A CASE STUDY

ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING
FOR

PCNTDA
(Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority)
AT PUNE landmark design group
ADMINISTRATIVE
BUILDING
FOR
What
PCNTDA
AT
we have learnt
PUNE
and
a case study
are still learning
about

An Integrated approach to Design

the story of

How it began
….as a design competition
For a conventional office building
And

How an architect with no ‘green credentials’

set out
to make a convincing case for ‘building green’,
And

how the client changed

the title of the design program to
“Eco-friendly administrative building for PCNTDA”
PCNTDA is Our Design Approach for PCNTDA…
a visionary organization.
….. a creator
of better living environment
PCNTDA plays the role of a for the urban populace.
catalyst, a change agent.
Any major building activity
undertaken by PCNTDA
would have high visibility and
impact.

A strong,
pro- environment statement
by PCNTDA would become an
icon
for other organizations to
emulate.
As architects, it saddens us to admit the fact that,
buildings are the single most
damaging polluters on the planet,
consuming over half of all the energy
used in developed countries
and producing
over half of all climate change gases.
G HER URES
HI ERA T
P
TEM

MO
AI RE
R-
IO N, CO
E PLET ING ND
E D ARM ITI
N O
OZO BAL W NI
NG
GLO

MORE ENERGY USED, MORE GREENHOUSE

GAS EMISSIONS
HERE’ S HOW A Green building CAN BE REALISED….
MINIMAL DISTURBANCE TO RESPONSIVE SITE PLANNING
LANDSCAPES AND SITE
CONDITION

REDUCTION IN OPERATING
BY MEANS OF PROPER
COSTS LIKE ENERGY FOR ORIENTATION/OPENINGS
VENTILATION AND LIGHTING W.R.T SUN, WIND
CONSERVATION OF RAINWATER HARVESTING,
WATER RECYCLING WASTE WATER

USE OF RENEWABLE
ENERGY SOLAR ENERGY TO ELECTRICITY
USING PHOTOVOLTAIC
SOLAR PANELS
USE OF NON-TOXIC
RECYCLED/
RECYCLABLE
ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY USE OF NEWLY DEVELOPED ECO-
MATERIALS FRIENDLY MATERIALS

USE OF ENERGY EFFICIENT AND ADOPTING APPROPRIATE NEW

ECO-FRIENDLY EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY
THE DESIGN
Presented in Apr 2008
• Pune’s climate is relatively
easy to design for !
• Until recently it was zoned under
‘moderate climate’ (similar to
Bangalore). Thanks to global warming
and climate change, it is now
categorised as ‘Warm and Humid’!
Wind (mostly cool even in summer) is
available almost throughout the year,
since Pune is situated close to the
western ghats.

From the onset of monsoon, the months

of June, July, August and September
are actually very comfortable.
• This leaves only 4
months of actually
‘difficult’ climatic
conditions to deal
with,
which makes it
almost a criminal
offence to not
design a naturally
ventilated building
using passive solar
principles!
• The building that PCNTDA occupies
presently too is not air-conditioned.

• So one of our primary goals was to

design a naturally ventilated building
which would try and incorporate all
feasible passive principles.
As an Architect, one’s primary contribution to
‘building green’
is to get the passive solar architecture right.
My bible!
2 books published by TERI
north

site plan
north

Ground floor plan

first floor plan
Typical wing floor plan
section
no
rth
no
rth
no
rth
rth
no
no
rth
no
rth
East view
North west view
Reception
Atrium
North orientation for day light
East west cross ventilation through
louvered openings
Terrace top ventilated to remove heat
Evaporative cooling
Light shelf for enhancing daylight
Simple calculations such as these
helped convince the client that:
a ‘naturally ventilated and daylit’ building was the right
choice!

