SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

GRIHA
NAME: AMEENA SHIRIN

INTRODUCTION
Most of the internationally devised rating systems have been tailored to suit the building industry of
the country where they were developed. TERI, being deeply committed to every aspect of sustainable
development, took upon itself the responsibility of acting as a driving force to popularize green
buildings by developing a tool for measuring and rating a building’s environmental performance in
the context of India’s varied climate and building practices. This tool, by its qualitative and
quantitative
assessment criteria, would be able to ‘rate’ a building on the degree of its ‘greenness’. The rating
applies to new building stock – commercial, institutional, and residential – of
varied functions. Endorsed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India
as of November 1 2007, GRIHA is a five star rating system for green buildings which emphasises
on passive solar techniques for optimizing indoor visual and thermal comfort. In order to address
energy efficiency, GRIHA encourages optimization of building design to reduce conventional energy
demand and further optimize energy performance of the building within specified comfort limits.
A building is assessed on its predicted performance over its entire life cycle from inception through
operation.
GRIHA was developed as an indigenous building rating system, particularly to address and
assess non-air conditioned or partially air conditioned buildings. GRIHA has been developed to rate
commercial, institutional and residential buildings in India emphasizing national environmental
concerns, regional climatic conditions, and indigenous solutions.
GRIHA stresses passive solar techniques for optimizing visual and thermal comfort indoors, and
encourages the use of refrigeration-based and energy-demanding air conditioning systems only in
cases of extreme thermal discomfort.
GRIHA integrates all relevant Indian codes and standards for buildings and acts as a tool to
facilitate implementation of the same. GRIHA attempts to minimize a building’s
resourceconsumption, waste generation, and overallecological/environmental impact by comparing
them tocertain nationally acceptable limits / benchmarks. This isachieved by adopting the five ‘R’
philosophy of sustainabledevelopment, namely
1 Refuse : to blindly adopt international trends,materials, technologies, products, etc.especially in
areas where localsubstitutes/equivalents are available
2 Reduce : the dependence on high energy products,systems, processes, etc.
3 Reuse : materials, products, traditionaltechnologies, so as to reduce the costsincurred in designing
buildings as well asin operating them
4 Recycle : all possible wastes generated from the building site, during construction,operation and
demolition
5 Reinvent : engineering systems, designs, and practices such that India creates globalexamples that
the world can follow ratherthan us following international example
 Green rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is India’s own rating system jointly
developed by TERI and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. It is a
green building design evaluation system where buildings are rated in a three-tier process. The process
initiates with the online submission of documents as per the prescribed criteria followed by on site
visit and evaluation of the building by a team of professionals and experts from GRIHA
Secretariat. GRIHA rating system consists of 34 criteria categorized in four different sections. Some
of them are
(1) Site selection and site planning,
(2) Conservation and efficient utilization of resources,
(3) Building operation and maintenance, and
(4) Innovation.
GRIHA is a Sanskrit word meaning – ‘Abode’. Human Habitats (buildings) interact with the
environment in various ways. Throughout their life cycles, from construction to operation and then
demolition, they consume resources in the form of energy, water, materials, etc. and emit wastes
either directly in the form of municipal wastes or indirectly as emissions from electricity generation.
GRIHA attempts to minimize a building’s resource consumption, waste generation, and overall
ecological impact to within certain nationally acceptable limits or benchmarks.

Apart from the basic function as a shelter, a building should provide two fundamental physiological
‘comforts’ to itsoccupants; they are:

Visual comfort (the ability to allow occupants to seeclearly for carrying out their daily
domestic/officialtasks), and

Thermal comfort (the ability to keep occupants coolin the summers and warm in the winters)To
provide these comforts, a building needs to consumeresources for construction and operation. In our
country, awell designed building is built out of concrete and bricks, andmay have a design life of up
to one hundred years. Duringsuch a period, a building consumes unimaginable quantities ofresources,
as indicated below:Land : Farms, forests, fertile land, marshesSoil :

Earth, clay, stone, lime, sand, silicaTrees :

Wood, ply, board, shutteringMetals :

Steel, iron, aluminium, copper, leadPlastics :

PVC, UPVC, PU (Polyurethane)Water :

Construction, landscape, cooling, washing,drinking, flushingElectricity :

