4 I green by design april 2009
EDITOR’S NOTE
ContentsApril
2009
FEATURES22 Low Energy University Mediatheque - A
pioneering example of sustainable technologies by
SPBR architects.
25 House 205 - A forest encircled low cost
residential dwelling by H Architects.
29 Handmade School Bangladesh - A light filled,
humane, collective space for learning.
33 Renzo Piano’s Living Roof - The California
Academy of Sciences; an elegant steel and glass
structure built with technologically precise details.
36 Earthbag House - A method hitherto used by
the military is improvised upon to create a low-cost
housing solution.
40 Vernacular Architecture - A revival of old
Indian traditional building elements.
43 TERI - An organisation at the forefront of
promoting green architecture and technology.
Q & A12 A Tête-à -Tête with Parul Zaveri & Nimish Patel
of Abhikram, Ahmedabad.
GREEN MARKET08 Green Market - A look at the latest low
environment impact products to join the market.
GREEN TALK46 BCIL - Aims at providing healthy living spaces.
48 Power of Fuel- A documentary by Josh Tickel
on the consumption of fuel and its hazards.
18 Eco School- A sustainable military school in
Pun
ECO LIVING20 Global Warning - Tips to curb global warming.
21 Curbing CO2 - Changing everday habits add up.
28 Water Ways - The countdown begins - an
initiative to save water.
32 Prefab Homes - Give a new twist to sustainable
housing.
38 The Other Side of Green- Redefining Green
architecture.
39 BEE- Introduces a labelling program that fills a
gap in consumer awareness.
50 Reuse Beats Recycling - A new perspective on
consumerism.
11
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Building, Cotton Green Road, Cotton Green, Mumbai 400 033 Tel (022) 23736133/1 Editor Mr. Anish R. Bajaj Creative Director
Natalie Pedder Bajaj Feature Editor Mala Bajaj Sub Editor Shweta Salvi Writers Sheetal Mishra, Shriyal S., Relin Hedley Layout
Design Krishnakant Surve, Asif Shayannawar Marketing: Mumbai B 62, Cotton Exchange Bldg, Cotton Green, Mumbai 400 033
Tel: (022) 32656823, 23736133, 32958501 Fax: (022) 23743069 Email: [email protected].
To say that global
warming is an issue
which is best left to
the likes of the scien-
tists of the world,
would reek of total
ignorance or the
voluntary shirking of
one's duty as a
responsible earth dweller.
Sustainable building methods and technologies
should now be integral to the way we live and not be
considered as mere alternatives. Green By Design
focuses on landmark projects, green initiatives and
technological breakthroughs that champion the
cause of a better tomorrow.
Featured in our first issue are the works of
consummate architects who are driven by principles
of sustainability. Parul Zaveri and Nimish Patel of
Abhikram push the envelope with their simple
ideology comprised of common sense and tradi-
tional Indian building methods in their projects. We
enter into a dialogue with them to elucidate their
unique fundamentals.
The Army Military School in Pune is another
example of responsible architecture constructed by
Group Phi. The design firm, Centre for Vernacular
Architecture and energy consultants BCIL spin their
magic to create truly energy efficient buildings.
Reviewing the perspective of green architecture
internationally we come across Renzo Piano's
California Academy of Sciences with its dynamic
living roof and Nader Khalili and Kelly Hart's grass
root level and extremely low environment impact
structure - the Earthbag House.
Showcased in this issue, we also have the
Handmade School located in Bangladesh. This is a
'labour of love' breathed to life by architects Anna
Heringer and Eike Roswag.
The Low Energy Mediatheque situated in Rio de
Janeiro, chalks out a path using vital examples of
sustainable construction technologies.
We hope the works of these impressive crafts-
men and innovators will inspire and motivate
homeowners and builders alike to live and design
'green'.
Mala Bajaj
8 I green by design april 2009
green market products
Rugs & Riches�Rugs & Riches has nowintroduced a range of rugs andcarpets that are environmentfriendly.
Rugs & Riches uses eco-friendly raw materials, in order toadhere to environmental norms.The designs are made keeping inmind earthy attributes and to getconsumers interested in nature.Designer Suresh Rateria’s cre-ations include nature's elementsof earth, wood, fire and water.The stone carpet and pebblesrange are exclusive lines from thecollection of Rugs & Riches.Contact: tel: (011) 64697393 /
09891563125.
Eco Friendly Products ByHindware �Hindware has introduced waterclosets which have a dual flushcistern of as less as 2/4 litres ofwater as compared to regularcisterns of 9-12 litres. The Cleoand Lara water closet savesaround 5 litres of water with eachflush.
With 'Senso Urinal' and 'UrinalSensomatic', Hindware has setanother benchmark as theseurinals have a pre usage and postusage flushing requiremet of lessthan 750 ml of water.Contact: tel: (0124) 4779200
email: [email protected]
Kool Glass By Sejal �Sejal Architectural Glass Ltd,(SAGL) is one of the country's topglass processors.
SAGL and Shanghai YahuaPilkington Glass Co. Ltd havesigned a partnership to bring KoolGlass Eco to cater to emergingtrends in India. The series com-bines high performance insulatingglasses available in a wideselection, energy saving attributesand aesthetic appeal. The seriesis available in a variety of coloursand also offers excellent proper-ties with a combination of solarcontrol, optimum light transmis-sion/ reflection and thermalinsulation. Contact : tel: (022)
28633383/84/85
web: www.sejalglass.com
Bajaj's MDF Boards�Bajaj eco-tec Products Ltd, haslaunched its eco-friendly particleand MDF boards with an aim toreduce negative environmentalimpact. The underlying concept ofthe product is the use of anagricultural residue i.e sugarcanebagasse, to manufacture India'sfinest engineered bagasse-basedMedium Density Fiber (MDF)boards, particle boards, HighDensity Fiber (HDF) boards andlaminated flooring.Contact: tel: (0120) 2543939/40
email: [email protected]
web: www.bajajecotec.com
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
april 2009 green by design I 9
products green market
� EcoSoft For Every Corner
Carpets Inter is an internationalbrand of carpets marketed inIndia by Godrej Interio with anobjective of providing customersthe best of carpets, enhancing theambience of an office whilecontributing to the environment.
The research team of thecompany has developed aresourceful way to use plasticwater bottles and converting thewaste into high performance andenvironmental friendly soft bakingcarpet. This new environmentallyfriendly product from Carpets Interis made from 90% post con-sumer discarded PET waterbottles.Contact: tel: (022) 67961222/2465
Metasys By JohnsonControls�Johnson Controls, a leader inenergy efficiency andsustainability introduces theMetasys® sustainability managerwith an aim to minimize theeffects of rising energy demands.This system is integrated with thesoftware acquired from Gridlogix,allowing facility managers moresecure connectivity to IT applica-tions. This software platformallows building managementsystems to interface with openprotocol IT systems to bettermanage energy, maintenance,physical security and compliance,which makes facilities moreenergy efficient and sustainable.Contact: tel: (022) 30822200
GlacialLight Launches LEDLights In India �We all know power is a concur-rent subject. It is not just in Indiabut the entire world that has failedto make up for the shortage ofpower.
Taking this opportunity,GlacialLight under the GlacialTechbrand forays into India andlaunches a variety of LEDproducts. GlacialLight LEDs offerconsiderable power savings whileextending product life cyclesunder normal conditions.Contact: tel: (011) 40525645
Twiga Insulation System �Twiga has a substantial marketshare in the fiberglass woolinsulation and fiberglass tissueindustry in India.
Twiga fiberglass wool insula-tion is a world class insulationproduct manufactured in India.These insulations are made up offine, long, inorganic glass fibresbonded with a high temperatureresin and is widely recognised forits energy conserving and soundinsulating properties.Contact: tel: (011) 26460860
email: [email protected]
web: www.twigafiber.com
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
10 I green by design april 2009
green market products
Thermatek Tiles�Thermatek tiles is an innovativeproduct that is ideal for keepingroofs cool.
These tiles exceed the interna-tional norms for cool roofs andalso conform to ECBC, LEED andIGBC standards. The tiles arecement bonded, highly durableand lower the surface tempera-ture of the roof by up to 17o C.This differential in temperatureincreases comfort inside thebuilding and the load on air-conditioning systems is reduced.Contact:
tel: (02634) 280881
email: [email protected]
web: www.thermatek.com
Dupont's SentryGlas® �DuPont Glass Laminating Solu-tions announces the commercialavailability of a new 35-mil (0.9-mm) SentryGlas®. This clearinterlayer for strong glass is usedfor protective windows, doors andsafety-glazed building elements.
The market for thinnerSentryGlas® sheets include solarpower generation, where cleanenergy produced can be mademore cost-effective through thedesign of longer-lasting, lighter-weight modules.Contact: tel: (0124) 4091818
fax: (0124) 2540889
email: [email protected]
Philips Ecomoods�Ecomoods from Philips is astylish, energy efficient lightingproduct. Ecomoods energy savinglamps are beautiful, decorativelamps with a wonderful warmand welcoming light. Theselamps can be dimmed for energysaving and will last up to 12,000hours, so one can virtually forgetabout spending extra on replace-ments. These lamps save up to 80percent of electricity compared toother standard lighting. Featuresof the Ecomoods lighting seriesare, high energy efficiency andhigh light output to fill even thelargest room.Contact tel: (0124) 4091954
web: www.lighting.philips.co.in
Unaxol Eco-FriendlyCoatings �Unaxol Paints India Pvt Ltd hasintroduced Unaxol® water basedcoating systems in India. Itrepresents a breakthrough inwater-based wood lacquers andcoatings technology where it isnow possible to replace and alsoexceed conventional solvent-based paints in terms of specificperformance parameters.Unaxol® has a special advantageof being cost-effective yeteco-friendly.Contact: tel: (080) 41651602
email:[email protected]
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
april 2009 green by design I 11
products green market
�Zody Chair By HaworthThe incredible Zody chair byHaworth is specially designed forpeople working in offices. Theaward-winning super modern,eco-friendly chair is made with upto 51% recycled content and upto 98% recyclable materials. Itcan be taken apart in about 15minutes, and easily recycledwhen you decide the process ofcreative destruction needs to takeits course. It has no PVC and isGreen Guard certified and it canalso help you towards LEEDcertification. The chair is also thefirst, if not the only, endorsed bythe American Physical TherapyAssociation. Contact: tel: (022)
2665300 1/2. fax: (022) 26653022.
