'Green' residence is now a reality

It is just like any other ordinary building in Chittaranjan Park.  Enter the locality and see a three BHK flat in one of the floors of this four-storeyed building. It is no different from the other flats in the area.

So, what is it that makes this building so special?  It is one-of-its-kind ‘Green House’ in the City, environment-friendly and one which has received top rating from the SVAGRIHA (Simple Versatile Affordable - Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

“It is the first residence in India to achieve the five-star SVAGRIHA rating,” says Nilanjan Bhowal , the principal architect of Design Consortium who designed this house for Prasanto Roy, the owner of the place.  “We define green homes as a place which causes no negative impact on the environment, is highly energy-efficient and eco-friendly,” explains Nilanjan, who started working on this project way back in April 2011 and completed it in December 2013.

Talking to Metrolife about this unique building, he says, “First of all it is made from the bricks of a demolished building. Also, bricks made from fly ash (industrial waste) have also been used in the construction. In place of normal concrete, the architect has Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC) which is good for insulation. This helps in maintaining temperature especially during summers,” says Nilanjan.

Keeping hot climatic condition in mind and excessive use of air conditioners, the architect has especially worked on the glass panes. “There are two layers of glazed glasses with vacuum in between them. These are glass with low SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient).  It does not allow the excessive heat to penetrate inside so it keeps the room cool. You don’t have to have the AC on throughout the day,”
he says.

Looking for other ways to save electricity, the architect has installed artificial lights with low LPD (Low Power Density).  All the electric appliances used are five star rated. “An average household consumes 400 kilo watt of electricity. But here we have ensured each floor consumes only one kilo watt of electricity,” says Nilanjan. This undoubtedly makes the place energy-efficient, but adding to it is also the facility of solar panels.

The ‘Green House’ is equipped to recycle the waste kitchen and bathroom water. “There’s an internal water purification system which recycles the waste water. It cannot be used for drinking purpose but for cleaning cars and household work. Also, taps and other fixtures in the house release one fourth less water than the ones used in all houses,” says Nilanjan.

Since recycling is an essential aspect to make a place eco-friendly, the architect has used old wood and has placed vermicompost jars for turning kitchen waste into manure.

According to the architect, “The concept of green building is getting popular, but making residential areas green is still a distant dream. It requires  money as well as patience to construct these kind of homes.

Still, people can make their homes ‘green’ by following simple steps. Reduce consumption of electricity, reduce wastage and look for recycling measures.”