 Good morning everyone, I am Swati Choksi here, I am from Academy of Architecture and I am here to talk about the journey of sustainability in the context of the Indian vernacular and what goes beyond. This is really meant to be a broad overview and it is going to be followed up by detailed sessions perhaps. What I am going to be talking about is basically divided in three parts. I would be starting with an introduction followed by an exploration of the vernacular and then moving on to explore how it can be applied in the current situation. So as we all know, sustainability is about being able to continue with the current ways of doing things without compromising on future needs but the point here is that this is not really an original idea from our times but just old wine in a new bottle. We need to focus on all these aspects because these ideas are really lost in time. So there is no really a common formula or a single formula that gives you a solution to sustainability but basically you could have to approaches the naturalistic or the passive which is basically smart design which is done at the right stage and that would be cost free or as against that the active or the more artificial one which is generally more energy intensive or even a remedial measure. In the Indian context, sustainability has really pervaded all walks of our life. We reuse and recycle all the time and so also in the built environment we have a rich tradition of vernacular architecture. So then what is this vernacular architecture all about? Basically it is architecture without architects. These are the styles that we have built and perfected over generations. They have been built by people themselves and have been handed down as proven technologies. They are mostly passive, context responsive and that is why they have survived to date. They respond to metaphysical aspects, durability as well as maintenance concerns along with the climate, the place and the materials. So the basic premise here is that vernacular traditions are extremely sustainable and we need to carry them on. There is a spiritual thread that underlines most Indian conceptions. The vastu shastra is one such treatise that lays forth norms on how planning can be based on the impact of the laws of nature. The house itself is considered to be sacred and its planning is based upon a diagram which is called as the vastu purush mandal which is really a representation of the cosmos. So the idea is that if this planning is in sync with the forces of nature, peace and harmony would prevail. As you can see the diagram shows the zones which can be assigned to the mandalas based upon the various qualities of the deities who reside in those squares and the center was usually left as an open to sky courtyard. It was based upon an environmental criteria for the place that it was set in which is India and cities could also be based upon a similar concept. For example, Jaipur city was based on a 9 square mandala. It started by embracing the existing infrastructure, connecting the two main gateways by a road and then overlying two more vertical roads onto it to form a square grid. This was followed by an integration of the natural features, integrating the topography and the defense needs. The northwest square was cut out to integrate the hill which formed a natural defense and then it was pulled down to the southeast side. From the macro to the micro, example of cities, Gujarat cities have a tight morphology with narrow shaded streets and they respond to the hot and dry climate. The homes mostly have courtyards. These are devices that help to bring in light into the narrow and deep structures. These are planned with common walls so as to reduce exposure to the harsh climate. Going on to vernacular examples of buildings. These typically show a blend of local materials, building skills and the manipulation of these to soothe the climate with a minimum environmental impact. So let's look at the Wadley homes. These are a living tradition. They use carving walls which are made from a framework of branches. They may be plastered with mud and cow dung on both sides and this is an overall response to the context. The next example that we see is that of the Rajasthan architecture. The traditional shelter is called as a bunga. It is set in the hot dry climate and the response here again to reduce the exposure. So that is done by using a compact circular form. These are also made from thick insulating mud walls. The openings are small and moreover this architecture is also fairly earthquake resistant. The highlight of the Kerala architecture is its sloping roofs and it uses the courtyard as a climatic device to bring in cross ventilation to combat the humid climate. If you look at the detail you see the local louvert fenestration which cuts out the glare while still allowing the air movements. Another highlight is the durability and maintenance free aspect of these buildings and the flooring in particular which is almost 400 years old in this particular example of the Padmanapuram Palace. The next area we look at is Goa and areas around. So most of these examples talk about modest laterite structures which use mud and lime plasters and the idea is that they allow the materials to disintegrate into their natural organic state and so to speak complete the loop. So there are no disposal issues like those with processed materials. According to resources water is a scarce resource and will be soon having water wars. So the strategy is to go for recycling and harvesting. Coming back to the Gujarat home we look at the Gujarat home the courtyard and how it harvests water. So they have an underground water tank which is locally called as a tanka and it starts by harvesting the roof top water to provide an annual drinking water supply for a mid-size family of about 5 and that is quite a feat for a water starved region. As you see what you only see in the courtyard is the raised mouth of the tank with its cover which forms an aesthetic feature in the courtyard. The next big