CII Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre Case Study

Architectural Case by Sunanda Subramanian
Study Student of Architecture

BMSCE, Bangalore
August 2012
© Confederation of Indian Industry
About
CII Godrej GBC
The First LEED Platinum Rated Building in India
– CII Godrej GBC
It offers advisory services to the Industry in

the areas of :
• Green buildings
• Energy Efficiency
• Water Management
• Environmental management
• Renewable energy
• Green business incubation
• Climate change activities
®

Pancha Bhutas ancient belief states that life exists because of the presence
and balance of the five classical elements
▪ They are associated with the five senses
▪ They act as the gross medium for the experience of
Bhumi
sensations
The Concept :What derives itself from nature returns to (earth
a building
it. This
▪ givesinback
is applied to natureofeven
the practice as it takes from it
Architecture: Jala
Aakash )
▪ thus reducing the ecological footprint (water
An attempt to make a positive change in design by )
(void
Reducing the negative impact on the environment in terms )
Use
of: of materials Water Management
Energy Efficiency Sustainability
Natural Ventilation Reuse and
Renewable Energy Recycle Effective
Ecological Land Use Carbon
footprint Footprint Vaay Agn
Socio Cultural u(air (fire
i
®
Response etc ) )
▪ Using processes that are environmentally responsible
and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle:
from cradle to grave
▪ Expanding and complementing the classical building design
in matters of economy, utility, durability, and comfort
▪ Designing to reduce the overall impact of the built-up
environment on human health and the natural environment
by:
1. Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
2. Protecting occupants’ health and improving productivity
3. Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation
4. Ensuring sustainability
5. Natural building - use of natural materials available locally.
®

▪ Wind
direction
Combination of
tropical wet
and dry
Summe Winter climate
r - borders on a
Annu Monthl Max Temp Min Temp
al y Mean Ever Ever hot semi-arid
Mean Temp Recorded Recorded climate
Temp
26 ^C 21-32 ^C 45.5^C 8^ C

Residential
Commercial

®

Located at the lowest
region of the site for
maximum
accumulation using
Wate existing site drainage
pattern
r
MAIN
CAMPU
S
•Located on the flattest zone on site- least

interference to site features during
construction
•Easy access from Main Road
•Centrally located on site
•Scope to create buffers surrounding the
® building for to
•Less prone effective design according to site
climate
pollution
Ma
x
Maximum exposure to
AIR Min
pollution- North and West
POLLUTION boundaries of the site,
along the main roads
Ma
x
Min
NOISE
®
POLLUTION ROUGH ESTIMATE-NOT
© Confederation of Indian Industry PLOTTED TO
Natural Drainage
pattern utilized to
harvest rain water
at point of
maximum
accumulation
Ridg Valley
® e
Warm breeze that picks
up heat from the vast
expanse of barren land
in the surroundings
Cooled by the presence

of Greenery and further
by the water body to
the North
Orientation of the buildings capitalize

on all favorable conditions on site and
Harsh west heat measures have been taken to fix the
filtered problems on site
and partially blocked
by
the landscape and th
e
® plantations in the we
st
WINTE
© Confederation of Indian R
Industry
CLIMATE RESPONSIVE
DESIGN (contd…
Cooled air is retained )
and circulated within
the site and prevented
from escaping by
landscape on all sides
There is circulation
of wind within the
site along the
circular exteriors of
the building- easy
flow
Warm breeze from

the South West gets SUMME
filtered and cooled by R
®
the presence of lush
greenery
TO MAIN
▪ Main entrance located at the main road
GATE
▪ Surrounded by Medium Rise commercial
® (under
buildings
The main gate opens to a long driveway
with lush greenery on both sides creating
EMPHASIS to the entrance
Securit
y
Cabin
Gat
e
▪ The main building has direct

access
from the main road,
inside
® But
▪ thetoentrance
ensure privacy
to it is and
fromsecurity
the
BUS Chargin
STO
P g
Station
•Building located near a public

transport station.
•Bicycle riders are treated preferentially - convenient

parking, lockers, shower cleaning
•30 % of employee transportation: carpools, bicycles, and
LPG cars
•Use of battery operated vehicles encouraged - Charging
stations available
• The documented reduction of harmful emissions achieved
is
62 %
® •fossil
Encourage building occupants to minimize their reliance on
fuel-based
transportation.
Emphasis of
the Entrance
by a large
projected
overhang/
portico
Separation of
Pedestrian and
Vehicular movement
® for easy
circulation
BUILT VS UNBUILT AREA
• Site Area : 5 acres
Built Up Area : 20000 sq ft
• Building footprint: Only 9.2% of site
• Minimum disturbance to the
existing site features
• Large area for landscape to
®
enhance
micro climate and for visual
delight
®