Cooling, heating, lighting, pumping,entertainment, workingApart from consuming the above

resources, the buildingsgenerate a huge quantity of wastes also during theirconstruction and life
period, as indicated below:Site waste : Cut trees, vegetation, excavatedsoil, blasted stone,
rubbleConstruction waste :
Metals, boxes/cans, broken bricks,shuttering oilsSewage/sullage :

Black water, grey waterOrganic waste :

Peels, vegetables, fruitsInorganic wasteRecyclable waste :

Paper, glass, metals Non-recyclablewaste:

Demolition debris, all plastics,synthetic fibresE waste :

CDs, electronics, hardwareChemical waste :

BENEFITS OF GRIHA
The system, along with the activities and processes that lead up to it, will benefit the community
at large with the improvement in the environment by reducing GHG
(greenhouse gas) emissions, reducing energy consumption and the stress on natural resources.
Some of the benefits of a green design to a building owner, user, and the society as a whole are as
follows:
1. Reduced energy consumption without sacrificing the comfort levels.
2. Reduced destruction of natural areas, habitats, biodiversity, and reduced soil loss
From erosion etc.
1. Reduced Air and Water pollution(with direct health benefits)
2. Reduced water consumption
3. Limited waste generation due to recycling and reuse
4. Reduced pollution loads
5. Increased user productivity
6. Enhanced image and Marketability.
7. Reduce operating costs
8. Improve quality of life
GRIHA compliance for a typical office building used for 8 hours results in 30% - 50% reduction in
energy consumption compared to GRIHA benchmarks, 40 - 65 % reduction in building water
consumption compared to GRIHA base case and implementation of good practices on site at
no/negligible incremental cost.
It is envisaged that by the year 2015, the GRIHA footprint shall spread to 25 Mn sq m registered built
up area, which shall result in installation of approximately 18.5 MW of renewable energy,
approximately 5000 kl of hot water generation through solar water heaters, full compliance with the
Energy Conservation Building Code, energy savings approximately 40,000 million units (annually)
and water savings to provide for 67,500 urban homes.
GRIHA – the National Rating System evaluates theenvironmental performance of a building
holistically over itsentire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard forwhat constitutes a
‘green building’. The rating system basedon accepted energy and environmental principles will seek
tostrike a balance between the established practices andemerging concepts, both national and
international. Theguidelines/criteria appraisal may be revised every three yearsto take into account the
latest scientific developments duringthis period.On a broader scale, this system, along with the
activities and processes that lead up to it, will benefit the community atlarge with the improvement in
the environment by reducingGHG (Green House Gas) emissions, improving energysecurity, and
reducing the stress on natural resources.
ELIGIBILITY FOR OBTAINING GRIHA RATING
Except for industrial complexes, all buildings such as Offices, Retail malls, Institutions,
Hotels, Hospitals, Health care facilities, Residences, and Multifamily high rise buildings
In the pre-design or design stage are eligible for certification under GRIHA.
ADaRSH(Association for Development and Research of Sustainable Habitats) examine
Project documents to help project eligible for GRIHA rating and render requisite
Assistance for registration.
GRIHA assesses a building out of 34 criteria and awards points on a scale of 100. In order to
qualify for GRIHAcertification, a project must achieve at least 50 points. GRIHAis a guiding and
performance-oriented system where pointsare earned for meeting the design and performance intent
ofthe criteria. Each criterion has a number of points assigned toit. It means that a project intending to
meet the criterion wouldqualify for the points. Compliances, as specified in therelevant criterion, have
to be submitted in the prescribedformat. The points related to these criteria (specified under
therelevant sections) are awarded provisionally while certifyingand are converted to firm points
through monitoring,validation, and documents/photographs to support the awardof point. GRIHA has
a 100 point system consisting of somecore points, which are mandatory to be met while the rest
areoptional points, which can be earned by complying with thecommitment of the criterion for which
the point is allocated.The innovation points are available over and above the 100 point system.

VARIANTS OF GRIHA
1. SVA GRIHA : Small Versatile Affordable GRIHA was jointly developed by ADaRSH
and TERI. SVA GRIHA is a significantly simplified, faster, easier and more affordable
green building rating system and functions as a design cum rating tool. SVA
GRIHA has been designed as a variant of GRIHA specifically developed for
projects with built up area less than 2500 sq.m. SVA GRIHA can help in design
and rating individual residences, small offices, commercial and Institutional
buildings.
The rating comprises only 14 criteria analyzed using software tool, comprising simplified
calculators. These calculators can be filled using information from construction
drawings like areas and quantities of materials. This can be done easily by the
architect or consultant of the project. Once completed, the tool will inform the
architect or consultant the number of points that they are able to achieve in that
particular criterion as well as the overall points.