thing is energy. So most buildings in the past managed good light and ventilation. As we know these are the main energy guzzlers by means by passive means. So building envelopes responded to the climatic needs for example they use thick mud walls to cut out the heat or the cold or similar kind of strategies. The light quality and quantity were also manipulated by use of devices like the Jali as we see in lot of historical buildings by doing smart facade engineering. The water was also used to cool building envelopes. For example in the Umbar Fort and Jaipur the water pipes have been run into the building fabric to bring down the temperature of these envelopes, the building envelopes. Another passive device for the hot and dry zones would be the tall wind scoops. These were oriented to catch the wind. They got in the air which was later moistened by dripping water through a pot which was tied at the top of the scoop. Incidentally these systems could also incorporate an under floor radiant heating system. So one would see examples, contemporary applications of all these concepts in some of the examples that follow later. Coming to the other aspects of sustainability which are not commonly looked upon from a project management perspective. Let us look at the life cycle aspects. Projects must have lean organizations and construction methods. They should be durable, maintenance free structures. They should offset the high capital expenditure by having a low operating expenditure. Materials should be considered for their life cycle performance all the way from the conception to the disposal literally from cradle to the grave. Value engineering should be done to get the best value out of the feasible options by doing an optimization. A detailing and technology should also be looked at. Once justified whether the technology is high tech or low tech it should be optimized. And last but not the least, courtyard architecture. This is a very versatile and adaptable climatic device for all geographies and climates and cultures. The proportions could change as per the climatic needs. As you see in the hot and humid climate you need a courtyard that is broad and wide as against a higher one which is workable in a hot and dry zone. So then what are the learnings? Make use of the passive measures like orientation, envelope design, facade engineering at the first level and these are followed up with active measures at the next level. Make use of local materials as unprocessed as possible in order to complete the loop and use local skills as well. Consider life cycle performance and costing to build durable and maintenance free structures. Resource optimization for water and energy is an absolute must. Focus would especially be on space heating and cooling, light and ventilation which take up maximum resources in most buildings residential or commercial. But the limitation here is that we cannot continue to build like our ancestors because the population numbers are huge and the typologies that we are looking at are often high rise. But conceptual ideas can surely be taken ahead. There are major issues which have come up in the couple of last decades and we need to respond to them. Population is exploding really fast. By 2050 we would be in the range of 8 to 11 billion. Urbanization is the next big thing and more so in developing nations like India. Consumption is on the rise. Energy demands are rising with increase in equipments etc. So also new materials and technologies are offering new opportunities. Ideas, people and materials to move from place to place and climate change is the impact of all these events. So the focus very clearly now is on urban built landscapes and they are changing morphology that is the high rise models. So we are looking now at the applications of these basic learnings of the ideas of vernacular architecture on the following areas. The focus is on cities but other regions also need suitable strategies. These are some of the areas where applications can be done. The first one being skyscrapers. On cities where the scale of operation is completely different than that of individual buildings. On typologies apart from the residential and commercial and mixed use kinds and also in the infrastructure space. Other kinds of housing which also form a significant stock of the built environment is not included here because it is comparatively relatively problem free. So now let us look at examples of contemporary sustainable buildings. The first building that I would start with is the gold coned in Pondicherry. This is a dormitory for the Orbindo Oshram built in fortify by the residents themselves and Antonin Raymond was the architect. It is a landmark building for its sustainable measures, its passive strategies and uncompromising workmanship and quality building standards. It was built in exposed RCC first port concrete building in India which is largely good to date. It adopts passive strategies like orientation and cross ventilation to combat the hot humid and coastal rainy climate. It has an adjustable skin of asbestos cement louvers as you can see there are no solid balls or anything like that. These louvers had to be custom made and they were fairly expensive then but considering the life cycle performance that they have they have paid off their capital expenditure. Coming to the roof system it had a double roof system with an insulating air cavity which is again a passive measure. These are some examples of contemporary courtyard buildings and coming to the focus area, the first focus area that I spoke about that would be skyscrapers. So what are the general strategies that skyscrapers aim to have these days? So they are looking at being net zero energy structures, the first issue being energy. The focus like I said is on space heating and ventilation systems in order to reduce the energy demand and the use of renewables. So the technology used is mostly BIPV, the building integrated photovoltaics and wind is really an opportunity for these tall buildings so the wind