▪ Zoning done by HIERARCHY
in terms of PRIVACY
▪ PUBLIC- Reception, Library
▪ SEMI PUBLIC –
Administration, Office for
employees
▪ SEMI PRIVATE – Seminar hall
▪ PRIVATE - Conference
rooms, Cabins for Senior
Executives
▪ COMMON AREAS – for
circulation and gathering
®
Linear Access Centr
Unit Convergence al
Circulation Scheme Arrows indicate Circulation
encourage within the building,
s surrounding the Central
interaction Courtyard along
colonnaded corridors
Recessed
Staircase to
®
first floor
Everything acquires rounded edges, soft
and thus forms a closer
forms,
association •Arrangement of spaces according to size
to create balance
•Courtyard as central Focal Point

Convergence of individual spaces to •Use of green spaces to fill in voids
®
the Central Court, binding them between solids
together
▪ Minimal damage during construction and
occupancy, to the natural elements of water flow,
air quality, vegetation, and topography
▪ The built form responds to the rocky site.
▪ Small footprint, design retains site contours
and existing boulders.
▪ "Contour trenching" adopted to avoid
erosion and
sedimentation.
▪ During construction, barricades were installed to
prevent contaminants from spreading to
surrounding areas.
▪ Care has been taken not to disturb the activities of
®
a
temple nearby © Confederation of Indian Industry
▪ The spatial and formal elements around a courtyard create
introverted blueprint.
▪ Courtyard space was not rigidly fixed but could be
adaptable
depending on the time of day, season
▪ Its mood changed with varying degrees of light and shade,
and with them the ambience
▪ Centrally located, serves as visual anchor.. It was the
spatial, social, and environment control center of the home.
▪ By building them around a central open space ensured Traditional gathering
close relationships between separate units place for intellectual
▪ Brought in an additional usable space within the living space. encounters and
cultural functions.
®
In history : Haveli, Wada, Deori , Nalukettu, Totti mane.
etc
Court yard acts as the Introverted
energy centre, also Centre creates a centrifugal
courtyard The axis
the communication effect, Parts of the design spring
mundi -
centre apart, try to escape from the
the axis of creation
centre, but
are caught and held together
again
theby a bracket, a round
connecting
canopy over
route.
Inside Yet
outside
Stay
connected to
nature
Exploded
geometr
y
®

The courtyards act
MECHANICS OF A as "light wells,"
illuminating adjacent
COURTYARD work areas
NIGHT
DAY
Courtyard functions as a convective thermostat and gives protection from extremes

of weather. The total number of courtyards in one residence could sometimes be five
to six.
A PATTERNOFSOLIDS AND VOIDS
As the courts progress in and out from the exterior structure,
they form a pattern of negative and positive spaces

Colonnaded corridors
surrounding the
courtyard convey a sense
of Rhythm and
Movement

SHAD
E
Shad
e

▪ Like most olden systems of construction, structures
are kept ground hugging ensuring natural modulation
of microclimate and creating more interaction with
nature
▪ Gives a sense of being close to nature
v
®
s
SEA
T
RE
LI
C
B
E
LIB
Great collection of CAF
books for E
reference during
non office hours!
Library, e library and

admin
Extremely Well Easy access from
® Lit main entranc
e
Easy circulation in block
organization
COUR
OFFIC TYAR
D
E
LEISURE
SPACE WIND
TOWE
R
COUR
T
YARD
EX
HIB
A
IT
ION
H
OFFIC
E
SPACE U Grid like arrangement of
NORTH CONFE desk spaces
R
LIGHT ENCE
GLAZE
D
ROOF
® Sufficient Diffused Daylight for all areas

through
recessed courtyards and North light Glazing
ROOF
GARDEN CENTRAL
TO ROOF COURT
GARDEN
A
l
l
w
o
r
k
s
t
a
t
i
o Naturally
n lit
s throughou
® organized t the day
around a
INFORMAL
GATHERIN
G SPACE
PARTITION
WALL-
RETRACTA
BLE
Gathering space
outside for interactive Can be divided
discussions before using partition
and after seminars walls to create
May also be used smaller meeting
as dining space rooms –
flexibility of
®
spaces
▪ Spaces located in the overlap between inside
and outside create informal spaces for
interaction Out
Transitio
n
In

