SIERRA EFACILITY PASSIVE STRATEGIES

CLIMATE RESPONSIVE DESIGN

BUILDING
THE BUILDING IS ORIENTED SUCH THAT THE LONGER FACADES
FACE TOWARDS EAST AND WEST DUE TO THE SITE
CONFIGURATION. THESE FACADES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED WITH
WINDOWS IN A MANNER THAT THE WINDOW WALL RATIO (WWR) IS

SOLAR PANELS
MAINTAINED LOWER THAN 40%, HOWEVER THE WINDOWS ARE
INTRODUCTION DESIGNED WITH EXTERNAL SHADING DEVICES AND HIGH
PERFORMANCE REFLECTIVE GLAZING TO HARVEST 86% DAYLIGHT
Location- Coimbatore, Tamil AND PROVIDE NATURAL DAYLIGHT VIEWS. STRATEGICALLY
Nadu, India POSITIONED SKYLIGHTS PROVIDE DAYLIGHT FOR THE CENTRAL PART
OF THE BUILDING.
Coordinates- 11° N, 77° E
BUILDING ENVELOPE IS DESIGNED WITH 18-INCH WALLS THAT
Occupancy Type-Office (Software
LIGHTING PROVIDE THERMAL MASS, HIGH-PERFORMANCE REFLECTIVE
Development Centre) GLAZING, AND COOL ROOF TILES ALONG WITH FOAM
CONCRETING IS USED TO REDUCE THERMAL LOAD, THUS
Typology- New Construction Smart Use of Solar Energy and Lighting Controls
REDUCING THE ENERGY DEMAND.
Use of sensor-activated lights and relatively absence of switches
Climate Type- Tropical
has maximized use of natural daylight thus curbing power
Project Area- 2,322.55 m2 Landscaping and Water Efficiency
consumptions through artificial lighting
Date of Completion- 2017
The development is a zero-discharge site by ensuring 100%
Grid Connectivity Grid-connected Sun-Tracking Shadow Management
rainwater harvesting and 100% wastewater treatment to tertiary
The Somfy Animeo’s system tracks the trajectory of the sun
EPI (kWh/m2/yr)- 56.2 kWh/m2/yr standards.
and weather conditions and accordingly keeps blinds open Landscape water demand is reduced by over 40% through use of
Architect-Dharmalingam Associates native drought tolerant species. Only treated water is reused for
or closed, and even adjusts their angles to ensure maximum
irrigation.
daylight while avoiding direct sunlight into the building. The
BUILDING
ACTIVE eFACiLiTY® Smart Facility App gives users the power to

GLASS FACADE
manually control blinds using mobile phones.

STRATEGIES ORIENTATION
The building is oriented such that the longer facades
face towards east and west due to the site
Air Conditioning configuration. These facades have been installed with
Sensors installed across the building help to intelligently maintain temperature and fresh air supply. Zonal windows in a manner that the Window Wall Ratio
bi-directional heat recovery ventilation system forces stale air out and brings fresh air in. It harnesses the (WWR) is maintained lower than 40%, however the
concept of heat transfer between hot fresh air and cold exhaust air to lessen load and cost of air
windows are designed with external shading devices
conditioning.
Indoor Air Quality and high performance reflective glazing to harvest
86% daylight and provide natural daylight views.
Triple filtering ensures only the purest air enters workspaces. Demand Controlled Strategically positioned skylights provide daylight for
Ventilation aided by CO2 sensors continually monitors CO2 levels and pumps fresh air
zone-wise, when needed. Real-time IoT sensors monitor levels of volatile organic
the central part of the building.
compounds, humidity, and particulate matter 2.5 & 10. 45% enhanced supply of fresh air
and indoor plants keep air fresh and add aesthetics.
Lighting Control
The regularly used lighting is 100% automated. Sensor-activated passage lights, occupancy
sensors and lux sensors activate lights to turn on only when the ambient light is not good
enough. Work areas receive permissible lighting based on pre-defined schedules.
Additional luminosity is allowed only for defined intervals to lessen wastage and turn off
when floor is empty. Individuals in cabins can control their preferred lux levels with
eFACiLiTY® Smart Facility app. All these features ensure maximum energy efficiency with
provision to calibrate individually based on occupant’s individual needs, thus helping in
energy savings of 64%.
Water Efficiency
89% water savings are achieved using waterless urinals, high efficiency sensor faucets,
reuse of treated water for flushing and reuse of stored rainwater for domestic use.
Waterless urinals operate on minimum auto-flushing based on occupancy levels of the
building using BMS reducing the need for frequent cleaning and usage of cleaning
materials.
Energy Monitoring
Power production and consumption, water consumption, occupancy, indoor air quality and
temperature are monitored real-time. Continuous and comprehensive monitoring ensures that
building performance is maintained at highest possible levels.