Issues of Sustainable Built Environment: Context, Evolution and Pedagogical Dimensions

Sustainability: Issues

Conceptual Framework of Sustainability
Sustainable built environment aims at creation of buildings through:
efficient design and construction processes
use less energy during construction and operation
expend less water
produce no waste in construction or operation
made of materials and resources derived from sustainable sources
Professionally, sustainable built environment relies on efficient design and construction processes

Design and Construction Process for Sustainable Built Environment

Benchmarking Sustainability
Recent facets of sustainable built environment
Measures improvements accomplished through design and construction
Emphasis on voluntary benchmarking rather than regulation

Primary benchmarking frameworks
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)
LEED India : Indian Green Building Council initiative
Locally inspired framework : GRIHA – National rating system
Sustainability : “the ability of a society, ecosystem, or any such ongoing system to continue functioning into the infinite future” AIA

Evolution of Concepts Concerning Sustainability
Climate responsive traditional building solutions have always formed a strong basis in each evolution form

Traditional Buildings
Location:Cold and Dry Region
Building Envelope: Sun dried earth brick masonry

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Location:HauzKhas, New Delhi.
Shading Devices: Vertical fins, deep
recessed windows
Building Envelope: Brick masonry, RCC

ANSAL BHAVAN, NEW DELHI
Location: Connaught Place, New Delhi.
Shading Devices: Projected tapering box-type windows (equivalent to Egg crate shading devices).
Building Envelope: , Brick masonry, cement mortar plaster
SECTION
PLAN

KIDWAI BHAVAN, NEW DELHI
Location: Connaught place, Jan Path, New Delhi.
Shading Devices: Vertical fins, Horizontal fins, Sunken Windows, sun screen
Building Envelope:Brick masonry, plaster,
SECTION
PLAN

TIMES OF INDIA BUILDING, NEW DELHI
Location:Bahadur Shah ZafarMarg, New Delhi.
Shading Devices: Inclined fins, west protection
Building Envelope: Brick masonry, plaster
FRONT ELEVATION
PLAN

SCOPE BUILDING CGO COMPLEX, LODI ROAD, N. DELHI
Location:Lodi Road Complex, New Delhi.
Shading Devices: Vertical fins, deep recessed windows
Building Envelope: Brick masonry, Sand-stone cladding

INDIA HABITAT CENTER
Location:Lodi Road, New Delhi.
Shading Devices: Recessed windows
Building Envelope: Brick masonry, Brick cladding

OFFICE BUILDING, CGO COMPLEX, LODI ROAD, N. DELHI
Location:Lodi Road Complex, New Delhi.
Shading Devices: Deep recessed windows
Building Envelope: Brick masonry, Sand-stone cladding

Wider Issues of Sustainability
Typically critical concerns: environmental, social and economic
Other specific critical areas:
Functional efficiency (and validity)
Process of building design and construction
Lifecycle perspective of the building
Nature of changes building undergoes
Organizational capacity for Operation & maintenance
Deconstruction or adaptive re-use for alternative functions
Sustainable design process: undesirable to re-visit earlier stage(s)

Wider Issues of Sustainability
Wasteful re-works during design development add to cost of quality by increasing cost of non-conformance
Sustainable design approach avoids frequent changes during design stage

A robust project brief developed through multi-stakeholder participation and decisions rooted in wisdom of committed team are essential for well-initiated sustainable project
To be reliable in the life cycle context, sustainable building design is evolved through planned processes

Role Perception of Built Environment Design
Multi-specialty team a prerequisite for successful delivery of sustainable building project
Knowledge and skill competence in own discipline and appreciation of adjacent specializations a must
Team cohesion is not adequate; appreciation and understanding is more relevant
Between the clearly demarcated discipline domains, there is also a fuzzy decision space that lays foundation for good design in the respective specialties

Role Perception of Built Environment Design
Competence, attitude and managerial capabilities need to be elaborated for developing role profile for the participating professionals

Role perception: Pedagogy context of Master’s degree course in Building Engineering and Management at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA)

Pedagogical Dimensions of Sustainable Built Environment
Modeling of proposals (including BIM)
Land use and space planning
Site planning
Laws, codes, standards on sustainability
Local knowledge and local building practices in design process
Functional planning
Sustainability feasibility / verification / validation

Pedagogical Dimensions of Sustainable Built Environment
Building envelope
Building physical system and materials
Engineering system (MEP) integration
Environmental engineering
Health and safety
Disaster vulnerability
Financial and cost analysis and modeling for sustainable proposal
Project management

Approach for Sustainability Integration in Master’s Degree Course in Building Engineering and Management (Established 1979) at SPA

Embedding of Sustainability Issues in BEM Course Structure
Evolution of course:
Stage1: Role profile definition and establishing its relevance in practice
Stage 2: Management disciplines integrated within the course structure
Stage 3: Specific project performance in terms of various sustainability
Sustainability issues embedded in individual areas of course
Matrix shows sustainability issues overlaid in core areas and support areas
Shade intensities representing moderate, considerable, significant and total focus

Matrix Showing Sustainability Issues

Dissemination of the Curricular Model
Model being disseminated to other institutions in country through:
Quality Improvement Programs (QIPs) for the academia and professionals
Partnerships with Industry and Software Vendors e.g. Autodesk
Participation in workshops and seminars

Conclusions
Delivering sustainable buildings :
new dimensions to the professional practice
educational systems
Drawing from the evolution of sustainable design and modification to the role perceptions, mapping onto curricular modules needs understanding

Conclusions
At the Master’s in BEM course, these mappings were translated into actual curricular tools that are being designed, developed, implemented and tested at SPA
One key feature of the attempts described is the attention to the local technical and cultural dimensions of sustainability in reference to buildings.
Local codes, bylaws, practices, and cultural issues have sharpened the changes made to the curricular program.

Conclusions
With the involvement of industry professionals of international exposure, the program has been further strengthened
The model of BEM presents a developing country perspective on sustainability education for built environment

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