▪ Easy navigation - use
of ramps for
circulation
▪ Wheelchair
friendly
washrooms

▪ Building layout ensures that 90 % of spaces have
daylight access and views to the outside.
▪ North facades are glazed for efficient diffused light
▪ Low heat transmitting glass used
▪ Double glass to further reduce heat gain
▪ Natural lighting - no lights are used until late in the
evening
▪ Minimum lux levels for all work stations have been
ensured
▪ Light captured from as many sides possible - the use of
courtyards

Natural light ensured in dark
corners by the use of full
length slits for maximum light
All work stations

have ample natural
light
North light roof used to naturally

light the entire green technology
centre
®

Light may been filtered in
meeting rooms and offices by Fully glazed windows help
the use of shutter curtain panels to light the entire
technology centre

▪ Allow controlled
passage of air and light
Courtyard
into the interior space.
Exterior wall
▪ throw patterns of light of
and shadow on the washrooms
floor enhancing
aesthetics Jali
▪ Ensure constant flow of walls
breeze into the interior Passage to
at GBC
washroom
- occupant comfort s
cools the interiors
▪ An alternative to
costly window
construction
▪ Diffuse the glare of
®direct sunlight.
Traditional Islamic
Jali
© Confederation of Indian Industry wor
RECEPTIO GREEN
N TECHNOLO
MAX( > GY CENTRE
300LUX)
MIN ( > 250
LUX)
ALMOST NIL Each individual space
(50 - 100
within the building MEETIN
LUX)
supplied with G
minimum standard ROOMS
requirements of
illumination for
various activities
®

The office block on the first floor Since the seminar hall is
receives sufficient natural light within generally air
even on dull days by the presence of conditioned and lit
internal courtyard and glass windows mechanically, only
along all exterior walls MAX( > 300LUX)
optimum level of natural
light has been ensured
MIN ( > 250
LUX)
ALMOST NIL
(50 - 100
LUX)
OFFICE
SEMINAR HALL
BLOCK
Where natural light un
available- washrooms-
sensor lights have
been used to save
® power
WASHROOM
The outside
brought in
-COURTYARDS
Influences microclimate
and hence human comfort
C
o
n
t
r
i
b
u
t
e
s
c
o
l
o
u Greenery and Landscape is proven to
r
be therapeutic and a stress buster
®
a
© Confederation
n of Indian Industry
Green cover
acts as
modifier of
micro climate

Landscaping by
sequential
arrangement of
different sizes of plants
for various effects
CANOPY TREES
▪ Create mass from the outside,
for a canopied space from the inside
▪ Trunks imply but do not enclose space
▪ Spaces formed have ceiling, no
walls, only columns
▪ Fairly open at eye level
▪ Tree trunks act as landscape
columns
and give architectural character to
the site
▪ Modify the natural light quality
® Penetrating
spac sunlight adds to the
dynamism
e of the space
▪ © Confederation of Indian Industry
Large Trees Provide Bulk To Plant
Mass

UNDERSTOREY
TREES
▪ Suitable for small, intimate
courtyards
▪ Provide colour, shade
without overpowering the
space
Bambo
▪ Used as accent plants or
o
focal plants
▪ Are effective in screening mid or
low angle sun
Canon
Frangipani ball
tree The Buddha
®
Belly Bamboo tree
treeof Indian Industry
© Confederation
SHRU
▪ DefineBS
and separate
spaces without blocking
vision
▪ Shrubs can effectively

unify a composition

GROUND
• Unify groups of plants into a
COVER
composition
• Creates edges
• Lead the eye to focal points,
Can create
• building lines of visual
entries
character overlapping with Bio degradable
paving plastic grass crates
• Beneficial in stabilizing used to hold Large expanse
slopes, preventing erosion grass– easy of ground
removal and cover used to
maintenance create focus
on Local
craftwork as
landscape
elements
Tree trunks
and
Defined pathways in columns
landscape to reduce lined with
disturbance to plant gravel stone
species –
® attention
A Responsibility Towards
The Environment
Creating Awareness –
About green architecture
About the building
About construction
And material, flora and fauna
®

