A

Study Tour Report on

Cost Effective Architecture Site Visit to New Delhi

Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Amity University
Rajasthan

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY: -

Ar. Abhishek Sharma Peeyush Jain
Professor Govind Gopal Nair
ASAP, AUR Bhupesh Choudhary
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Amity School of Architecture, & Planning
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 Amity University, Kant Kalwar, NH-11C, Jaipur

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INDIRA PARYAVARAN BHAWAN .............................................................. 4

1.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 4
1.2 ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT................................................................................ 4
1.3 ENERGY EFFICIENCY ............................................................................................ 6
1.4 STRUCTURAL DESIGN .......................................................................................... 7
1.5 ZERO NET ENERGY CONCEPT ............................................................................ 8
1.6 ECO-FRIENDLY FEATURES ...................................................................................... 9
1.7 ROBOTIC CAR PARKING CONCEPT ................................................................. 10
CHAPTER 2: ANANTPUR BUILDING CENTER ............................................................... 12
2.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 12
2.2 SITE STUDY ................................................................................................................ 17
2.3 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................... 17
2.4 TECHNOLOGY USED ................................................................................................ 17
2.5 SPECIALITY ................................................................................................................ 17
CHAPTER 3: DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES ............................................................. 18
3.1 INTRODUCTION:........................................................................................................ 18
3.2 SITE STUDY ................................................................................................................ 18
3.3 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................... 19
3.4 TECHNOLOGY USED ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.5 SPECIALITY ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
CHAPTER 4: TERI UNIVERSITY (SAS) ............................................................................. 24
4.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 24
4.2 SITE AND DESIGN ..................................................................................................... 24
4.3 ELEMENTS OF DESIGN: ........................................................................................... 25
4.4 ELEMENTS: AIR ......................................................................................................... 27
4.5 ELEMENTS: WATER.................................................................................................. 27
4.7 ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION ............................................................................ 29

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Figure 1: Building orientation as per Site Conditions. ............................................................. 4
Figure 2: Building Orientation as Per Wind Direction ............................................................ 5
Figure 3: Schematic Floor Plan (Ground Floor) ...................................................................... 7
Figure 4: Site and Water Mar Management System ................................................................ 9
Figure 5: Energy Conservation Measures .............................................................................. 10
Figure 6: RCC Light Shelf Details ......................................................................................... 11

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CHAPTER 1: INDIRA PARYAVARAN BHAWAN

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Indira Paryavaran Bhawan is located in New Delhi which is the first zero net energy building
constructed in India with passive solar power generation.

This building is a Net zero energy building which is an outcome of energy efficient architectural,
structural, material, electrical and air-conditioning design.

A zero-energy or a net zero building is a building with zero net energy consumption from external
source, which means that the total amount of energy which is used by the building on an annual basis
is almost equal to the amount of renewal energy produced at site.

1.2 ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT

The building is the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change,
constructed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Government of India.

Figure 1: Building orientation as per Site Conditions.

The building is seven stories high above the ground level with 3 basements and a total plinth area of
32,000.00 Sq. Mtrs.

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The building has an advantage of natural ventilation throughout, with a central courtyard between the
North and South blocks. These blocks are connected through corridors with stone jaalis and
balustrades above the 4th floor level. An entrance atrium of four storeys height has been made in the
middle of the North block and in the entrance to the South block. The building has large span trusses
at terrace and space frames in the central courtyard to support solar panels.

Figure 2: Building Orientation as Per Wind Direction

The AC plant room, electric substation, DG sets, fire-fighting pumps, robotic parking for 330 cars
and sewage treatment plants are located in the basements. Pedestrian entry has been provided in the
front with vehicular access on the sides. Trees have been preserved to the extent possible and local
materials used, besides reflective roofing, low heat transmission glass, energy efficient materials and
practices. Dholpur stone cladding has been provided over fly ash brick/AAC block walls up to two
and half storeys.

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1.3 ENERGY EFFICIENCY
The building has been made energy efficient through onsite solar power generation, reduction of
conventional lighting load by enabling 75% day light use, generation of energy by deploying thin
film transparent PV modules on space frame over the terrace and central courtyard, use of high
efficiency lighting fixtures, astronomical/time switches and occupancy sensors.

