Top 10 Green Building Projects in India

The concept of green buildings was prevalent in India from the time of our ancestors who revered the five elements of nature. Today, India can boast of Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)-certified green buildings ranging from residential complexes, exhibition centers, hospitals, and educational institutions to laboratories, IT parks, airports, government buildings and corporate offices. This list of top 10 green buildings in India gives special mention to those extraordinary structures that have left an indelible mark in the green construction industry.

Suzlon Energy Limited (SEL),Pune

image source: robaid.com

Suzlon Energy Limited (SEL),Pune

Suzlon Energy Limited (SEL), India’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, received LEED Platinum award for their new corporate headquarters in Pune, Maharashtra, India. 

BCIL, Bangalore

Biodiversity Conservation India Ltd (BCIL) - Bangalore

BCIL's TZed homes in Whitefield, Bangalore has been certified as the first residential apartment in the world to be rated ‘Platinum’ under LEED.

Olympia Technology Park - Chennai

Olympia Technology Park - Chennai

The world’s largest LEED ‘Gold’ rated green building.. Built on an area of 1.8 million sq. ft., this futuristic masterpiece features three mighty towers on 8.4 acre greenery.

ITC Green Centre - Gurgaon

ITC Green Centre - Gurgaon

The ITC Green Centre was the first 'Platinum' rated building in India and has endeavored to adopt green practices that go beyond recycled waste and day-lit offices. 

The Druk White Lotus School - Ladakh

The Druk White Lotus School - Ladakh

A modest school that is adjudged as an outstanding example of sustainable, green, cost effective building development. This multi-award winning structure is the recipient of the Best Asian Building, Best Education Building and Best Green Building awards.  

La Cuisine Solaire - Auroville

La Cuisine Solaire - Auroville

The solar kitchen at Auroville is perhaps the best example of demonstrating the use of solar energy to produce steam. This 1700 sq. m. kitchen is named thus because of the huge 15 diameter solar bowl that has been fixed at the top of the structure to harvest solar energy. 

Doon School - Dehradun

Doon School - Dehradun

This one is India's first green school campus that opted for recycling measures and successfully achieved cent per cent self-sufficiency in energy, water and organic fertilizer. Several old building blocks that were part of the 69 acre school were redesigned and solar thermal systems, waste management processes as well as biomass gasification systems were introduced as part of its green initiatives.  

Raintree Hotels - Chennai

Raintree Hotels - Chennai

Here is an eco-sensitive hotel for the eco-savvy traveler. The entire chain of Raintree business hotels across Chennai city are the first eco-sensitive hotels in South India. 

 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport - Hyderabad

 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport - Hyderabad

India’s first Greenfield airport is undeniably among the top 10 green buildings in India and the first airport in Asia to be awarded the LEED ‘Silver’ rating certification by US Green Building Council. Featuring 100,005 sq. m. of glass encased terminal, this green building ensures optimal use of natural light and minimal wastage of electricity or energy consumption.

Nokia - Gurgaon

Nokia - Gurgaon

Among India’s most sustainable buildings is the corporate office of Nokia in Gurgaon which has been granted accreditation as one of the world’s leading green buildings by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This is the first time that a commercial interior fit-out project in India is being awarded the Green Building Award and prestigious LEED ‘Gold’ rating. 

Amazing Homes and Offices Built from Shipping Containers

"Recycled freight containers bring efficiency, flexibility and affordability to innovative green buildings, from small vacation cabins to movable cafes, schools and skyscrapers."

Take a look at the innovation involved in these amazing houses:

Source: thedailygreen.com 

10 Best Unseen Green buildings in the World

Environmentally conscious architecture has become overwhelmingly popular today in response to the growing concern over depletion of non-renewable sources of energy, global warming and more. A large number of buildings have started making use of sustainable materials to make them more energy efficient. But, there are a few green buildings in this world that steal the show. Some of the best green buildings have been picked up for you to get inspired from.

GreenPix Zero Energy Media Wall, New York

1. GreenPix Zero Energy Media Wall - Designed by New York based architecture and media firm, Simone Giostra & Partners, GreenPix is the largest color LED display. Sprawled over an area of 20,000 square feet, it is visible even from a distance of a kilometer. The building is also the first to be equipped with a photo-voltaic system integrated into the glass curtain wall, which makes it possible for the building to harvest solar energy stored. 

Cathedral of Christ the Light

2. Cathedral of Christ the Light - This place of worship is no far behind in the run for a eco-friendly building. The cathedral situated in Oakland, California makes excellent use of the natural light, material and resources to construct the most inspiring green architecture. It also uses glass and fly ash concrete as the building materials for the cathedral along with FSC-certified wood.

California Academy of Sciences

3. California Academy of Sciences - This incredibly energy efficient building is the world’s first at quite a number of things. From being awarded with the platinum rating (the highest for Leadership in Energy and Environment Design or LEED) to being the greenest museum in the world, the California Academy of Sciences is the ideal green architecture. 