Silver Screen Fabrics �SilverScreenTM is a registeredtrademark of Verosol Group B.V.,in the Netherlands. VerosolFabrics B.V. is a worldwidesupplier of branded qualitysolutions for solar control.
SilverScreen is produced in anenvironmentally friendly manner; ithas the Öko-Tex Standard 100certificate. During summerSilverScreen keeps the heat outdue to the reflecting metal layerand reduces the loss of warmthduring the winter. This results inthe considerable saving on thecost of energy. Additionally itreduces the amount of CO²emissions making it an eco-friendly product.Contact: tel: (022) 24964556
Havells Green Vision�Havells has introduced India's firstGreen CFL (Compact FluorescentLamp). These CFL’s contain nolead and the mercury content isalso very low.
The company has also intro-duced its energy efficient fanswhich consume only 50 watts ofenergy. Havells cables on theother hand, with pure copper andaluminium, help in reducing theleakage of current from 20% to1% and also protect from shortcircuit risks.Contact : tel: (0120) 4771000
Green Conserve �The firm of Conserve ConsultantsPrivate Limited have been formedwith the sole mission ofconserving energy and preservingthe environment. It is one of theleading companies in India thatcan render green buildingservices like LEED facilitation,energy modeling studies, lightingsimulation, fundamental andenhanced commissioning, allunder one roof. Contact: tel: (044)
24450655/ 45504313 email:
web:www.conserveconsultants.com
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
april 2009 green by design I 13
abhikram Q & Agreen by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
Abhikram Living
PARUL ZAVERI & NIMISH
PATEL OF ABHIKRAM
BELIEVE THAT THE ROLE OF
CONTEMPORARY
ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA
SHOULD BE OF A
RESPONSIBLE NATURE
DRIVEN BY GOOD COMMON
SENSE AND DRAWING FROM
RELEVANT TRADITIONAL
INDIAN METHODS OF
BUILDING.
What is the present day
scenario of Green Architec-
ture in India?
It depends on the perspective one
takes on the definition of 'Green
Architecture'.
'Green Buildings' has become
the latest buzzword in the field of
built environment. It seems to
have caught on like wild fire in the
print media, in the electronic
media and most importantly,
amongst the fraternity of builders
and clients, for homes, offices,
institutions, and many other
buildings.
The colour 'Green', however,
has acquired many a hue and
many a definition. Architectural
practices are fast becoming
agents of change and they much
rather use 'Green' than any other
colour! Utility Consultants are also
competing with each other for the
maximum number of Green
Awards. 'Green' products are
emerging faster than the users
have the capacity to absorb them.
It appears that in the near future,
those who are not in a position to
call themselves 'Green' may be
considered as outcasts in the
industry.
But, if sustainability is to be
seen as the actual measure of
Green architecture, then people of
India have been practicing it for
centuries in every corner. As a
matter of fact, with the advent of
the fast paced industrialised
scenario coupled with the
universalisation of architectural
styles, it has suffered in its
momentum & in its intensity.
How do you define Green
Bui ld ings?
The presently popular 'Green'
buildings are the result of a U.S.
initiative, with roots in 1994,
through organizations known as
Leadership in Energy & Environ-
mental Design (LEED), as well as
the U.S. Green Buildings Council
(USGBC). They began to pursue
this extremely laudable cause of
addressing the levels of unsus-
tainable consumption in the U.S.,
and making efforts to bring them
down to more acceptable level of
sustainability. They established
targets for designers as well as
manufacturers and gave incen-
The Torrent Research Center, has been constructed using a good dose of
common sense mixed with traditional Indian building methods.
14 I green by design april 2009
Q & A abhikram
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
tives of certifications, awards and
accreditations to buildings/
professionals.
This has led to new buildings
being designed to follow such
standards/targets, in the devel-
oped world, to begin with, and
also in India since the past few
years. In India the cause is carried
forward by the Indian Green
Building Council (IGBC), which
started with adopting the U.S.
standards even for Indian
buildings. They have now begun
to alter some of these standards
for Indian conditions. However,
the majority of these standards/
targets still remain anchored in
the U.S. context.
The current 'Green' Buildings
objectives pursued by the USGBC
& IGBC is what we understand as
the 'Top Down' approach. Most of
the standards or targets arrived in
this approach, are geared to
reduce the high consumption
levels of energy. This appears to
be an acceptable approach for
most of the developed world.
This 'Top Down' approach:
� Is more popular in the current
scenario;
� Concentrates more on maxi-
mizing the energy savings;
� Accepts Western understand-
ing of sustainability easily;
� Uses high technology innova-
tions, materials & products;
� Is driven by the brand 'Green' &
accompanying recognition;
� Pursues recognition based on
'intent', rather than 'performance';
� Necessitates the inputs &
simulations of experts.
However, what is observed in
the Indian context is that the
resultant 'Green' Buildings are not
'Green' enough. They still have
room for further savings in energy
consumption.
What do you believe is the
right approach to pursue
Green Architecture
Objectives?
Sustainability or 'Green Architec-
ture' can be interpreted in many
different ways. What is desirable
for one country may be in excess
for another, and vice versa. Its
meanings and understanding will
vary according to its context.
India has suffered considerably
during the past century by adopt-
ing directions appropriate for
other countries, and using materi-
als not entirely appropriate for
their own context, creating
enormous pressures on its
resources.
Most of the Built Environment
of the pre-independence era can,
even today, pass through the
sieve of what we refer to as
'Green Architecture'.
For the Indian context, we
believe we should pursue with
what we call the 'Hamare Wala
Green'. To us it means:
� Understanding sustainability in
the context of India & its regions;
� Attempting to understand what
constitutes 'Human Comfort' in
buildings;
Passive downdraft evaporative cooling (PDEC) methods
have been used in the Torrent Research Centre.
april 2009 green by design I 15
abhikram Q & Agreen by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
� Questioning the needs, identify-
ing their optimum levels in long
term scenario, and taking the
design provisions to that level
only;
� Ensuring that what is sustain-
able today remains that way in
decades to come;
� Ensuring that sustainability is
not only in parts but also that way
holistically;
� Maximizing the use of tradi-
tional wisdom in design, wher-
ever applicable, because it
represents the knowledge of the
long-term behaviour of materials,
their strengths as well as
weaknesses;
� Assessing all new technologies
for their long term impact in the
context of India & its development
priorities, before accepting them
for use;
� Being aware of the embodied
energies of the materials, before
we specify them;
� Taking the decision making
processes to measurable levels,
in order to make our choices
judiciously;
� Taking the 'savings' benchmark
targets closer to the minimum
standards of provisions;
� Addressing all the above
issues through the sieve of value
engineering, for the specific
context of the built environment;
� Pursuing goals and not just the
means.
This, to us, is a 'Bottom Up'
approach, and is more relevant in
the Indian context. In principle, the
'Bottom Up' approach:
� Is less popular in the current
scenario;
� Concentrates more on minimiz-
ing the energy consumption;
� Pursues the Eastern under-
standing of sustainability, and
questions the Western under-
standing;
� Uses low technology innova-
tions, materials & products;
� Is not driven by blindly follow-
ing 'Green', or any other brand;
� Is recognised based on
'performance' and not just 'intent';
� Necessitates the use of
common knowledge & common
sense.
We have realized in our
practice that the two most
important and readily available
tools to achieve the Hamare Wala
Green Buildings are the use of
common knowledge and com-
mon sense, available to all
professionals. They could be
further supplemented progres-
sively with innovations, and the
trial and error approach, and/or
scientific decision making pro-
cesses, as needed.
What are your views on the
mainstreaming of
sustainabil i ty?
In our 30 years of experience
through a contemporary main-
stream practice, we have de-
signed a wide range of building
types of all scales. They are all
sustainable. It is a matter of
choice that the practice has to
make. If we keep the societal and
the national interest as our focus,
and see the role of the profession
as a service provider, then we
have the added responsibility to
opt for the Bottom Up approach
to designs.
The Torrent Research Center,
Ahmedabad, which has used
An inside view of the passive cooling
towers at the Torrent Research Centre.
16 I green by design april 2009
Q & A abhikram
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
reported typical consumption in
Indian buildings to be 280-500
kWh/m2 or 375-670 kgCO2/m2
based on GHG coefficient of 1.34.
(Singh and Michealowa, 2004)".
(As quoted in Post-occupancy
evaluation of passive downdraft
evaporative cooling and air-
conditioned buildings at Torrent
Research Center, Ahmedabad,
India by Leena Thomas and
George Baird).
Is retro fitting of existing
structures a viable option?
It certainly is, but the achieved
result will never be the same as in
the design of buildings, which
incorporates the 'Bottom Up'
approach from the very inception
of the project. This is evident in
the project, the Pathak Residence,
designed by Abhikram at
Ahmedabad, which used Com-
mon Knowledge+Common Sense
+Innovations.
An existing bungalow required
an extension for an Artist Studio
on the first floor. This was
achieved by:
� Lifting the inclined tiled roof by
2 ft and providing roofing sheets
below the tiles to create an air
gap for insulation.
� Constructing a Rat-trap external
Common Knowledge+Common
Sense+Innovations+Trial & Error
+Scientific Decision Making
Processes, has amply demon-
strated that sustainability can be
mainstreamed.
This Pharmaceutical Research
Laboratory, located in
Ahmedabad, is one of the largest
successful experiments of
passive cooling in Asia. The total
built up area of the complex is
approximately 20,000 Sq.Mts.
