Skip to main content
Case study: Sustainable Building Structure (India) 
Estudiante: 
Professor: Auli Mellado Enric 
Satyanarayana Rao Rachakonda 
Environmental Management
General Details 
Project name : CII - Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre 
(CII - Godrej GBC) 
Architect : Karan Grover & Associates 
Investor / Owner: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) 
Project built date: 2004 
Environmental Management 
Area of project : 5 acres 
Built up Area : Built Up Area : 20000 sq ft 
 Large area for landscape to enhance micro climate and for 
visual delight
Environmental Management
CII - Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (CII - Godrej GBC) 
• one of the 10 Centres of Excellences of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). 
• CII - Godrej GBC offers advisory services to the industry in the areas of Green 
buildings, energy efficiency, water management, environmental management, 
renewable energy, Green business incubation and climate change activities. 
• The Centre is housed in a GREEN BUILDING which received the prestigious LEED 
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Rating in 2003. This 
was the first Platinum rated Green Building outside of U.S.A and the third in the 
world. The Centre was inaugurated by H.E Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, the then 
President of India, on July 14, 2004. 
Environmental Management
The ROUND shape can 
support the concrete 
roof which gives 
uncompromised 
strength & security from 
any kind of disaster 
Environmental Management 
Limitless flexibility 
of design layout 
Unrestricted 
circulation of Air 
Takes advantage of 
views which is 
present 
At least 10 times 
strong then 
convectional square 
construction 
WHY – CIRCULAR ?
Climatic Design for Wind & Ventilation 
Environmental Management
Materials used & Green Facts 
• Concrete used for construction has 15% fly ash and 20% GGBS 
• Bagasse Board – by product of sugarcane industry-a good substitute for 
plywood or Particle Board It has wide usage for making partitions, furniture 
etc. 
• Eco-friendly method - does not involve any harm to the timbers, unlike 
Environmental Management 
plywood. 
• 66% (by cost) of the material was sourced within a radius of 800 km. 
• Of this, 95 % of the raw material was extracted or harvested locally. 
• An impressive 77 % of the building materials use recycled content in the form 
of fly ash, broken glass, broken tiles, recycled paper, recycled aluminum, cinder 
from industrial furnaces, bagasse, mineral fibres, cellulose fibres, and quarry 
dust. 
• Low VOC paints have also been applied
• Lighter than clay bricks. 
• High strength, practically no breakage 
during transport 
• Uniform size of bricks reduces mortar 
required for joints and plaster by 50%. 
• Lower water penetration, considerably 
reducing seepage of water through Bricks. 
• 65% walls in GBC are constructed with this 
material 
Environmental Management
Ground Hugging Construction 
VS 
• Like most olden systems of construction, structures are kept 
ground hugging ensuring natural modulation of 
microclimate and creating more interaction with nature. 
• Gives a sense of being close to nature 
Environmental Management
Green Roof & Water conservation 
• The green roof assists in increasing the lifespan of the roof and reducing the 
Environmental Management 
heat island effect. 
• Rainwater collection and reuse. 
• Waste-water and rainwater run-off is 100 % recycled and redirected to one of 
three ponds, to be used for domestic purposes. 
• 35 % reduction of municipally supplied potable water.
Environmental Management
Passive Ventilation – wind tower 
• High efficiency HVAC system 
• Passive cooling system using wind 
towers. 
• Use of aerated concrete blocks for 
façades to reduces the load on 
air-conditioning by 15% to 20 % 
• This technique can be found in 
Persian architectural building 
constructions. 
Environmental Management
• A Wind catcher, Wind scoop 
or Badgir is a traditional 
Persian architectural element 
to create natural ventilation 
in buildings 
• Energy savings are achieved by 
the GBCs two wind towers. 
• Air, cooled by up to 8 ^C, is 
supplied to the AHUs, 
substantially reducing the load 
on the air conditioning system. 
• A heavily insulated roof further 
reduces the cooling load. 
Environmental Management
ENERGY FACTS 
• 1,022 m² of green roof, with vegetation 
covering 60 % of the total roof surface. 
• The remaining portion of the roof is covered 
by PV panels, meeting 20 % of the total 
energy necessities of the building. 
• Double-glazed units with argon gas filling to 
enhance the thermal properties of windows. 
• Energy-efficient lighting systems and 
compact fluorescent light bulbs. 
Environmental Management
Instead of using regular windows a mesh type ventilation is made 
of Bricks for fresh and cold breeze to enter Corridors 
Environmental Management
• Most of the path ways 
laid in landscaping are 
stones/tiles which were 
left over materials in 
other construction. 
• All of the new wood used was 
sustainably harvested, as 
certified by the Forest 
Stewardship Council. 
• A waste management plan in 
hand made it possible to 
recycle 96% of Construction 
waste. 
Environmental Management
• Some rainwater goes into the soil by the use of permeable grid pavers. 
• The remaining rainwater follows existing flow patterns and is collected in a 
water pond another traditional method of rain water harvesting, constructed at 
a lower end of the site. 
• All wastewater generated - recycled by "root zone treatment" simultaneously 
irrigates the vegetation. 
• Attractive alternative for wastewater management 
• Enhances the Landscape 
Environmental Management
Light & Ventilation 
• Building layout ensures that 90 % of spaces have daylight access 
and views to the outside. 
• North facades are glazed for efficient diffused light. 
• Low heat transmitting glass used. 
• Double glass to further reduce heat gain. 
• Natural lighting - no lights are used until late in the evening. 
• Minimum lux levels for all work stations have been ensured. 
Environmental Management
Environmental Management
LEEDS & IGBC 
The First LEED Platinum Rated Building in India – CII Godrej GBC 
LEED India for New Construction 
LEED India for Core and Shell 
IGBC Green Homes 
IGBC Green Factory Building 
IGBC Green SEZ 
IGBC Green Townships 
 India stands 5th among the top five countries in the world in pursuing the green path. 
Environmental Management
Gracias Por su 
attencion…. 
Environmental Management