Knowledge Boulevard

This commercial building by The 3C Company has been certified Gold LEED by the Indian Green Building Council, making it the third such building in Noida.I firmly believe a building needs to be made for the space it is to be built on, says Vidur Bharadwaj, Director, The 3C Company, as he narrates the story of Knowledge Boulevard. In fact, the building was initially developed by another investor and scored very low on sustainability with wrong orientation and glass selection, absence of insulation and sun-shading devices, and a faulty air-conditioning and mechanical section. However, once The 3C Company took over the project, the turnaround was only too apparent: Gold LEED certification. Having proven his environmental soundness yet again, Bharadwaj tells Shriyal Sethumadhavan about the green features in the building that led to this triumph.A facelift: We worked on the project as a new story altogether. It was an existing design with all the wrong active and passive features. So, as architects, we studied the structure and made the required modifications, retro-fixing, retrofitting, reconstruction and much more. We wanted to mould this project into the philosophy of The 3C Company. Almost eight months of tedious work and enormous efforts led to the construction of Knowledge Boulevard. It was designed, constructed and operated to conserve energy and water, provide a healthier indoor environment, safeguard natural resources and foster liveable communities. Today, Knowledge Boulevard is a modern-looking commercial building with two interconnected towers, A and B. Both towers are surrounded by a large, open green space that gives it a feeling of a green island.Next-gen buildings: Next-gen buildings have to be previous gen buildings as they need to be inspired from the past for a better future. Like I always say, it is a soul that is always constant in a body, and the skin that keeps changing with time. A sustainable building makes wise use of natural resources, including water, forest, mined and quarried resources and open spaces. For Knowledge Boulevard, we tried reusing everything the building produced. It is an ideal model of next-gen buildings as it is a quantum leap forward in building design and construction. It was an old construction, reconstructed into a sustainable future building in terms of electricity consumption (which is now down by 30 per cent), recycling of water (by 100 per cent) and electromechanical controls. While recycled and reused materials have been used for the interiors, this is a high-performance building that functions efficiently with low operating and maintenance cost.Active-n-passive: This building has all the active and passive features of a classic green building, like double insulated glass, vertical fins and insulated roofs, to name a few. After designing the building block in a way that offers a comfortable living space along with the reduction of power and usage of energy-intensive materials, our next step was outdoor planning, which is also as important as the planning of the building itself. Mechanical and electrical definitions - base lights, CFLs, sensors, solar, wind and wave energy - are some of the active features incorporated in a green building. For air-conditioning, you have sensors and multi motors that help these sensors function the right way. In terms of passive features, it is basically the correct architecture. The use of thick walls, high ceilings, insulated walls and roofs, rainwater harvesting pit, installation of sewage treatment and use of recycled material are multiple passive features of a classic building - these are all seen in Knowledge Boulevard.Optimum building orientation: In Delhi, summers last for nine months; hence, people don't like the sun's heat falling directly inside the building. So, the optimum orientation of a building in this side of the country is basically 8° North to 8° South. Thus, a building can have maximum glass on the north side; however, the glass used for the part facing south should be supported by sun shading devices, giving way for light, not heat. Similarly, the east and west need to be predominantly covered as these areas need to be cooler.Air-water-energy: The design approach of Knowledge Boulevard also reduces the greenhouse effect and global warming. To improve indoor air quality, sensor-based systems have been used to collect carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide inside the office space and replace it with fresh air. Air-conditioners work according to the body temperature and a pre-cooling system for computers during winter is also available. Also, the sunlight does not reflect directly into the building, reducing the use of air-conditioning. Moreover, Knowledge Boulevard is 42 per cent energy efficient - the result of the active and passive features. Along with the use of energy efficient equipment, it uses solar energy for street lights. Components (n) have at least one independent backup component (+1). And Knowledge Boulevard is designed with an n+1 configuration, which ensures system availability in the event of component failure. The non-usage of