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Architects: Sunil Patil And Associates
- Area: 10540 m²
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Hemant Patil
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Manufacturers: ARTIZE, FAMELINE, Jaquar, Kommerling, Nitco Limited, V CAN
Text description provided by the architects. Circuit house is a government public building which not only accommodates the VIP authorities but also acts as a node for political meetings, government authorities’ discussions and conferences. Usually, circuit houses have large number of visitors and occupancy can vary extremely. The project site is located in Pune - political hub for western Maharashtra. The project is mainly divided into two parts-
- Accommodation - Guest suites
- Public areas –Conference and meeting hall facilities, Dining, Reception, VIP and visitor’s waiting areas etc.
Design is based on climate responsive architecture with passive strategies for thermal and visual comfort along with innovative active strategies to achieve energy efficient green building. The project has received GRIHA Five star rating.
Today architecture has become threat to our planet. One has to be conscious while using natural resources for any development on the earth.
Hence green and sustainable architecture is not just a trend but a lifesaving measure for our earth and so the sustainable green architecture is no more a distinction as a design concept. In fact it shall be the basic ethos for all the development.
Government buildings are normally perceived as menace to sustainability as they consume high energy because of basic lacuna in the planning and design. This project is an initiative to make Government buildings “Green and Energy Efficient” and to create awareness in the government sector.
Our focus here is to design a climate responsive building with passive strategies for thermal and visual comfort along with innovative active strategies to achieve energy efficient green building.
We also believe that, “Architecture shall adhere to its time, the era, in which it is built.”
The contemporary architecture of this building has been derived from vernacular ethos. The shaded courtyard, which is the focal point of the building and passage around it leading to suites, is a highly contemporary version of the ‘old chowk’ of traditional Wadas of Pune with interiors and landscape seamlessly merging with architecture.
This project is designed following all passive strategies of planning, fenestration, zoning etc.
Central shaded courtyard and spaces around it are well protected from sun yet allowing plenty of natural ventilation. The facade of the building responds to the orientation. Transition spaces play a key role in achieving thermal and visual comfort. Following table shows the details of energy efficiency achieved in terms of lighting, water, HVAC and materials.
10 POINTS OF GREEN STATUS
1. The project is Griha certified with 5 - star rating for green building.
2. The building design is completely based on solar passive, climate responsive architecture. All the areas are naturally day-lit and ventilated with optimized shading devices designed to control glare and heat gain achieving thermal and visual comfort.
3. The building envelope is a crucial element of green building, hence each facade in this building is designed taking into consideration its orientation and function. Vertical and horizontal Louvers have been used for south and west facade to cut the solar radiation.
4. 22 kW solar photo-voltaic renewable energy plant is designed to cater more than 30% of artificial lighting. 100 % outdoor lighting catered by renewable energy system
5. Double glazed windows with low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient is used to minimize direct heat gain from the windows & to reduce air conditioning load. Highly efficient HVAC system (VRV) brings down the energy performance index (EPI) of the building.
6. 52.81 % reduction in building energy performance index (EPI) is achieved in this design.
7. 90% of hot water demand is catered by heat pump based hot water system.
8. Efficient water fixtures have been used, resulting in 50% water conservation. Waste water has been utilized for landscape irrigation.
9. Native & drought tolerant species with efficient irrigation system are proposed in landscape to minimize the water requirement for landscape. Irrigation water demand is reduced by 48% by the use of treated water from the STP installed on site.
10. Building execution is done with all safety measures & procedures, innovative green construction techniques and effective air and noise pollution control measures.
Product Description. LOUVERS. In a hot-dry climate as that of Pune, creation of an apt second skin as the building envelope is one of the most critical factors for a sustainable approach. Similarly even in The Circuit House, this second skin ie, the louvers on the west and south façade of the building plays a very important role in limiting the amount of solar radiation and light admitted into the building. A combination of vertical and horizontal louvers has been adopted, each placed at precise angles, thus achieving thermal and visual comfort for the occupants. The reduction in solar radiation helps in limiting the heat gain hence reducing the load on air conditioning. Overall it helps in improving the energy performance of the building, and achieving green building status.
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