Property Plus
Coimbatore
Turning green for sustainable development
Photo: G.R.N. Somashekar
Owners’ pride: An eco-friendly building in Bangalore. —
Millennium Spire, a Singapore domiciled investment vehicle, has invested in several infrastructure projects in the country, including one in Coimbatore. It plans to develop 1.6 million sq.ft. here for mixed use – residential, information technology and office space – at a cost of nearly Rs. 250 crore. What makes the company’s projects in India unique are its “Mainstream Green” strategy. Ashish Bhalla, Managing Director of Mi
llennium Spire India Management Private Limited, speaks to M. Soundariya Preetha on the need for “mainstream greening” of buildings.
‘Green’ is something that is no longer in the realm of being responsible or fashionable, but has emerged as a commercially viable alternative to current building practices. Though several eco-friendly buildings are coming up, these are mainly stand-alone buildings and are for captive use. The ‘Mainstream Green’ strategy aims at incorporating and instilling green eco values in development projects. .
According to Mr. Bhalla, going green is one of the sustainable ways of going forward. Indian infrastructure has not seen much innovation in building technology in the mainstream arena. Any progress has been restricted to academic or niche case examples that have not moved forward to the mass development boom that India is witnessing. Eco-friendly building concepts go beyond the design level to management and administration of the projects. It is something like a way of life, “something that is not about deprivation and saving, but about a better quality of life, one that is empowered and informed.”
By and large, in India, lifestyle is still eco-friendly. The per capita energy consumption is less compared to many other countries. Further, the traditional methods of doing buildings are also eco-friendly. What is needed to see more such buildings in the country is the intention and conscious effort, he feels. Some of the small ways by which a building can be made eco-friendly are the use of natural ventilation for basements rather than a 100 per cent dependency on mechanical means; use of gas for power generation and back up rather than petroleum; reuse of all resources like water and even sewage; use of water efficient and local landscapes rather than “exotic, water hungry vegetation”. Many of these concepts are being implemented at Millennium’s Spire Edge, coming up at Manesar, he says. Further, these buildings are cost-effective to maintain, and hence more durable and robust too.
There may not be significant change in the cost structure for such projects, and each of these features and aspects adds significant value for the consumer. That in turn makes these projects far more robust, future proof and ready, he says. To be competitive globally, “we need to create special environments, especially for the knowledge sector,” he adds.
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