The architect who designed the futuristic Coal India headquarters in Rajarhat was inspired by two doyens of the Bengal Renaissance — Raja Ram Mohun Roy and Rabindranath Tagore.
"The Coal India project, my first in Bengal, was influenced by the sensibilities of Raja Ram Mohun Roy, with whom Bengal renaissance started and Rabindranath Tagore, with whom the movement concluded. The two encapsulated a golden era of Bengal and India. Both believed in the marriage of functionality and aesthetics and that is what I have tried to incorporate in the building," said architect Raj Rewal, who designed the Parliament Library Building in Delhi, the Lisbon Ismaili Centre in Portugal and the Indian Embassy in Beijing.
Unlike conventional green buildings that have photo voltaic (PV) panels installed on the roof and look incongruous, the Coal India building integrated PV panels in its design, that complements the architectural aesthetics. The building's striking design and its extensive use of PV panels has already generated a buzz in industry journals like 'Domus', 'Architecture+Design' and 'Design Detail'.
"The stepped section of the office permits green terraces that are shaded by PV panels. The building embraces the sun to harvest energy. PV cells face south at 22° to generate maximum electricity," said Rewal. The building, with a built-up area of 2.75 lakh sq ft spread over nine floors, will generate 140 kWp electricity that is expected to meet 12% of its power requirement.
The office wings are designed in a manner that they enclose two curvilinear courtyards that diffuse natural light filtering into the office complex, reducing the temperature by 5-7% and creating a microclimate. The courtyards allow natural light to percolate to all levels, both from the perimeter of the building as well as the inner core. This helps reduce energy consumption during the day.
"The building's air-conditioning uses the thermal storage system in which ice is made at night when power tariff is low and then the ice-cold water is used by the AC unit during the day, reducing the AC plant's power consumption by 25%," explained Susobhan Roy, Rewal's associate and director of Acme Consultants.
Fitted with movement and daylight sensors and other controls, the smart building is expected to get a platinum rating from the Indian Green Building Council and has applied for a 4-star Griha rating.
"Indian culture places a high value regarding the concept of living in harmony with nature. Traditional Indian architecture has always echoed these concerns. The design for the Coal India headquarters is based on similar ideals and its form explores the potential of solar energy," Rewal added.
"The Coal India project, my first in Bengal, was influenced by the sensibilities of Raja Ram Mohun Roy, with whom Bengal renaissance started and Rabindranath Tagore, with whom the movement concluded. The two encapsulated a golden era of Bengal and India. Both believed in the marriage of functionality and aesthetics and that is what I have tried to incorporate in the building," said architect Raj Rewal, who designed the Parliament Library Building in Delhi, the Lisbon Ismaili Centre in Portugal and the Indian Embassy in Beijing.
Unlike conventional green buildings that have photo voltaic (PV) panels installed on the roof and look incongruous, the Coal India building integrated PV panels in its design, that complements the architectural aesthetics. The building's striking design and its extensive use of PV panels has already generated a buzz in industry journals like 'Domus', 'Architecture+Design' and 'Design Detail'.
"The stepped section of the office permits green terraces that are shaded by PV panels. The building embraces the sun to harvest energy. PV cells face south at 22° to generate maximum electricity," said Rewal. The building, with a built-up area of 2.75 lakh sq ft spread over nine floors, will generate 140 kWp electricity that is expected to meet 12% of its power requirement.
The office wings are designed in a manner that they enclose two curvilinear courtyards that diffuse natural light filtering into the office complex, reducing the temperature by 5-7% and creating a microclimate. The courtyards allow natural light to percolate to all levels, both from the perimeter of the building as well as the inner core. This helps reduce energy consumption during the day.
"The building's air-conditioning uses the thermal storage system in which ice is made at night when power tariff is low and then the ice-cold water is used by the AC unit during the day, reducing the AC plant's power consumption by 25%," explained Susobhan Roy, Rewal's associate and director of Acme Consultants.
Fitted with movement and daylight sensors and other controls, the smart building is expected to get a platinum rating from the Indian Green Building Council and has applied for a 4-star Griha rating.
"Indian culture places a high value regarding the concept of living in harmony with nature. Traditional Indian architecture has always echoed these concerns. The design for the Coal India headquarters is based on similar ideals and its form explores the potential of solar energy," Rewal added.
Next Story
