Indian corporations are imitating the west in the design of their buildings, which are essentially designed with glass and steel structures for the long cold winters. The new outrageous glass boxes over look the hot and dry climate of India, creating heat gain which can only be off-set by costly air conditioning. Adding to the misery is the ever growing demand for energy in an already energy deficient country. It calls for designing buildings with sensitivity towards climate that is both energy efficient and draws vernacular solutions. While building a Green Building complex, was a matter of civic responsibility, the objective of the design was to make a Great Place to Work. This took the shape of a Land Scraper, opposing the idea of a Skyscraper! It is a counter blast to “the glass box.”

Balance with Tradition
Suzlon One Earth derives its inspiration from large Indian historical campuses like Fatehpur Sikri and the Meenakshi Temple complex in Madurai. Both employ an interposition of open and closed spaces that balance one another. Both have strong horizontal elements that tie the complexes together and accent features that emphasize quadrants and sacred places. In these historical precedents there are also water bodies and open courtyards, as in Suzlon One Earth! Ground level pavilions and arcades open into the courts and allow the “borrowing” of visual experiences.. It is the need of the hour that architecture should borrow elements of critical rationalism, with over hangs, louvers, pergolas, courtyards, water and natural light permeation.