Volume - 14 | Issue - 08 | August - 2024 | PRINT ISSN No. 2249 - 555X | DOI : 10.
36106/ijar
Original Research Paper
Environmental Science
ARCHITECTS' PERSPECTIVES ON GREEN BUILDING INTEGRATION:
CHALLENGES, INNOVATIONS, AND VISIONS
Ms. Shivani Rani* Sr. Analyst-Policy and Advisory. *Corresponding Author
Dr. Meenal Jain Assistant Professor.
Prof. (Dr.) Professor.
Meenakshi Mital
Ms. Sherry Bansal Architect.
ABSTRACT As the Indian subcontinent experiences a dynamic expansion of urban centers, architects operating in different climatic
zones of the country are confronted with unique challenges. India, with its diverse and often extreme climatic conditions,
is a microcosm of the larger global effort to create buildings that reduce environmental impact, conserve resources, and prioritize the health and
well-being of their occupants. From the scorching deserts of the North Zone to the lush coastal regions of the South Zone, architects have had to
adapt and innovate in their approach to green building integration. This study, positioned against the backdrop of India's unique architectural
challenges, seeks to delve into the perceptions and aspirations of architects engaged in green building practices across different climatic zones.
As architects adapt and innovate to meet the demands of extreme conditions, the research strives to assess the challenges they face, identify the
inventive strategies they employ, and understand their visionary outlooks for the future. The research explores India's diverse climatic zones,
including Hot and Dry, Composite, Hot and Humid, Temperate, and Cold, to understand the challenges and opportunities architects face in
integrating green building practices. It will focus on active green building project architects to gain context-specic insights into sustainable
architecture, tailored to India's unique climatic conditions. This research aims to identify shared challenges faced by architects in integrating
green building practices across diverse climatic zones in India. It also aims to highlight innovative design and construction strategies employed
by architects, providing insights into sustainable architecture. The study also seeks to present architects' visions for sustainable architecture
within climatic diversity, contributing to the discourse on future trends and design philosophies.
KEYWORDS : Green Building Practices, Sustainable Architecture, Climatic Challenges, Architectural Adaptation
INTRODUCTION 3. To understand architects' visions for the future of green building
As nations grapple with the consequences of rapid urbanization and integration, including emerging trends, technologies, and design
industrialization, green building practices emerge as the cornerstone of philosophies specic to the Indian context.
a conscientious future. From national policies advocating sustainable
construction to global initiatives combatting climate change, the Review Of Literature:
trajectory of architectural design is inseparable from the broader The study titled, “Effects of Motivators & Barriers on Green Building
pursuit of a sustainable world. Intention: Architects' Perspective”, Ziliya and Faisal, (2020)
underscores the pivotal role of buildings in human existence,
As urbanization propels forward on the Indian subcontinent, architects recognizing their profound impact on the economy, environment, and
nd themselves at the nexus of a pivotal challenge — crafting human health. With a focus on sustainability, it delves into the promise
sustainable buildings that harmonize with the diverse climatic tapestry of Green Buildings to address environmental issues, offering solutions
of the nation. From the soaring temperatures of the North to the to problems like pollution, global warming, water scarcity, waste
temperate landscapes of the South, India encapsulates a microcosm of disposal, high electricity costs, and health concerns. Centering on the
global endeavors to create structures that mitigate environmental intentions of Indian architects, the study explores motivating and
impact, conserve resources, and prioritize occupant well-being. In this hindering factors inuencing their engagement in green building
dynamic context, this research explores the perceptions and activities, emphasizing their crucial role as sustainability proponents.
aspirations of Indian architects engaged in green building practices,
unraveling the challenges, innovations, and future visions across The study titled, “A Review on Green Building Movement in India”,
varied climatic zones. As architects adapt and innovate amidst India's Manna and Banerjee, (2019) emphasize the urgent need for sustainable
climatic extremes, this study seeks to identify common challenges, development to combat environmental challenges like the Greenhouse
showcase inventive strategies, and present a visionary outlook for Effect, resource depletion, and global warming. Highlighting the global
sustainable architecture tailored to India's diverse environmental awareness gap between developed and developing nations, it particularly
contexts. focuses on India's signicant strides in eco-friendly constructions. The
study explores the aim of green building projects in India to mitigate the
Architects play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sustainable construction industry's environmental impact, detailing certication
architecture. The decisions they make, the innovations they conceive, criteria, government incentives, and the challenges faced. It serves as a
and the visions they articulate inuence not only the aesthetics of valuable resource, shedding light on India's position in producing a
buildings but also their ecological impact, energy performance, and sustainable built environment amid global concerns.
