Dwellings that help in preserving nature

Dwellings that help in preserving nature

The housing complex is designed by a new generation of architects who want to give better aesthetics to urban living

A CASUAL visitor to "T-Zed Homes," a cluster of 15 single-family houses and 80 apartments individually designed for buyers, may find it similar to any other housing project.

A closer look at the material being used for the construction, a walk through a model flat and a bit of inquiry reveals that it is unique in many ways. Developed by Biodiversity Conservation (India) Limited (BCIL) at Whitefield, the project is nearing completion.

The housing complex is designed by a new generation of architects who want to give new aesthetics to urban living. It uses both high-end technology (sensors that switch off lights and stop running water, for example) and traditional technology (laterite blocks) to create environmentally sustainable and aesthetically appealing dwellings for 95 families.

Eco-friendly

Every aspect of T-ZED has been designed to conserve natural resources and make minimal impact on the environment. T-ZED has used natural, recycled or reclaimed material, wherever possible. Building material traditionally available in the region such as natural stone for flooring and terracotta tiles for roofing have been extensively used. All the material has been carefully chosen to ensure that there is no energy consumed in their manufacture. For example, burnt clay bricks consume up to 400 degrees Celsius of energy in their making while ceramic tiles consume up to 1200 degrees Celsius. They are a strict no-no here.

The number of houses has been restricted based on the resources available to sustain them on the site. "We designed (the project) to sustain 95 families on five acres of land, whereas it is normal to accommodate over 300 families on the plot. The plinth area the buildings consume is about 80,000 sq. ft. of the 232,000 sq. ft.," says Hariharan Chandrashekar, Managing Director of BCIL.

Self-reliant

T-ZED homes are designed to provide an enduring facility with conservation as the core value. The housing complex is equipped to handle its water needs without depending on the city water supply network, generate power needed for it under strict "green" parameters, and is also geared to take full responsibility for treating or disposing of all waste generated. ZED stands for "Zero Energy Development."

Though T-ZED homes have a BESCOM connection, the complex will be the first to provide energy with renewable resources. The power generated with a biomass gasifier in a dedicated area outside the campus will use wood chips, procured without harming the environment, thereby avoiding the use of high-polluting, fossil-based diesel. This power will be supplied to the complex under an arrangement with BESCOM from Sira in Tumkur district where Malavalli Power Project Pvt. Ltd. produces electricity using agricultural waste such as sugarcane, coconut husk and dried leaves. BCIL's experience in water management helps it harness water resources. The residents themselves conserve water.

The complex uses methods such as storage, rainwater harvesting, recycling and avoiding wastage of water. Each house has a "conscience meter," the first of its kind in India, which has an LED display of the number of litres of water that you are letting go down the drain in the kitchen or the washroom!

Specially manufactured "ZED district refrigerators" will be installed in these homes. The aim is to drastically improve energy efficiency and eco-friendliness of the refrigerators. The system is primarily a thermal energy storage device using ammonia as a refrigerant to cool a non-corrosive brine solution to -20 degrees Celsius. The brine is circulated through a "roll bond heat exchanger" installed inside the custom-built refrigerator cabinets.

Harsha Sridhar, an officer at BCIL and a professional architect, says: "T-Zed Homes is not simply an example of ecological design but it is a set of core environment values that help a community to become deeply green."

"What is important," he adds, "is to realise that there is nothing here at T-Zed Homes that cannot be replicated by another builder group. All it takes is a little care in design."

Says a ZED house owner: "The beauty is that there is no need to compromise on our lifestyle or comfort in order to live in a more sustainable way. We will all be doing something for the environment. By simply living here."

About 25 apartments measuring 2,200 sq. ft. to 3,500 sq. ft. are available at T-Zed. The price per sq. ft. is Rs. 2,400.

A.B. SUDHINDRA