Edifice of Excellence
By Amarnath K. Menon

The concept of green buildings is catching up in India as many organisations realise that environment-friendly architecture also makes eminent economic sense in the long run
 
A gleaming group of buildings sprawled across west Hyderabad has convincingly debunked the old myth that what is economically friendly cannot be ecologically friendly. At first glance it is indistinguishable from other modern corporate campuses that pepper Hyderabad, but every square inch of the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (SGGBC) is designed to be environment friendly. Last year, the 20,000 sq ft green centre was the only building outside the US to be awarded the highest ranking for any edifice in the world: the coveted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) Platinum.
 
The SGGBC reflects, literally, a new corporate architectural trend in India: at least six certified green buildings will come up in the country in the next 15 months. These include ITC's new corporate centre in Gurgaon, Grundfos Pumps in Chennai, Indian Machine Tools Manufacturers' Association in Bangalore, North Delhi Power Limited, Quark City in Mohali, Haryana, and the CII-Naoroji Godrej Centre of Excellence in Mumbai. The ONGC is in the lead to put up five green buildings at its offices in Dehradun, Mumbai and Delhi by March 2006. It is a trend driven as much by the corporate groups' recognition of their social responsibilities as by the fact that in the long term environment-friendly buildings make economic sense. They have advantages like low cost of power, less waste and easy maintenance. As SGGBC Chairman Jamshyd N. Godrej points out, "Initially, green buildings cost 15 per cent more than the conventional buildings but pay back in three to four years."

"A building is labelled green based on a number of criteria, such as energy efficiency, type of material used and design," explains Mini Majumdar of The Energy and Research Institute (TERI), who is working on formulating guidelines for green buildings that will suit Indian conditions. Many buildings, though not certified, incorporate various green aspects into their architecture. The TERI retreat near Delhi and the Transport Corporation of India building, for example, are designed to minimise energy usage.
 
Energy consumption patterns in Indian buildings are very high. The current annual consumption in a conventional building in the country is 300 kWh per sq m. In green buildings it can be brought down to less than half (140 kWh per sq m). The SGGBC is a showcase of minimalist construction that seamlessly blends ecology with the demands of human existence. "Our design was considered so revolutionary that the US Green Business Council upgraded its ratings to recognise its unique features," says Karan Grover, Vadodara-based architect of the SGGBC. The green centre recycles all its waste water, harvests rainwater in a pond with a capacity of 8 lakh litres, cuts back on the use of potable water by 35 per cent, consumes 55 per cent less energy than a conventional building and saves 88 per cent on power consumption for lighting. Yet its rocky landscape and its ecology is marginally disturbed.
 
The key is innovative features that harness nature. Double-glazed windows allow natural light to brighten the workspace. Unique wind towers bring in fresh air, reducing the load on air conditioners by 7-10 per cent. Solar photovoltaic cells strapped to the roof meet 20 per cent of the total energy requirement. A staggering 88 per cent of the buildings is made of recycled material like fly-ash and cement. All this with a total investment of Rs 10 crore.

"The SGGBC is fast becoming a popular tourist destination," exults SGGBC Director S. Raghupathy. "The visitors want to comprehend the holistic green concept." Its water and power saving features have evoked tremendous interest among organisations ranging from municipal corporations to state governments to even the Singapore Government.

The trend is not limited to offices. Architect Ajay Kumar Bose sees a demand for environment-friendly designs even for homes in Hyderabad. "Green architecture is the only solution to the rapidly degenerating environment," he says. Agrees Raghupathy, "There are intangible benefits besides improving the quality of life by living or working in such an environment. It improves productivity." Happily, Indian organisations are waking up to that fact.

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