Page 18 - Shelter-April 2024

THEME PAPER

extent of building footprint,
height/setback; built/open
spaces; making optimum use
of land; preserving/protecting
existing flora & fauna
available besides ensuring
adequate natural day-
lighting, air and ventilation
within the buildings.
However, for rational site
planning, context of site
would invariably require
detailed study and in-depth
analysis in terms of; location, Fig 3: Design Approach for reducing carbon emission
orientation, wind direction,
accessibility, size, shape, carbon neutral. Accordingly, void relationship; careful
soil condition, topography, planning of building shall be positioning of openings,
vegetation, natural features, based on making optimum projections and shading
hydrology, precipitation, use of site conditions, devices; optimising room
infrastructure, existing orientation, flora and fauna; size/building height, natural
physical characteristics etc. minimising wall to area ratio; lighting and ventilations;
so as to make optimum achieving high building green walls and green roof
use of the available natural efficiency; positioning all etc. for decarbonising the
resources and reduce energy habitable rooms in the best buildings.
component. Principles orientation; optimising air and
governing site planning ventilation within and around Promoting Energy
shall involve; minimising buildings. Design approach Efficiency
footprints of buildings; should invariably revolve Buildings are known to act
maximising open spaces; around making buildings like a machine, consuming
minimising damage to site; climate responsive. In hot large amount of conventional
designing with local culture regions, buildings should energy and resources. With
and using hierarchy of be painted light to minimise technical advancement,
preservation, conservation heat gain besides using buildings are fast emerging
and regeneration in order thick/hollow walls whereas as major consumers of energy.
to make built environment in the case of cold climate, Use of black/conventional
supportive of the environment buildings should be painted energy on large scale, remains
and ecology. with dark colours to absorb the root-cause of all building
maximum heat. If typology becoming prime source/
Designing Building for of open buildings is to be generator of carbon footprints
Carbon Neutrality used in hot regions, making through its entire life-cycle.
Rational design of building buildings compact shall be For promoting carbon
envelope and objectively followed in cold regions. neutrality/ decarbonisation,
positioning of internal spaces Further, building envelope buildings will have to be
remain critical for reducing would also require careful planned, designed and
the carbon implications designing and should be constructed considering
and making buildings guided by; optimising solid- life time implications of

16 HUDCO-HSMI Publication