Bio-climatic architecture seeks to create an architecture which is fundamentally more responsive to location, climate and human needs.

The buildings are characterized by the use of elements including walls, windows, roofs and floors, combining available materials and technologies, to manage energy flows and thus provide comfortable conditions in the occupied parts of the building at all times of the day and year.

Arjuntree One has evolved from the study and careful analysis of local climatic conditions and other natural variations that arise from the site and its surroundings. It is a conscious effort to form a bridge between nature and the built environment making use of natural wind, day lighting and natural materials so as to reduce the impact of the building on the environment.

Nope. Most traditional architecture that had evolved over the ages took the local climatic conditions into consideration. Mechanical air conditioning did not exist or when it did was too expensive a solution. Hence the architecture was designed to take care of the vagaries of the weather, whether to insulate in cool climates or to encourage proper ventilation and transportation of air in hot and humid climates.  In our project we are just reviving the emphasis on these design concepts to reduce energy costs.

It is neither more expensive or cheaper to design a building using these concepts. There are no complicated or expensive systems to be installed. Off course there may be small sacrifices that we have to make in terms of available area in order to incorporate these design elements, but these are negligible.

There are a number of  good India-centric rating systems such as TERI’s GRIHA and IGBC’s LEED. While these rating systems are good to benchmark a project they do have a administrative and financial overhead that they place on the project. With all the little details that we patiently work with in order to make our project truly ‘Green’, this becomes an unnecessary burden on our resources. We are passionately committed to being environmentally friendly and creating a sustainable community during and after the design and construction phases. By putting green design methods into practice, we intend that our customers themselves will be our best rating system. We will also be disseminating information on both our blog on this site and through our social page at www.facebook.com/arjuntree and do hope that more of the Real Estate Development community adopts these methods. Constructive criticism to improve our methods is always welcome. Please drop us a line or comment on our blog or facebook page.

One of the most important requirements for comfort in a hot and humid climate is continuous and free air circulation and moisture evaporation through breezes. At “ArjunTree One” we have provided large openings towards the windward and the lee ward sides, within the apartments, and cross ventilation is taken care of through the air spaces in the sky courts. The sky gardens in the apartments act as wind scoops, creating air currents, drawing air into the house.

The design of the sky gardens minimize the heat and moisture on the lower floors, by virtue of protecting the walls below. The landscaped garden, acts as a buffer from the dust, heat and the lashing rain. They are staggered on alternate floors to form a checkerboard like spacing, which enhances the air movement between floors.

 The double height spacing between the gardens, gives each one a private uninterrupted bit of sky. The verandah, between interior and exterior, is the most comfortable space from which one can enjoy the rain, only feeling the mild spray, or the cool breeze and shade from the sun.

Well you could landscape it and use it as a luxurious backyard / sit out that you can enjoy most months of the year. Alternatively, you could also plant your own organic vegetable garden and eat and stay healthy! We have already tried this at our personal residence. You can check out the progress on one of our personal blogs at www.panandiker.com/tkg.

London Permaculture / Foter

Rainwater harvesting refers to the accumulation and storage of rain water before it reaches the aquifer. Rainwater collected from roof tops can be generally used as drinking water, for irrigation, landscaping, cleaning etc.

Additionally groundwater recharge may also be carried out by the collecting the rainwater and channeling and percolating it to the aquifer through the  subsoil.

In our project we have incorporated both solutions of harvesting and groudwater recharge to mitigate current and future water problems for the building community.

We have tried to bring down operational costs at two levels.

First, at the community level, where the use of natural materials like brick, laterite blocks and terracotta will remove the cost of external painting and hence reduce maintenance costs.

Secondly, individual costs are reduced through bio-climatic architecture that lowers energy consumption. This is achieved by natural day lighting and ventilation throughout the building.

UPDATE: AS PER THE NOTIFICATION IN THE GAZETTE DATED 30.05.2013 AND EFFECTIVE FROM 01.06.2013 THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NEW RATES:

a) If the base amount is < INR 50,00,000 (Rs Fifty Lakhs Only) :

At the time of Agreement for Sale : 2.9%

At the time of Sale Deed : 0.1%

b) If the base amount is > INR 50,00,000 (Rs Fifty Lakhs Only) and < INR 1,00,00,000 (Rs One Crore Only)

At the time of Agreement for Sale : 2.9%

At the time of Sale Deed : 0.6%

c) If the base amount is > INR 1,00,00,000 (Rs One Crore Only)

At the time of Agreement for Sale : 2.9%

At the time of Sale Deed : 1.1%

Note: the above value will be rounded up to the next highest 500

(In a twisted joke the notification actually says that the Stamp Duty has been reduced whereas in effect it has been increased by 1%. Though unconfirmed, this may be balanced by a 1% reduction in Registration Charges. So overall there will be no effect, but the buyer will have to pay 1.9 % extra at the time of signing the agreement)

UPDATE:  REGISTRATION CHARGES HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY 1%.

a) If the base amount is < INR 25,00,000 :

At the time of Sale Deed : 1%

b) If the base amount is > INR 25,00,000 and < INR 50,00,000

At the time of Sale Deed : 2%

c) If the base amount is > INR 50,00,000 and < INR 1,00,00,000

At the time of Sale Deed : 3%

d) If the base amount is > INR 1,00,00,000

At the time of Sale Deed : 4%

Note: The above given amount will be rounded up to the next highest 100

Maintenance Charges  = area of the unit x INR 1500

At any point of time if the solar energy is not enough to heat the  installed backup electrical heating elements will kick in to ensure that the water temperature is maintained at the desired level.