Of late, several real estate developers have opers have launched a slew of residential green projects across the country. Their efforts are led by their belief that such products help enhance marketability and also increase operational efficiencies. There is a school of thought, however, that contends that some of these residential offerings could be `green wash’ projects, and not inherently green. A consumer must understand that a mere garden or a manicured lawn is not enough for a development to be environment-friendly.
Green projects adhere to certain specifications even before work begins on the ground. In fact, these residential structures are graded right from the pre-construction stage, on the basis of site selection (whether it is a `brown field’ or a `green field’ site) right up to the point when construction begins — the type of construction material used and the facilities provided, once people are ready to move in. The green home launches closely followed a spate of affordable housing products introduced into the market last year. Realty experts are of the view that while the affordable trend will continue to dominate the residential market this year, the new flavour will be green housing.
According to Abhishek Kiran Gupta, head, research and REIS operations, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, “A green project has special green specifications and amenities thrown into it.While the main driver for commercial green spaces is primarily demand, that is not the case for residential structures. When used for residential, the green features are an attempt to be different from regular buildings. While going for a green residential project, it is important for the end-user to choose a brand he/she trusts and look at it from the point of view of past performance, and execution capabilities. These projects are generally available at a premium and bought by those who are ready to pay extra for the differentiator.”Samir Mathur, architect, points out that the process of certification begins at the point of site selection-depending on its being a brown field or green field. A developer generally gets additional credits for not utilising virgin land, for the design, the specifications, and for the locations from where the material has been sourced (should be areas close by).Then there are the green wannabes — who don’t seriously incorporate environment-friendly features in their projects and just want the `green’ status.The true green projects are those that stick to the straight and narrow and completely comply with all rules related to eco-friendly practices — right from the planning to the execution stage.
Green housing products promise a slew of environment- friendly features such as rainwater harvesting, sewage treatment plant, low flow water fixtures, low volatile organic compound paints, etc. These residential structures are usually certified by two indigenous rating systems namely: LEED India (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design -India) advocated by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and TERI GRIHA (The Energy and Resource Institute Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment). These two systems have been developed for awarding ratings to green buildings based on the evaluation of design and construction and assessment of their impact on the environment.Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd (MLDL) has four of its projects registered for the CII-IGBC green home rating system and three of its projects, including Mahindra Chloris in Faridabad, have been given platinum rating in pre-certification. “These buildings incorporate smart design, technology, construction and maintenance elements to significantly lessen the negative impact of a home on the environment,” says Amit Paul, general manager, quality assurance and innovation, Mahindra Lifespaces.
Most projects launched by the 3Cs group: Lotus Boulevard, Lotus Boulevard Espacia and Lotus Panache have all been registered with the IGBC. “In a green development, the whole idea is to reduce the carbon footprint. It is important for a consumer to understand that a green apartment is not about getting a garden or a manicured lawn. It’s all about how the development has been constructed, the materials that have gone into its construction and how will it be maintained,” says Vidur Bharadwaj, director, The 3C Company.
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