Auroville’s alternative galaxy

Letters - May 16-31, 2013

Dam smart

Roti, kapda, and the other makaan bygones

Blog Intro:  Green buildings can happen only when we adopt a holistic approach that brings fashion, food and the building industry in sync Green buildings can happen only when we adopt a holistic approach that brings fashion, food and the building industry in sync

Cool cover

COME summer, air-conditioners and coolers are plugged into electrical sockets once more. Though effective against hot Indian summers, the accompanying high electricity bills and energy consumption make them a cause of worry for consumers and environmentalists.

Letters - May 1-15, 2013

Dubious Distinction This is with reference to the editorial, “A green facade” (April 1-15, 2013). I am doing an investigative project about green buildings and rating systems in India as part of my journalism studies. I have been digging for opposing views on LEED rating in India but there has been none. It was a delight to find an article criticising these ratings.

Letters - April 15-31, 2013

Passive Choice

A green facade

Building green is definitely important. But equally important is to know how green is a green building. Take the glitzy, glass-enveloped buildings popping up across the country. It does not matter if you are in the mild but wet and windy climate of Bengaluru or in the extreme hot and dry climate of Gurgaon, glass is the in-thing.

Redefining the Greys of the Green

Green is a phenomenon and not a formula. It is a concept more than a configuration. However, with more glass than the grass in built environment, “Green” seems to have remained a word rather than a colour. Building industry, with its share of 42%, is the highest consumer of world energy surpassing manufacturing as well as agriculture sector.

Green Buildings

Intro:  Green Buildings

Give landscape its due

What is the role of a landscape architect in building design? Interviewee:  Ravindra Bhan