Water Has Sensual
• ItValue
triggers
: the mind
• It augments meaning
• It reinforces communication
• It calms the mind and relieves
stress
Water is also
used to modify
site climate by
evaporative
cooling
Existing rocks used

®
assculptural
features
Coral
Ashoka Tree Jasmine arbortistis
Nycthanthes
Saraca asoca •Tree of Sorrow
▪ Ashoka is one of the most •The tree flowers only at night and sheds them
legendary and sacred like tear drops before the sun rises
trees of India •Leaf is rough and the abrasive nature of the leaf
▪ Ashok means without grief
or that which gives no is employed to scrub metallic vessel, to give
grief them a shine.
•Has medicinal properties and is used in
Ayurveda

The Sensitive Plant/ Touch-me-not
Mimosa pudica
▪ A prickly plant spreading on the ground or
on the herbs
▪ the plant uses its ability to shrink as a
defense from predators.
▪ It is used to reduce toxicity of venoms and
fixes nitrogen in soil for plans to utilize
Joy perfume tree/Champa
Magnolia champaca
▪ This tree is regarded to be the personification
of
Goddess Lakshmi
▪ Increases the wealth of the family
▪ Its timber is used in urban landscaping
▪ Flowers are used to make the world's
▪ ® most expensive
Used as perfume 'Joy' in America
an ornamental
tree © Confederation of Indian Industry
Bottle Gourd or
Lagenaria siceraria
Calabash
▪ Dried Calabash is used as bottle, Utensil or Pipe.
▪ Used to Prevent chicken pox
▪ Popular vegetable in many world cuisines,
▪ In parts of India, the dried, unpunctured gourd is used as
a float for swimming
▪ Indian instruments, such as the tanpura, sitar and rudra
veena, are
constructed from dried calabash gourds
▪ Used as a utensil for water or drinks in many countries
Spear mint
Mentha spicata
▪ Mint is a symbol of hospitality
▪ Often cultivated for its aromatic and carminative oil, referred
to as oil of spearmint.
▪ Has medicinal properties
®
▪ Ingredient in several mixed drinks and teas
▪ Also used in flavouring © Confederation of Indian Industry
Basil
Ocimum basilicum
▪ Culinary herb
▪ A full, fresh leaf, in a cash register or wallet, is said
to draw money
▪ Very characteristic smell
▪ Basil seeds used in Asian drinks and desserts
such as faluda and sherbet
▪ Used for their medicinal
properties in Ayurveda, Siddha
medicine
Sarpagandha
Rauvolfia serpentina
▪ Mahatma Gandhi was said to have ‘Snake root
tea’ on a regular basis
▪ Used to treat high blood pressure and
▪ It has been
mental used for
disorders millennia
including as an antidote
schizophrenia,
® against bites of venomous reptiles.

CANN HIBISCU
A S
BLACK MAGIC
PLANT
CORAL
FLOWER
MONDO GOLDEN SCREW

RUFFLED FAN
GRASS DURANTA PALM
PALM
®
CROSSANDRA
BOUGAINVILLE MARIGOL GUAV
▪ Bagasse Board – by product of 66% (by cost)
sugarcane industry-a good of the material
substitute for plywood or was sourced
Particle Board within a radius
▪ It has wide usage for of 800 km
making partitions, furniture
Of this, 95 % of
etc.
the raw material
▪ Eco-friendly method - does not
was extracted or
involve any harm to the harvested locally.
timbers, unlike plywood.
e in interiors of
▪ Used for furniturthe
buildin •An impressive 77 % of the building materials
g use recycled content in the form of fly ash,
broken glass, broken tiles, recycled paper,
recycled aluminum, cinder from industrial
furnaces, bagasse, mineral fibers, cellulose
®
fibers, and quarry dust.
• Low VOC paints have also been applied
RECEPTION
AND
OFFICE
PORTI MEETIN WIND
G TOWE
CO COURTYARD ROOM R
OFFICE GREEN TECHNOLOGY