In a conventional office building 100% carpet area is covered by

AIRCONDITIONING

airconditioning.
Conventional building:
Carpet area to be airconditioned =63072 sft
Required capacity of Airconditioning =460 TR
Average power consumed in 8 hr cycle =460X1.2X8 hrs
(mean of summer, monsoon and winter =4416 units
Cooling load)
Net power consumption for 270 working days =11,92,320 units
Our Design solution:
Carpet area to be airconditioned =11237 sft
Installed capacity of airconditioning = 82TR
Average power consumed in 8 hr cycle = 82X1.2X8 hrs
=787.20 units

No. of ceiling fans =180 no.s

Avg no. of hours of ceiling fan use per day = 6 hrs
Average power consumption per fan in = 0.5 units
8 hr Cycle
Total power consumption by ceiling fans per day =90 units
Total power consumption for air conditioning
and ceiling fan combination =877.2 units

Net power consumption for 270 working days =236844 units

Net savings in unit terms per year =955476 units
Present cost per unit(commercial) = Rs 5.50
Net savings per year in Rupees = Rs 55,55,118.00
due to maximisation of natural ventilation
DAYLIGHT
• Conventional building:
• No.of fittings(3 X 36w CFL tube 600mmX600mm)required =1200 no.s
• Average power consumption per fitting per day (8 hrs) = 0.9 units
• Total no. of working days in a year = 270 days
• Total no. of overcast days = 80 days
• Total no. of clear days = 190 days
• No. of fittings in use in a conventional building on
• a clear day(considering 15% daylighting) = 85% i.e
1020 fittings
• Power consumption for 190 days = 174420 units
• No. of fittings in use in a conventional building on overcast day
• (considering 0% daylighting) = 100% i.e 1200 fittings
• Power consumption for 80 days = 86400 units
• Total annual power consumption for lighting = 2,60,820
units
• Our Design solution:
•
• No. of fittings(3 X 36 w CFL tube 600mmX600mm) required =1200 no.s
• Average power consumption per fitting per day (8 hrs) = 0.9 units
• Total no. of working days in a year = 270 days
• Total no. of overcast days = 80 days
• Total no. of clear days = 190 days
• No. of fittings in use in our building on clear day
• (considering 90% daylighting) = 10% i.e 120 fittings
• Power consumption for 190 days = 20520 units
• No. of fittings in use in our building on overcast day
• (considering 0% daylighting) = 100% i.e 1200 fittings
• Power consumption for 80 days = 86400 units
• Total annual power consumption for lighting =106920 units
• Net savings in unit terms per year = 153900 units
• Present cost per unit(commercial) = Rs 5.50
• Net savings per year in Rupees = Rs 8,46,450.00
• due to maximisation of Daylighting
A ‘green building’
can be
conceived and constructed successfully
by diligently following
all the mandatory and prescriptive measures required
by GRIHA or LEED,
But,
Striving to go beyond
is what makes the experience
a whole lot more meaningful
and
FUN!
In order for this to happen,
One has to get
‘THE TEAM’
absolutely right!
The right mix of
experience & enthusiasm,
inspiration and innovation.
‘THE TEAM’:
Client :
Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority-
Architects and PMC:
Landmark Design Group
Electrical Consultants:
Federal Engineering
Plumbing and sanitation and fire-safety consultants:
MCCE
Environment and energy audit:
TERI
Structural consultants:
Gensys technologies
Landscape Architects:
Kshitija Kolhatkar
Contractor:
VMM Infrastructures Pvt Ltd
It is also essential that the TEAM spends
a lot of time together…..

In informal meetings,
Joint visits to other projects,
Sharing newly acquired
knowledge and information.

Also
Being provided the space and liberty
to ask ‘why??’ and ‘why not?!’
on issues
relating
to other consultants’ field of expertise.
What has really driven the project
ahead
Is the positive attitude of the client ;

• Absolute commitment to the cause,

• receptiveness shown to new ideas and
experimentation.
• insistence on quality.
• Empowerment of the consultants.
• Flexibility in decision making.
• Focus on creating a ‘model’ ‘green’ public
building and documenting the process for
future buildings to emulate/learn from.
As part of the mandatory requirements for
GRIHA rating, we were required to have a
certain percentage of Solar PV for indoor and
outdoor lighting.
This, we had budgeted for.
A minimum of 25% of the total number or 15% of the total connected
load of outdoor lighting fixtures (whichever is higher)
to be powered by solar energy.

Rated capacity of proposed renewable energy system is equal to or

more than 1% of internal lighting and space conditioning
connected loads or its equivalent in the building (1 point–mandatory),
as per all compliance clauses

ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING FOR PCNTDA AT PUNE – A CASE STUDY

A wonderful example of
out-of –the-box thinking came from our
electrical consultant, Amar Chakradeo.
Normally, we would have had one set of batteries
to store the power generated by
the Solar Panels and also an inverter.

In addition, we would have had

another set of batteries for the UPS ;
required for the computers
and other office equipment.