72% of the central building has
achieved human comfort
conditions using Passive
Downdraft Evaporative Cooling
(PDEC), it has been able to
establish extremely low levels of
energy consumption, as well as
considerably decreased Carbon
Dioxide emissions per square
meter of area.
Its significant consequences
are:
� 200 Metric tonnes of Air-
conditioning load saved;
� Summer temperatures remain
at 28°-32°C;
� 6 to 9 Air changes per hour on
different floors in summer,
including those in a chemical
laboratory;
� The temperature fluctuations
indoors do not exceed 3°-4 °C,
over a 24 hour period, even
though the outdoor fluctuations
are 14°-17° C;
� The building which was
designed for 150 occupants in
1997 comfortably accommodated
more than 600 users in 2005.
Its more Significant Conse-
quences are:
� Everyone in the PDEC areas
breathes 100% fresh air, not re-
circulated air;
� 250 Kva power is made
available for someone else's use;
� The performance has been
consistent over the past 11 years
of its use;
� It has realised healthy financial
returns on the investment in the
way of building costs. The entire
cost of the building will be
recovered from the electrical
savings alone, in 13 years of
operation.
The Post-Occupancy Survey of
2004-05, conducted by the
University of Technology, Sydney,
Australia, and the Victoria Univer-
sity of Wellington, New Zealand,
through Building Use Studies
Survey 2005, which has a data-
base of 260 buildings worldwide,
have assessed the performances
of the 'Bottom Up' approach in the
Torrent Research Center as
follows:
"The total energy consumption
for PDEC and AC combined
(includes light, equipment and AC
for 2 blocks) for the 6 blocks in
2005 was 647000 kWh1. This
averages to 54 kWh/m2 and 72
kgCO2/m2. This climate respon-
sive approach of buildings such
as the Torrent comprising of labs
and offices with extended hours
of operation in a hot dry climate
such as in India is compared to
available targets for commercial
buildings. The Torrent energy
consumption performance
compares very favorably to the
target for newly developed fully air
conditioned buildings currently
set, which may not exceed 140
kwh/m2 for day use in a compos-
ite climate under the recently
introduced environmental rating
scheme TERI - GRIHA which
Small square holes were created inthe rat-trap external wall
which forms a hollow ventialted cavity around the house.
Photo courtesy Samir Pathak.
april 2009 green by design I 17
abhikram Q & Agreen by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
hollow wall to create a ventilated
cavity by providing small square
openings in the exterior wall to
allow air movement through the
hollow part.
The experience, as described
by the owner…
� In the past 8 summers, we
have not felt the need to put in a
false ceiling in this high roofed
room;
� During the hot summer, on
entering the studio one feels a bit
hot, but it is just a matter of
minutes before the body gets
adjusted and the room is comfort-
able once again;
� It is even more effective once
the openings at the top level of
the room are opened up;
� By late evening this particular
part of the house cools down
much before the other rooms of
the house;
� Temperature wise it seems to
be at least 5 to 8 degrees C lower
than the outside temperature
during summer;
� Had we not incorporated this
concept of passive cooling,
achieved by the special designing
of the walls and by the creation of
air drafts, we might have required
an A.C. We well appreciate what
we have saved on the electricity
bill. At the same time what we
observed was that the cost of
constructing this special design
concept has not exceeded
conventional building costs by
more than 10% to 15 %.
Can affordable and sustain-
able technologies go hand in
hand?
Yes, but not just the technologies.
As a matter of fact, the use of
sustainable strategies, decisions,
processes and technologies will
make the project more affordable.
How are city sprawl, green
architecture and pedestrian-
ism, related?
Green Architecture is not a recipe.
The confusion arises because we
tend to substitute the word 'green'
for the word 'sustainability'. If we
don't, then one would not ques-
tion how city sprawl, architecture
and pedestrianism are related.
City sprawl increases the need
for infrastructure provisions;
distance to work; commuting
time & cost; and transportation
needs. All of these tend to make
the development more unsustain-
able and hence less green.
Pedestrianism, if incorporated
in the development will make it
more sustainable and therefore,
more green. Architecture that we
see around us today is clearly
unsustainable from the
perspective of embodied energies
of the materials used and the
energy consumed for providing
human comfort in the buildings.
Any move to decrease both will
be more sustainable and thus
more green.
The inclined tiled roof was lifted by two feet and provided with roofing sheets
below, creating an air-gap for insulation. Photo courtesy Samir Pathak.
18 I green by design april 2009
green talk eco school
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
Tagged as 'The Oxford of the
East' by Jawaharlal Nehru,
India's first Prime Minister,
the city of Pune is host to several
excellent educational institutes.
Set on a fast track attracting
students from all over the world
and adding to the development of
excellent educational systems,
the city witnesses its first military
school for girls. Designed by
Group Phi, this military school can
be identified as the first military
school for girls not just in Pune,
but across the country.
While designing this school,
the architects kept in mind the
ultimate users and initially con-
ducted a survey in order to
understand all the suggestions
made by the staff and the stu-
dents. The main objectives
detailed in the brief were to craft
a student friendly atmosphere
with a military touch to accommo-
date sufficient staff structure for
720 students, (teaching and non
Eco School
GROUP PHI HAS JUST FIN-
ISHED CONSTRUCTING ITS
FIRST SUSTAINABLE MILI-
TARY SCHOOL IN PUNE,
ASSEMBLED FROM NATURAL
AND ECO-FRIENDLY BUILD-
ING MATERIALS.
teaching) and provide space for
their activities whilst identifying
problems faced by the facility's
users and addressing detailed
requirements for the campus,
including provision of academic,
administration, sports and
recreation facilities.
Sustainability being the main
issue, the architects worked
circumspectly to swot the exiting
landscape and vegetation on the
site. In addition, they made best
use of natural resources like
water, stone and recycling of
waste water, creating merging
landforms transformed into
landscape features, with indoor
april 2009 green by design I 19
eco school green talkgreen by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
and outdoor activities.
Hence, after completion the
architecture of the school includes
courtyards that are roofed with
polycarbonate sheets, shielding
the corridors and courts from the
heavy rainfall and ensuring the
ingress of natural light into the
building. The spaces created in
the corridor between the class-
rooms ensure proper cross
aeration and the same material
vocabulary is maintained through-
out the campus using rubble
masonry, with grooves at every 4'
height. The symbolic insignia of
the school has been incorporated
in the flooring layout at the
entrance hall, and the use of
natural materials through out the
structure and wide corridors help
in making the users feel closer to
nature and improve free circula-
tion of the students.
According to the site contours,
the south side of the school
building has a lower ground floor,
upper ground floor and first floor,
while the north side has an upper
ground floor and first floor.
Furthermore, the roof projection of
750 mm ensures proper protec-
tion to the windows on the first
floor, whilst the hierarchy of the
classrooms is maintained as
lower standard classes are on the
lower ground floor and 'higher
standard' classes on the first,
along with the laboratories. Thus,
with the approach to design an
environment conducive to military
training of girls and yet create a
second home for them, Group Phi
provided a facility that highlights
the ambience spaces created by
the architectural designs.
20 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
eco living global warning
Global Warning!
Global Warming according
to Wikipedia is the
increase in the average
temperature of the Earth’s near-
surface air and the oceans since
the mid-twentieth century and its
projected continuation. The
Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) concludes
that anthropogenic greenhouse
gases are responsible for most of
the observed temperature
increase.
Global warming will soon be
termed as ‘global warning’. Yes,
now the time has come, to
understand the drastic effects of
this reality before it gets too late.
Various effects of global warming,
like steady sea level rise,
increased cyclonic activity and
uncountable foolish human
activities have shown drastic
impacts on earth. The rising sea
level has submerged several low-
lying islands in the Sundarbans,
relocating thousands of people.
Temperature rises on the Tibetan
Plateau, which is causing
Himalayan glaciers to retreat, may
reduce the flow rate of the
Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yamuna
and simultaneously will also
effect the lives of our endangered
species. According to a 2007
World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF) report, the Indus River
may very soon run dry.
To tackle global warming there are
many effortless things that we
can do in our daily life. Here is a
list of a few things that we can do
to as responsible earthlings and
make a difference.
Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Substitute 3 frequently used light
bulbs with compact fluorescent
bulbs, substituting those 75 watt
normal bulbs with 19 watt CFLs
will cut down huge amounts of
carbon dioxide released into the
atmosphere over time
.
Use Recycled Paper
The next time prior to putting
paper in your printer make sure
that it is 100% post consumer
recycled paper.
Use Green Products
Help spur the renewable energy
market and cut global warming
pollution by buying products with
green tags.
Buy A Fuel Efficient Car
A single good hybrid car can save
thousands of litres of fuel. The
other ideal way of saving fuel is to
leave your car at home and travel
by public transport or even walk
whenever possible. Whenever
stuck in traffic, turn your engine
off, if you are going to wait for
more than 30 seconds.
Carpooling is another smart way
to save energy and socialize at
the same time!
Say No to Plastic
Approximately 2.5 million one
time use plastic water bottles are
thrown away every hour in the US
alone. Using a reusable water
bottle, be it glass or metal makes
sense every which way you look
at it. Water tastes different in
Global Warming’s Effect: Thick
haze along the Ganges River in
northern India.
plastic bottles and if the quality of
the plastic has been compro-
mised, it can be very harmful
health wise too.
We use shopping bags only for a
few hours (from the shop to the
house), but they can take lifetimes
to decompose. Carrying a
lightweight bag or two in your
hand bag, prevents the use of a
good number of bags each day.
The best part of this effort is that
there is no stashing away of bags
required as soon as you reach
home in an already crammed
drawer! Millions of barrels of oil
and several million trees as well
go to producing plastic and paper
bags each year.
Use Energy Efficient Products
Start replacing refrigerators which
are more than 10 years old, buy
today’s new energy-efficient
model which helps in saving
tremendous amount of energy.
