Built on around 2 acres of land in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi this four storeyed structure in masonry, with stone cladding and glazings, is an example of a sustainable campus

responding to the site and environment using energy saving technologies.

TERI UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, NEW DELHI

"Located at Vasant Kunj in South Delhi, the TERI university campus has been planned to provide a setting that enhances learning and showcases the concept of modern green buildings." Sanjay Mohe, Design Principal, MINDSPACE.

"Sustainability was the back bone of the entire design concept and it was communicated to the architect that the building should incorporate all possible elements of Passive Solar Architecture and Low Energy Cooling systems" says Mili Majumdar.

Site and Design

The linear geometry of the site with a narrow frontage and an aspect ratio of almost 1:3 dictated the strong linear axis in the design. The logical sequence of positioning the three distinct functioning zones in a hierarchy of public access to restricted entry formed the other key consideration in design development. Placing the commercial block at the front was the most logical choice in exploiting the commercial potential of the frontage of the site. The functional core also coincides with the geometric central part of the linear site. The residential zone comes up from the rear forming the last zone in the linear sequence.That the design responds to orientation and climatic factors, is but an obvious fact. The north line is at a slight angle to the linear axis of the site and the design takes full advantage of this orientation in the composition of the built and open spaces and in creating wind flows through the complex as also lighting and shading of the spaces.

Site Plan and Ground Floor Layout (bottom)1 Commercial Block, 2 Classrooms, 3, 4 Laboratories, 5,6 administrative block, 6 accounts, 7 dining hall, 8 hostel, 9, 10, courts, 11 Open Air Theatre

Elements of Design

The Sun, Sky, Air, Water and Earth shape the nature of architecture which emerges on this site. The process of continuous dialogue between the architect and TERI and the engagement of TERI in the design process augmented the thrust on climate responsive design in a large way.Sun

Passive solar design is an important feature in the design of this building. The planning and orientation of spaces and building blocks ensures glare free daylight in all regularly occupied spaces. All the linear blocks are oriented in the East-West direction with shorter facades facing the sun. Most of the south west facing walls are kept blank in order to protect the building from the harsh south west solar radiations. Where the south west walls have openings, they are protected by means of pergolas or projecting balconies. The east, west and south facades of the building have minimum glazing.

Few of the south facing walls are mounted with aeroscreen louvers (Hunter Douglas) fixed at an angleof 35deg. This ensures that the winter sun is let in where as the summer sun is blocked. The use of louvers in front of the glazed walls also reduces the heating up of the glass facade considerably.

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The walls that are exposed to the harsh solar rays have a stone cladding which is fixed to the wall by channels. The air gap between the wall and the stone cladding in itself acts as an insulation layer. On the western façade, rock wool insulation is also provided in the wall. Energy efficiency is further enhanced by Vermiculite insulation in parts of the roof slab.

SkyMaximum use of daylight and use of light sensors to regulate the use of artificial lighting in the interiors is another key design strategy.In areas where daylight is available, fixtures have been fitted with continuous dimming electronic ballasts. These fixtures are controlled by light sensors which respond to available light conditions and automatically regulate the connected fixtures to achieve the desired level of uniform illumination required. In areas with non- uniform illumination, occupancy sensors that can turn off the lights when the space is unoccupied have been installed. This kind of a lighting system has a potential of saving 70% lighting energy demand.Use of efficient double glazing window units help significantly reduce the heat gained through window glazing in the summers and the heat lost in the winters without compromising on the day lighting integration and the levels of visual comfort.

Daylighting integration using light fixtures fitted with electronic ballasts regulating the level of illumination responding to avilable natural light and adjustable aeroscreen louvres to regulate summer and winter sunlight entry (top and centre)Double glazed facades reduce heat gain without affecting the level of illumination (bottom)Concept Poster on 'Air' by Mindspace (facing page)

AirThe predominant wind direction is taken into account in designing the open spaces. The central atrium acts as an air funnel defined by the other buildings. The opening oriented in the prevailing wind direction catches the outside air and channelizes it through a narrow stretch of the block before releasing it into the central court area. The architect's experience of design in hot dry areas, particularly in earlier projects in Hyderabad made him confident of the effectiveness of this design feature in cooling the ambient temperatures of the enclosed areas. The central atrium is also proposed to be covered with an automatic adjustable louvre system (Vergola). The angle of the louvres can be adjusted to block the solar radiations during summer and to allow ample sunlight during winter. The system is further proposed to be integrated with photo voltaic panels. The louvres if kept closed can effectively prevent rain water from entering the atrium during the rainy season.