 About 40% energy saving achieved in this building

 About 55% saving in use of water
 Against the conventional energy demand of 22 lakh units per year, actual energy demand was
brought down to only 14 lakh units per year
 Entire energy demand of 14 lakh units generated through highest efficiency mono crystalline
SPV panels.
 Energy generated fed to NDMC grid from where supply is taken, thereby offsetting total
energy demand.
 Thus, annual electricity bill is zero or negative i.e. net revenue on account of excess solar
power generation.

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 Figure 3: Schematic Floor Plan (Ground Floor)

1.4 STRUCTURAL DESIGN

RCC framed structures, steel structures and composite structures have been used. The building is
designed for earthquake forces of seismic zone IV, and it has a raft foundation.

The main building has been designed as RCC framed structure. It has two blocks connected with
corridors from 2nd floor onwards. Each of these two blocks have been divided into three parts by
providing two seismic joints of 250 mm width each. Normal grids are 6M X 6M with column size
750MM X 750MM.

Seven storeyed composite columns have been erected over RCC columns of the basement. deflection.
To create total required area of 6000 Sq. Mtr. for supporting solar panels, the entire central courtyard
was covered with a space frame. In view of the high maintenance required for the solar panels, an
adequate number of catwalks were provided in the entire supporting structure, with perforated bottom
for easy draining of rain water. Out of the total area of 6000 m2, the area covered by panels is 4600
m2 and by catwalks it is 1400 m2.

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To generate 100% onsite power of the required capacity, covering of open to sky area in the central
courtyard was designed to support the solar panels. For this, a space frame was provided at a height
of 35 m.

Since the area of covering of the central courtyard was inadequate for the required solar panels, the
terrace of 2200 sqm was covered with MS box section with 6m cantilevers all around the building
and 12m at the corners. Additionally, a 6m cantilever was provided at the 4th floor level on the south
face of the building.

1.5 ZERO NET ENERGY CONCEPT

This building is the first ever zero net energy multi storeyed building with 100% onsite renewable
solar power generation. It has the highest green rating by GRIHA as 5 star and Platinum rating by
LEED India. With a solar power system of installed capacity 930 KWp, it has the largest rooftop solar
system in a multi storeyed building in India.

Brief details of solar power are given in the following;

Annual power demand: 14 lakh units (KWh)

Annual power generation: 14 lakh units (KWh)

Total area of solar panels: 4600 m2

Total area of the system including catwalks: 6000 m2

Photo voltaic panels: Mono crystalline, 20% efficiency

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 Figure 4: Site and Water Mar Management System

1.6 ECO-FRIENDLY FEATURES

 Chilled beam system of HVAC

 Geothermal heat exchange system
 Regenerative lifts
 Fully automated car parking in basements
 Building orientation in E-W direction
 Blocks connected with corridors and central courtyard
 Building envelope designed to ensure daylight in 75% occupied areas
 Plantation and grassing in more than 50% area
 Grass pavers in circulation areas
 Terrace garden
 Energy efficient air conditioning system and lighting
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  Conversion of braking energy into electricity in lifts
 LED lights, occupancy and Lux level sensors
 Low discharge water fixtures
 Landscaping with no hard paving eliminating heat island effect
 Fly ash-based products in construction

Figure 5: Energy Conservation Measures

1.7 ROBOTIC CAR PARKING CONCEPT

All three basements have been used for automatic parking system. First basement was designed for
car entry and exit lobby and puzzle parking system, and the second and third for robotic dolly parking
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system. There were two ramps: one for
car entry and the other for exit. First
basement has a capacity of 49,
second basement of 126 and third of 170.
A vehicle will always be parked on
steel stalls installed floor. The dolly
always carries the car, supporting it
from the bottom area of the 4 wheels.

Figure 6: RCC Light Shelf Details

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CHAPTER 2: ANANGPUR BUILDING CENTER
2.1 INTRODUCTION

The Anangpur Building Centre is an entrepreneur Building Centre initiated in 1991 by Prof. Anil Laul,
who has been involved with pioneering work in the field of Appropriate Technologies for three decades.
The Centre has been the forerunner of the Building Centre movement in India. The issues it addresses
are right from the Brick as a basic element in building and its appropriateness to high-end technology
structures such as Space Frames and Geodesics.

Unfortunately, apart from high technology surfacing materials that have emerged over the years, the
basic performance criterion required of a walling material remains unexplored. An analytical approach
plus a re-examination of requirements of an appropriate walling material has resulted in surface-
engineered walling blocks {impermeable diaphragm with lean back-up}, which have been successfully
used by Anangpur Building Centre in several projects.

