As the spectre of global warming threatens to shake up the ecological balance, the race to reverse it is picking up pace around the world.
Closer home, “Green” seems to be the new buzzword in India with everything from homes, offices, factories and even consumer products proudly displaying their newly acquired ‘green tags”.
Interestingly, the buzz around green buildings which began just three years ago has picked up enough tempo to elevate India to the number two ranking with its current 365 million sq ft of green building footprint — next only to the US, which is number one.
More importantly, according to the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), the country is all set to become the global leader by 2015 with over 1 billion sq ft of green building footprint.
“Until 2007 January, there were only 40 green buildings registered by the IGBC, of which only four were certified. We now have 532 green buildings registered, of which 77 have been certified (Of these 532, around 350 are commercial buildings and the rest are residential). Mumbai is the forerunner, followed by Chennai and then Bengaluru” aver-red Dr Prem C. Jain, chairman, IGBC.
He pointed out that India had a rich tradition of green buildings prior to the industrial revolution, with buildings like the Taj Mahal,
the Red Fort, havelis etc, but, unfortunately they cannot be scientifically measured.
“The challenge before us is to engineer green buildings that can be scientifically measured” he said.
What is a green building?
A green building also known as sustainable building, is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s lifecycle — from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction.
This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.
Green buildings use less water, optimise energy efficiency, conserve natural resources, generate less waste, reduce pollution and provide healthier spaces for occupants as compared to a conventional building.