G_Rider

Green is the defining idea of our times; transgressing the boundaries of environment conferences, the green concern is seeping into households

Having facilities of rainwater harvesting and water treatment, an eco-chic habitat opens door in the Capital’s suburb.

Cruise down Gurgaon’s sector 18 on the old Delhi-Jaipur highway, and a marvelous 16-floor beige outfit with elegant brick patterns stands proud of its dusty neighbours. Walk into its 10 acre expanse and you realise it is more than an illustrious address for the well-heeled.


The 240 residential flats and villas of GurgaonOne, developed by Alpha G:Corp, come not only with an environment clearance from the National Environment Policy but the premises also boasts of facilities like energy conservation systems and waste management. “With ever increasing concern for our footprints on the environment, such habitats will soon become a norm rather than an exception,” says Col(retd) RS ‘Pickles’ Sodhi, managing director of Alpha G:Corp.


A 300 KLD sewage treatment plant has been installed two levels below the ground floor to treat the waste. The water filtered by this plant will be used for the 2 acres of green patch that envelopes the premise. The remaining sludge, compressed into cakes, will be used for manuring.
A stroll across the premise and you spot six 3-metre deep pits that are designed in the reverse mode of bore-wells to allow rainwater to seep into the ground. “We have incorporated simple and sustainable measures to make GurgaonOne eco-friendly. During the construction of this complex, we even relocated some of the neem trees standing here. It took us three months and 15 men to transport them,” says Ashish Sarin, CFO of Alpha G:Corp.


The second basement is fitted with a 1,80,000-litre water softening plant. “Water impurities in Gurgaon are reaching alarming levels, the plant will considerably reduce the hardness of water,” adds Sarin.
Cavity walls are designed to control the temperature of the homes. “Instead of using synthetic fibres for cooling, we have vacuum between the roof and the ceiling to control the room temperature. Also, double-duct intake will assure 20 per cent greater temperature control and power conservation,” says KN Sharma, senior manager of Alpha G:Corp.


For Baljeet Gill, who occupies a beautiful 2,400 sq feet flat on the fourth floor, it’s living in the lap of nature, “I moved in two weeks ago and the advantages of being in a green apartment are already surfacing. The rooms are cooler and we haven’t put on the air conditioner. If lucky, we can even spot peacocks at dawn.”


The developers of GurgaonOne spent nearly 15 per cent of the project cost on energy efficient, eco-friendly fixtures. “We had difficulty finding the right expertise and supplier,” says Sarin. Buyers, however, seemed prepared to shell out more. “When we began two years ago, it was a little difficult to explain the concept to buyers. Now people are ready to pay more,” he adds.


SK Jain, managing director of Environment Quality Management Services that was consulted for the project says: “Rather than just obtaining a clearance, builders are now taking environmental certifications seriously. Besides energy conservation, we consider a lot of aspects to incorporate eco-designs and make the building discharge free.”

The housing complex was also shortlisted for the Asia Pacific Sustainability Project of the Year Award (2007) at the Asia Pacific Real Estate Awards on April 10 at Shanghai, China.

realtyrider

Recently I came across an article which mentioned that eco-friendly buildings are becoming the new fashion of the Indian real estate sector. This silent revolution in India is being led by the IT industry. Due to the exponential growth of the IT sector and IT enabled services; there is huge demand for ultra modern, sophisticated and eco-friendly office spaces through out the country.
Being finally bored of the sick building syndrome “a combination of ailments associated with place of work or residence”, many Indian developers have started looking ways to go green with buildings designs- be in commercial or residential sector. Given the astronomical rise in fuel prices in the past few years, it's no surprise that energy efficiency is the top reason consumers choose green building these days.A green building can be termed so only if it meets certain strict parameters set by international leaders in the field like Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED). According to their criteria – a green building must perform well in the field of sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environment quality.The green building movement has its roots in the environmental and architectural design arenas. The initial goals of the movement were to change building construction and operations practices to reduce the environmental footprint of the overall built environment. Many economic development practitioners in towns and cities across the globe acknowledge that environmental stewardship is not only the ‘the right thing to do’, it is a valuable tool for marketing communities to a public that has become more environmental conscious. An emphasis on green building reflects a level of progressive leadership and ecological responsibility that can be attractive to individuals and businesses seeking quality locations to live work and play. Some of the economic development benefits of green building are-increased property value, rapid lease out than conventional building, easy recruitment of employees, helping reduce employee turnover and further leading to increased employee productivity, helping in building a positive public image, etc.Will this step leave a footprint in conserving the planet?