Green Story of Vedam
In order to have a holistic environment it is important that built and unbuilt environment work in response to each other. Keeping this in mind, the architecture of Vedam was designed so as to respond the environmental and social context in which the building is located.
The built environment has been developed keeping environment in mind and following steps have been adopted.
Earth
The built fabric has been developed of locally available materials and using natural resources. The excavated mud from the foundation and from water tanks have been utilized to make mud blocks. This ensures that the embodied energy of the building is low. The hollow mud blocks also insulates the building and help in maintaining comfortable temperature inside the building.
Stairs have been constructed in masonry on brick arches which also reduces use of steel and
cement concrete
Walls have been build out of hollow mud blocks. In order to reduce heat gain from ceilings waste tiles have been put up, this ensures that heat is
reflected back and there is less heat gain inside the rooms.
In order to reduce use of cement concrete in roof, we have used funicular slab and filler slabs.
This roofing technology helps in reducing utilization of cement concrete in slabs and also helps
in reducing heat gain from the roof.
Energy
When the building envelope is design appropriately considering the environment the requirement of artificial energy itself reduces drastically and rest is taken care by using energy efficient technologies.
We have provided large openings and light ventilators in order to enhance daylit area, hence there is adequate day light in the rooms and reduced dependency on artificial lights.
There is a plan to install renewable energy systems to power the electricity needs of the school.
Because of proper insulation in walls and roof there is less requirement of artificial cooling, hence we avoid use of air conditioners. In most of the rooms fans are utilized which ensures that rooms are well ventilated and temperature is in sync with body needs.
Wind
The building has been planned and oriented in manner that there is minimum heat gain and proper wind flow in the building.
The courtyard planning also helps in channelizing the wind movement inside the building.
Water
Rainwater harvesting system have been installed in order to recharge groundwater. Every year
with the rains ground water is replenished.
We have ensured that there is minimum hard surface and soft ground cover is maintained. Soft covers also ensures that water falling on the site is not flown in drains but it goes in the ground.
We have ensured that grass cover is used only in necessary region, and other parts of the campus we have grown organic vegetables.
This helps in reducing land scape water demand.
Other land scape elements include fruit bearing trees, which provides shade in the campus and
reduces in landscape water demand.
People
People are most important part of the building as well as building process, it could be children or teachers who have been using the buildings as well as masons who have been part of construction process have been an important part of the architecture of the building.
Maximum portion of the total expenditure that incurred in the building is on labour costs, keeping people in center during the design process ensured that we use locally produced material, labour intensive technologies so that local business and people are supported through this intervention.
We ensured that ideas of masons, contractors and community were taken while execution of the building. This ensured that the people working for construction felt connected with the building.
The building is inclusive in nature and disabled friendly. Care have been taken to ensure that building has been designed to ensure children safety.
