INTEGRATED APPROACH TO ENHANCE GREEN BUILDING RATING OF A RESIDENCE: DESIGN, ENERGY AND MATERIALS

Abstract

Architectural design, energy, and materials play a significant role in determining the green rating of a residential building. The green building rating systems available for assessment are IGBC rating, LEED, GRIHA, and SVAGIHA rating systems. In India, the GRIHA Rating, as well as IGBC Rating, are developed for multi-residential and commercial structures only. This study is based on the SVAGRIHA rating system. SVAGRIHA rating is applied for small versatile and affordable buildings. This study aims to enhance the sustainability and environmental susceptibility of a proposed conventional residential building in Kerala based on the criteria for the SVAGRIHA green building assessment. This is done by defining methods to convert the conventional structure into a green structure. The methods adopted for improvement include variations in materials used, architectural design, and energy aspects of the building this study showed an improvement in rating from zero-rating to three-star rated green building. The implementation of vernacular architecture, traditional building materials, and technologies adopted by Laurie had a huge impact on the development of a green building. The renewable energy systems preferred for rating have a high cost of installation but have a   long-term advantage. This is ideal especially in high energy-consuming buildings to attain energy at no cost. The study also shows the necessity of developing advanced low-energy materials and devices for the construction of green buildings.