The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) Visit – Department of Interior Design

The institute is set up to facilitate development and mainstreaming of sustainable buildings, to improve performance levels of existing buildings, and raise awareness on sustainable buildings in Southern India.

Mr. Bishal Goswami, a research associate at TERI assisted the Interior Designers from JD Institute. He began the tour with a brief introduction of the building and its features, covering elements such as Air, Water, Heat, Light, Earth and how they have been integrated into the design of the building.

One of the key features of the building was the solar chimney, the efficient use of wind and heat, to ventilate the building. The connecting walls between the split levels had cavities in them to allow smooth flow of air throughout the building, eliminating the need for air conditioning. The building was designed with inclined skylights to provide natural light through the split levels within, reaching all the way to the basement.  Another feature as part of a green building is the rainwater harvesting system. There are fibre sheet roofs on the terrace, supported by trusses, they also have gutters to collect the rainwater and supply to the collection pond below using downtake pipes. The south side of the building is made of earth Bern, serving the purpose of separating the enclosed area from the drainage behind. Terrace gardens are designed coherently as a part of the terrace to further cool down the building, as heat filters through the many layers and gets to the floor surface. Vegetation is found throughout the premises for better air quality.

This visit was highly informative and helped the future designers gain a better understanding of architecture and design. They learned new ways to regulate heat and air and the landscape designing was insightful.

The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) Visit – Department of Interior Design…!