Global Developments in Sustainable Architecture Design: India

Introduction

Sustainable architecture is a major focus to the human response towards inherited environmental degradation. This paper will look into the present scenario of sustainable architecture design in India, highlighting the different approach taken by the developers in the country to meet the goals. India is known to possess some of the great vernacular and traditional buildings throughout the historical timeline which took into account the sustainability aspects without much aid from mechanical measures. “Sustainable architecture in India is polarized into two approaches - the technology intensive ‘green’ architecture and low cost ‘alternative’ architecture” (Mathur ). Contemporary architecture faces a constant tussle between the vernacular pathway of construction and modernised implementations on the architecture design. With such a rich context and intelligent and unparalleled techniques it is unsustainable to look away from it. Although India is lending the sustainable solutions and strategies from the west and amalgamating them in the scenario, while on the other side of the coin; another fraction of minds is developing the vernacular techniques used in the past. As documented by researchers from NIT, Bhopal as the conclusion to their research regarding the learnings from the tribal settlements:

The tribal settlements and habitat demonstrate an economical use of native natural building resources, and respond to climatic conditions using eco-friendly design principles that provide human comfort. These design principles are consistent with the form, orientation and materiality of the buildings. Their combination of social, functional and environmental reveals life full with color, flavor fervor which, instead of imposing...

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...ntext and high usage of artificial options(Vyas 2005, 19-21). Due to ample amount of sunlight bestowed on from the nature to majority of the country it calls for suitable measures to harness this resource. On the other hand many of the western measures to practice sustainability had been drooped when applied to the Indian architecture design calling for the new measures which can be true to the context and microclimate. Although these modernised buildings and developments are attracting the customer, but regular power cut-cuts and grid failures had proved the huge flux of energy used by air conditioners to maintain the living environment in them. Sometimes termed as the development of the ‘new vernacular’, this practice had successfully delivered some of the India’s most efficient and effective buildings to carry the country forward on the path of sustainability.