Anil laul hosue

Built on 6,000 square feet, the house has a certain rustic charm to it, drawing students of architecture as
well as architects and planners who find it an apt example of a low-cost, eco-friendly house which also
helps protect, conserve and recycle resources.

According to Laul, this was quarried land when he bought it way back in 1987. He also said that since
most of the construction materials were already available here, all they needed were laborers to work.
He wanted to preserve the natural look of the land as far as possible and worked with the elements of
nature including the sun and wind.
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An interesting facet of the house is that it is built below mean ground level and according to the
architect, there is logic in this surprise element and it is to do with insulation. Also, the house becomes
earthquake-resistant, he says.

No attempt is made to mask the fact that the walls lack plaster. Instead of using regular bricks that are 3
or 4 inches in breadth for the walls, Laul used stones that are 12 to 18 inches thick. Says the architect:
"The thickness of the walls insulates the house in such a manner that it is cool in summer and warm
during winter. We seldom need to use the air conditioner."
The garden is landscaped by boulders and the impressive stone steps leading into the house, the
courtyard and passages have all been constructed with stone left over from the construction of the
house.
The main drawing room opens onto the lawn and is used for entertaining guests.

stone steps that lead into the central courtyard.

The house, constructed on the principles of the late architect Laurie Baker, cost just Rs 1.2 million in
1993.
Instead of terming it low-cost technology, he insists on calling it appropriate technology.
According to Laul, the term low-cost is considered by some to mean a structure meant for slum dwellers. But
he wants to dispel this image. For him, alternative skills mean value-added construction for the same value of money.
“I am living in an area where stones and coarse sand are available in plenty. I have used those materials to build my
house. It is just that common, sensible approaches and practical structures are considered extraordinary and my
house has become the talk of the town," he says.
"One has to stress how we blend architecture, engineering, art and artisans. But rarely does one see the integration of
all four. Do that and the structure becomes sustainable,'' says Anil, who is an adviser on various technological
committees and art commissions, and has assisted in the development of local and national housing policies.
"I would say that in a way even a Rolls Royce is low-cost, because its performance is so fantastic that you get value
for money," says the architect.
Anil's large living room with its rough-hewn granite walls exudes cool chic. Though there is an
overwhelming tone of grey, it is masterfully set off by eclectic objects d'art and tastefully arranged
furniture. Vivid hues of the upholstery give it a contemporary finish.

According to Laul, he has built an ‘introverted’ house. The master bedroom is at the centre of the house
and there is a reason for this. It offers a clear view of the courtyard and from there, the occupant can
spot visitors as soon as they enter the perimeter. The living room for guests as well as the kitchen is also

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visible from there.
The architect has used a revolutionary concept in roofing, the funicular shell, to great effect. The
funicular shell is more efficient than the standard RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) as far as insulation
and weather protection are concerned.

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The concrete beams run diagonally to the walls of the building, for earthquake resistance.
Colored tiles, pieces of marble, waste granite... all have been recycled and used in some way, adding to
the house's allure. The house has been painted just once in its lifetime. This is because according to him
paint is the main cause of environmental degradation.
Sofas, beds, bathtubs, counters are all inbuilt, thus reducing the cost of furnishings drastically. The
interiors are tastefully accentuated by accessories, giving the home a modern look.

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During the monsoon when there is a threat of floods, a drainage system has been built in such
a way that no water collects around the structure. The drain empties into areas a little away
from the house but no water leaves the premises.
The kitchen and bath wastewater empty near the banana and papaya trees in the garden –
another novel method to watering the plants but in a cost-efficient way.
Contrary to popular belief, low-cost housing is not a structure for the poor, it means cutting
unnecessary expenditure even while building a beautiful house. It is about reducing
construction costs by using alternative methods of construction, using local and indigenous
building materials, local skills, energy savers and environment-friendly options and other

effective measures.
2.2 SITE STUDY
2.3 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
2.4 TECHNOLOGY USED
2.5 SPECIALITY

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CHAPTER 3: DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES
3.1 INTRODUCTION:

The architects combined modern technology with forms, materials, and elements of traditional
Indian architecture to give rise to a building design which is climate responsive and that aims
at zero emissions (grave to cradle approach).

