Awareness on green, sustainable architecture needs to be developed

Awareness on green, sustainable architecture needs to be developed
“The next generation buildings by year 2020 will be focused on green, sustainable architecture,” says Prashant Deshmukh, Principal Architect and Proprietor of Prashant Deshmukh & Associates in his exclusive interview
India still requires many green buildings; by when do you think the country will have sufficient numbers of green buildings?The concept of green buildings is new in India. The awareness about green buildings and sustainable architecture needs to the developed among architects, engineers, project owners and users. The speed of development needs to the maintained while we insist on sustainable development. The Indian scenario is still sceptical about the returns generated by green technology and still compares it with conventional technologies for cost and durability.
Although the trend is increasing for implementation of green building strategies through awareness programme by IGBC, LEED, GRIHA and TERI, Indian buildings still have a way to look forward. The next generation buildings by year 2020 will be focused on green, sustainable architecture. It will then become most acceptable style of architecture with actual experiences to count upon.
In India, a few buildings are built by architects. According to you, what steps should be taken to change the scenario?Architects need to be very assertive about their role in the project. The reasons for the design by architects in India are the lack of awareness of the owners and government agencies about the role and scope of architectural services. The Council of Architecture provides elaborate guidelines for the scope of work for professional practice. However, these guidelines need to be insisted upon by the architect and also by the government authorities.
Also, the number of practicing architects is very less as compared to engineers. Architectural education should develop and provide best standards of education so that the design aspects and standards are maintained. Professional bodies along with the government authorities need to act vigorously to spread awareness about best practices in architecture and importance of architect as a consultant. Architects should also insist about their scope of work in the interest of the project.
Can anything be implemented from ancestral style of construction in modern day construction?Direct implementation of ancestral style of construction is not a good solution. As the socio-economic structures of the new generation are changing in a fast way. India is facing problem with increasing population, infrastructure, health, education and land use patterns. Our past the socio-economic structures were different but self-sufficient. Now the needs of society are changing so drastically. Architecture and construction techniques are facing more challenges to fulfil such requirements. Architecture is always about the time.
Off-course, the roots of architecture are emerged out of vernacular techniques, but we can implement this essence through modern style of construction techniques with newer material and exploring the knowledge to educate the end user. It is a continuous brain storming process with can eventually fulfil the requirement of society for this particular time era.
As the modern construction techniques are more technologically advanced and deliver in shorter time and optimum costs, the traditional construction methods cannot complete them. The traditional, ancestral style of construction is more labour oriented, and currently construction activities are facing major problem of labour availability.
While developing infrastructure projects in India, is environment taken into consideration?Infrastructure project in India is a good example of disharmony among end user and the planner-developers and political bodies. The developing country like India needs to be very sensitive to environmental issues in order to maintain sustainable development along with expected growth rate. The natural resources need to be preserved and wisely used and focus should be on renewable energy resources.    
What steps should architect keep in mind while designing building?Before designing, it’s important to learn the requirement and lifestyle of the client. Architect should be able to do the functional design with conscious study of sun path, climate, site, soil, surrounding ecological and social aspects. Location of site, region, its traditional- historical impacts such as sky line, style of architecture plays major role in aesthetic appraisal. While designing of spaces, fulfilling all these aspects with development control rules-regulations in mandatory environmental considerations eventually leads to better returns throughout project.
Brief us about projects you are currently working on. Prashant Deshmukh & Associates is one of the leading architectural firms in Pune with wide experience in architecture and project management. Our expertise is in large-scale industrial, residential and commercial projects for design and project management. Currently the company is involved in architectural design and project management for WMI Konecrance India, Alfa Laval (India), Sahara City Homes in Aurangabad, Filtra Catalysts and Chemicals Ltd., Dellorto India, etc. You recently got award for Ecorea & Kuroda. What made this project special?We designed this project and were also the project manager for the same. The Japanese-Korean joint venture was completed in record time with top quality. Its design and use of PEB for factory building and office block make it unique. Laser screed PEB structures for long epoxy topped tremix are the salient features of the projects.

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