Shut down your computer when
not in use; save on energy by
using your computer’s sleep
mode in place of a screensaver.
Insulate Your House
Make sure that your dream home
is well insulated; usage of double
pane windows will keep the heat
outside the home and will result
in consuming less amount of
energy in the way of air
conditioning.
Cut Down Your Showers
The next time you step into your
bathroom remember to reduce
your eight-minute shower to a five
minute one in order to save water.
Water heaters to be eco friendly,
should be of the tank less variety.
If the bathroom is equipped with
the tank version water heater let
the users shower one after
another in order to conserve hot
water and thus energy. Installing a
low flow shower head and fixing
the tiniest of drips right away, can
save large amount of water.
april 2009 green by design I 21
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
Curbing Carbon Dioxide
While the world warms
up, it's very essential to
save our environment
or else be prepared to face
drastic consequences.
The amount of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere is increasing
by leaps and bounds, all thanks
to rampant and unorganized
industrialization. Apart from
industries, certain human activi-
ties like the burning of fossil fuels
and deforestation are major
contributors of increased carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere.
Burning of fossil fuels, land
clearing and hazardous smoke
from vehicles raises the level of
this toxic gas in the environment,
which in turn boosts 'global
warming'.
Most of the carbon dioxide is
consumed by trees and plants
and that's the reason we should
plant more trees.Even though the
world's plants are taking up more
carbon dioxide, many ecosystems
are under severe stress and their
capacity to absorb is already
waning.
The main problem arises when
this toxic gas gets dissolved in
the sea and raises the acidity of
seawater. Many species of sea
life unable to adjust to the
changed situation thus get extinct
or reduce in numbers. The ill
effect of this poisonous gas does
not end here; it has a huge
negative impact on human health
as well.
Whether we believe it or not,
very soon this problem will get
shaped into an ugly havoc.
Environmental problems like,
muggy climate, hurricanes and
irregular rainfall patterns are
already making our life wretched.
Global temperatures will continue
to creep upwards until the ocean
depths arrive to an equilibrium
with the heated air, and until
biological systems finish adapting
to the new conditions, and until
Arctic icecaps melt back to
sustainable levels.Till then to
battle out this dilemma is the
imminent task of all mankind and
for this we need to change our
style of living.
The Time Has Come To Save
Our Planet Now!
1. Opt for fuel-efficient or hybrid
cars.
2. Using air-conditioning in stop-
and-go traffic can decrease the
fuel efficiency by as much as
12%.
3. Never burn fossil fuels like, coal
or wood openly.
4. Use recycled paper, products.
5. Replace ordinary bulbs with
CFL bulbs.
6. Plant as many trees as you
can.
7. Upgrade your residence with
energy-saving home appli-
ances.
8. Look for water-efficient shower
heads, faucet, flush system
etc.
From 1950 to 2005, the country
has experienced a severe growth
in CO2 release. At present India
is the fourth largest carbon
dioxide producing country, if not
controlled now the situation is
only going to worsen further.
The climate a century hence
would depend chiefly on what
we choose to do about our
emissions today.
Racold's Primo Range helps in
saving energy
MDF boards by Bajaj Eco-tecHonda Civic - A hybrid car
curb co2 eco living
CO2 Sensor by Desiccant Rotors
Sejal Architectural Glass Ltd’s
Kool Glass Eco
22 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
INCORPORATING sustainable design into a utilitarian, economical, aestheticallypleasing and energy-saving project that was future-oriented through a dual-program forfellow Brazilians, was the aim of the SPBR Architects (São Paulo, Brazil) team when theyentered the conceptual plans for a low-energy university in a competition last year.However, winning the Silver at the 2nd Regional Holcim Awards, 2008 (Latin America)as conceived for the PUC-Rio Mediatheque project was the just the spur they needed.They have capably actualized an innovative, futuristic and technologically aided two-fold educationally aligned structure. Namely, that of a building serving as a knowledgebase, supporting the university campus nearby and secondly, being a cultural link inaddition to an educational one for residents in the neighbouring settlement of Favela daRocinha, who would access it besides the general public.
The building is designed such that it presents itself as an identifiable local landmarkthat demonstrates developed standards of modern Brazilian architecture. It is rooted inrespect for natural topography while also exploring ultimate construction technology inconceptualizing passive green-design elements. Best orientation, thermal insulation,
THIS PAGE Illustrat-
ing the positioning
of the Mediatheque
on the PUC-Rio
campus. Best
orientation, thermal
insulation, shading,
natural lighting and
air-flow issues are
the mainstays of this
green architectural
solution.
OPPOSITE PAGE
TOP View of the
main entrance foyer.
LOW ENERGY
MEDIATHEQUEThe aim of SPBR Architects actualized from a sustainable design theory into
a utilitarian, economical, aesthetically pleasing and energy-saving project.
TEXT BY DEEPANJOLIE SONYA FIGG • PHOTO GRAPHS HOLCIM FOUNDATION COURTESY
THE ARCHITECTS
april 2009 green by design I 23
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
low energy university feature
shading, natural lighting and air-flow is-sues, all of which add to a substantial re-duction in energy consumption are themainstays of their architectural solution.For a space that essentially (and tradition-ally) was expected to function best with acertain kind of interior climate in order toensure book and media preservation, greendesign in practise was a tall order.
But, basing their design on the loca-tion of the Pontifícia Universidade Católicado Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), the SPBRteam aligned their Mediatheque project tooperate from two ground levels already inexistence. The lower ground level (situatedat 0m) would host the massive book col-lections and administrative offices and theupper ground level (situated at 4 m) and called the Plaza, would provide access to thepublic building above.
The most important meeting point on campus is the Plaza, which has been extendedover a pier-support area that is in line with the Mediatheque's roof. This acts as a reflect-ing pool and was a feature recommended by the landscape designer who explained that
THIS PAGE BOTTOM
The Eastern facade
of the PUC-Rio
Mediatheque.
24 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
when water is poured onto the slab, it will provide for thermal control, as a measureagainst fire and also make the concrete slab impermeable by freeing it of any chemicalproducts, e.g. asphaltic membrane.
Green design sensibility is further applied to the display of book collection shelveswithin the library. Housed inside a glass enclosed rectangular area that is surrounded byseveral office spaces, an arrangement that ensures offices are near both windows andshelves. Their design and spatial alignment strategy provides for a balance in tempera-ture and humidity control, which is necessary for protecting books. A double layer ofsingle glass from the outside provides further defence from the natural elements.
Since the main reading room is open on the south and north and shaded by sun sails,this configuration reduces the impact of thermal heating and direct sunlight entry isrestricted by conscious exclusion of any windows along the façade too. Instead, a 'natu-ral lamp'-like void has been created inside this enclosed space in the centre of the build-ing, far from the limited windows of the library. Two segments of a glass floor located onthe upper level allow natural light to filter into this complete world within a world.
The need for balancing thermo-acoustics for enhancing the building's pro-greenleanings is met by enforcing the building structure with trusses, resting on a pair ofcolumns. These trusses enclose the longitudinal facades outside the research, UNESCOfloor, foyer and main reading room areas with steels boards with welded joint areas. Theboards measure 5 mm in thickness in order to offer all-weather protection. They shieldthe internal walls of the building and their multi-layered composition enables them toperform as air and thermal insulating, sound-proofing and mechanical space empower-ing steel barriers. This allows the Mediatheque to fulfil international standards of green-performance - as conceived in the early stages of ideation through 3D model testing.
THIS PAGE Interior
view of the
Mediatheque. Green
design sensibility is
further applied to
the display of book
collection shelves
within the library.
The main reading
room is open on the
south and north and
shaded by sun sails,
which reduce the
impact of thermal
heating and direct
sunlight entry.
april 2009 green by design I 25
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
house 205 feature
HOUSE 205 BY
H ARCHITECTSA rather unusual name for a remarkably simple, yet elegant low-cost
residential dwelling perched high at the edge of a steep canyon in
Vacarisses, Catalunya, (northern Spain) - that's House 205!
TEXT BY DEEPANJOLIE SONYA FIGG • PHOTO GRAPHS STARP ESTUDI COURTESY
THE ARCHITECTS
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green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
BARCELONA based H Arquitectes haveartfully combined path breaking green ini-tiatives along with strong conservative struc-tural elements to construct a quaint, for-est-encircled home for their clients, QuicoOrtega & Maria Ferriol.
The economics of the project, (a mod-est budget of 200,000 Euro for the 132sq. meters of built up area) did not under-mine the ecological vision for House 205.Neither did the location (the house is con-structed on the edge of a precipice) limitthe architectural team's basic aim of lend-ing a form to an intimate personal familyspace that could be developed by diggingdeeper into the mounds of rock and landsurrounding the site. So, the principal de-
sign team followed through with this and to their surprise, discovered a layer of rockthat was perfect for anchoring the proposed new house upon!
Furthermore, House 205's plan was based on raising its entire structure above thesite on thick, double concrete supports and a platform. This design provided for dualfunctions that being the exit for the house and also for a sit-out cum garden area. Theconcrete supports create permanent spaces for easy ventilation between the house andthe rocky ground. Thus, this single decision minimized land movements while preserv-ing the home's picturesque valley view. The natural physiognomy of a surroundingwoodsy area hasn't been compromised and the ramp crossing the land diagonally canconnect the residents very easily with the street across.
Venturing indoors, the layout of the interiors shows a linear sequential room patterni.e. each room has different proportions that are related to its main structure, enabling
PREVIOUS PAGE
The interiors of the
house portrays a
linear sequential
room pattern.
THIS PAGE TOP
A quaint forest
encircled home.
THIS PAGE BOTTOM
A natural rock bed,
which was perfect
to anchor the house.
april 2009 green by design I 27
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
house 205 feature
House 205 to function as a harmonious blend of open-planned spaces yet providingsmall self-contained units - thanks to the scope of huge sliding installations in all parts.