WaterVasant Kunj being a water starved area, incorporation of water saving fixtures and rain water harvesting was an important concern in the design brief from the very beginning.Water and waste management systems are important features of the building design. All buildings in the campus have been provided with low flow fixtures such as dual flush toilets, low flow taps and sensor taps that result in 25% savings in water use. The waste water generated from the hostel block is treated through efficient biological processes using a combination of micro organisms and bio-media filter. This treatment system requires less area and low energy. The treated water meets the prescribed standards for landscape irrigation. Rainwater harvesting is also an important concept which contributes to efficient water management. The average annual rainfall of Delhi is 611mm. Rainwater run off from the roof and the site are tapped to recharge the aquifer. This enhances the sustainable yield in areas where over development has depleted the aquifer. The excess surface water is alsoconserved and stored for future requirements. The quality of existing ground water is also improved through dilution.

D E T A I L S O F R E C H A R G E T R E N C H C U M B O R E V V E L L

EarthThe campus is equipped with three types of cooling systems (i)Variable Refrigerant Volume system (VRV), (ii) Earth Air Tunnel (EAT) and (iii) Thermal Mass Storage The VRV system is proposed for the peripheral commercial block and the administrative block of the institute. This state-of-the-art air conditioning system, which is similar to a split AC is highly efficient under partial loading conditions and beneficial to areas with varying occupancy. It allows customized control of individual zones eliminating the use of chilled water piping, ducting and plant room.

The use of Earth Air Tunnel gives an energy saving of nearly 50% as compared to the conventional systemThermal mass storage used for cooling the classrooms and labs involves storing energy when available and using it when required. Here, cooling of thermal mass is done during night. This cool thermal mass is used to cool air in day time. This system gives an energy saving of up to 40%

The Earth Air Tunnel (EAT) is used in the hostel blocks. This is a dual heating-cooling system using the heat sink property of the earth to maintain comfortable temperatures inside the building. Air which passes through the buried pipes gets cooled in summer and heated up in winter.A lot of research went in to the design of this system. Airtron, the Air-conditioning consultants for the project in collaboration with faculty of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore simulated the system and refined it to perfection. On continuous uninterrupted use in extreme heat conditions as in Delhi, this system faces the problem of the earth around the tunnel getting heat saturated and reducing the effectiveness of cooling. A recovery time is required for the earth to dissipate the heat from the immediate surroundings. After rigorous experiments and simulations a second loop of tubes was created and the two loops used alternately to provide sufficient recovery time to the earth around and maintain the performance effectiveness of the system.

Architectural ExpressionThe form and massing of the campus responds entirely to climate and the site.The south-west walls with few fenestrations and stone cladding, responding to the climatic conditions, forms an impenetrable wall, providing, as it were, a visual cue to the inherent resistance of the structure to inclement weather. Pergolas, overhangs and balconies form visual links as well as create drama in light and shade, which is quintessential to Mohe's work.The northern walls, in contrast, are lightweight with their glazing and large fenestrations, once again in response to the site and climate. The louvers on the glazing create interesting visuals on the facade.The overall composition of transparency and opacity unfolds to the viewer with changing orientations within the site.

A Statement...The TERI University Campus, with its responsive design and use of passive and active energy saving technology sets a benchmark in sustainable campus design. Building specifications adhering to Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) are also one of the key features of the design.Many of the technologies implemented have higher initial costs and longer recovery periods, but the client being TERI, the focus remained undiluted in applying sustainable technologies with long term energy efficiency targets.A last word on the project echoing the thoughts of Architect Sanjay Mohe: "The campus being constructed for TERI, had to be a truly climate responsive one and it attempts to make a statement in sustainable campus design."