Letter: Green building concept

“Going Green” has become the watchword in today’s real estate market. The concept of “Green Building” aims at increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water and materials — while reducing the impact of the building on human health and its surrounding environment during its lifecycle, through better design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal and recycle of waste.

Maximizing the use of daylight, reducing the building’s power burden, and optimizing the cooling and heating loads of a building are few of such measures. Some systematic approaches such as LEED (USGBC), GRIHA (IGBC) and others can help in sustainable development, but the importance of going green is not absolutely credited in terms of project cost and business value.

Today, a general awareness of Green Buildings in India is still scattered, but it is improving rapidly amongst all sectors. The integrated and holistic approach towards construction of modern green structures is emerging with accelerated awareness and the government also provides incentives to architects and consultants who design buildings with green architectural concepts and get them rated under the GRIHA/IGBC systems.

This has encouraged builders to construct buildings that are designed, built and operated in a manner that improves the health, well-being and productivity of people and the environment.

Vivek Rawat
New Delhi