Type of Project: Office Building

Design Architect: URBAN DESIGN CELL| PLEASE STUDIO

Sustainability Consultant: Reinvent Design Technologies LLP

Services: Energy modeling, Solar analysis, Microclimatic analysis, Artificial & daylight analysis, Natural ventilation and CFD, Dynamic thermal simulation, thermal comfort, renewable potential, Construction materials & LCA analysis

The site of the 400 square meters proposed office building is located in a densely populated neighborhood of Raipur. The design is adapted to the constraints posed by the site such as narrow open space between adjacent buildings and an unappealing quality of visual environment around the site. As a response to the site conditions, the building is designed with an introvert-oriented organization of workspaces for 40 people arranged around a central light well.

The building’s envelope is designed to reduce solar heat gain during summer and optimize heat gain during winter. Heat gain during summer will be reduced by 66% as compared to conventionally designed buildings. This means that the building will acquire only 34% of solar heat vis-a-vis conventionally designed buildings resulting in direct savings in energy and the cost-of-energy required for air-conditioning.

The design incorporates a passive ventilation system instead of a conventional air-conditioning system to provide an appropriate level of thermal comfort throughout the year. The passive ventilation system is designed to work based on pressure differentials created in the interior spaces assisted by specially designed terracotta air treatment units and augmented with a system for harnessing geothermal energy as well as a solar powered humidification system.

Diffused light will be admitted inside through day lighting troughs and light shelves in the facade as well as through the central light well to create an appropriate and uniform level of illumination in the interior spaces throughout the day. The illumination achieved through daylighting will have an appropriate diversity factor and a proper uniformity.

The proposed office building will demonstrate very high standards of energy efficiency and its effectiveness in considerable cost savings throughout the life cycle of the building. The building will also demonstrate very high standards of sustainable architecture design due to its various passive design features and the choice of materials.

Quality of the environment in the building designed with due consideration of thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort conditions will foster productivity amongst people working in the office building. The office will also provide very good indoor air quality due to the constant intake of treated fresh air and with the aid of carefully selected indoor plants that are proven to help improve air quality.

Key Design Features:

A) MINIMISING HEAT GAIN DURING SUMMER:

1) Exterior walls are made with interlocking terracotta hollow clay blocks with an angular profile creating a partially shaded facade throughout the summer day and minimizing heat gain across multiple layers of air cavities and due to inherent insulation provided by terracotta
2) Deck floor on terrace consists of 4″ thick compacted clay filled inside hollow terracotta blocks of 6″ overall thickness providing adequate insulation against heat gain through the terrace floor
3) Day lighting troughs and ventilation towers cast shadows on terrace slab allowing it to remain in partial shade
4) Direct sunlight does not enter interior space during summer
5) Concrete floor plates aren’t exposed to direct sunlight
6) Structural steel elements exposed to direct sunlight are connected to internal elements with a thermal buffer
7) Glazed surfaces in the facade aren’t exposed to any amount of direct sunlight during summer

B) VENTILATION AND COOLING DURING SUMMER:

1) Air intake in the interior spaces occurs through 32 sq. m of openings in the facade, which have a five layered buffering system including two terracotta layers to compress air, two layers of air filters and one layer that acts as acoustic damper
2) Solar power assisted ventilation system collects fresh air at 1.2 m above ground level, which is passed through geo tubes under positive pressure and cooled air is delivered at the floor level of each floor
3) A solar power assisted programmable misting system is activated by sensing the internal ambient temperature and relative humidity in the circulation areas, which further cools the air
4) Six ventilation towers (chimneys) collect hot air from circulation spaces and remove it through the openings above the terrace
5) Enclosed activity spaces have four layered air intake vents at the floor level that collect cooler air from circulation spaces and air outtake vents at ceiling level that remove hotter air and disperse it near the chimneys

C) HEATING DURING WINTERS:

1) The south facade has a large, glazed area that allows the south sun to enter inside the circulation spaces throughout the winter daytime and consequently allowing the interior air volume to gain heat naturally
2) The geo tubes installed in the ventilation system warm up the cold air collected from the ground level and deliver it in the circulation areas
3) Warm air is collected from two solariums at ground level, which are exposed to direct sunlight only during winter and delivered in the circulation areas

D) DAYLIGHTING:

1) Daylight is introduced in the interior spaces through day lighting troughs in the facade and the terrace, which allow indirect light to diffuse inside throughout the day and round the year
2) Central skylights allow to bring indirect light in the interior space
3) Glazed portion of the facade facing the south, which is protected from any incidence of direct sunlight during summer allows plenty of daylight in the interior space
4) Enclosed activity spaces have seventy percent glazed portion in their internal enclosure allowing plenty of daylight in these spaces
5) All interior surfaces are white surfaces allowing to reflect and diffuse the daylight to maximum possible extent