Category Archives: News

Another Comparison of Environmental Rating Systems

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It took a question by a friend on BREEAM that made me do a search on the subject. Was surprised to find there was another system that I hadn’t heard of called Estidama Pearls which has grown out of Abu Dhabi. What is unique about the Pearls rating system is that unlike BREEAM and LEED, it is integrated into the design process right from the early stages.  Also, unlike the others which are voluntary, this one is going to become a mandatory part of the development codes – something that Sunita Narain wrote about in this article.

As you scroll down the page of the article, don’t miss the table giving credit weightage for different aspects of the design. Surprisingly, BREEAM and LEED are very close in that respect but Pearls seems to have beaten its own track. Now let us see if GRIHA ever becomes even partially mandatory.

Go to :: Comparing Estidama’s Pearls Rating System to LEED and BREEAM

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The Limitations of LEED

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There is no doubt that the LEED ratings have brought the need for energy efficient buildings to the forefront. However, the system is easily exploited to get what the author of this article calls, “a shiny green stamp” for an unsustainable building.  You get good points for installing bike racks (that may or may not be used) – even in places like Dubai (would any sane person be cycling to work in 45°C heat?) or Bombay (with no extra points for putting your life in danger!).

But seriously, what is damning is that there is no guarantee of a LEED accredited building actually being energy efficient in practice. Worse, once you have a certification, it’s yours for life and even if the building turns out to be an environmental disaster, the rating stays.

If you ask me, the huge amount of money spent getting the certification could be used much more effectively to install photovoltaic panels or something.

See :: Don’t LEED Us Astray – NYTimes.com

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Discuss Designs Graphically over the Net

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This could be really useful to architects and has probably been created by a couple of them.  Basically, you and any number of collaborators can visually “chat” over the net. It works in your browser and no signup is required for the free version. This short video explains it best:

http://woobiuseye.com/
Edit: The website seems to be down of late.

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Looking at Green Buildings

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The first line of this article echoes my opinion of the LEED ratings:

“Building green is not about building structures that use lots of materials and energy, and then fixing them so that they become a little more efficient.”

The rest of the piece dives into the foolishness of glass façades, reasons to go local and the need for mandatory green standards in the National Building Code.

Read the full article :: Sunita Narain: Redoing green buildings

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Visit to Rustic Highlands at Khandala

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On Saturday, I went with clients to help them choose a site they had identified at the gated “Rustic Highlands” development in Khandala. The place itself was nice enough – although I dare say I’ve seen a lot better. What amazed us was that while people had built some massive homes there – many very clearly in crore+ range – not a single one was occupied for the weekend. It was like wandering through a ghost town. I understand that the weather wasn’t the best but come on, not a single occupied place from the scores that we saw?

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Factory [PSah] – Initial Visit

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laterite blocks

Laterite blocks

I’ve never done a factory design before so this is going to be a lovely challenge. The clients contacted me because they want a plant which is as ecologically sound as is possible.  The site is a 2-acre plot in Cuttack, Orissa on the banks of the Mahanadi. I spent most of my two days in Cuttack absorbing the processes and work-flow of the packaging industry.

It was my first visit to Orissa and a couple of things really surprised me:

calotropis

calotropis

:: Laterite: I always thought it was a stone found only along the Konkan but apparently the Eastern Ghats have it too. Being found locally, we’ll be using it.

:: Calotropis: This shrub – food plant of the beautiful danaus chrysippus – grows more abundantly than I have seen anywhere before. The local horticulturist called it a weed which was not surprising.

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GRIHA v/s LEED – which is the better system

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This article from ConstructionWeek is sure to fuel a debate that could go on forever with proponents of both systems backing their favourite.  Any rating system can be manipulated and, in this regard, GRIHA scores higher because there is lot less scope to fudge it.  More importantly, LEED gives points for, say, high-tech systems to save air-conditioning costs whereas GRIHA rewards you for passive cooling that does away with the air-conditioning in the first place – a far more appropriate strategy in a country that is chronically short of power.

At the end of the day, I just use the GRIHA checklist to do a self-analysis and see if there is some way to improve the design.

See :: Government to Lead by Example for Green Buildings

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Virus Masquerading as Home Planning Software

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If you’ve received an email supposedly from IKEA telling you about a fantastic new and free Home Planning Software, please note that it is (surprise, surprise!) a virus. Ralph Grabowski of WorldCAD Access received just such a mail and has posted a screenshot. IKEA, meanwhile have clearly stated that this email is a fake and a scam. Given that it installs a trojan on your system, I’d say it’s far worse…

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