In an exclusive interview with Finance Outlook India, Angad CMD of BCD Group, talks about how sustainable architecture is designating future cities. He emphasizes India’s leadership in green building among the countries through creative policies, consumers’ demand, and advanced technology. He focuses on a balance between urban density and livability in a human-centric approach, mixed use developments, and green areas. He also discusses how modular construction can speed up schedules, reduce costs, and help projects stay green including the stress of eco-efficiency in every stage in a project.
1. What role does sustainable architecture play in shaping the cities of tomorrow?
Sustainable architecture is significantly contributing to creating cities of the future by solving major environmental problems. India is not only setting global standards via its innovative governmental policies, growing consumer preference, and technology innovation in material and design but as of the year 2023 had more than 7 billion sq ft of green building space certified.
Sustainable architecture sees the use of renewable materials in order to enhance efficiency and minimise the damage that buildings will create into the environment. Sustainable design achieves this through the smart technology, AI design optimisation, high technology materials and the practices of the circular economies to prevent urban heat islands and consumption of resources. Apart from that, it enhances the quality of life, promotes well-being in the community, and lowers budgets in the long run. When cities keep on expanding, the sustainable architecture comes in to help strike a fair balance between natural and built environments hence putting sustainability in the centre of the growing cities.
2. How are urban developers balancing density with liveability in rapidly growing cities?
Fast-developing urban developers resort to innovative and human-centred planning to reconcile density and livability. Mixed developments with home, office and utilities nearby walkable distance mean people are close to their needs. In a similar manner, green spaces and sustainability aspects like energy efficient buildings and parks contribute to quality of life and lowering of environmental impact.
Social equity is the priority in the case of affordable housing and inclusive public services in order to increase the overall convenience of all the dwellers. Also, through use of data analytics and placemaking, developers are building resilient, culturally rich spaces, which are representative of community identity. Not only does this holistic approach support growth, it also develops fair, sustainable cities where livability is the core of urban development.
3. In what ways is modular construction changing the pace and scale of urban development?
The modular construction is revolutionising urban development by radically reducing duration of projects, making possible massive, sustainable growth. Instead of the range practice, it accelerates simultaneous off-site assembly, on-site preparation, and completion time by 50%, thus, cutting costs by 20%, claims a McKinsey. Housing deficit and affordability issues in fast-growing cities call for efficiency. In modular procedures there is reduced disruption, labour requirement is also reduced and quality under factory control is consistent.
From an environmental outlook, it addresses a high level of concern since it counters material wastage, greenhouse gas emission, as well as high impact resources. Modular methods are now also broadly being adopted by the Indian Government and developers to meet sustainability goals and affordable residential goals. As cities are looking to become smarter and more ‘green’, modular construction offers a scalable solution, which complements economic, environmental and social arguments.
4. How can developers ensure eco-efficiency across all phases of urban projects?
Urban projects can be made eco-efficient by incorporating sustainable practices at all the stages from planning to decommissioning. Eco-efficiency is all about doing more with less. It is all about packaging environmental returns with economic returns. On the planning and design stage, it includes use of low impact sites, use of green materials, and adoption of energy saving styles.
Energy efficient tools, waste reduction, and workers’ and environment’s protection are quite essential when building. In the operational stage, the deployment of renewable energy resources, effective system, and smart technologies would help cut down the use of resources to a great extent. Last but least the developers can recycle and reuse materials at their decommissioning to restore the environment back to its original state of ecology. Apart from conserving the environment, such practices have long term economic and social benefits. Visionary and bold leadership can take such efforts to the next level as transforming cities into sustainable and habitable places for the unborn generations.
5. What are the latest materials or building techniques being used to reduce carbon footprints in cities?
Indian cities are implementing measures of green building as well as use of modern materials to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, reclaimed wood will prevent deforestation by reducing the demand for freshly cut wood. Furthermore, it is also lighter than the likes of steel and cement. Another revolutionary innovation that even gives better insulation and high durability while consuming less energy is Insulated Concrete Forms. Moreover, low-carbon concrete and regenerative materials – clay, hemp, etc. – are more frequently used because of a very small impact on the environment.
Likewise green corridors, living walls and green roofs maximise energy efficiency through regulating overheating. Natural insulation and biodiversity support is also brought about by living walls. Solar panels and efficient HVAC systems reduce emissions by maximizing the use of energy.
In addition, rainwater harvesting and low-VOC materials are used to increase indoor air quality and to save resources. Besides, developers use intelligent technologies such as the radiant cooling and use renewable and high-efficiency retrofitting systems to reduce the carbon operations. Taken together, these methods represent an all-round strategy for promoting sustainability in the construction business in urban areas.
6. What makes a truly “future-ready” neighborhood or housing development?
Future ready neighborhood or housing complex includes sustainability, technology and flexibility to address the ever-changing needs of the society. It emphasizes on energy efficient building, renewable resources of energy and green areas so as to reduce the environmental footprints; but build climate change resilience. Efficiency and convenience by use of smart infrastructure such as fast connectivity, and IoT based utilization. Flexible housing plans accommodate various types of families, aged residents, and are modular allowing them to be easy to incorporate. Community oriented space foster social order while joint use of health care, schools and other facilities contribute to be more All inclusive. Such neighborhoods are meant to develop along with its inhabitants —expansive modular homes for growing family, or altering zoning that would accept new ideas appearing – pop-up stores or tech hubs.
