The Green Touch for Delhi’s New Recreation Center and Solarium Garden

It is now beyond doubt that sustainability and energy-efficiency are being given their due importance in India, and this importance is manifesting itself in green architecture all over the country. Joining this bandwagon is a new Recreation Centre and Solarium in Delhi, to be inaugurated later this year. With all the eco-friendly aspects that are to be incorporated into its design, this Recreation centre is likely to stand out among other similar buildings.

The structure is sprawled over five acres of land, incorporating a green design that also provides a habitat of luxury in the indoors as well as the outdoors. The building is also unique for the fact that the environment created is conducive to outdoor activity throughout the year. This design has been provided by Mumbai-based architecture firm Prem Nath & Associates.

The Solarium, spread over 1 million square feet will be a multi-use destination complete with a farm, pool, gymnasium, aquatic centre and a library, all under a canopy made of enormous solar panels, a grey-water system, and passive cooling/heating design.

Glass with Aluminum

The entire structure is formed from glass and aluminum sections. Double-glazed low-e glass is held in place with high-strength horizontal fiber glass tendons and aluminum structural members. The clean construction gives way to an equally streamlined interior that is rendered clutter-free. The temperature inside the structure is regulated to meet the requirements of occupant comfort as well as to optimize conditions for the growth of plants.

The aluminum frame was designed to make the structure homogenous, lightweight and structurally stable. Photovoltaic solar panels on the roof work with the low-e glass to control temperature and reduce energy consumption, and rotating louvers on the roof help flood the indoors with ample fresh air. Meanwhile, motion sensors and LUX intensity meter sensors control lighting for efficient energy consumption.

The high gloss aluminum finish, the envelope of green landscape, the manicured lawns and the local tree plantations keep privacy intact. Trees have been illuminated with floor and trunk mounted lighters, concealed cleverly for glare-free lighting, and there are various theme indoor gardens with fruit tree plantations, sculptures, and pathways curbed with flowering plants. Some rare and exotic species of plants have been planted inside the structure as well as in the garden. Irrigation requirements within the complex will be partially fulfilled with recycled water.







Energy Efficient Glass Structure - European Investment Bank Headquarters

The winner of the first place in the Emilio Ambasz Prize for Green Architecture for International Buildings for 2010 was European Investment Bank in Luxembourg. This truly iconic building was designed by Ingenhoven Architects.


This extensively glazed building is famed for its unique structural design, apart from several energy-efficient design elements. By virtue of these qualities, this office building achieved the coveted “Very Good” rating under the United Kingdom’s Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). It is also the first building on continental Europe to have been assessed under this scheme.

The headquarters of the EIB boast of a 170 meter-long tubular glass and steel structure with a zigzagging non-hierarchical office layout. This 72,500 sq meter building has enough office space and facilities for 750 employees and includes indoor ‘warm’ atria, a cafeteria, restaurant, and a connection to nearby buildings.

The building is completely shielded by 13,000 sq meters of glass that allow the penetration of daylight easily from all angles. Operable windows allow occupants to directly control the room temperature and permit natural ventilation.

Glass Roof

The highlighted tubular glass roof, framed with light-weight steel, covers 170m by 50m of building area. Being glazed, the roof offers maximum daylight and transparency and is key to the building’s environment-friendly concept as it curves around the office floor plates. The tubular glass envelope allows for daylighting of the working bays. The transparency of the external envelope is reflected internally by an open office layout that promotes free interaction.

This glass roof curves around the floor plates to create atriums in the V-shaped “gaps” of the building wings. The landscaped winter gardens on the side of the valley are unheated and act as climate buffers; they reduce variations between the outside temperature and the desired temperature in the offices, thereby contributing to lowering heating requirements in winter and cooling requirements in summer.



In contrast, the atriums on the boulevard side serve as circulation spaces. The largest atrium houses the main entrance to the building, and so temperatures in these areas have to be kept at a comfortable level. Both winter gardens and “warm” atriums are naturally ventilated through open flaps in the shell to draw fresh air into the building and to reduce heat gain especially in the summer months.

Cold water pipes also run through the concrete floor slabs, creating chilled ceilings in order to cool the building in summer and to regulate the building temperature between seasons. In winter, thermal energy from solar heat gain is used to heat the building, thus reducing energy consumption.

Energy Conservation

Mechanical systems such as lighting, sun shading, heating, cooling and ventilation can be controlled individually. Wastage is avoided as much as possible, as individual settings are reset to the most efficient levels possible several times a day by the central control unit. Staff members can open their windows to the atriums and winter gardens or to the outside at almost all times.

All offices are equipped with a control panel that allows building users to individually regulate blinds for sun shading, lighting and temperature. Artificial office lighting is restricted to 300 Lux throughout the offices. However, staff can illuminate their individual work spaces with desk lamps to 500 Lux. This overall reduction in general lighting Lux levels significantly reduces the building’s energy consumption.

All surfaces - walls, floors and ceilings - are also designed to make optimum use of daylight, enhance luminosity and thus contribute to a pleasant working atmosphere.

Efficient Construction Materials   Construction materials were selected in accordance with the energy used for their manufacture, with materials with the least energy consumption given preference. The internal façade frames, for example, which cover a surface area of 17,600m2, are made of wood rather than aluminium because research found that the energy used in the manufacture of the wooden materials is only 2% of that which would have been expended in the manufacture of the equivalent aluminium profiles.

This environmental philosophy extended to the construction site, where the majority of materials were chosen for their small environmental impact. For example, all wood used has been certified by the FSC or the PEFC (programme for the endorsement of forest certification).

