‘Create earth friendly buildings’

The Movement for Green Buildings, a social initiative of The Weekend Leader, has appealed to policy makers, builders, and architects to aspire towards creating earth friendly buildings.

In a statement released on the occasion of the World Environment Day, environmentalists, academics, and journalists united under the banner of the ‘Movement for Green Buildings’ and stressed on the need to create buildings “that would consume less energy, less water, make more use of renewable energy, conserve natural resources and reduce waste generation.”

A Green Building (Photo Courtesy: Deepa Satiyaram)

Following are the signatories to the Statement:

1. Aparajithan Narasimhan (Assistant Professor, Rajalakshmi School of Architecture, Chennai)

2. G Dattatri (Former Chief Urban Planner, Tamil Nadu)

3. David Carun (Professor and Head, Crescent School of Architecture, Chennai)

4. M B Nirmal (Founder, Exnora International)

5. M G Devasahayam (Retd. IAS, Founder, Citizen’s Alliance for Sustainable Living - SUSTAIN)

6. M Thirumeni (Professor and Dean, School of Architecture,SRM University)

7. N Ramachandran (Vice-Chancellor, Periyar Maniammai University, Thanjavur)

8. Paul P Appasamy (Vice - Chancellor, Karunya University, Coimbatore)

9. Sam Rajappa (Senior Journalist)

10. Prof. S F Rajaratnam (Chairman, The Indian Institute of Architects, TN Chapter)

11. Sheeba Chander (Professor and Head of Department, School of Architecture, Hindustan University, Chennai)

12. Shihabudheen M Maliyekkal (Associate Professor and Program Manager, School of Mechanical and Buildings Sciences, VIT Chennai)

13. Shobha Menon (Managing Trustee, Nizhal, Chennai)

14. J. Subramanian (Professor and Design Chair - MEASI Academy of Architecture, Chennai)

15. V N Rayudu (Environmental Advisory Consultant, Hyderabad)

16. P C Vinoj Kumar (Editor, The Weekend Leader)

Full Text of the Joint Statement follows:

“Going green is not just a technical jargon, but a way of life. It is the sum total of the choices we make to adjust our lifestyle for creating a sustainable world. The necessity of going green has come about largely because of the increase in output of carbon dioxide which increases the green house effect on earth leading to global warming and related consequences.

It is also created due to the large scale depletion of natural resources that are being felled to provide for our current lifestyle. Fresh water, arable land, forests, lakes and ponds, marshes, top soil and river beds are some of the most precious resources apart from the mineral wealth and fossil fuels, that are losing out to the development bandwagon we are travelling on.

It is in this context that we as a community need to introspect on how much we contribute to reducing the demand for energy and thereby carbon output.

Much can be accomplished if all of us resolve to work towards creating green buildings – buildings that would consume less energy, less water, make more use of renewable energy, conserve natural resources and reduce waste generation. With little effort, even existing buildings can be turned more eco-friendly.

Emphasising on creating buildings with adequate day lighting and ample natural ventilation is one of the ways to move forward.

Use of energy saving appliances and using recycled/ refurbished materials or materials with recycled content will also help in making a larger impact.

On this World Environment Day, we the undersigned on behalf of the ‘Movement for Green Buildings’ – a social initiative of The Weekend Leader – appeal to policy makers, builders, architects, and the general public, to aspire towards creating earth friendly buildings and build a sustainable world.”

The Weekend Leader is also organizing a workshop on ‘Trends in Green Buildings’ in Chennai on July 25 to create awareness on the latest developments in the field. - TWL Bureau