1. GRIHA : The GRIHA V 2015 rating system consists of 31 criteria categorized under
various sections such as Site Planning, Construction Management,
Occupant Comfort and Well-being, Sustainable Building Materials,
Performance Monitoring and Validation, and Innovation.
 All buildings, which are in the design stage and have built up area more
than 2,500 m2, are eligible for certification under GRIHA. Building types
include, but are not limited to offices, retail spaces, institutional buildings,
hotels, hospital buildings, health care facilities, residences, and
Multifamily high-rise buildings.
GRIHA is a 100-point system consisting of some core points, which are
mandatory, while the rest are optional. Different levels of certification
(one star to five stars) are awarded based on the number of points earned.
The minimum points required for certification are 25.

GRIHA V 3 rating system consists of 34 criteria covering various subjects

such as sustainable site planning, energy and water optimization,
sustainable building materials, waste management and building
operations & maintenance. There are bonus points for strategies
implemented over and above the listed GRIHA Criteria.
All buildings, which are in the design stage and have built up area more
than 2,500 m2, m2, which are in the design stage, are eligible for
certification under GRIHA. Building types include but are not limited to
offices, retail spaces, institutional buildings, hotels, hospital buildings,
Health care facilities, residences, and multifamily high-rise buildings.
GRIHA is a 100-point system consisting of some core points, which are
mandatory, while the rest are optional. Different levels of certification
(one star to five stars) are awarded based on the number of points
earned.
The minimum points required for certification are 50.

1. GRIHA LD :1)GRIHA Council, in association with The Energy and Resources Institute
(TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), has
launched the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)and
Simple Versatile Affordable GRIHA (SVA GRIHA).
2)In is to address and promote green buildings in India.
3)A need was felt to create a framework to assess the environmental
performance of larger developments the singular units which together
make up neighbourhood or Townships.
4)GRIHA Council along with TERI has developed a rating system for large
developments titled – GRIHA LD (Larger Developments).
5)The intent is to provide a consolidated framework for assessment of
environmental impacts of large scale developments.
6)Total site area greater than or equal to 50 hectares.

In GRIHA LD the development will be evaluated in six different sections

as listed below:
 1. Site planning
2. Energy
3. Water and waste water
4. Solid waste management
5. Transport
6. Social
CRITERIA
Criterion 1 Site Selection
Criterion 2 Preserve and protect landscape during construction/compensatory depository
forestation.
Criterion 3 Soil conservation (post construction)
Criterion 4 Design to include existing site features
Criterion 5 Reduce hard paving on site
Criterion 6 Enhance outdoor lighting system efficiency
Criterion 7 Plan utilities efficiently and optimize on-site circulation efficiency
Criterion 8 Provide minimum level of sanitation/safety facilities for construction workers
Criterion 9 Reduce air pollution during construction
Criterion 10 Reduce landscape water demand
Criterion 11 Reduce building water use
Criterion 12 Efficient water use during construction
Criterion 13 Optimize building design to reduce conventional energy demand
Criterion 14 Optimize energy performance of building within specified comfort limits
Criterion 15 Utilization of fly-ash or equivalent industrial/agricultural waste as recommended by
BIS in building structures
Criterion 16 Reduce embodied energy of construction is reduced by adopting material efficient
technologies and/or low-energy materials
Criterion 17 Use low-energy materials in Interiors
Criterion 18 Renewable energy utilization
Criterion 19 Renewable energy based hot water system
Criterion 20 Waste water treatment
Criterion 21 Water recycle and reuse (including rainwater)
Criterion 22 Reduction in waste during construction
Criterion 23 Efficient Waste segregation
Criterion 24 Storage and disposal of wastes
Criterion 25 Resource recovery from waste
Criterion 26 Use of low-VOC paints/adhesives/sealants
Criterion 27 Minimize ozone depleting substances
Criterion 28 Ensure water quality
Criterion 29 Acceptable outdoor and indoor noise levels
Criterion 30 Tobacco and smoke control
Criterion 31 Provide at least the minimum level of accessibility for persons with disabilities
Criterion 32 Energy audit and validation
Criterion 33 Operation and Maintenance
Criterion 34 Innovation Point