The framework for House 205 consists of huge KLH panels of laminated wood forboth the walls and ceilings, which create efficient dimensions for articulation of bigarches as necessitated by the existence of surrounding rock layers providing the founda-tion for the house. Moreover, the dry assembling of this light-weight and cost-effectivepaneling system that is aesthetically pleasing too, empowered the design team to limitthe use of other raw materials and related energy, typically related to laying buildingfoundations for ensuring a secure structure that would otherwise have resulted in higherCO2 emissions; this feature also conserved water besides making short-work of labour,cost and time investments.
House 205 has a closed lifecycle, thanks to the use of laminated wood - a renewablematerial - making it an excellent example of a thoughtful, recyclable carpentry. Thisfeature also provides a warm, cozy look to the simple rectangular frame-and-wood shellhousing. The house has a 3-bedroom plan along with two study areas adjacent to aperky living area equipped with a compact, practical kitchen.
Double height walls in the library, neatly lined with books, cleverly conceal a woodenstaircase connecting it to the second level of the home. The facades are ventilated andfinished with coniferous wood such as the Flanders pine. The openings have also beenfinished with wooden fitters which in turn are protected with the help of removableshutters.
Cost-effectiveness has further been ensured by limiting the facings and in this waysaving on the coating and interior finish. In the rest of the house installations are hidden,but paneled with gypsum wallboard in certain rooms, leaving the rest with a structurethat has its facings visible. All these elements coalesce to grant House 205 the ultimatewooden volume, quite at home amid rock and forest and creating at once, both instantvisual impact and ecologically sound structural aesthetics.
THIS PAGE LEFT
H Arquitectes have
artfully planned the
exit of the house to
doubles as a small
sit-out cum garden
area.
THIS PAGE RIGHT
The house consists
of huge KLH panels
of laminated wood
for both the walls
and ceilings.
THIS PAGE
BOTTOM: Design
plan of the house.
28 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
eco living saving water
Are you getting worried
about facing the perilous
effects of vanishing water
resources? Read on and see how
an individual's action can help in
saving each drop of water.
As we all know water is the basic
necessity of life, the valuable
substance is now in the ugly
hands of 'pollution'. The water we
drink is not pure any more and the
reason behind its impurity is the
lack of consciousness. According
to a research 60% of water is
consumed in our washrooms.
Currently we should think of
conserving water and then tend to
matters of its contamination.
Some time back the Singapore
National Water Agency had
signed an agreement with India.
The main aim of this treaty was to
curtail water wastage in Indian
cities and towns.
The current environmental
dilemma urges us to plan for
sustainable water management,
especially considering the mount-
ing demand of the increasing
population. By simply following
some easy guidelines we can
control the loss of water quite
effortlessly.
Turn Off the Tap When
Not In Use
Many of us have a habit of
turning on the tap first and then
begining to use the water; don't
let the water run uselessly. Whilst
washing dishes, one should use
water extremely judiciously
eliminating any waste. If using a
dishwasher then pre-rinsing may
be avoided. Long showers should
be avoided at all costs and start
using bath-fittings with low water
flow rates.
Keep A Regular Check
Get repaired that leaky toilet
flush, faucet or pipe immediately.
Always remember to purchase
low flush toilets as they consume
a smaller quantity of water.
Watch Your Gardening Ways
Planting trees or gardening
indeed is the best way to deal
with pollution but here too misuse
of water should be avoided at all
costs. Water your lawn only when
required; opt for drought- proof
shrubs and plants. Always use
organic fertilisers and a well-
organised watering system.
Don't Treat Your Toilet As A
Trash Can
Remember that every time you
flush a cigarette butt or a facial
tissue, five to seven gallons of
water is wasted.
To bring down water wastage,
fill a bottle with some pebbles
and place it safely in your toilet
tank. In this way you will save
gallons of water each day.
It's Now or Never
Water is like an environmental
treasure, which if not used
properly can invite severe
problems. Many programmes
have been started by the govern-
ment of India like rain water
harvesting, which can help in
increasing the ground water level.
Some NGO's are also contributing
spectacularly in spreading
awareness. But that is not enough
there is much more that we can
do. We need to learn by heart that
overlooking this hazardous reality
will jeopardize our future.
Water Ways
Grohtherm range of thermostat by Grohe.
Raindance® EcoSmart showers
by Hansgrohe.
april 2009 green by design I 29
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
green school feature
HANDMADE SCHOOL
BANGLADESHThe Handmade School by Anna Heringer and Eike Roswag serves
as an example for future building development in the area.
This joyous and elegant two-storeyprimary school in rural Bangladeshhas emerged from a deep under-
standing of local materials and a heart-feltconnection to the local community. Hand-built in four months by local craftsmen,pupils, parents and teachers together withexperts from Germany and Austria, it usestraditional methods and materials of con-struction but adapts them in new ways tocreate light-filled beautiful, meaningfuland humane collective spaces for learning.
The school is part of the Modern Edu-
30 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
PREVIOUS PAGE
TOP Compositions
of Bamboo lattices
and structural
elements create a
beautiful play of
light and shadow.
The colourful saris
that make up the
ceiling of the lobby
add colour to the
space.
PREVIOUS PAGE
BOTTOM
This handmade
school is con-
structed by using
traditional methods.
THIS PAGE TOP The
architects have
made efficient use
of bamboo sticks
and earthbound
materials.
THIS PAGE BOTTOM
Exterior of the
house.
cation and Training Institute (METI) ofthe Bangladeshi NGO Dipshikha, whichplaces an emphasis on helping childrendevelop their own potential and use it in acreative way. The building follows the sameprinciples, bringing out the best in localmaterials by inventively combining themwith improved construction techniques.Earthbound materials such as loam andstraw are combined with lighter elementslike bamboo sticks and nylon lashing toshape a built form that addressessustainability in construction in an exem-plary manner.
The project team felt that it was par-ticularly important to improve the qualityof living in the rural areas in order to coun-teract the continuing population migrationto the cities.
They detected that the primary poten-tial for developing buildings in the ruralareas was the low cost of labour and locallyavailable resources such as earth and bam-boo.
The project team's main strategy wasto communicate and develop knowledgeand skills within the local population so
april 2009 green by design I 31
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
green school feature
THIS PAGE TOP The
project team have
made the best use
of natural resources
and thus lessened
the cost of labour.
THIS PAGE LEFT
Ground floor of the
building consists of
thick earth walls and
the upper floor is
open for sufficient
light.
THIS PAGE RIGHT
The entire building
rests on a 50cm
deep brick masonry
foundation.
that they could make the best possible use of the available resources. Historic buildingtechniques were developed and improved upon and the emerging skills were then passedon to local tradesmen transforming in the process the image of the building techniques.
On the ground floor with its thick earth walls, three classrooms are located each withtheir own access opening to an organically shaped system of 'caves' to the rear of theclassroom.
The upper floor is by contrast light and open, the openings in its bamboo wallsoffering sweeping views across the surroundings and its large interior providing space formovement. The view expands across the treetops and the village pond.
Light and shadows from the bamboo strips play across the earth floor and contrastwith the colourful materials of the saris on the ceiling.
The building rests on a 50 cm deep brick masonry foundation rendered with a facingcement plaster. Bricks are the most common product of Bangladesh's building materialindustry. It has almost no natural reserves of stone. As an alternative the clayey alluvialsand is fired in open circular kilns into bricks.
'Handmade School' showcases the potential of good planning and design, from thearrangement of the building on site to the realisation of aspects in detail.
Furthermore it demonstrates the possibilities of building with earth and bamboousing simple methods as the continuation of a local rural building tradition and canserve as an example for future building developments in the area.
32 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
eco living prefab homes
Prefab Homes
Prefabricated buildings are
gaining popularity as well
as leading the industry in
terms of technical progress and
energy efficiency.
Prefabricated domiciles are often
described as prefab homes;
these houses can be constructed
in a short span of time. While
constructing a prefab house the
floors are accumulated first, and
then the wall panels are attached
with fixtures. Once the house is
ready, the electrical wiring and
ceilings are mounted. After that,
the roof of the house is manufac-
tured separately and attached.
The external and internal touch-
ups are provided to the house
after the construction is com-
pletely finished.
The famous architect Gustav
Peichl has designed the single-
family Peichl-Haus, an arched,
zinc-roofed building slightly
reminiscent of a Quonset hut. On
the other hand, Frank Gehry has
shown his lavish designing skills
via constructing 'Court Yard
House' for the German firm
WeberHaus. The new design
effort is aimed at pumping up the
image of prefabricated housing in
Germany, in order to attract a new
clientele. The eminent Milan
based star Matteo Thun - who
founded Italy's Memphis design
group and led the creative team
at Swatch for several years -
turned out 'o sole mio', a pent-
roofed marvel of passive-energy
use, for Austrian firm Griffner
Haus.
The trend of prefab houses is
still in a developing stage in India
and will take time to develop
further. Recently Lockwood
International, a top New Zealand-
based wood construction com-
pany, launched its first series of
prefabricated wooden houses at
the Classic Golf Resort, Gurgaon
in India. Prefab homes are doing
remarkably well abroad but closer
home in India, this idea is still not
accepted. Here, prefab homes
are not considered an ideal
housing solution due to certain
social stigmas.
ZeroHouse - A portable prefabricated house by
architect Scott Speecht, of Specht Harpman.
Matteo Thun's 'O Sole Mio'.
april 2009 green by design I 33
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
renzo piano feature
THOUGH the Golden Gate Park where the California Academy of Sciences is situated,is nothing short of a dream-site and one of the rare Natural Science Institutes thatencourage public experiences with in-house scientific research conducted in the samebuilding, our reason for focusing on it lies in its living up to its design aim: to enableinterwoven spaces for exhibits, academic pursuits, conservation and research in a safe,modern facility. CAS exemplifies a high-tech model of sustainable architecture withfrugal material choices and yet accomplishes immense variety in shapes refined andclassical in style, highlighting its mission statement (Explore, Explain & Protect theNatural World). Guess one can always expect the unexpected from Pritzker Prize-winningarchitects like Piano!
