rising land prices and scarcity of land, cities are turning to high-rises as an ideal solution to housing demand and achieving the FSI available. Although the cost of construction and development rises as we go higher, there is ongoing research to reduce this through material selection, construction technology, MEP engineering, and façade design. The impact of a tall building is far wider than just the building itself and makes significant contributions to the urban realm.”
Over the last few years, there has been a marked shift in homebuyer preferences. “Today, customer’s desire homes centred on wellness, promoting community living, and a convenience-led lifestyle. We build homes to cater to these needs and focus on creating harmonious spaces so they can relate to the existing cultural moorings surrounding them. This is central to our YOU philosophy. We do not believe in uprooting old trees; we build around them,” says Abhishek Kapoor, executive director & CEO, Puravankara.
Make it long-lasting
It is important to maximise the site potential with efficient planning based on ground parameters right from the design stage if it’s to be sustainable. Murali M, CMD, Shriram Properties, says, “Planning should be done for utilisation of alternate energy resources such as solar energy. Energy consumption can be reduced by planning effective cross ventilation and eco-friendly refrigerants. Developers must put into place efficient water management systems to conserve water by using efficient plumbing equipment such as aerators for taps, installation of rainwater harvesting plants and effective management of irrigation systems, STPs, etc. Conservation of topsoil should be another focus point. Landscaping should be planned with local hardy vegetation which require minimal water. Electric charging points for cars to reduce the use of fossil fuels, efficient waste segregation and handling and recycling should be key focus areas for high levels of sustainability. Developers should consider avoiding lead emitting paints to regulate indoor environmental quality.”
Most developers focus on adopting climate responsive design strategies and energy conservation measures that include optimal building orientation to maximize natural light and ventilation. Jitesh Donga, chief of design, Mahindra Lifespaces, says, “The buildings are designed basis guidelines set by GRIHA/IGBC. These guidelines help streamline energy, water and waste management efficiently. To achieve resource conservation, we make use of optimum shading for windows/balcony, SRI paints on roof and exterior walls for high heat reflectivity, high-performance glass on windows to reduce heat ingress from the building envelope, and energy efficient lighting and equipment.”
Specialised modelling tools are being utilised to optimise a building’s layout, so energy efficiency, natural lighting and ventilation are integrated into the design. This improves operational efficiency of the buildings and promotes conservation of natural resources. Rakesh Reddy, director, Aparna Constructions and Estates, says, “BIM is an intelligent 3D model-based process that gives us insight on how to efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage construction projects. Energy modelling tools allow us to make our projects eco-friendly. We conduct energy analysis during the conceptual designs of the building. Every project is designed to maximise natural light, energy and airflow. Increasing preference for remote working facilities has influenced sustainable building design. As people are now spending more time at home, developers are increasingly prioritising ventilation, natural lighting, utilising eco-friendly materials and integrating natural sources of energy into the architectural design such as rainwater harvesting, waste management and solar power.”
Kalpataru has adopted engineering practices across its high-rise projects that comprise the principles of quality engineering, which are integrated during the design and development of its projects. Kalpataru Avana uses advanced engineering techniques in its design and architecture, like cross bracing and outrigger technology that provide for larger living spaces and substantially reduce wastage of space with very few columns inside the apartments. “We are among the few developers in India that use Wind Tunnel Testing (WTT) in India. An advanced BMU by CoxGomyl, Australia has been used so that each of the two wings of Kalpataru Avana have separate façade cleaning systems. This leads to a reduced life cycle cost as the façade need not be painted for longer periods,” says a spokesperson from Kalpataru.
Safety values
Every high-rise building in India must comply with defined structural requirements to ensure its safety. Velumani R, VP, engineering, Casagrand, says, “High-rise structures are built with fire-resistant materials that are not readily combustible. Our projects provide high end technology driven residential communities for our customers like ARD system (Automatic rescue device) lifts with 24×7 power back up, fire detector equipment, smoke detector for a safe and secured lifestyle. Second, evacuation plan design is one of the key security aspects of every high rise building that helps residents escape any natural or manmade disasters.”
Ram Raheja, director, S Raheja Realty, believes that environmental impacts and life cycle costs are most likely to be considered during the conceptual stage, as they require less information from the building, while social concerns need to deal with several specifications of the building in order to be quantified. “The crux of building sustainable projects is to enable designers to compare and evaluate the consequences of different design solutions, based on preliminary data, and facilitate the collaboration between stakeholders and clients and eventually yield a sustainable and high performance building throughout its life cycle,” he adds.
High-rise buildings are safer as compared to traditional buildings. “From an engineering perspective, the structural systems of high-rise buildings are built to withstand immense vertical gravity loads, as well as lateral loads, such as those due to wind and earthquakes. Considering that we have to adhere to the National Building Code of India, high-rise buildings are designed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke and provide a safe means of escape for occupants. The walls, doors, floors, and ventilation systems are designed to resist fire and stop the spread of smoke. Evacuation routes are designed for all scenarios. Experts in evacuation procedures work with architects so that a suitable evacuation flow is put in place at every level of the high-rise building. A high-rise building usually has multiple stairways and emergency exits positioned in different areas of the building,” says Dhaval Ajmera, director, Ajmera Realty & Infra.
DCPR makes infrastructural development strict along various parameters for a positive growth; where there is FSI available but consumption of available resources is not possible unless it is developed vertically.
Shraddha Kedia-Agarwal, director, Transcon Developers, “Due to technological development, high rises have become more sustainable and greener and aspire to have zero carbon foot print. These new-age high-rises at every point have become more a suitable solution for over populated metros as horizontal development is not feasible. High-rises are the way forward for a sustainable future considering the constraints that development faces in Mumbai.”
Residents also need to be educated via trainings regarding evacuation and other measures to be undertaken in case of a fire or other natural disaster. “While many new rescue techniques are being developed and tested as evacuation becomes more challenging in high rises, phased evacuation via a designated escape route continues to be a well-accepted strategy. Rescue chutes, suspended rescue platform system (SRP), controlled descent devices (CDDs), and non-structural dependent device are few of the novel rescue techniques being tested for effective measures in modern day evacuation of a high-rise,” says Rohan Khatau, director, CCI Projects, Rivali Park.
Structural defects or inadequate fire safety measures is a major hazard. Cherag Ramakrishnan, MD, CR Realty, says, “High rises are much safer today. All buildings are designed with relevant IS requirements for the seismic zone. Stringent fire safety guidelines have been laid down by the government to ensure safety. For ease of egress from the building sufficiently large passages and staircase are provided, beside the designated refuge areas. Fire escape chutes are provided for quick escape. Alarm systems are in place for timely and smooth evacuation. If these are maintained as provided perceived hazards can be overcome.”
While it is literally impossible to have completely risk-free buildings, careful planning, construction and management can lower the risks significantly. Building safety has come a long way in the past few decades however we still hear incidents of building fires and collapses from time to time. Technology is helping make high-rise buildings safer every day, however, it is also the shared responsibility of the developers, managers, and residents.
