BANGALORE:
Brigade Group have been pioneers of real estate development for the last 33 years and have always had a strong focus on sustainability. Constant evolution and innovation are the need of the hour in real estate development and knowledge sharing is key. At the recently concluded event called Inspire Nxt, a knowledge sharing session promoted by the Brigade Group, three technology-based environment conservation start-ups were introduced. This was followed by a panel discussion that brought together architects, green building advocates and environmentalists to discuss options for the co-existence of development and sustainability.
Welcoming delegates to Inspire Nxt, Nirupa Shankar, Executive Director, Brigade Group said, “There is no doubt that the demand for Real Estate is on the rise and is only expected to grow. Development then becomes inevitable. At the same time, we have to understand that our environment has finite resources and it is our responsibility to ensure that these are tapped responsibly. The focus for Brigade has been developing in a responsible manner and we would like to be advocates of responsible development for the industry. For instance, we have made a commitment to plant 30,000 trees. We support and mentor 8 start ups that focus on sustainable living, we have invested in solar and renewable energy, we have rejuvenated lakes and parks for the city and we use best practices when it comes to building green”.
Speaking at Inspire Nxt event, Subrata K C Sharma, COO, Brigade Commercial said, “Brigade has always been a forward-thinking developer and most of the suggestions made at the Inspire Nxt discussion have already been implemented across our developments. Our projects are future-ready and all recent developments are LEED Platinum or Gold certified. However, we do realize that there is always something more that can be done and we continue to evolve and incorporate such technologies and practices as we go forward”.
Inspire Nxt began with an introduction to three innovative sustenance and technology based start-ups. These were, WeGot, a start-up that provides technology to monitor the optimum usage of water. EcoStp, an organization that has created a technology that treats water without using electricity but rather natural methods. Smarter Dharma an organization which mobilises and enables businesses, governments, communities and individuals towards sustainability thinking and action. This introduction was followed by an informative panel discussion that was moderated by Sangeetha Chengappa, Senior Deputy Editor, The Hindu Business Line.
The panel included Ramprasad, an environmentalist behind the Friend of Lakes project; S Vishwanath, a well-known water harvesting specialist and the name behind the Million Lakes project; Sudhir PS, Architect, Gayathri & Namith Architects, Selvarasu, LEED and IGBC Fellow & Faculty USGBC; Ajay Koshy, Head, Design and Development, Brigade Group and Sriram Kuchimanchi, Founder and CEO of Smarter Dharma.
The discussions centred round the absolute need for development in this day and age and the best practices to ensure minimum to no impact on the environment. With inter-city migration and the growing demand for commercial and residential realty becoming inevitable, the various sustenance solutions that can be incorporated were discussed. A vision for the future and the ability to assess earlier mistakes and learn from them were deliberated. An undertaking that these learnings will be implemented was also agreed upon.
The location for the event was Brigade Opus, an IGBC LEED Platinum rated development which houses one of the country’s largest living green walls. The Biowall at Brigade Opus is a structure of magnificent height and scale. Measuring 16 m H x 25 m W, i.e., 400 sq. meters, this bio-wall houses seven different species of plants and has a total of 15,750 plants. Apart from being visually appealing, a Greenwall is known to have direct health impacts, including proven cases of improvement in air quality. The living wall can be automated and monitored with natural air purification and humidification. It also functions as Brigade Opus’s very own natural air filtration system.
A brainchild of M.R. Jaishankar, CMD, Brigade Group this Greenwall at Brigade Opus has been the talk of the town – with many vehicles slowing down, just to catch a glimpse of this masterpiece. The aluminium frame, biowall plant installation and independent modules are designed in a way that the Greenwall also features the Brigade Group’s logo, which signifies scaling new heights, upward and onward towards the sun. In addition, the biowall is testimony to Brigade Group’s commitment to ‘Building Positive Experiences’