3.2 CLIMATE:
Type : Composite
In summer : Day time temperature is 32 to 45 degree celsius
In night time 27 to 32
In winters : Day time 10 to 25
Night time 4 to 10
Monsoon : Strong winds from north east and south east
Design Objective : Resist heat gain in summers and heat loss in winters

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3.3 DESIGN STRATEGIENS AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENT:
Design Strategy Achieved By
1. Decrease exposed surface area Orientation
2. Increase thermal capacity Fenestrations
3. Increase buffer space Glazing
4. Increase shading Insulation
5. Increase surface reflectivity Courtyard Planning

3.4 PLANS AND FAÇADE STUDY:

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3.5 FENESTRATIONS:

1. The design of each facade is different, especially the fenestration, in response to

2. solar orientation and view.
3. Those facing east and west, which take the brunt of the morning and afternoon
4. sun, are kept small and shaded by sunscreens or by the building volume itself.
5. The windows in the west facade are blinkered with prism-shaped protrusions
6. that blocks the afternoon summer sun while permitting views of the forest.
7. Windows are shaded during warm seasons.
8. Vines climb the pergolas and east and west walls to reduce heat gain.

3.6 GLAZING AND WINDOWS

1. Windows are only 20% of the total exposed surface.
2. The size of the windows is just adequate to keep the building well illuminated and to
reduce heat gain.

Three types of glazing are used in the building:

1. Fixed insulating glass panels with a 16mm air space,

2. Operable windows with insulating glass with a 16mm air space,
3. Windows consisting of a fixed single-pane outer panel and an operable inner sash, with
an adjustable venetian blind in between.

3.7 INSULATION

Roof surfaces are finished in white tile to reflect instead of absorb thermal energy.

Vines trained on many facades shade the building to reduce heat gain.Balconies and verandas
not only shade windows below, but mediate between indoors and outdoors.

The shading grills with planters and daylight reflectors on the north and south sides moderate
the summer sun and intense light.

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3.8 ILLUMINATION:
All workspaces are illuminated by daylight, which is modulated for glare-free distribution.

1. The conference room has roof lights that can be closed with shutters when the room
must be darkened.
2. General illumination at night is 150 to 200 lux.

3.9 COURTYARD PLANNING:

1. Central courtyard takes the hot air from the surrounding areas and gives it vertical
column to rise.(Shaft effect)
2. Allows daylight to enter in the building.
3. The three-story trickle fountain in the courtyard moderates the air temperature and does
not allow excess heat gain.

3.10 SYMBOLIC BAOLI

DA building has a cool, shaded sitting place, a modern reinterpretation of stepwells.

It is circular with loosely concentric steps descending toward a symbolic pool of water at the
center.

The cylindrical room is lighted solely from above by a symmetrical arrangement of ten
clerestory windows and an oculus, which is the entire domed roof itself, woven from bamboo
stalks.

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CHAPTER 4: TERI UNIVERSITY (SAS)
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Built on around 2 acres of land in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, the building is four storeyed
structure in masonry, with stone cladding and glazings.

It is an example of a sustainable campus responding to the site and environment using energy
saving technologies.

4.2 SITE AND DESIGN

The linear geometry of the site with a narrow frontage and an aspect ratio of almost 1:3 dictated
the strong linear axis in the design.

The logical sequence of positioning the three distinct functioning zones in a hierarchy of public
access to restricted entry formed the other key consideration in design development. Placing
the commercial block at the front was the most logical choice in exploiting the commercial

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potential of the frontage of the site. The functional core also coincides with the geometric
central part of the linear site.

The residential zone comes up from the rear forming the last zone in the linear sequence. That
the design responds to orientation and climatic factors, is but an obvious fact.

The north line is at a slight angle to the linear axis of the site and the design takes full advantage
of this orientation in the composition of the built and open spaces and in creating wind flows
through the complex as also lighting and shading of the spaces.

4.3 ELEMENTS OF DESIGN:

The Sun, Sky, Air, Water and Earth shape the nature of architecture which emerges on this site.
The process of continuous dialogue between the architect and TERI and the engagement of
TERI in the design process augmented the thrust on climate responsive design in a large way.

Sun Passive solar design is an important feature in the design of this building. The planning
and orientation of spaces and building blocks ensures glare free daylight in all regularly
occupied spaces.

All
the

linear blocks are oriented in the East-West direction with shorter facades facing the sun. Most
of the south west facing walls are kept blank in order to protect the building from the harsh
south west solar radiations.

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Where the south west walls have openings, they are protected by means of pergolas or
projecting balconies.

The east, west and south facades of the building have minimum glazing.