Zeist Railway Station

4. Revolving Door at the Driebergen – Zeist Railway Station - The Revolving Door installed at the refurbished railway station in The Netherlands plays a very important role in the sustainability of the building. The revolving door designed by Boon Edam is no ordinary door as it helps generate and conserve energy when someone passes through it. It’s estimated that the door is capable of saving about 4600 kWh (kilo-watt-hour) of energy.

Wat Pa Maha Chedio Kaew Temple

5. Wat Pa Maha Chedio Kaew Temple - It’s hard to believe that this surprisingly beautiful temple is built of recycled bottles. More than 1.5 million old glass bottles have been used to construct each and every element of the temple. Bottle caps have also been used as decorative pieces. Apart from being built from a sustainable material, the use of glass also allows enough natural light into the temple. The Wat Pa Maha Kaew Temple built in Thailand is an excellent architectural example of green building.

Shanghai Tower

6. Shanghai Tower - The twisting skyscraper due to be opened in the year 2014 is another energy-efficient building that not only looks mesmerizing but is also eco-friendly. The use of rainwater recovery and gray water recycling systems cut down the water use of the building by a minimum of 40%. The skyscraper also facilitates black water treatment and wind energy harvesting for water and electricity. Giant ice machines would help in the cooling and heating of the entire building. There are many more steps and measures in the building to make it all the more energy-efficient. Designed by leading architecture design firm, Gensler the 632 m tall asymmetrical Sanghai Tower is a true green building in all sense. 

Village Underground

7. Village Underground - In the heart of the East London lies a non-profit space for creativity made out of recycled trains, shipping containers, reclaimed sleepers, staircases, furniture and every other thing you can think of recycling. The center also makes use of solar panels and wind turbines to generate electricity for the office equipments, live concerts, theater and other performances. The creatively designed venue is home to more than 50 artists, writers, designers, filmmakers, musicians and more.

Ziggurat, Dubai

8. Ziggurat - Shaped like a pyramid, Ziggurat is a green building situated in Dubai. One of the leading environmental design companies in Dubai, Timelinks is in charge of the construction. The pyramid shaped architecture will be house to about one million people and would make use of steam power, wind turbine technology to harvest natural resources. Timelinks is also planning to utilize the nearby green spaces for farming. The highly innovative city plan would make it one of a kind of green project in the world. 

Free Spirit Spheres, in North-West Canada

9. Free Spirit Spheres - Handcrafted from fiberglass and shaped in the form of spheres the accommodation lies suspended in the air hung from the treetops. It can be lighted up or heated using the electrical system. The spherical architectures in the lap of nature provide a unique way of experiencing the coastal rain forests of North-West Canada. It has been designed by Tom Chudleigh, an architect from Canada. 

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

10. Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts - Studying in this green artistic building would be a joy to any student. The architecture makes excellent use of the glass for natural lighting and green vegetation to blend in with the surrounding. It also has an interestingly built roof that provides open space, insulates the building, cools the air, and helps in rainwater harvesting. The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore is an excellent place to study art and be inspired by the architecture itself. 

Source: http://bit.ly/NCy52y

10 inspiring, ‘sustainable’ Buildings

‘Sustainability’ is the megatrend for new-age Architecture.

Take a look at the Top 10 buildings with remarkable sustainability features that thrust green building into the realm of standard construction methods and reflect growing sense for conservancy for the environment. These buildings illustrate high-standards of green architecture that incorporates environmentally responsible principles.

10. CDC Division of Laboratory Sciences, Building 110

9. The Z6 House in Santa Monica, California

8. Chicago's Factor 10 House

7. Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, Oberlin, Ohio

6. Solar Umbrella House, Venice

5. Colorado Court Affordable Housing Project, Santa Montana

4. Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, Austin, Texas

3. The Lake View Terrace Library, Lake View Terrace 

2. Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse 

1. The Barn at Fallingwater, western Pennsylvania

Source: curiosity.discovery.com 

AIA COTE-Top Ten Green Architecture Projects of 2011

The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (AIA-COTE) announced its Top Ten Green Projects for 2011. Take a look at the top 10 firms and their outstanding work that represents a broad spectrum of practices and styles.

Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles, CA: + BROOKS + SCARPA (formerly Pugh + Scarpa)

First Unitarian Society Meeting House, Madison, WI : + The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc.

Kiowa County K-12 Schools, Greensburg, KS: + BNIM Architects

High Tech High Chula Vista, Chula Vista, CA: Studio E Architects

LIVESTRONG Foundation, Austin, TX: Lake|Flato Architects

LOTT Clean Water Alliance, USA : The Miller | Hull Partnership

OS House, Racine, WI: + Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Research Support Facility (RSF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO:  RNL Design

Step Up on 5th, Santa Monica, CA: Brooks + Scarpa (formerly Pugh + Scarpa)

Vancouver Convention Centre West, Vancouver, British Columbia: LMN Architects and DA/MCM