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This is an interesting and a whole new angle on the LEED debate. Essentially what is being said is that tightly sealing a building (to make the air-conditioning system more energy efficient) also locks in hazardous chemicals with complete disregard for indoor air quality.
Ideally, in our climate, we’d have less “sealed” buildings and more that could breathe. Of course, to do that, architects in India need to first stop designing climatically inappropriate glass façade buildings.
Dassault has released the beta of a free 2D drawing editor that works like AutoCAD. It’s based on ARES from Graebert and is currently available for Windows with Mac and Linux versions in the pipeline for later in the year. So far, all AutoCAD clones have remained marginal players so it is to be seen whether this one can hit its target.
Here is Dassault’s description:
DraftSight is a professional-grade, open 2D CAD product for users who want a better way to read, write and share DWG files. DraftSight is easy to use and is available for professional CAD users, students and educators to download and activate for free.*
Based on advanced architecture, DraftSight has a small footprint, should take less that a few minutes to download, and runs on multiple operating systems, including Windows XP®, Windows Vista® and Windows® 7.
Get the software from here. [~42 MB]
Props to :: Deelip.com and WorldCAD Access
With their windmills starting rotation in breeze as light as 1m/s, Wind Simplicity’s designs would be great for many parts of India that are not on the conventional wind-map. They are built to withstand snow and ice – not problems we face every day in our tropical climate! Now if only some Indian manufacturer would tie up with them to make these in India…
Edit: The website <http://www.windsimplicity.ca/> doesn’t seem to be working any longer but here is the archived page in case you’re still interested.
When this is so clearly meant for the U.S. of A alone, why the heck do they insist on calling it the “International” Green Construction Code? Sheesh!
Edit: The press release by ASHRAE is no longer available.
Last evening at the American Library here, there was a web interaction between Peter J. Arsenault and Roshni Udyavar – head of the Environmental Architecture course at Rachana Sansad. I fully expected it to be all about LEED but was pleasantly surprised that there was only a passing mention to a system that I don’t think much of.
While the initial slideshow predictably made me want to yawn (powerpoint should be banned once and for all!) the discussion that followed was interesting enough. For one thing there was agreement that while a building may be tagged “green” in isolation, it may be totally unsustainable in the context of its surroundings (Mukesh Ambani’s Antilla is a prime example).
Peter talked about the ICLEI Star Index and a yet-to-be-released system called GreeningUSA which is in the public comment period till the end of September 2010.
The discussion was interrupted by a, well, person, who ranted on about how India could teach the world how to build sustainably. Maybe so but all the materials this chap espoused seemed to be of the edible variety and I’m sure I caught the word “nuts” in there somewhere…or was that my imagination? Made everybody cringe, that’s for sure.
Anyway the discussion came to an abrupt halt when the web-link between upstate New York and the American Library got messed up. Could hear Peter telling someone in the background that he couldn’t see or hear us any more.
Note to self: If you’re ever in such a situation, assume the opposite side can still see and hear you. Do not do or say anything inappropriate!
Was supposed to return from Kihim last evening and all was well with the world. Then, a cursory call to the Mandwa jetty led to the realisation that all ferry services to the Gateway had been abruptly suspended. What should have been a peaceful 90 minute return home rapidly turned into a 5 hour nightmare… Catching a rickshaw to Alibaug, finding a vehicle willing to come here at a less-than-astronomical rate, negotiating the traffic at Wadkhal, at Pen, at Panvel, at Belapur, at Vashi, at Deonar, at Sion (and everywhere in between); transferring to a local taxi and finally reaching home at around 10.30pm.
Another thing that bothered me immensely on this trip was finding tar balls on the otherwise beautiful Kihim beach. I have since discovered that this is an annual “phenomenon” caused by the monsoon winds blowing illegally-dumped oil onto the sands. It happens all through the year but the oil usually disintegrates before coming to land. Not so when the winds are strong.
The National Institute of Oceanography has a detailed explanation on something that has been going on for decades with no apparent solution in sight.
Never again will I go there at this time of year!