As part of the CAPABLE Project: Capacity Building in Built Environment Sustainability Research, two significant site visits were conducted on December 20, 2024, and December 28, 2024 focused on training students on the principles of sustainability and green building technologies. The visit was attended by Indian students from BNCA, Pune, IIT Bombay, and UK students from Liverpool John Moores University, along with their mentors.
The site visit to Enpro Industries, a LEED platinum rated building, conducted on 20th Dec 2024 was an eye-opening experience for the students, who gained valuable insights into the innovative building design and technologies that minimize energy consumption, optimize resource usage, and promote eco-friendly practices. Mr. Vilas Phalke led the students through a comprehensive briefing about the building’s energy-efficient features.
The site visit to Amar Tech park at Balewadi, an IGBC platinum rated building, was conducted on 20th Dec 2024. The representatives from Amar Builders and VK-e firm involved in the green building certification guided the students during site visit.
During these visits, students had the opportunity to understand the key components of sustainable building design, including passive design strategies, energy-efficient HVAC systems like Earth Air Tunnel Heat Exchanger, and water conservation technologies such as Water-Efficient Fixtures and recycling of grey water, sustainable services, sustainable transport initiatives, efficient parking systems and initiatives to promote e-vehicles. Students were engaged in discussions about integrating renewable energy systems like solar power into building designs and its performance monitoring. They explored practical applications of green building certifications, such as LEED, IGBC and the importance of creating spaces that are both environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. Students gained hands-on knowledge of how these systems work in real-time, helping them to relate theoretical concepts to real-world solutions.