This would have in effect meant

2 sets of batteries; more importantly,
their subsequent maintenance,
replacement costs etc.
Instead,
the solar PVs could be used
to supply power to the office equipment,
thus eliminating the need for an entire set of
batteries.

Hence we came up with a proposal for a 43Kw

system, for the equipment load and also to run
the lifts and emergency lighting.

Budgetary provision of Rs 85 lakhs was

sanctioned by the Technical committee for this.
• The scenario transformed when MNRE
announced subsidies for roof top systems
up to 100 kw
(30% of project cost/75 Rs per watt).
It actually began
to look possible
that the entire building’s
energy needs
could be met
solely on solar power,
that too,
within the same cost !
This is how !!
Cost of 100 kWp SPV system: Rs.1.99 cr
(L1 tender quoted price + construction cost,
incl AMC for 5 yrs)
Subsidy from MNRE @30%: Rs 0.60 cr
Net cost of SPV system: Rs 1.39 cr
Other savings!
In electrical equipment
(as a result of shifting to Solar PV)

L T connection will suffice…. Transformer eliminated!

Cost: Rs 6.22 lakhs

HT metering kiosk
• Cost: Rs 2.10 lakhs

HT cable and peripherals

• Cost: Rs 1.90 lakhs
250 KVa generators- 2 no.s
• Cost: Rs 20.27 lakhs each
• 1 no. eliminated.
Synchronizing panel
• Cost: Rs 7 .80 lakhs

1 no. AMF
Panel
• Cost: Rs 2. 86 lakhs
Online UPS 10 KVa- 6 no.s
with batteries of 30 min back-up

• Cost: Rs 24.54 lakhs

Other savings!
In electrical equipment

Net savings in capital expenditure: 65.69lakhs

Hence net cost of 100 Kw SPV: 73.71 lakhs
Assuming cost of energy from Grid to be
Rs 10.00 per unit, and 500 units consumption per
working day,

Yearly bill for 300 working days would be :15 lakhs.

Payback period based on savings in energy
from grid :4.9 years
Other savings!
Solar PV
SAVINGS IN OPERATIONAL COST:
Annual Savings in metering losses (for HT connection) due to
transformer efficiency (assuming efficiency 97%): 9.0 lakhs

Annual savings in losses due to UPS (assuming efficiency 86%) :

7.3 lakhs

Possible annual earnings from trading Renewable Energy

Certificates) : 9.0 lakhs

Net annual savings/earnings in operational costs: 25.3 lakhs

Hence effective payback period
considering savings in operational cost: < 2 years!!
Other smart interventions…
• Decision by Structural Designer to build large span
atrium block in Structural steel and metal decking
slab, hence faster construction.

Scope for phasing construction activity in ‘blocks’

due to the advantage of quicker construction.
Use of ‘design mix’ to partly replace river sand with
crusher sand in RCC.
Water trough for wheel washing
Suggested by the training team from TERI

This has been very effective in mitigating

dust pollution caused by vehicles entering the plot
Plumbing/piping activity integrated with
structural work
Pre-planned provision of Sleeves laid through RCC beams
and slabs during construction :
for fire-safety pipes, Electrical conduits and toilet outlets.
Expensive core-cutting process avoided to a large extent.

Clear height of 3.0m available below false ceiling as it is not

lowered further to conceal fire- pipes
Decision to have slung pipes for outlets of toilets.
Waterproofing work simplified and improved.
Maintenance of leakages simplified.
Water management
• Based on the suggestion made by the training team
from TERI, Sedimentation tank to collect water from
run-off of rainfall and construction water was
prepared.

• Root zone STP to treat

• and re-use waste water
(45 cum).
• V3F drive gearless lifts with duplex and triplex
arrangement.
• Departments with more public interface and traffic
located on lower floors, thus reducing the use of lifts.
• Of the 2 level parking area , the 2 wheeler parking
(which would have many more users) is at the same
level as the main atrium floor, thus reducing the use
of lifts and movement through staircases.
Some of the wastage mitigation
measures by contractor:
Proper stacking and segregation of construction
material,
Separate, protected steel yard.
Use of LED lights and CFLs
for lighting during construction

Rubble from
site collected
and sent to
crusher for
making
crusher sand.
The project is about 60 % complete now.
Hopefully,
there’s a five star GRIHA rating
for us
at the end of the rainbow !!

THANK YOU!