Green Buildings in Kolkata

A building that uses environmentally responsible and resource-efficient processes of creation that reduce or eliminate negative impacts on our climate and natural environment while still being able to produce a building that would serve its purpose is a ‘green building or a ‘sustainable building’. A sustainable building will be resource-efficient throughout its life cycle from planning and construction to demolition. The building will promote a healthy environment in and around its surroundings and will not deplete or disrupt the natural resources available. These buildings minimize energy and water consumption and are a key part of sustainable urban development that seeks to combat climate change. 

The specific definition of what constitutes a green home or green building is still a work in progress. A wide range of programs, ranking systems, and legislation define standards in diverse ways, sparking heated discussion throughout the country. Although new technologies are continually being created to supplement current methods in developing greener structures, the primary goal of green buildings is to lessen the built environment’s overall impact on human health and the natural environment. The values which the green buildings must hold are:

 1) Optimize size potential – This includes proper site selection, taking into account any existing buildings or infrastructure, street and home orientation for passive and active solar features, access roads, parking, and potential hazards, and any high priority resources that should be conserved such as trees, waterways, snags and animal habitats. 

 2) Minimize energy use and use renewable energy strategies – This includes the importance of dramatically reducing the overall energy loads, limiting the number of fossil fuels required, incorporating renewable energy systems such as photovoltaics, and using green power to reduce the creation of greenhouse gases. 

 3) Use environmentally preferable products – Using Recycled products which would conserve natural resources, using products that would require low maintenance. 

 4) Enhanced indoor environmental quality – which would include improved indoor air quality and water quality, increased thermal comfort, appropriate ventilation, and moisture control, and overall improved morale for us human beings.

 5) Conserve and protect water – this would include planning and constructing the home to preserve water both inside and outside and ensuring that there are minimal leaks during construction. 

 6) Optimize operations and maintenance practices – using materials and systems that simplify and reduce operational requirements, require less water, energy, and toxic chemicals and cleaner to maintain; are cost-effective, and reduce life-cycle costs. 

 7) Conservation of sparse natural resources

 8) Regional Priority – Improving the environment, social equality, and public health in the area where it is located.

The three primary predefined rating systems to certify green buildings in India are:

 1) GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment)

 2) IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) 

 3) BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) 

 The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) is India’s premier body for green building certification and related services. The green projects are given a green signal according to the IGBC rating system which is a voluntary, consensus-based, market-driven building program. The rating systems are based on the five elements( or Panchabhutas) of nature which are a perfect blend of ancient architectural practices and modern technological innovations. 

 Each rating system is divided into different levels of certification as follows:

 * ‘Certified’ – to recognize best practices 

 * ‘Silver’ – to recognize outstanding performance 

 * ‘Gold’ – to recognize national excellence 

 * ‘Platinum’ to recognize global leadership 

According to a study reported by the IGBC, the operating cost of green buildings is 25-30 percent less than any other residential buildings. The most notable advantage of owning a green home is the immediate decrease in energy and water expenditures. With the rising issues of global warming and climate change taking the centre stage, green buildings are a sustainable source to save the environment and cut down the carbon footprint to a considerable extent. One of the largest green buildings in India is in Salt Lake, Kolkata, built-in 2006 called Technopolis. To reach Technopolis, you need to board the East-West Metro route from Phoolbagan which will take you to the last stop which is Salt Lake Sector V, from there you can get any private or public bus to Technopolis. If you’re coming from the Airport then take any private or public bus and head to Bidhannagar station, walk a few miles towards Ultadanga Hudco and take any private or public bus to reach Technopolis. If you don’t want to travel through the busy crowded buses you can simply take an Uber. 

 Recently in August 2020, New Town was awarded the ‘Platinum-rated Green City Certificate which is a prestigious award that was previously conferred only to four other cities – Chennai, Amravati, Rajkot, and Dholera. Some other certified green buildings in Kolkata are:

The spectre of many impacts of climate change and other environmental threats calls for a new architecture, a green architecture. Building energy consumption has been highlighted as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions as well as a significant opportunity to minimize these emissions. 

The demand for green buildings is no longer a novelty or afterthought. It will most likely become as important as fire safety and other types of life safety in buildings in future years. As a result, there is a pressing need to elevate green buildings beyond demonstration, boutique status, and status symbolism and instead to weave green building entrepreneurship into the very fabric of architecture, construction, building ownership, and most important – sustainability.