- The Greenest Building On Earth
by Bouneith Inejnema
- The CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (GBC) in Hyderabad , a 20,000 square foot business center, is considered the greenest building in the world. Designed by VAdodara-based architect Karan Grover, it incorporates modern technology and ancient Indian architectural methods, and has succeeded in rising to the number one position for energy-efficient buildings worldwide.
Standing in Hyderabad, India, the building utilizes a number of energy-saving features. Thanks to two 45-foot wind towers and screen walls, pre-cooled air (by 10%) is supplied to the air-conditioning system, reducing the amount of energy needed for cooling. This uses an ancient Indian architectural principle, as seen in the Taj Mahal and other old buildings. The building also has photovoltaic panels built in to generate solar energy - this takes care of 20% of the buildings annual energy requirements. Additionally, 90% of the building does not need artificial lighting during the day, thanks to its circular design that allows sunlight to reach every part of it.
The construction of the amazing building needed fewer materials, thanks to its circular design. The materials that were used were recycled and eco-friendly, such as broken mosaic tiles, wood, glass, steel, fly ash brick, oil and CFC-free equipment and local bettum cherla stone. All carpets and paints are non-toxic, and workers employed were 100% local people!
The building also uses water-harvesting methods - wastewater is treated on site and is diverted for storage to a body of water on the edge of the property. This water is then used for the garden.
The Hyderabad building is dedicated to propagating environmental consciousness among the Indian industry, and it has caught international attention. It was awareded the title of the worlds greenest building by the United States Green Buiding Council (USGBC) in Pittsburgh, and it has been given a ³Version 2 Platinum² rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the system for rating environmentally conscious buildings. In fact, the design of the building was so impressive that the USGBC had to upgrade its rating system to recognize its unique qualities!
"We have hundreds of years of legacy in such construction, which we have all but forgotten. We decided to revive all our traditional methods and present it in the modern idiom," said Grover who received the USGBC award in Pittsburgh, on November 14. Grover himself is not new to the green approach. His design for the CII-ABB Centre for Quality, outside Bangalore, is already known for its eco-friendliness. Preserving history has been part of his work since his student days -- from his Masters on housing for the urban poor in London to getting world monument status for the medieval site of Champaner in Gujarat.