Architect Renzo Piano incorporated sustainable design strategies with a holisticapproach to using basic materials like gray architectural concrete for main buildings andwalls, implemented designs to enable recycling of materials from the old building andconstructed in combination with a mix of the old and new - and even then, managed toensure energy efficient heating and cooling.
At CAS, Piano takes on the mantle of a designer with advanced aesthetics in greenbuilding technology, effectively concretizing a scientifically sound yet culturally connected
THIS PAGE TOP A
view of the
California Academy
of Sciences
shrouded with the
landscaped roof
LEFT Pigeon holed
skylights are
sprinkled over the
roof surface to
permeate light in
the exhibits spaces.
RENZO PIANO’S
LIVING ROOFThe new California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco bears 'a
certain lightness of being' - an elegant steel structure, technologically
precise in detail, glass aplenty to allow fluid movement of daylight
and a diagrammatically simple layout that ever so quietly announces
its illustrious architectural credits.
TEXT BY DEEPANJOLIE SONYA FIGG
Photo by Shunji Ishida
Photo by Nic Lehoux
Photo by Nic Lehoux
34 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
Photo by John McNeal
Photo by Nic Lehoux
Photo by Nic Lehoux
Photo by John McNeal
april 2009 green by design I 35
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
renzo piano feature
establishment. This is a tribute to a family of builders hailing from Italy and also afantastically coming together of a varied scale of pieces. The location and orientation ofCAS remains the same; its central Piazza (courtyard), too, remains the hub of all activitieslike before.
The Planetarium Dome and Rainforest Biosphere are spherical dome shaped spacesnear the Piazza, which combined with the Steinhart Aquarium's reconstructed entrancerepresent Space, Earth and Ocean elements. These also 'push' the top up, creating anundulating roofscape. The continuity of form is maintained for the green roof, thehighlight of the project which assumes a new identity with a glass canopy beyond theperimeter walls, giving shade, rain-protection and also providing energy from 55,000photo voltaic cells contained in the glass!
A glazed skylight covering the central courtyard makes up the main living area withmultiple other, smaller sized ones sprinkled over the roof's surface to fill the exhibitspace below with natural light; these also enable natural ventilation. Retractable fiberscreens provide controlled microclimate for opening and evening hours when the eventspaces are in use.
CAS comprises 5 floors; automatic sun blinds and windows in majority of the unitswithin enable natural ventilation and illumination in all workspaces even as minimalchoice of a frugal palette, utilizing color sporadically gives a strong essence to the lightgray architectural concrete façade. Original limestone has been retained for the restoredAfrican Hall but all floor spaces feature polished concrete; white acoustic panels makeup the exhibit hall soffit and are mounted horizontally under the curvature of the roofforming 'the fish scale' surface. Exhibit space is reserved in the formwork tie holes leftvisible.
Four glazed facades fixed with extra-white glass enhance transparency and visual tran-sition of interiors while a hybrid concrete and steel roof structure, vegetation carpetingincludes a water "storage" layer, a deceptively designer-touch! The reformatory nature ofthe roof is evident as it switches over to a light steel structure midway and supports theglass panels with PV cells that power up the knowledge center contained within.
Piano skillfuly converts a basic science institute model into a place of humanistic artforms that are never quite abstract sculpture, but models of light. Drawing on a primevalknowledge base that determined for him the demolition of 11 existing buildings beforeerecting this new one with efficient use of water, a run-off pattern from the roof and puregeneration of renewable energy!
OPPOSITE PAGE
LEFT The central
Piazza of the original
structure was
maintained and
around which Piano
planned out the 3
domes - the
Planetarium,
Aquarium and the
Rainforest
biosphere.
RIGHT TOP Sketch
design of CAS.
BOTTOM Site plan of
CAS.
PAGE BOTTOM A
panoramic view of
the roof of the
university
36 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
ARCHITECT Nader Khalili of the Cal-Earth Institute set out on a path breakingtask of coming up with a low cost,sustainable form of building homes in themiddle east. He began experimenting withbags of adobe soil as building blocks forcreating domes, vaults and arches. Beingfamiliar with the Middle Eastern cultureand the use of adobe bricks in buildingmethods of the olden days, it was not longbefore he himself started to experimentwith this technique. At the Cal-Earth In-stitute, his students and understudies, whowere trained by him in several, similarbuilding techniques, expanded this fieldconsiderably with the help of further trialand error methods.
Erecting buildings with sandbags is aconsiderably old and conservative tech-nique. It was long being used by the mili-tary in particular, to create strong and pro-tective barriers against, armaments andother weapons of destruction. The wallsso constructed also helped in preservingand protecting the army from the differ-
EARTH BAG
HOUSEAn old and conservative building method, adopted by the military to
create strong, knock- down walls is adopted and refined by two archi-
tects to create simple, low cost, sustainable housing.
THIS PAGE Substan-
tial walls afford
resist-ance even
against severe
weather.
april 2009 green by design I 37
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
earthbag house feature
THIS PAGE The
bags are stuffed
with crushed
volcanic rock and
covered with
papercrete.
ent vagaries of nature. Burlap bags wereemployed initially in the construction ofmassive and substantial walls. Later on thisinnovative form of construction was car-ried out with the use of polypropylene bags.
The bags did their job well, except forthe fact that eventually degradationoccurred due to the exposure to strongsunlight. However it was noticed that ifthe bags were coated with a suitable plas-ter they were rendered strong enough tobe employed as walls in permanent hous-ing.
Kelly Hart, another architect whoseheart too was in sustainable architectureand was extremely keen to refine the earthbag building process, laid barbed wire inbetween the bags. This new hybridconcept led to the creation of an even moreviable form of housing. He made two morealterations to Khalili's technique. He usedcrushed volcanic rock instead of adobesoil to stuff the bags and the second refinement that he brought in was that he plasteredthe earth bag walls with papercrete. The crushed volcanic rock provided the walls withgood insulation and prevented any occurrence of rot or damage by moisture. Thepapercrete plaster turned out to be a boon too as the house became fairly maintenancefree unlike as in with the adobe finish. In a tropical environment, papercrete howevermay have to be substituted as here it could get infected with mold.
38 I green by design april 2009
eco living green, the flipside
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
Sustainable structures are
flourishing rapidly, but
does that really support
the concept of green architec-
ture?
Today we are surrounded by
information on green architecture
and its benefits, but are we really
aware of what really is green or
sustainable architecture?
It's a general term that de-
scribes environmentally conscious
design techniques in the field of
architecture.
In India the concept of green
architecture is booming and
gaining a lot of attention but what
you and I need is a desperate
perspective check. How far have
we reached exactly? Every new
construction these days claims to
be built with green elements and
based on green guidelines.
A few important features of a
truly green structure are; architec-
tural elements like courtyards,
clusters, wind towers, roof
Other Side Of Green
terraces and jaalis (stone lattices),
amongst others should be used
to save our energy resources. For
instance, the natural light from the
courtyard, combined with energy-
efficient lighting systems can
save 88 percent of energy. The
challenge is to scrutinise and
reunite these traditional methods
with modern technological
innovations.
Low VOC (volatile organic
compound)-emitting materials
A Photovoltaic Installation by
Reynaers
CII-Godrej GBC in Hyderabad, India. A LEED
Platinum rated building.
such as recycled denim or
cellulose insulation should be
opted for over toxic materials
used in the past. Solar devices
such as photovoltaic solar panels
incorporated on the roof or even
the façade of a building can
provide for almost all the electric-
ity required by the building.The
Samundra Institute of Maritime
Studies (SIMS) at Lonavala, near
Pune India, has the longest
photovoltaic wall in the world. In
other parts of the world, wind
towers are used to lessen the
load on air conditioning systems
especially in the corporate zone.
There are many fine examples
of green structures in India but if
asked to mention any one, then
that would most obviously be the
Confederation of Indian Industry
Sohrabji Godrej Green Business
Centre (CII-Godrej GBC) in
Hyderabad, India. The building
has been designed by the Indian
architectural firm, Karan Grover
and Associates. This epitome
talks about the applicability of
traditional architectural knowledge
combined with today's design
processes of sustainability.
If one were to delve into
ancient architecture which was
inherently green by practise and
construction; and if these prin-
ciples were merged with contem-
porary design elements it would
definitely be possible to come up
with new and noteworthy results
in authentic 'green architecture'.Use of a passive solar concept
april 2009 green by design I 39
bureau of energy efficiency eco livinggreen by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
bureau of energy efficiency eco living
Bureau of Energy Efficiency
The Bureau of Energy
Efficiency (BEE) has
introduced a labelling
programme which illustrates the
energy efficiency of a variety of
products.
Saving or conserving energy
means reducing the use of
energy; it may be obtained
through proficient energy use and
by reducing the consumption of
energy services. The Bureau of
Energy Efficiency (BEE), set up by
the government of India aims at
preserving and promoting the
efficient use of energy resources.
With the primary objective of
reducing energy intensity of the
Indian economy, it is established
to assist in developing policies
and strategies with a thrust on
self-regulation and market
principles, within the framework
of the Energy Conservation Act,
2001. This can be achieved with
the active participation of all
position the domestic industry to
compete in such markets where
norms for energy efficiency are
obligatory. This plan was
launched in May 2006, and is
currently invoked for equipments/
appliances like, frost free
refrigerators, fluorescent lamps,
air conditioners, direct cool
refrigerators, distribution
transformers and induction
motors, pump sets, ceiling fans,
electric geysers and TV sets.
One of the features of the BEE
label includes 'stars', which
further illustrates the energy
efficiency of the product. The
highlighted stars on the label of
the certified appliance deter-
mines its efficiency. Hence, more
the number of stars; more is the
saving. Furthermore, this BEE
label also serves as an informa-
tive tool in terms of daily/annual
power consumption details and
important product specifications
like type, capacity and efficiency.
stakeholders, resulting in an
accelerated and sustained
adoption of energy efficiency
across all sectors.
