Asian biz school gets LEED gold rating

Asian School of Business (ASB) campus based here has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s (LEED) highest gold rating.

ASB has thus become the first educational campus in the State to achieve the rating, which is a hallmark for energy efficient and sustainable buildings.

NEW PROGRAMME

ASB has won the certification under the new construction programme of LEED-India, which helps guide and design high-performance commercial buildings. Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) is the certifying authority, a spokesman for ASB said.

George M. Thomas, patron, and Biju S. Nair, project manager, ASB received the award from C. N. Raghavendran, chairman, IGBC, Chennai chapter.

By going green, ASB has had both tangible and intangible benefits, Thomas said. Power consumption has reduced by 20 per cent and consumption of potable water by 30 per cent.

Enhanced health and safety of the students and faculty, heightened comfort and productivity are some of the other benefits, he added.

‘GREEN BUILDING’

A typical ‘green building’ demonstrates savings in energy and water consumption, reduced soil waste and lower green house gas emission, enhanced indoor air and environment quality besides conservation of natural resources.

The ASB campus is spread over 16 acres of land along the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam national highway. It was designed by Singapore-based multinational architectural services provider CPG Consultants.

Jones Lang LaSalle, a leading agency in energy and sustainable services, provided the project management and green building consultancy. The campus houses dedicated blocks for academic activity, library and hostel.

CONTROLLED ACCESS

Erosion and sedimentation control measures reduce negative impacts of water and air quality.

Earth work and clearing of vegetation have been limited to the extent possible. Rain water harvesting has been implemented, among others, in the campus.

Access to the campus is electronically controlled. Wi-Fi connections allow anytime and quick access to data in the campus spread over 1.25 lakh sq ft of built-up area.

“Efforts for this achievement began from the stage of site selection, and continued into the master planning and finishing,” said G. Vijaya Raghavan, member, Kerala State Planning Board and member-secretary, ASB.

RECYCLED CONTENT

“We have encouraged the use of construction materials with high recycled content. Even in landscaping, we have gone in for low water consuming local plants such as yellow showers and areca palms,” he added.

According to S. Rajeev, Director, ASB, the campus is a brilliant demonstration how eco-sensitivity and high-end technology can be seamlessly brought together. “All of us at the institution take pride in this achievement,” he added.