BLOCK CENTRE
COURTYARD
SEMIN
AR
HALL
WIND
TOWE SECTIO
GREEN TECHNOLOGY
R
SEMINAR NS CENTRE
HALL
COURTYARD

▪ All of the new wood used was sustainably harvested, as certified
by the Forest Stewardship Council.
▪ Reuse of a significant amount of material salvaged from other
construction sites like toilet doors, interlocking pavement blocks,
stone slabs, scrap steel, scrap glazed tiles, shuttering material
and, the furniture in the cafeteria.
Clay tile
paving in the
gardens
Stone grid pavers

used on roads
for easy Use of
drainage of Reuse of bamboo as
water construction
waste stone in landscape
Furniture in the
paving the
canteen with local elements
gardens
Tandur stone flooring
A waste management plan ensured that 96
® % of construction waste was recycled.
FLY ASH 65% walls in GBC
•Manufacturing method saves energy,
BRICK reduces mercury are constructed
pollution,
•costs 20% less than traditional clay brick manufacturing. with this material
•Low embodied energy, High recycled content, low CO2
emission
Lighter than
•Uniform sizeclay bricks.
of bricks reduces mortar required for joints and plaster by
High strength, practically no breakage during transport
•50%.
• Lower water penetration, considerably reducing seepage of water
through bricks
• ® Gypsum plaster (plaster of Paris) can be directly applied on these
bricks without a backing coat of ©lime
Confederation
plaster. of Indian Industry
▪ Use of Solar photovoltaic cells on the rooftop grid provides
about 24 kilowatts, or 16 % of the building's electricity needs.
▪ Placed appropriately on the roof facing South and West to
capture maximum heat gain

A Windcatcher, Windscoop or Badgir is a
traditional Persian architectural element to
create natural ventilation in buildings.
• Energy savings are achieved by the GBCs

two wind towers
• Air, cooled by upto 8 ^C, is supplied to the
AHUs, substantially reducing the load on the air
conditioning system.
• A heavily insulated roof further reduces
the cooling load.
Wind towers in
GBC
Persia
wind
® towers
▪ Earth sheltering is a an ancient architectural practice of
using earth against building walls/ roofs for external
thermal mass, to reduce heat loss, and to easily maintain a
steady indoor air temperature.
▪ Roof Gardens cover 55 % of the exposed roof area of
the building – high reduction of heat gain

Root Zone Treatment
Artificially prepared wetlands
comprising of clay or plastic lined
excavation and emergent
vegetation growing on gravel/sand
mixtures
Rain Water Harvest :
▪ Some rainwater goes into the soil by the use
of permeable grid pavers.
▪ The remaining rainwater follows existing flow
patterns and is collected in a water pond-
another traditional method of rain water
harvesting, constructed at a lower end of
the site.
▪ In addition, the building achieves a 35 %
reduction of municipally supplied potable
water,
in part through the use of low-flush toilets
and waterless urinals.
Waste Water
• All wastewater generated - recycled by "root zone treatment"
Treatment
- simultaneously irrigates the vegetation.
• Low operating cost , less energy requirement and ease of
® maintenance
• Attractive alternative for wastewater management
© Confederation
• Enhances of Indian Industry
the Landscape
Campus
Address:
CII - Sohrabji Godrej Green Business
Centre
Survey # 64, Kothaguda Post
RR District, Hyderabad – 500084, India
Tel: +91 40-44185111 (B)

Fax: +91 40 23112837
www.igbc.in
®

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Architectural Case by Sunanda Subramanian

Study Student of Architecture

It offers advisory services to the Industry in

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

•Located on the flattest zone on site- least

Cooled by the presence

Orientation of the buildings capitalize

Warm breeze from

▪ The main building has direct

•Building located near a public

•Bicycle riders are treated preferentially - convenient

© Confederation of Indian Industry

•Courtyard as central Focal Point

© Confederation of Indian Industry

Courtyard functions as a convective thermostat and gives protection from extremes

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

Library, e library and

® Sufficient Diffused Daylight for all areas

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

All work stations

North light roof used to naturally

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

▪ Shrubs can effectively

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

Existing rocks used

© Confederation of Indian Industry

© Confederation of Indian Industry

MONDO GOLDEN SCREW

OFFICE GREEN TECHNOLOGY

© Confederation of Indian Industry

Stone grid pavers

© Confederation of Indian Industry

• Energy savings are achieved by the GBCs

© Confederation of Indian Industry

Tel: +91 40-44185111 (B)

© Confederation of Indian Industry

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