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Commercial Design Awards 2022: ‘Green And Sustainable Designers Of The Year’ goes to Edifice Consultants

by Staff Writer
Bedanta Saikia (second from left), the vertical head, and Vishakha Naik (second from right), design analyst from Edifice Consultants, collect the award on behalf of Shaon Sengupta, Director & Head – North, who curated the design for India’s second Net-Positive building – the Atal Akshay Urja Bhavan in New Delhi.

Commercial Design India Awards 2022 was all about the celebration of the creative best and foremost from India’s workplace design industry. The awards night honored the best designers, architects, design firms, MEP consultants, project heads, facility managers and design-oriented companies across the country. 

Out of all the different categories, The most environmentally conscious and green project ‘Green and Sustainable Designer of the Year’ was awarded to Edifice Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

Project submitted: Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan– India’s First Net-Positive Energy Building

The Atal Akshaya Urja Bhavan is a net-positive energy campus that sets an inspiring example for future Government buildings in India.

The landmark building’s design is a response to the active public interface as it represents the surrounding contextual influences and synbolizes the country’s sustainable aspirations.
The architecture draws from the rich built vocabulary of Lutyens Delhi- Utilizes a muted material palette of sandstone, brick and glass.
  • Located in New Delhi, Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan was recently accredited by GRIHA as an excellent showcase of being India’s first Net-positive energy building, making it India’s most energy-efficient building.
  • With an awaited LEED Platinum and stellar GRIHA-star rating, the project incorporates design strategies like building orientation, fenestrations, jaalis, energy conscious building envelopes, and shading devices working in tandem to decrease passive heat gain.
  • The building also boasts of rainwater harvesting, recycling and wastewater treatment systems. The site’s landscaping features local and indigenous flora, with all lighting fixtures powered through individual solar panels.
  • The headquarters of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy [MNRE] is the latest prominent addition to New Delhi’s skyline. The Campus draws from the rich built vocabulary of Lutyens’ Delhi to craft a visual identity for itself — one that is distinctly modern and yet pays homage to the past.
  • The project is a symbolic project that signifies a polemic shift from conventional Government campuses in India. Bringing in a sea change in public building culture, the design uses areas like the Exhibition Hall and the Urja Pavilion to invite visitors to engage with and explore the campus.
  • The design leverages cutting-edge technology in energy-efficient fixtures and solar panels installed over a roof-top area of 60,000 square feet to reduce energy consumption within the building.
  • Photovoltaic panels on the roof and southern wall produce electricity to the tune of 1100 kWh with a generation potential of 19 lakh energy units per annum.
  • Water-cooled screw-chilling machines have been used to create a radiant cooling system — running through PEX pipes embedded in the ceiling, the strategy uniformly lowers surface temperature for optimum thermal comfort.
The shaded walkway linking the pavilion to the entry forecourt- streamlined pedestrian experience.
Interactive interior spaces designed to create ease of access from one spatial zone to another.