Green concept catches on
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The Green Building concept is slowly assuming the contours of a lucrative market, albeit a niche one. T. NANDAKUMAR takes a look.
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— By Special Arrangement
Going green: The exterior design of a green apartment complex coming up in Thiruvananthapuram.
The building sector in the State is gearing up to go green, in sync with the global trend towards sustainable development.
The Green Building concept, until now confined to technology demonstration projects, is slowly assuming the contours of a lucrative market, albeit a niche one, catering to high-end clients, according to industry observers. To most laymen, the term green building still means either an aesthetic structure that is in harmony with the natural environment and features in the neighbourhood, or one incorporating a random collection of environment-friendly technologies.
“It is much more than all this,” says N. Mahesh of Iyer and Mahesh, an architectural firm. “Just as a film cannot be judged by the quality of acting alone, a building has to satisfy so many mandatory requirements to qualify for the Green label,” he said.
According to Mr. Mahesh, the Green Building trend is yet to take shape in Kerala because incorporating the necessary features and technology will add to the cost. “That is why most builders are reluctant to go green,” he added.
K. Srikant, Director, Skyline Foundations and Structures (SFS), a company that claims to have launched the first green apartment complex in Kerala, says, “A client will have to shell out an additional Rs.200 per sq.ft for an apartment at SFS Grande. Yet, the response has been good, even in the time of recession. It shows that there is a niche market for green buildings.”
The project has been registered under the IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) Green Homes programme. It is designed to accommodate 40 apartments in two- and three-bedroom configurations in a 13-floor complex located at Vellayambalam within the city. “We are aiming for a good rating under the IGBC certification programme,” Mr. Srikant said.
For the architect, designing a green building translates into additional inputs. “It means at least three consultants to help incorporate over 100 parameters covering energy, conservation, social aspect, accessibility for the physically challenged and community services,” says Mr. Mahesh, who designed the project for SFS.
For example, the specifications for daylighting design in a green building include shading devices, light shelves, courtyards, atriums and window glazing. The orientation of the building, window size and spacing, glass selection, location of interior walls and reflectance of interior finishes will have to be factored into the overall design. “Such a complex job necessitates the use of computer modelling software to simulate daylight conditions,” Mr. Mahesh explains.
So what are the advantages of going green? The immediate and most tangible benefit of a green home is the lifecycle cost savings due to the significant reduction in water and operating energy costs. An IGBC-certified building is expected to return 20 to 30 per cent saving in energy and 30 to 50 per cent reduction in water use.
Intangible benefits
The intangible benefits include better air quality and daylighting that contribute to the health and well being of the occupants, enhanced safety and conservation of natural resources. The rating system developed by the IGBC addresses issues such as handling of consumer waste, water efficiency, reduction in fossil fuel use in commuting, energy efficiency and conservation of forest resources such as wood.
It encourages the use of water in a self-sustaining manner through reducing, recycling and reusing strategies. The waste management system proposes segregation, storage and effective disposal.
It recommends the use of energy-efficient equipment and appliances such as lights, air-conditioning system, motors, pumps and elevators. The rating system also encourages projects to use recycled and reused material and discourage the use of virgin wood and indoor air pollutants. It uses prescriptive and performance- based assessment to evaluate credit points. Siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal are factors taken into consideration.
Some of the other features specified for a green building include landscaping in open areas, minimum disturbance to building site by retaining the natural topography, reflective coating over 50 per cent of the roof area, adequate parking space, designated battery charging points for new-generation hybrid cars, designated parking for the physically challenged, rainwater harvesting system for reuse in apartments and gardening, water-efficient fixtures such as dual flush and faucets, reuse of salvaged building materials, sewage treatment plant, dual water piping system for flushing and gardening, barrier- free design for the physically challenged, timber-free structure and maximum emphasis on natural lighting and ventilation.
“It is time every builder is encouraged to take up green architecture, either by law or by offering an incentive such as tax concession,” Mr. Mahesh adds.
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