Buildings are the biggest source of CO2 emissions. With limited available non-renewable resources, architects have become increasingly aware and are focused on achieving green buildings and structures that are environmentally responsible. But some projects go further than others. Here are some structures completed in 2020 that score high on sustainability.
Krushi Bhawan building, Odisha
Winner of the prestigious AZ Awards 2020 (AZURE’s international architecture and design competition) in the Social Good category, the new age government building is designed around courtyards filled with ponds and trees. The ground floor has a free-flowing public space that opens out into a plaza. It has an amphitheater and a garden with a pond to naturally cool the space. The entrance is lined with trees, which doubles as a shady place for employees to have their lunch. The building's rooftop has urban farms that can be used to demonstrate the best agricultural practices. The night-purging system pulls cool air in through the northern facade after dark which lowers the building's temperature before the hotter daytime hours.
The Book Room - Library, Pune
The multi-utility learning space for adults and kids uses a vaulted ceiling & an arched external facade to maximize the use of natural light. The design allows natural daylight to fill the interior space till late evening, reducing the use of artificial lights for a major part of the day. Natural plants have been used to integrate bookshelves, reading tables, seating, and landscape pockets to cast a soothing effect into the spaces & break away from the monotony of long furniture pieces. The library also has a stepped amphitheater kind of informal seating on one side that can be used in many different ways.
Sharana, Pondicherry
The architecture of this community center revolves around the central strip of an inner garden court with large multipurpose activity spaces at the rear of the site, and administration services at the front on the street. The building is constructed using reinforced cement concrete slabs. The walls are made of porous terracotta screen modules that eliminate the need for windows and frames while allowing ventilation throughout the wall surface. These screen wall elements allow transparency from the floor upwards, allowing small children to remain in visual contact with the garden outdoors.
Austin Central Library, USA
Rebuilt recently, the new library offers a rooftop garden, reading porches, an indoor reading room, large indoor and outdoor event spaces, a gift shop, an art gallery, and a cafe. The complex has a 373,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system that takes care of the water needs of the library including the garden. A soaring six-story atrium fills the building with natural light, and reading porches and outdoor dining help connect visitors with nature.
Temple of Steps, Andhra Pradesh
A modern take on the traditional Hindu temple forms, this center of worship is made using locally available black limestone slabs. The structure also includes an ecological strategy to recharge the groundwater of the region by creating a low-lying recharge pit or ‘kund’ that uses the water overflow from the limestone quarries. The construction also incorporates soil and planting in the lower half of the temple body to buffer against the heat.
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