turbines are also being used. The next big thing is light. The strategy here is to use smart facade engineering, new age glazing with cavities etc to incorporate natural ventilation while cutting out the heat and reducing the need for artificial light. The structure has to be recycled and harvested. Construction technologies and materials advocates the use of materials which are recycled as well as waste like fly ash or ggbs or of course energy efficient equipment are to be advocated. Recent building that we have seen is the Pearl River Tower in China by HESOM. It is a building that uses some of these solutions. It uses vertical wind turbines and BIPV for energy generation. They are mostly used at the roof and the spandrels and space heating and cooling is done by using radiant ceilings using the medium of water and not air, water which is much more efficient and ventilation is also integrated into the double glazed facade. All these things have reduced the cooling loads and moreover have saved valuable floor space which is taken up by air chews and things like that and it has allowed the insertion of 4 to 5 floors as the floor to floor height could be reduced very significantly. The point to be noted here is that the idea of a radiant floor heating system has already been seen in the vernacular styles. This is another building, the Imperial Tars which is proposed in Mumbai. It is going to be another sustainable skyscraper if it comes up. Coming on to the next focus area that is cities, we move from a scale of the macro to the micro. So your buildings have to plug up into the larger picture. So Mazdar city Abu Dhabi aims to be a net zero energy city. The important point here is that it draws on traditional Arabian cities and integrates modern transportation and infrastructure needs like energy and water. It looks at appropriate orientation, appropriate building forms, the use of water elements for evaporating cooling and landscape and garden features. Smart devices help to monitor energy usage. Energy is to be generated from renewables like solar and wind power and even waste. So waste is reduced and even turned into a resource. The next example is by Renzo Piano. It's a cultural center in New Caledonia which mixes the local traditions, the old and the new and uses a modern adaptation of the traditional huts of the indigenous population. Coming to the design, it uses a double wooden facade for ventilation. Makes use of the prevailing breeze, the sea breeze as it is taken across the structure and pulled out through the double facade. The gap between the wooden facade works like a chimney and the facade also has adjustable slots. As the air moves up, it speeds up, loses pressure and rises up the chimney creating a current across the building. It makes use of the local wood which is maintenance free and the idea is that passive ideas are concepts are used in this building. The next building that we look at is the torrent laboratories in Ahmedabad by Parul and Nimeshtraveri. The climate as we know is hot and dry. This is a research laboratory and uses the technique called as a PDEC, passive downdraft evaporative cooling. This is pretty similar to the wind scoops which were mentioned earlier. The building has a series of inlet and outlet tiles which circulate air which is cool and moist. It is moistened and cooled by the incorporation of a bottom mist at the top of the inlet tiles. The next focus area is in the infrastructure space. The idea of sustainability can be extended to infrastructure projects particularly because they are really expensive and resource intensive projects. So, we are talking now about the Gathard base tunnel under the Swiss Alps. It was a tunnel which formed a link between the North and South Eastern Europe in order to decongest the Swiss Alps. It was about 57 kilometers long and one of the most challenging infrastructure projects in the world. The engineers had to give a guarantee that the concrete tunnel lining would last for at least a hundred years. So, it was built to be durable. The debris which was created by tunneling through the TBM was a huge quantity and it was waste which was put to good use because it was cut down into aggregates and used to create the short creep which was used for the tunnel lining. The other sensitive approach that you see here is in use of the way they have treated water. Water which was seeping in from the Alps, from the, into the inner surfaces was treated, filtered and then released back into the fragile, eco-sensitive zones. So, to sum up, these are some general strategies which can be used in contemporary buildings. Start by using passive measures like orientation, building design, detailing and building envelopes. Then move on to the active ones. A life strategy approach, life cycle strategy is to be adopted for the choice of materials overall value as well as cost optimization. Energy demands are to be minimized, the focus being on HVAC and light and generation is to be through renewables wherever it is practical. Water is to be harvested and recycled and efficient fixtures are to be used. Materials use waste wherever possible and derive the best value from it. The city at a micro scale needs to be planned for a live, work and play concept. They should be compact cities with good transportation. Development models today are driven by builders in most Indian cities and they need to understand that green building is really an opportunity that makes environmental sense as well as economic sense. New tools like simulation are now available, so it is not just an intuitive approach anymore and government support is solicited in terms of capacity building and the regulatory as well. So the idea now is to move on from the past to move ahead with modern materials and tools and the strength of the vernacular is its adaptability towards change. These living examples of sustainability are truly inspirational and this encyclopedia of the vernacular can take us a long way ahead in our journey of sustainability and beyond. Thank you.