one DG set and chiller equipment, now kept as backup, also results in the reduction of carbon emissions. Further, we strongly believe that a barrel of water will be more expensive than a barrel of oil in time to come. Hence, Knowledge Boulevard has  multiple models that not only integrate the above features but also recycle all the water that comes in, curtailing water wastage. All the water that comes through a human body or rain is recovered and stored in separate tanks. This water is then purified and made good enough to drink. All this is done through the sewage treatment plant where all the water is recycled. Material pro: Insulated walls and glass, recycled steel, and cement with flyash are just some of the green materials used. Excluded Polystyrene, an insulation material used in the roof, reduces heat absorption by 80 per cent. We have also used local and recycled materials in construction and operations. Almost 70 per cent of the materials used in the building have been sourced from within 500 miles.Greening business: Compared to commercial buildings, Knowledge Boulevard is a living example. It has more than one USP: an exemplary location with absolute sustainable features. It essentially uses a process - from site to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and demolition - that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout its lifecycle. Also, green does make huge business sense. When we started making green buildings in 2001, there were only six green material suppliers. But today, there are over 5,000. Hence, building green benefits everyone involved in the process, whether it is the suppliers, developers or end users. It facilitates a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. Better indoor air quality and a better environment to work in increases employee productivity, while lower operating costs makes the people working in this building happier and hence, healthier.The road to success: In 2011, Knowledge Boulevard was certified Gold LEED by IGBC. Facing NH-24 in Sector 62 in the Noida region, this edifice not only reinforces India's place on the international map of green buildings, but elevates the stature of Noida for now having three Gold-rated LEED certified green buildings.Project detailsTotal built-up area: 40,987.83 sq m  Developer: The 3C Universal Developers Pvt Ltd. Tel: 0120-476 6414. E-mail: sales@the3c.in Website: www.the3c.in Costs involved: Rs 250 crore Contractor: Bhayana Builders. Tel: 011-2610 1516-19. E-mail: info@bhayanagroup.com Website: www.bhayanagroup.com Landscape architects/planners: Design & Development India Pvt Ltd. Structural consultant: Pioneer Engineering Consultants. Tel: 011-4218 4470. E-mail: pioneer@pcepl.com Website: www.pcepl.comGreen and Services Consultant: Spectral Sustainability Group. Tel: 0120-404 9000. E-mail: info@spectralservices.net Website: www.spectralservices.net External cladding contractor: Innovators & NRS CladdingElevators and escalators: KONE Elevators. Tel: 044-2653 3901. E-mail: corporate.communications@kone.com Website: www.kone.comValue of 'zero'Almost 18 centuries ago, India witnessed the implicit 'value of zero' in renowned mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhatta's place-value system. And, today, 3C defines its 'value of zero' by unveiling India's first working model of a net zero energy home: Shunya. Showcased at Sector 107 in Noida, this model works on the principle of utilising maximum renewable energy; it is independent of any electricity grid and conserves the energy it consumes. Though the basic features are the same, Knowledge Boulevard and Shunya are different ballgames all together, Bharadwaj explains. One is for commercial use and the other for residential. However, Shunya is a homemade structure built with old ship containers in which materials are sourced from overseas. It is truly an efficient home built within 24 days. Through this, we are able to demonstrate how a home can be made within limited time and resources and yet be net zero. The wood and furniture are made of recycled material, and the walls and ceilings are insulated. The 24 solar panels generating 3 kwh energy are sufficient to run the house, making it energy self-sufficient. The house consumes 80-90 per cent less energy than a conventional house and promises to cut water use by 40 per cent. Through this, if people realise the 'value of zero', it becomes a big victory for us!Vidur Bharadwaj's perspectiveIndia ranks second globally in the largest number of sustainable buildings. With this upward trend, we can be the leaders in green architecture. Equipped with various tools, green building designers and developers can safely tread new paths where they may develop new concepts. On account of consistent and rising environmental stress, however, it is to be expected that sustainability will also be demanded of the buildings in the medium term and not-too-distant future. Going forward, I think this is a large spectrum of business open for everybody, and the early players will be the winners.Would you like to share details of any green initiatives? Write in to us at feedback@ASAPPmedia.com