Energy- Efficient Architecture: Punjab Mandi Bhawan, Mohali, Punjab.

Energy-Efficient Architecture:
Punjab Mandi Bhawan, Mohali.
Architect:
Sarbjit Singh Bahga

Energy-Efficient Architecture: Punjab Mandi Bhawan, Mohali. Architect: Sarbjit Singh Bahga
Overview:
 Historical background
 Location and layout plan
 Layout plan
 Challenges before the architect
 About the building
 Plans
 Orientation and built-form
 Pictures
 Client’s brief
 Energy-efficiency measures
 Pictures
 Philosophy
 Conclusion
 About the architect

Historical Background
 Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board is a semi-government
corporate body established in 1961 with an objective to control and
supervise the marketing network of sale, purchase, storage and
processing of agriculture produce in the state. It is also a local
authority with power to acquire, hold and sell property.
 Earlier the Board was functioning from its own head office building in
Sector-17, Chandigarh. With the growth of its activities and increase
in staff strength, its office space became inadequate. More so there
was acute shortage of parking space around it. The Board thus
decided to construct its bigger and efficient corporate office building
in Sector-65 A, Mohali adjacent to Chandigarh.

Location and Layout
 The new head office building becomes part of large multi-utility
complex comprising state-of-the- art fruit and vegetable market,
commercial shops and showrooms established by the Board on a
20-acre plot. The Head Office Building is located on a plot of two
acres on the south-west fringe of the complex. It is approachable
from two sides, one from main road on north-west and the other
from side road on the south-west side.

Layout Plan

Challenges before the architect:
 To design the office building
which will match in comfort
and ambience with modern
corporate offices being built
now-a-days.
 To evolve an architectural
vocabulary which will be a
blend of those of Corbusian
era as well as latest trends in
office buildings viz-a-viz new
materials and technologies?
 To make building energy
efficient and portray the energy
efficient measures on its
exterior expression.

About the building:
 The building having an area of
152000 square feet plus 57000
square feet basement comprises
six floors above ground.
Basement is meant for parking of
150 cars and requisite services.
Two circular ramps provide
ingress and egress to the
basement. The ground floor
accommodates mainly entrance
foyer, multipurpose hall, and
miscellaneous services like
bank, health clinic, gymnasium,
maintenance stores etc. all the
main offices are on upper five
stories.
Cross section of the building.

Plans:

Orientation & built –form:
 The built-form of the office building has been evolved
ingeniously keeping in view all the constraints and goals.
 In plan, the block is fragmented into three blocks. Two square
blocks of 75 x75 feet size each at the ends have been rotated to an
angle of 45 degrees.
 By doing this major portion of the office building made to fall
in north –south direction which is considered good orientation.
 These blocks which accommodate the major chunk of the
offices draw natural light mainly from north or south side.
 East and west facades have been made largely blank.

Orientation & built –form:
 The central block which accommodates rooms of senior
officers remained in south-west and north-east directions –the
orientation dictated by the lay of the plot.
 Out of these two directions, the north-east side is considered
good as it receives morning sun which is always welcome. Hence
no special treatment was required.
 The unwanted sun on the south-west side has been cut off by
a combination of vertical louvers and horizontal roof overhangs.
 This vocabulary has been inherited from Le Corbusier as the
architect wanted to incorporate it in the design of this building as
a mark of reverence to the master especially when it falls in close
vicinity to his works.

Pictures:
Building has been oriented in such a way
that day light has been drawn from north
side and west side has been kept blank.
Predominantly blank facade on west and
south-west sides.

Pictures:
Combination of vertical louvers and roof
overhangs designed to cut off unwanted
sun on south-west side.
South-west facade.

Client’s brief:
 As per the client’s brief given to the architect, the building has to
incorporate the latest innovations for human comfort and
ambience.
 As a result the architect has to go in for a fully air conditioned
building with ultra modern gadgets, lighting, furniture etc.
 Since the building has to be hi-tech and fully air conditioned the
need to incorporate energy efficient measures becomes even
more.