BEE connects with designated
consumers, agencies and other
organizations to recognize and
utilize the existing resources and
infrastructure judiciously. The
institute organizes training of
personnel and specialists in
techniques for the efficient use of
energy as well as for
strengthening consultancy
services in the field of energy
conservation.
Another very significant step
taken by BEE is the Labeling
Programme, which provides the
consumer an informed choice
about the energy saving, and
thereby the cost saving potential
of the marketed household
appliance or equipment. This is
expected to impact the energy
savings in the medium and long
run while at the same time it will
BEE Logo
ProductDetails
BrandModel
Typecross
VolumeStorageVolume
Annual Energyconsumption
(kwh/Year)
Stars (1-5)display the
relativeefficiency of the
product
BEE Logo
Importantproduct
specificationslike brand,
model, type,capacity,
efficiency, etc
Daily /annualpower
consumptionis used for
comparing theactual energyuse between
differntmodels
Stars (1-5)display the
relativeefficiency ofthe product
BEE label for refrigerators BEE label for air conditioners
40 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
THIS PAGE The
home-office of
Trends Adfilms in
Bangalore.
OPPOSITE PAGE
Open brick walls,
rough granite
exteriors, wall
paintings and
passive solar
concepts are some
of the features seen
in this office.
ENERGY does not mean what is certified; to live a simple life is ‘energy saving’ says Mr.R.L Kumar, who runs the Centre for Vernacular Architecture (CVA) in Banaswadi, Ban-galore. The Centre for Vernacular Architecture is a non-profit organization establishedin 1989 and has been designing and executing various vernacular architectural projectsin South India. The firm specialises in a less explored field and is concerned witharchitectural building practices that are cost effective, ecologically sane and culturallypertinent.
Building on the work of practitioners like Laurie Baker and Hassan Fathy, their ar-chitectural practice promotes the use of locally available materials, traditional buildingtechniques, culturally and climatically relevant building design. They also offerconsultancy, training, and promotion of student exchange/resident programs. The Cen-tre comprises of a core team of six architects, eight engineer/supervisors and a team ofabout seventy five dedicated craftsmen and people drawn from a variety of buildingrelated trades. In most of his projects Kumar has been successful in capturing the es-sence of 'space' and has virtually established that spaces need not be a result of a hanker-ing for detailing.
The home-office for Trends Ad Films Pvt. Ltd, situated on the outer Ring Road inBangalore, expresses the home part of the building in brick and the office in roughgranite. This project is like a creative turn for Centre for Vernacular Architecture, itportrays aesthetically pleasing work spaces with water bodies, ensuite furniture with an
VERNACULAR
ARTICULACYThe Centre for Vernacular Archtecture believes in using
architectural building practices that are cost effective,
eco-friendly and culturally pertinent.
TEXT BY SHEETAL MISHRA • PHOTO GRAPHS SHALINI SEHGAL
april 2009 green by design I 41
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
vernacular design feature
42 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
TOP Brick jharokas
and courtyards,
traditional architec-
tural features are
incorporated in this
modern day plan
of sustainable
architecture at the
women’s centre in
Kolar.
RIGHT ‘Cob walls’
another forgotten
feature has been
ingeniously brought
back into existence.
oxide touch, specialadd-ons like wallpaintings, greenzones, brickjharokas and court-yards to get suffi-cient day light. Theplace of work incor-porates all these as-pects and createsthought-provokingvibes for the younginhabitants. Thisinvigorating 7,000sq.ft ad agency is aperfect example ofinspirational archi-tecture. Here theconnection withnature is main-tained by uncov-ered stone and block work.
The Centre for Vernacular Architecture also has in its treasure trove one of its finestprojects, that is the Vimochana's Women's Centre in Kolar. Through this project Mr.R.L. Kumar experimented and brought forgotten 'cob walls' into the existence. Theentire architecture uses traditional constructing materials are used i.e, stones, mud wallsand other eco-friendly building materials.
The excessive use of high-embodied energy materials in modern day constructionresults in environmental degradation. The Centre for Vernacular Architecture throughthe mode of sustainable architecture aims to ease the burden of environmental degradationon earth.
april 2009 green by design I 43
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
teri feature
In this world of increasing globalization and buoyed by
optimism generated by the success of the Indian
economy, TERI moves forward to meet the challenges
of a ‘greener tomorrow’ through the excellence rooted
in its creative charter.
TEXT BY SHEETAL MISHRA • PHOTO GRAPHS COURTESY TERI
THE Genesis of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) lies in Mithapur, a remotecorner of north-western India, where a visionary chemical engineer was concerned aboutthe enormous amount of energy his factory spent on desalination - fresh potable water isscarce in those salty plains - and on making caustic soda from salt. Mr Darbari Seth ofTata Chemicals, who cherished the importance of energy as a resource, envisaged aninstitute 'to tackle and deal with the immense and acute problems that mankind islikely to be faced with in the years ahead, on account of the gradual depletion of theearth's finite energy resources that are largely non-renewable and on account of theexisting methods of their use, which are polluting’.
The idea instantly appealed to Mr. J R D Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group, a greatvisionary himself and a staunch supporter of scientific research - and TERI was dulyregistered in Delhi in 1974 as the Tata Energy Research Institute. Later it was renamedas The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003. TERI began operations in Mumbai inBombay House, in its first decade; the approach was to fund deserving research projectson renewable energy. However, in 1984, it moved to Delhi and began its own research;the first externally funded project was to develop an energy model for India. In its 30-odd years of existence, TERI has completed more than 3,500 projects. Their upshotshave been as varied as the fields they covered.
TERI's influence on government thinking is manifest at policy level; the institutehas been instrumental in drafting two major policy documents recently: the NationalRenewable Energy Policy for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the NationalEnvironmental Policy for the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
THIS PAGE
The TERI University
THE ENERGY AND
RESOURCES
INSTITUTE
44 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
THIS PAGE LEFT
Solar-Panels in-
stalled in one of
TERI’s projects.
THIS PAGE RIGHT
TERI’s Mukhteshwar
Building in the
Himalayas.
The organization had played a major role at COP-12, where it structured two sideevents. In 2006-07, the institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding with theCCX (Chicago Climate Exchange), the world's leading carbon trading exchange. TheMoU seeks to explore the issues and options in the voluntary carbon market in India.TERI also serves as a registered adviser to the CCX and assists in exploring new offsetproject possibilities in the Indian subcontinent.
TERI undertook the study 'National Energy Map for India: Technology Vision 2030'during 2006-07. The study commissioned and supported by the Office of the PrincipalScientific Advisor, Government of India used the 'Markal' model to identify the mostpromising technological options across various sectors and suggest appropriate policiesfor moving towards optimal resource use.
Green India 2047 by TERI sought to estimate the extent to which India's naturalresources were degraded during the first 50 years of independence. The sequel to GreenIndia 2047 was DISHA (Directions, Innovations, and Strategies for Harnessing Ac-tion), which looked into the future to draw up a blueprint of action for an economicallyadvanced but sustainable India in 2047.
TERI's facilities in Gurgaon, Bangalore, Guwahati, and Mukteshwar serve as modelsof eco-friendly design. In 2006-07, TERI-GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habi-tat Assessment), which is an environmental performance rating system for buildings -commercial, institutional, or residential - was launched. This innovative rating system,specifically developed for Indian conditions, uses qualitative and quantitative assess-ment criteria. It evaluates the environmental performance of a building throughout itslifecycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a 'green building'.Already, eleven buildings have been registered for rating. GRIHA has now become anational rating system.
The Green Business Centre building in Hyderabad - TERI was the energy consult-ant to the project - received the prestigious platinum rating under the LEED ratingsystem of the United States Green Building Council. TERI was responsible for ensuringmaximum energy efficiency in the building through an appropriate building envelopeand system interventions - and has now been retained by two more aspirants for theplatinum rating: ITC Ltd (for its proposed Centre for Corporate Excellence in Gurgaon)and North Delhi Power Limited.
april 2009 green by design I 45
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
teri feature
The flagship of events organized by the institute is DSDS, the Delhi SustainableDevelopment Summit, held every year in early February. A global summit, the eventdraws distinguished participants - heads of state and senior ministers; heads of largemultinational corporations, UN agencies, and bi- and multi-lateral agencies, scientistsincluding Nobel laureates - from every continent to debate current issues of regionaland international significance. The first such summit, organized in 1999, was inaugu-rated by the president of India. The summit is the world's sole forum on sustainabilityissues that transcends the global divide.
TERI's field campus presented a unique opportunity to TERI researchers to demon-strate energy-efficient architecture. The result was RETREAT (Resource-efficient TERIRetreat for Environmental Awareness and Training). Set amidst a lush green landscape,it has been designed as a residential training facility for executives. The entire facility isplanned to be self-sufficient, independent of any external power supply. The principlesof energy efficiency and recycling are used so effectively that the complex requires only25% of the energy.
The new TERI University campus by the establishment has been intended to offer asetting that enhances learning and showcases the concept of modern green buildings.
From biotechnology to global climate change, from smoke-filled rural kitchens toplush corporate boardrooms, from schoolchildren to heads of state-no sphere of humanendeavour is unfamiliar to TERI. Headed by Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, also chairman ofthe Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) and joint-winner of the NobelPeace Prize in 2007, TERI has state-of-the-art laboratories, yet it is more than a researchoutfit; it has looked into the past and into the future of the world's natural resources. Allactivities in TERI move from formulating local and national level strategies to suggest-ing global solutions to critical energy and environment-related issues. It is with thispurpose that TERI has established regional centres in Bangalore, Goa, and Guwahati,and a presence in Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. It has also setup affiliate institutes: TERI-NA (The Energy and Resources Institute, North America)Washington DC, USA, and TERI-Europe, London, UK.
THIS PAGE LEFT
Children studying
with a solar lantern.
THIS PAGE RIGHT
Director General
TERI, Dr R.K.