societal well-being. As architects grapple with diverse climatic
challenges, they also nd themselves in a dynamic dialogue with green In the study titled, “Development of a 'Green building sustainability
building rating systems, international sustainability standards, and model' for green buildings in India”, Sharma, (2018) addresses the
local regulations. existing gap in green building. It establishes a conceptual framework
involving nine constructs, exploring relationships among issues,
Objective: challenges, government, corporate entities, developers, buyers,
To comprehensively investigate and understand the dynamics of green private bodies, strategic mix, and sustainable development. Empirical
building integration within diverse climatic zones in India, from results emphasize the pivotal role of collaborative efforts, particularly
architects' perspective: government involvement, in achieving resource-efcient and
1. To assess the challenges architects face in integrating green building sustainable development. The model's applicability extends beyond
practices in diverse climatic conditions such as Hot and Dry, India, offering relevance to global academics, environmentalists,
Composite, Hot and humid, Temperate and Cold. practitioners, policymakers, and guiding future research.
2. To explore the innovative strategies architects employ to overcome
these challenges when designing sustainable buildings in various METHODOLOGY
climatic zones. The research employed a survey as the primary tool to collect data
INDIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH 1
Volume - 14 | Issue - 08 | August - 2024 | PRINT ISSN No. 2249 - 555X | DOI : 10.36106/ijar
from architects operating in India's ve climatic zones—Hot and Dry,
Composite, Hot and Humid, Temperate, and Cold. This
comprehensive approach aimed to explore the nuances of green
building practices in diverse environmental contexts. The survey
targeted both architects actively engaged in green building projects
and those not involved, capturing a holistic view of challenges,
innovations, and visions related to green building integration. The
sample size was 25 architects, capturing regional variations in green
building experiences across the diverse climatic zones of India.
The quantitative analysis involved interpreting survey responses, with
percentages derived to highlight prevalent challenges, innovative
strategies, and visionary outlooks among architects. Simultaneously,
qualitative analysis probed into open-ended responses, providing an
understanding of architects' perspectives on green building
integration. While the survey formed the backbone of data collection,
the analysis integrated both quantitative and qualitative approaches, Figure 2: Preferences of architects for green building features
offering a comprehensive view of the challenges, innovations, and
visions related to green building practices in India's varied climatic 3. The survey on the vision for green building practices provides
zones. valuable insights into architects' perspectives on future trends and key
considerations. Firstly, 75% of respondents anticipate a growing
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION demand for green building practices in the Indian architectural context.
1. The study ndings underscore a multi-faceted landscape of However, they believe that the cold zone will witness the least growth
challenges in green building integration. The dominance of climatic in green building practices in the near future, highlighting the context-
challenges for 91.7% of architects signals the impact of diverse specic nature of expectations.
geographical locations on sustainable design. Notably, client-related
hurdles, encompassing preferences and budget constraints, are Moreover, a majority of architects (91.7%) envision advanced
identied as the most formidable challenge, indicating potential gaps technology as the main component of future green buildings, coupled
in awareness and a need for client education in green building with a greater reliance on renewable energy. This collective belief
practices. The moderate challenge posed by the limited availability of underscores a forward-looking approach among architects,
green materials emphasizes the importance of a sustainable supply emphasizing the integration of cutting-edge technologies and
chain. sustainable energy sources in the design and construction of green
buildings.
The survey reveals varying encounters with regulatory or policy
hurdles, with a majority experiencing occasional obstacles, Additionally, 87.5% of architects express the belief that providing
highlighting the complex regulatory environment in green nancial incentives and subsidies for green building projects will be
construction. Interestingly, the least number of architects face policy highly effective in promoting green building practices in India. This
hurdles, suggesting a relatively smoother policy landscape. The aligns with the challenges identied by architects, particularly the
perceived high initial cost of green technologies emerges as a perceived high initial cost of green technologies, emphasizing the
signicant overarching challenge, aligning with broader concerns in pivotal role of supportive policies and incentives in fostering
the industry. This multifaceted understanding of challenges provides a sustainable architecture. The survey ndings collectively reect
nuanced view for shaping future strategies in green building practices. architects' optimistic yet pragmatic vision for the future of green
building practices in India.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The study's ndings suggest several recommendations to enhance
environmental sustainability in green building practices. Given the
signicant climatic challenges faced by architects, there is a need for
region-specic design innovations that address environmental
diversity. Encouraging the use of sustainable materials, especially
those locally sourced, can contribute to reducing the environmental
impact. Policy interventions should focus on streamlining regulatory
processes and offering incentives to overcome nancial barriers
associated with green technologies. To foster a more sustainable
future, there should be a concerted effort to promote the adoption of
renewable energy sources and advanced technologies in green
building projects. Overall, these recommendations aim to align
Figure 1: Challenges faced by architects while integrating green architectural practices with environmental conservation, fostering a
building practices greener and more sustainable built environment.
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