Few of the south facing

walls are mounted with
aero screen louvers (Hunter
Douglas) fixed at an angle of
35deg. This ensures that the
winter sun is let in whereas the
summer sun is blocked. The
use of louvers in front of the
glazed walls also reduces
the heating up of the glass
facade considerably

The walls that are exposed to the harsh solar rays have a stone cladding which is fixed to the
wall by channels. The air gap between the wall and the stone cladding in itself acts as an
insulation layer. On the western façade, rock wool insulation is also provided in the wall.
Energy efficiency is further enhanced by Vermiculite insulation in parts of the roof slab.

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4.4 ELEMENTS: AIR
The predominant wind direction is taken into account in designing the open spaces. The central
atrium acts as an air funnel defined by the other buildings. The opening oriented in the
prevailing wind direction catches the outside air and channelizes it through a narrow stretch of
the block before releasing it into the central court area.

The central atrium is also proposed to be covered with an automatic adjustable louvre system
(Vergola). The angle of the louvres can be adjusted to block the solar radiations during summer
and to allow ample sunlight during winter. The system is further proposed to be integrated with
photo voltaic panels. The louvres if kept closed can effectively prevent rain water from entering
the atrium during the rainy season.

4.5 ELEMENTS: WATER

Vasant Kunj being a water starved area, incorporation of water saving fixtures and rain water
harvesting was an important concern in the design brief from the very beginning. Water and
waste management systems are important features of the building design.

All buildings in the campus have been provided with low flow fixtures such as dual flush
toilets, low flow taps and sensor taps that result in 25% savings in water use. The waste water
generated from the hostel block is treated through efficient biological processes using a

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combination of microorganisms and bio-media filter. This treatment system requires less area
and low energy. The treated water meets the prescribed standards for landscape irrigation.

Rainwater harvesting is also an important concept which contributes to efficient water

management. The average annual rainfall of Delhi is 611mm. Rainwater run off from the roof
and the site are tapped to recharge the aquifer. This enhances the sustainable yield in areas
where over development has depleted the aquifer. The excess surface water is also conserved
and stored for future requirements. The quality of existing ground water is also improved
through dilution.

4.6 ELEMENTS: EARTH

The campus is equipped with three types of cooling systems

(i)Variable Refrigerant Volume system (VRV),

(ii) Earth Air Tunnel (EAT)

(iii) Thermal Mass Storage

The VRV system is proposed for the peripheral commercial block and the administrative block
of the institute. This state-of- the-art air conditioning system, which is similar to a split AC is
highly efficient under partial loading conditions and beneficial to areas with varying
occupancy. It allows customized control of individual zones eliminating the use of chilled
water piping, ducting and plant room.

The use of Earth Air Tunnel gives an energy saving of nearly 50% as compared to the
conventional system Thermal mass storage used for cooling the classrooms and labs involves
storing energy when available and using it when required. Here, cooling of thermal mass is
done during night. This cool thermal mass is used to cool air in day time. This system gives an
energy saving of up to 40%

The Earth Air Tunnel (EAT) is used in the hostel blocks. This is a dual heating-cooling system
using the heat sink property of the earth to maintain comfortable temperatures inside the
building. Air which passes through the buried pipes gets cooled in summer and heated up in
winter. A lot of research went in to the design of this system. Airtron, the Air-conditioning
consultants for the project in collaboration with faculty of Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore simulated the system and refined it to perfection. On continuous uninterrupted use
in extreme heat conditions as in Delhi, this system faces the problem of the earth around the

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tunnel getting heat saturated and reducing the effectiveness of cooling. A recovery time is
required for the earth to dissipate the heat from the immediate surroundings. After rigorous
experiments and simulations, a second loop of tubes was created and the two loops used
alternately to provide sufficient recovery time to the earth around and maintain the performance
effectiveness of the system.

4.7 ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION

The form and massing of the campus responds entirely to climate and the site. The south-west
walls with few fenestrations and stone cladding, responding to the climatic conditions, forms
an impenetrable wall, providing, as it were, a visual cue to the inherent resistance of the
structure to inclement weather. Pergolas, overhangs and balconies form visual links as well as
create drama in light and shade, which is quintessential to Mohe's work. The northern walls, in
contrast, are lightweight with their glazing and large fenestrations, once again in response to
the site and climate. The louvers on the glazing create interesting visuals on the facade. The
overall composition of transparency and opacity unfolds to the viewer with changing
orientations within the site.

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