Pachauri.
46 I green by design april 2009
green talk bcil
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
BCIL (Biodiversity Conserva
tion India Ltd) is a builder-
technology enterprise set
up by Dr. Chandrashekar
Hariharan to mainstream
sustainability in the urban area in
1995. He is the only Indian among
eight Asians chosen as a Water
Champion by ADB in 2005
amongst experts working in 63
nations in Asia. The company has
taken up the environmental
challenge of the day to provide
living spaces for people who
respect not one but all six fila-
ments of environment i.e. earth,
energy, waste, water, air and
biomass.
BCIL has been able to
construct two million square feet
of sustainable residential spaces
for urbanites, far above the
standards of conventional
residential buildings, over and
above any building codes that
exist in this country or perhaps
globally. Recently BCIL T ZED
BCIL EMBODIES
SUSTAINABLE
ARCHITECTURE AND SEEKS
TO PROVIDE HEALTHY
LIVING SPACES NOT ONLY
FOR ITS CLIENTS BUT FOR
THE CITIZENS OF INDIA.
received the first international
award (Ryutaro Hashimoto APFED
Award by the Ministry of Environ-
ment Japan) given for a residen-
tial building complex for
mainstreaming sustainability in
India. BCIL is recognized as one
of the largest ‘sustainable built
environment’ enterprise in the
country, and was conferred the
Spectrum Award for sustainable
architecture twice. It was also
presented with the TERI corporate
environmental initiatives award in
2003. In 2005, it received the All
India Practising Architects Award
for sustainable architecture.
BCIL’s journey began with
T ZED, a watershed project
BCIL Living
april 2009 green by design I 47
bcil green talkgreen by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
Trans Indus, its first residential
complex in Bangalore which was
built around a theme of ‘healing
the land’ as it was created on a
rocky piece of land. It is a lush
green haven now, and is
considered amongst the top ten
most coveted properties in
Bangalore and conferred with
several awards. This was
followed by other properties such
as Townsend, T Zed Homes, and
Collective. With its new project
‘Red Earth’ it is sure to assimilate
many more milestones. BCIL is
now extending its work out of
Bangalore to Mysore (Expanse),
Goa (Gaia) and Coorg (Little Acre).
T ZED is particularly special for
BCIL because it is a watershed
project in the way sustainable
buildings are constructed
anywhere in the world. It is the
first multi unit and multi storied
residential complex to be inde-
pendent of municipal water and
waste connection. T ZED’s holistic
closed loop system is a leading
example of a multi unit residential
building that not only saves all
water that falls on the campus
and leaves no waste for others to
treat, but it remains water positive
as well i.e. it adds water to the
depleted aquifers. T ZED stands
out for the staggering number of
additional benefits that the
property offers to a customer – all
this accomplished with no
support whatsoever from either
the Government or any other
external agency in terms of
subsidies or finance-in-
assistance.
BCIL RedEarth, an enclave of
140-plus villas to the north of
Bangalore, offers homes that
don’t use electricity from the
Power Corporation, or water from
the Water Supply Board.
In the sunny land of Goa, a
half-hour’s ride south of the
airport, close to Margoa, there is
a lovely set of retirement homes
at the BCIL Gaia.
The Green Idea Lab (GIL) is the
design, consulting and research
arm of BCIL. Part of GIL’s design
challenge is building
with reusable and low-
embodied energy materials,
improving the standard of living
for the client-communities so
developed, and assisting in
building rating and carbon
management services.
T ZED, is the first multi-unit,multi storied residential complex to be
independent of a municipal water and a waste connection.
48 I green by design april 2009
green talk fuel
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
Amid the many problems
afflicting the modern world,
fossil-fuel dependence may
be one of the most critical,
possibly second only to climate
change in its potential to destroy
the fabric of life as we know it.
Consequently, the most recent
movie by Josh Tickell (author of
From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank),
raises awareness and motivates
the audience to 'change your
fuel....change the world'.
This film named Fuel made its
national debut in Portland,
Oregoon on November 14th, 2008.
With an expenditure of approxi-
mately $2 million (mostly in
donations from individuals), it took
the director 11 years to make this
film, a story of his personal
journey for clean energy solutions.
Citing the problems the
society encounters when fossil
fuels turn to be interconnected
with every part of modern life,
Power Of 'Fuel'
ALTHOUGH THE FILM CAN'T
BE DEPICTED AS THE END
SOURCE OF ALL INFORMA-
TION, 'FUEL' UNDENIABLY
SERVES AS A VITAL DOOR
THAT OPENS INTO THE VAST
SUBJECT OF CONSUMPTION
AND ITS HAZARDS.
Fuel exposes an insightful over-
view of America's troubled
relationship with oil. The docu-
mentary further highlights how
alternative and sustainable
energies can reduce the world's
addictive dependence on fossil
fuels. "I made Fuel to show that
there is a way for us to have all
the energy we need without
compromising peace and free-
dom," said the Director, Josh
Tickell, highlighting the focus of
this comprehensive film.
In the opening scene of Fuel, a
tranquil satellite image of our blue
planet fills the screen, while a
narrator describes how single-
april 2009 green by design I 49
fuel green talkgreen by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
celled organisms changed into oil
over millions of years. Elaborating
on issues with alarming statistics
and facts, this documentary
brings to light the involvement in
an expensive war in Iraq for all,
the massive oil spill in Louisianan
during Hurricane Katrina, and the
health dangers to the populations
living in close proximity to oil
refineries that report a huge rise in
cancer, fertility problems, miscar-
riages and birth defects.
Furthermore, the makers of
Fuel have brought to our attention
a collection of ideas that can help
us take control of the situation we
are in. As cited by Tickell, "The
movie really mirrors what has
occurred in the environment
movement over the past three
decades." In addition to the oil
dependency issues that the film
outlines, it demonstrates the
benefits of switching to alternative
fuels and the growing need for
more localised action towards
this end. It exceptionally explores
alternative electricity, made
popular during the Carter adminis-
tration and reversed during the
Reagan years, such as harness-
ing energy from the sun (solar),
wind and water (hydro). It por-
trays in a virtual city of the future,
where green roofs, light rail, and
'vertical farms' illustrate how large
populations can be less depen-
dent on personal vehicles and
grow their own food and fuel
locally by retrofitting existing
cities.
With interviews and appear-
ance by a wide range of environ-
mentalists, policy makers and
educators, along with such 'green'
celebrities as Woody Harrelson,
Sheryl Crow, and Larry Hagman
offer serious fuel for thought as
well as for action. Through these
experts and celebrity activists, the
documentary explores the various
options of alternative fuels includ-
ing bio-diesel (made from any
kind of vegetable oil including
used oil from fast food restau-
rants); biomass (forestry and
agricultural products as well as
biodegradable industrial and
municipal waste); ethanol (alcohol
made through the fermentation of
sugars found in starches like corn
and potatoes); and methane
(made from digestion and degra-
dation of organic material).
Offering clear pathways for
solutions, Fuel re-contextualises
how we view our dependence on
oil, how we view war and what
we are handling to the coming
generation. In Tickell's words,
"Fuel is uplifting, clear, based on
fact and personal experience and
leaves viewers with a sense of
what the future can be, if we act
now." After winning a Sundance
Film Festival Audience Award in
January 2008 and the AFI (Ameri-
can Film Institute) Dallas Interna-
tional Film Festivals 'Current
Energy Earth Friendly Award' in
March, this film is on track to
continue picking up awards and
influencing audiences nationwide.
In this way, Fuel is a redemp-
tive story, although it does not
promise that the road ahead will
be easy. It shows technology that
is within grasp, so that individuals
and cities can gradually switch
from oil dependency to more
localised and sustainable models
that meet the triple bottom line of
improving the economy, the
society, and the environment. Like
many documentaries, the power
of Fuel is in the dialogue it
creates.
50 I green by design april 2009
green by design supplement to home review april 2009 issue
eco living reuse beats recycling
Reuse Beats Recycling
The guiding light in today's
endeavour to lead a green
life is made up of three
words, reduce, reuse and
recycle. But that said, the one
thing that shines through is the
act of reuse.
Reuse is often confused with
recycling, but they are really quite
different. (Even those engaged in
reuse frequently refer to it as
recycling.) Reuse in the broadest
sense means any activity that
lengthens the life of an item.
Recycling, on the other hand, is
the reprocessing of an item into a
new raw material for use in a new
product-for example grinding the
tire and incorporating it into a
road-surfacing compound. Reuse
is nothing new. What is new is
the need to reuse.
Reuse is accomplished
through many different methods:
Purchasing durable goods, buying
and selling in the used market-
place, borrowing, renting, sub-
scribing to business waste
exchanges and making or receiv-
ing charitable transfers. It is also
achieved by attending to mainte-
nance and repair, as well as by
designing in relation to reuse. This
may mean developing products
that are reusable, long-lived, and
capable of being remanufactured
or creatively refashioning used
items.
Why is reuse so important?
Because at the same time that it
confronts the challenges of waste
reduction, reuse also sustains a
comfortable quality of life and
supports a productive economy.
With few exceptions reuse
accomplishes these goals more
effectively than recycling, and it
does so in the following ways:
� Reuse keeps goods and
materials out of the waste stream
� Reuse advances source
reduction.
� Reuse preserves the "embod-
ied energy" that was originally
used to manufacture an item.
� Reuse reduces the strain on
valuable resources, such as fuel,
forests and water supplies, and
helps safeguard wildlife habitats.
� Reuse creates less air and
water pollution than making a
new item or recycling.
� Reuse results in less hazard-
ous waste.
� Reuse saves money in pur-
chases and disposal costs.
� Reuse creates an affordable
supply of goods that are often of
excellent quality.
� Unique to reuse is that it also
brings resources to individuals
and organizations that might
otherwise be unable to acquire
them.
An installation made with ceramic bits
at the Nekchand garden
Always use both sides of
paper for your printer
A schematic of
water reuse