GIVING BACK TO MOTHER EARTH

Take care of the Earth, and she will take care of you. Although the source of this quote remains anonymous, the truth in it reverberates lou der than ever in todays times. It would be fair to say, the Earth has done her part and it is time we did ours. She is the biggest provider and its time we replenish her. A lot has been said about environmental degradation, climate change, loss of species etc. The causes are many and are more often than usual linked to each other. Urbanization, linked to industrialization, population growth and similar anthropogenic factors, is one of the biggest factors impacting the environment adversely. Sustainable Urbanization is now being heralded as the panacea to this ill. Green Construction plays a key role in the concept of Sustainable Urbanization and its adoption in the Indian Real Estate arena is increasing slowly, but at a steady rate. The world has faced a drastic increase in the population in the last decade. In other words, this result in an exponential rise in built structures, energy and resource consumption and use of automobiles to start with. Manufacturing, construction, waste generation and disposal are just some of the other major sectors that have grown significantly as a result. Managing the logistics and consequences of these activities is no longer just about quality, efficiency and space. This calls for innovative and pragmatic choices in everything we do, from the materials we use to how they are disposed. Surmount Energy, a leader in Green Buildings Services functions on the principle that Sustainable Construction exemplifies this process of innovation. Surmount recognizes that urbanization is inevitable. Cities must grow keeping pace with populations, needs, technologies and economies. But the process involved must evolve in order to take into account the limitations of resources available as well the impacts on the environment. A green building, therefore, aims to address both these factors along with setting better quality standards for people occupying them. And this applies to all kinds of buildings, be it residential or commercial. One such case in example is the Xylem administrative building located in Vadodara, Gujarat. The building has incorporated various innovative Sustainable features such as:
Use of alternative-fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles that offer the possibility of reducing air pollutants from vehicular travel as well as the negative environmental effects of producing gasoline. Electrical charging points for 3% of the total vehicle parking capacity of the site Drought tolerant species in landscape to minimize the use of water 100% of landscape water needs are sufficed from STP recycled water. Minimizing indoor water usage by installing efficient water fixtures. While selecting water fixtures, for common areas, ultra-high efficiency that reduce substantial quantity of water consumption have been installed

The air conditioning for office is done with air cooled VRF system. The HVAC units are free from CFC based refrigerants. The building materials were manufactured regionally within a radius of 800 km thus reducing the environmental impact related to product acquisition. Also, recycled/rapidly renewable materials have been used liberally used in the project. The Xylem building uses products that are low on the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). There is an environment friendly waste-management plan in place for the building, which is being implemented diligently. 99.21% of the construction waste has been diverted to authorized recyclers/reused.

Green Buildings in other words make the best effort to give back to mother earth by not demanding unreasonably whilst also satisfying the human-need for growth. The concept will only win with coordinated and directed efforts to understand each building individually with respect to its environs, its purpose, its potential impacts and most importantly its sensible use. It has always been about symbiosis. The earth shall take us and our needs along if we understand and reciprocate.