Leaders lead by example, so do organisations. In the realm of architecture and design, homes and buildings set the benchmark (though architects design it!) and if the said structure in question is a school of design and environment, the stakes are higher. More so, because, infusing the sense of sustainable design in a built environment dominated by concrete and materials which are not so sustainable can be quite complex; but the School of Design & Environment (SDE) building at the National University of Singapore (NUS) does so in a very precise way.
The precise way in modern day architecture always points towards savings one can achieve by implementing an intelligent design. The sheer business sense of Leading by example lowering the cost besides saving the environment makes such design acceptable globally in developed as also developing nations. In this case, the buildings net-zero design which allows it to generate a 30 per cent energy surplus has become a USP for other to emulate.
Set over 8,500 sq m and six storeys, the SDE building offers a lovely and welcoming environment for children to study and interact. With terraces, plant-lined tropical erandas, and unofficial social centres intermingled with professional surroundings, the architecture blurs the barrier between areas for work and recreation. In order to give the structure a more organic feel, materials like steel were left with their "raw and natural features" in the building. This extension is home to the architecture and design departments and features labs, design studios and workshops, as well as an open plaza, a cafe and a library.
“The School of Design & Environment at National University of Singapore,” says Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director - APAC & Middle East, Green Business Certificate Institute (GBCI), “is the first net-zero energy building of its kind in the tropics. This building will go a long way in enhancing the bottom line of the university. India too has been at the forefront of net Zero with leadership organizations like ITC Hotels, DLF, Goldman Sachs, Tamarai Tech Park and Aditya Birla group being the early adopters of LEED Zero for their assets.