The Green Touch for Delhi's New Recreation Center and Solarium Garden

It is now beyond doubt that sustainability and energy-efficiency are being given their due importance in India, and this importance is manifesting itself in green architecture all over the country. Joining this bandwagon is a new Recreation Centre and Solarium in Delhi, to be inaugurated later this year. With all the eco-friendly aspects that are to be incorporated into its design, this Recreation centre is likely to stand out among other similar buildings.

The structure is sprawled over five acres of land, incorporating a green design that also provides a habitat of luxury in the indoors as well as the outdoors. The building is also unique for the fact that the environment created is conducive to outdoor activity throughout the year. This design has been provided by Mumbai-based architecture firm Prem Nath & Associates.

The Solarium, spread over 1 million square feet will be a multi-use destination complete with a farm, pool, gymnasium, aquatic centre and a library, all under a canopy made of enormous solar panels, a grey-water system, and passive cooling/heating design.

Glass with Aluminum

The entire structure is formed from glass and aluminum sections. Double-glazed low-e glass is held in place with high-strength horizontal fiber glass tendons and aluminum structural members. The clean construction gives way to an equally streamlined interior that is rendered clutter-free. The temperature inside the structure is regulated to meet the requirements of occupant comfort as well as to optimize conditions for the growth of plants.

The aluminum frame was designed to make the structure homogenous, lightweight and structurally stable. Photovoltaic solar panels on the roof work with the low-e glass to control temperature and reduce energy consumption, and rotating louvers on the roof help flood the indoors with ample fresh air. Meanwhile, motion sensors and LUX intensity meter sensors control lighting for efficient energy consumption.

The high gloss aluminum finish, the envelope of green landscape, the manicured lawns and the local tree plantations keep privacy intact. Trees have been illuminated with floor and trunk mounted lighters, concealed cleverly for glare-free lighting, and there are various theme indoor gardens with fruit tree plantations, sculptures, and pathways curbed with flowering plants. Some rare and exotic species of plants have been planted inside the structure as well as in the garden. Irrigation requirements within the complex will be partially fulfilled with recycled water.

Energy Efficient Glass Structure - European Investment Bank Headquarters

The winner of the first place in the Emilio Ambasz Prize for Green Architecture for International Buildings this year was European Investment Bank in Luxembourg. This truly iconic building was designed by Ingenhoven Architects.

This extensively glazed building is famed for its unique structural design, apart from several energy-efficient design elements. By virtue of these qualities, this office building achieved the coveted “Very Good” rating under the United Kingdom’s Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). It is also the first building on continental Europe to have been assessed under this scheme.

The headquarters of the EIB boast of a 170 meter-long tubular glass and steel structure with a zigzagging non-hierarchical office layout. This 72,500 sq meter building has enough office space and facilities for 750 employees and includes indoor ‘warm’ atria, a cafeteria, restaurant, and a connection to nearby buildings.

The building is completely shielded by 13,000 sq meters of glass that allow the penetration of daylight easily from all angles. Operable windows allow occupants to directly control the room temperature and permit natural ventilation.

Glass Roof

The highlighted tubular glass roof, framed with light-weight steel, covers 170m by 50m of building area. Being glazed, the roof offers maximum daylight and transparency and is key to the building’s environment-friendly concept as it curves around the office floor plates. The tubular glass envelope allows for daylighting of the working bays. The transparency of the external envelope is reflected internally by an open office layout that promotes free interaction.

This glass roof curves around the floor plates to create atriums in the V-shaped “gaps” of the building wings. The landscaped winter gardens on the side of the valley are unheated and act as climate buffers; they reduce variations between the outside temperature and the desired temperature in the offices, thereby contributing to lowering heating requirements in winter and cooling requirements in summer.

In contrast, the atriums on the boulevard side serve as circulation spaces. The largest atrium houses the main entrance to the building, and so temperatures in these areas have to be kept at a comfortable level. Both winter gardens and “warm” atriums are naturally ventilated through open flaps in the shell to draw fresh air into the building and to reduce heat gain especially in the summer months.

Cold water pipes also run through the concrete floor slabs, creating chilled ceilings in order to cool the building in summer and to regulate the building temperature between seasons. In winter, thermal energy from solar heat gain is used to heat the building, thus reducing energy consumption.

Energy Conservation

Mechanical systems such as lighting, sun shading, heating, cooling and ventilation can be controlled individually. Wastage is avoided as much as possible, as individual settings are reset to the most efficient levels possible several times a day by the central control unit. Staff members can open their windows to the atriums and winter gardens or to the outside at almost all times.

All offices are equipped with a control panel that allows building users to individually regulate blinds for sun shading, lighting and temperature. Artificial office lighting is restricted to 300 Lux throughout the offices. However, staff can illuminate their individual work spaces with desk lamps to 500 Lux. This overall reduction in general lighting Lux levels significantly reduces the building’s energy consumption.

All surfaces - walls, floors and ceilings - are also designed to make optimum use of daylight, enhance luminosity and thus contribute to a pleasant working atmosphere.

Efficient Construction Materials

Construction materials were selected in accordance with the energy used for their manufacture, with materials with the least energy consumption given preference. The internal façade frames, for example, which cover a surface area of 17,600m2, are made of wood rather than aluminium because research found that the energy used in the manufacture of the wooden materials is only 2% of that which would have been expended in the manufacture of the equivalent aluminium profiles.

This environmental philosophy extended to the construction site, where the majority of materials were chosen for their small environmental impact. For example, all wood used has been certified by the FSC or the PEFC (programme for the endorsement of forest certification).