Energy- efficiency measures:
The following measures were
taken to reduce the energy
consumption in the building:
 Moulding and orienting the
building in right direction.
 Exploring the concept of mutual
shading.
 Minimizing the penetration of
sun by vertical louvers and
horizontal roof overhangs.
Facade detail on south-west side.

 Emphasis of natural light.
 Drawing maximum day light from north and south directions.
 Making east and west facades predominantly blank.
 Use of cavity walls on outer façade.
North-east facade.

 Use of double-skin solar control glass (6mm+12mm+6mm)
which blocks upto 73% of solar heat by reflecting it to the outside.
 All solid portions of external façade are clad in aluminium
coated panels (ACP) which also reflect the solar heat outside. Also
the gap in between the structural wall and cladding acts as cavity
which further cut off the solar heat.
 Special efforts have been made to cut off the heat of sun from
terrace. Use of foam concrete has contributed a lot in this regard.
 Incorporation of building management (BMS) and Light
Management System (LMS) for optimal use of air conditioning and
artificial lighting.

South-west facade has been kept predominantly blank to keep off sun.
Pictures:
Pictures:

Pictures:
View from north. Inviting entry.

Pictures:
Entrance to building on north-
east side. North-east facade.

Pictures:
Top-lit atrium draws natural light
in the centre.
Emphasis on natural lighting.

Pictures:
Detail of skylight on central atrium. Skylight on top of central atrium.

Pictures:
View from south-east.

Pictures:
View from north side.
Building has been oriented in such a
way that day light has been drawn
from north side and west side has
been kept blank.

Pictures:
. Projecting block on north-east accommodate conference hall.

Philosophy:
The building is a showcase of
architect’s accumulated
philosophy and incorporates
salient features like:
 Strict geometric order,
 Symmetry,
 Clarity in structural systems
and services,
 Use of contemporary
materials and technology.

Conclusion:
Energy saved is energy produced.

About the architect: Sarbjit Singh Bahga
Sarbjit Singh Bahga (b1957) is a Chandigarh based architect, urbanist, author and
photo-artist. He graduated in architecture from Panjab University, Chandigarh,
(Chandigarh College of Architecture) in 1979. He works in the Department of
Architecture, Punjab and has 33 years of practical experience in designing and
supervision of various types of buildings, complexes and large campuses. He is
presently working on deputation as Senior Architect in the Punjab Mandi Board,
Chandigarh. His completed works include an eclectic and impressive range of medical,
educational, administrative, commercial and residential buildings. His buildings are
interesting and responsive to function, climate and materials. He is a staunch
modernist and an ardent, yet not blind, admirer of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and
Louis Kahn. Sarbjit is also a keen researcher, a prolific architectural writer, and a
Fellow of United Writers’ Association of India. He has six books to his credit. His
books, Modern Architecture in India: Post-Independence Perspective (1993), New
Indian Homes: An Architectural Renaissance (1996) and Le Corbusier & Pierre
Jeanneret: Footprints on the Sands of Indian Architecture are considered as
landmarks in the history of contemporary architecture of India. Apart from this, he is a
keen photo-artist especially in the field of architectural photography and has won many
awards in this field. Bahga takes special interest in the overall development of
profession of architecture and improvement of built-environment. He is an active
member of many professional associations including the Indian Institute of Architects.
His contribution to architecture has been largely recognized and his buildings/articles
have been widely published in many architectural journals and books.
Email:
bahga.architect@gmail.com

Energy- Efficient Architecture: Punjab Mandi Bhawan, Mohali, Punjab.

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (20)

Similar to Energy- Efficient Architecture: Punjab Mandi Bhawan, Mohali, Punjab.

Similar to Energy- Efficient Architecture: Punjab Mandi Bhawan, Mohali, Punjab. (20)

More from Sarbjit Bahga

More from Sarbjit Bahga (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Energy- Efficient Architecture: Punjab Mandi Bhawan, Mohali, Punjab.