NEWS & MEDIA

"There is a need for design of unique spaces that will be linked to nature and inspired by the cultural heritage that resembles the need of the people."

"A master class held by Satya Sheel, Managing Director of Metrovalley, as part of the Belgrade Design Week had the theme: building of self sustainable, energy efficient buildings that have as little as possible effect on the environment and stimulate social economic development. Architects, urbanists, sociologists and economists had the chance to hear why the project business park in New Delhi by the "Metro Valley" company could be a model applied in Serbia.

"More than half of the world population is currently living in cities and the United Nations estimate that by 2050 this trend will increase to 75%. You may think that the needs of people living in cities in different climate zones are unique, but then the question arises, why do all cities look alike?"

"The Indian company "Metro Valley" is since 2006 working on a new business development concept- build more with less, by understanding the needs of every specific society. After years of research the Indian company is working on comprehensive urban solutions for Gurgaon and industrial city Manesar in NCR region.

"The company "Metro Valley" has come up with sustainable and energy efficient buildings by questioning the fundamentals of how buildings are made today. The answer that we got is that there is a need for unique spaces that are connected with nature and are inspired by the Indian cultural heritage as desired by today's citizens. The company has therefore adopted a unique model based on ancient Indian knowledge, a holistic approach to space, people, society, energy and water. Countries such as India that have limited resources have to be innovative.

Rohan Parekh, who heads green initiatives at Infosys, has even more interesting suggestions regarding air-conditioning of buildings. According to Parekh, the most inefficient way to cool/heat buildings is to cool/heat air, given its poor conductivity, yet that is what is most commonly done. Parekh's solution, implemented at Infosys, Hyderabad campus, is to pass cold/hot water through thin copper tubes in the ceiling of a building, the difference in temperature causes our body heat to radiate to the cold tube (it is the reverse for heating) and, in the process, cools us down; Parekh's solution, he says, costs 30% of what conventional cooling does. Around 40% of global energy, Parekh avers, is used in buildings and around 40% of that is used up in heating/cooling; so a 30% cut in this will lead to a 5% reduction in global demand for energy. Most interesting, while most "green" projects get put off as they add to costs, Parekh's solution costs less than conventional cooling methods since "radiant cooling" requires less air-conditioning plants, and therefore even backup generators for them, the construction costs get lowered immediately.

"Satya Sheel believes that cities must follow the dynamic of social changes and become places that integrate people and ideas. They must transform according to new models and develop based on the needs of people and the local conditions.