Certain criteria / sub-criteria are mandatory and have to

be complied for the project to be at all eligible for rating.
Project scoring
1. 50-60 points is certified as a 1 star GRIHA rated building,
2. 61-70 is a 2 star GRIHA rated building,
3. 71-80 is a 3 star GRIHA rating building,
4. 81-90 is a 4 star GRIHA rated building and
5. 91-100 is a 5 star GRIHA rated building
The guidelines/criteria and appraisal norms is revised
every three years or sooner to take into account the latest
innovations/best practices happening during this period.
SVA GRIHA (Simple Versatile Affordable GRIHA) has been
developed by ADaRSH in collaboration with TERI and is
currently under pilot stage. This variant of GRIHA is meant to
simplify, and make the greening of small buildings (less than
2500 sqm built-up area) affordable.

New Interim Terminal Building (Domestic), Vijayawada Airport

Location : Krishna District, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Site Area : 70150 m2
Built up Area : 12999 m2
Air-conditioned Area : 11660 m2
Non Air- conditioned Area : 1339 m2
Energy Consumption Reduction : 42.67% reduction in energy consumption compared to
GRIHA benchmark has been achieved by the project.
Energy Performance Index (EPI) : 257.99 KWh/ m2/year
Renewable Energy : 15 kWp Solar PV installation
GRIHA provisional rating : 3 Stars
Year of completion : 2018
The following strategies were adopted to reduce the building impact on the natural environment:
Þ Sustainable Site Planning:
• Top soil was preserved and mulched with organic matter to maintain its fertility and was later
reused for landscaping.
• Air pollution control measures such as site barricading were implemented during construction to
contain pollution.
• Out of 4 existing mature trees, 2 mature trees were preserved and in addition compensatory
plantation of 254 trees was done on site.
Þ Reducing water consumption:
• Reduction of 64.4% from the GRIHA base case has been demonstrated in building water use by
installing water efficient flush systems and flow fixtures.
• STP with 200 KLD capacity is proposed at site with MBBR technology process to treat 100% of
the waste water generated at site.
• Water stored in temporary sedimentation tank at site was used for curing during construction.
Þ Energy Optimization:
• For achieving visual comfort:
» 54% of the habitable spaces in the building are day lit and meet the daylight factors as per GRIHA
requirements.
» 36% of the habitable spaces in the building are day lit and meet the daylight factors as per GRIHA.
» Longer sides of most of the building blocks are facing Eastern and Western direction.
• For achieving thermal comfort:
» AAC blocks and rock wool insulation was considered for external wall & roof respectively to
maintain the thermal comfort within the building.
» Water cooled screw chillers and VRF system have been installed to achieve cooling load & thermal
comfort of the project.
» Longer sides of most of the building blocks are facing Northern and Southern direction.
Þ Renewable energy technologies integration:
• 15kW solar PV system has been installed, which will offset 8.37% of the total internal lighting
energy consumption requirement.
Þ Sustainable Building Materials:
• The embodied energy of the non-structural applications has been reduced by 8.48% by using solid
AAC
block and fly ash bricks.
• Indoor air quality has been maintained by using 100% interiors finishes with no/low VOC content
(adhesives and sealants).
Integrated Design Team:
Client : M/s., Airports Authority of India
Main Contractor, Structure Consultant
& Electrical Consultant : M/s., Simplex Infrastructure Limited
Project Management Consultancy : M/s STUP Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
Design Consultant : M/s MEINHARDT
Main Architect & Landscape Architect : M/s Studio Dra Architects
Green Building Design & Certification : M/s GreenTree Building Energy Pvt. Ltd.
II. CASE STUDY
Pimpri Chinchwad New Town Development Authority
Location : Akurdi, Pune
Site Area : 20344 sqm
Built-up Area : 10835 sqm
Air-conditioned Area : 607 sqm
Non Air-conditioned Area : 10228 sqm
Energy consumption reduction: 46% from GRIHA benchmark
Water consumption reduction: 71% from GRIHA benchmark
EPI: 17 kWh/sqm/year
Occupancy hours : 8 hours
Renewable energy installed on site : 100 kWP
GRIHA rating: 5 Stars
Client : Pimpri Chinchwad New Town development Authority
Architect : Landmark Design Group, Pune
HVAC System : Federal Consultant, Pune
Electrical Consultant : Federal Consultant, Pune
Interiors : Landmark Design Group,Pune
GRIHA Rating Consultant : The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi.