Energy Efficient Buildings Vs Zero Energy Buildings

As we know that in the current time, energy crisis is about to strike the door of almost every nation within a decade or two. Therefore, it becomes quite significant to take care of one of the most energy consuming industry which is construction industry. As, we know that in the domain of AEC industry, the embodied energy involved is comparatively much higher than most of the other industries in the current scenario. Building industry itself, counts for almost 40 % of the total global energy uses.

But one of the major drawbacks of this industry remains the higher magnitude of the inefficiency than its efficiency in the case of the most of its output. Therefore, it becomes quite important to understand that it is very much required that the AEC industry must follow with either energy efficient buildings or zero energy buildings.

In this case it becomes very important to understand that what exactly zero energy building means. Basically zero energy building has been classified under two sections, namely :–

1. Stand Alone Zero Energy Buildings

Stand Alone Zero Energy Buildings basically refers to those buildings which have been designed in such a way that it will be able to meet all of its energy requirements, without interaction of the grid and depending only on the renewable sources of energy. These types of zero energy buildings are better for remote areas where electricity is not frequently available. These are designed for the peak load value of the house which requires a good enough investment.
But, the basic deficiency which follows these types of building is the wastage of energy as it is designed for the maximum load of the house.

Area under blue shade is the magnitude of energy production while under red shade is the energy consumed.Therefore, energy-waste will be given by the difference of these two areas under curve. This means, in the given case, building’s efficiency will be ≤1 under any circumstances.

2. Hybrid Zero Energy Buildings

Hybrid Zero Energy Buildings basically refers to those buildings which have been designed in such a way that it will be able to meet all of the net energy requirements of the building. In these types of building the energy production of the system are designed in such a way that it always remains in between the peak load and average minimum load, but it is exactly decided in such a way that the amount of surplus energy produced should must remain equal to the amount of energy required from the grid. In this case, building remains in Zero energy state, but simultaneously it requires lesser amount of initial investments.

There are few of the basic advantages of using this system because of the fact that those countries where these systems exists, have followed the policy to promote these systems by paying back for the energy supplied to the grid at a higher rate than the energy supplied from the grid. This means that although practically efficiency cannot be one but maximum efficiency can be achieved in this system.

Grid Interactive Energy Efficient Buildings

Grid Interactive Energy Efficient Buildings basically refers to those buildings which have been designed in such a way that it will be able to meet the energy requirement of the home for the average minimum energy load which is generally required in that specific home. But for the remaining energy requirements, it depends upon the power grid supply system. These types of buildings are designed for the average minimum load value of the house which do not requires a good enough investment.

Area under blue shade is the magnitude of energy production and the area under red shade is the magnitude of energy consumed. Therefore, amount of energy required continuously in the given day time is produced by the home of its own using renewable sources of energy. The amount of energy required from the grid will be given by the difference of these two of the areas under curve. This means that in the case of the Grid Interactive Energy Efficient Buildings, efficiency cannot be 1 under any circumstances but it will always be better than the Stand Alone Zero Energy Buildings.

Eliminating Paper at the Site

How is your company documenting and keeping records in the field? If you are still using paper, you might want to consider an alternative. Writing job information down on paper is not only time consuming, it runs the risk of getting lost—which could add up to big costs if your company ever faces litigation.

One of the tedious jobs a PM (project manager) must complete on the jobsite is the documenting of tasks. However with the risk of legal claims the documentation is also one of the most important elements of a job. This might be a good area to consider the use of technology. With quite a few applications on the market, construction companies have a range of options for field documentation.

One example comes from NoteVault, www.notevault.com, San Diego, Calif. With the NoteVault Now Report, project managers can dictate voice notes and NoteVault transcribes the notes. The PM can access these notes in the field, as well as photos and GPS coordinates.

With some extreme conditions at the jobsite, contractors need to make sure the devices they are using are waterproof, scratchproof, dust resistant, and very durable.

Is BIM the next Construction Standard for 2011?

Is BIM the Next Construction Standard for 2011?

Building information modeling (BIM) is increasingly becoming the design standard for architectural and construction engineering. Adopting BIM technology and tools is likely to be a future priority . Despite its relatively recent development, Building Information Modeling (BIM), which involves digital models for use in construction and design, has crossed the threshold into broad adoption, making it an important consideration in maintaining engineering competitiveness.

In terms of technical capabilities, BIM, relies on design tools to draft three-dimensional models for fabrication, construction and engineering purposes. Unlike CAD, however, BIM creates models parametrically, tracking the relations between multiple objects within a larger design so that if one object changes, all the others are adjusted accordingly. In addition to consistent designs and cost and materials estimates, BIM can also be used to analyze numerous engineering factors, such as lighting, acoustics or energy usage, in order to provide feedback while designing. The reduced material waste and ability to optimize energy consumption through BIM has also made it an emerging option for green building projects.

New technologies often take time to gain widespread acceptance, as many companies are reluctant to make a significant investment in tools or processes. However, as BIM becomes standardized, it will become increasingly necessary to incorporate some elements of this modeling technology in order to retain or grow market share.

DATUM 2010 - Delhi Autodesk Technology User Meet

"Delhi Autodesk Technology User Meet (DATUM)" was the inaugural launch of DATUG "Delhi Autodesk Technology User Group" and its first-ever Meet.
DATUM was in-lines with "Autodesk University AU" held every year in US, where more than 4000 Autodesk Users met this year. DATUM included

- Presentation by industry user
- Discussion by panel of experts
- Webcast from best of Autodesk University 2010

DATUM was spread over 3 days and was a great initiative by Cad Studio and Autodesk India. It was a great place to meet friends, prospective clients and business associates.

Obelisk presented on the merits of Integrated Project Development (IPD) and how BIM enabled IPD. The session was titled Work as a Team - Stay Coordinated.

DATUG is very enthusiastic to make this annual meet a bigger and better event with each passing year.

napshell - the art of power-napping

Napshell was design and developed on the basis of human movement to facilitate a relaxing sleep position that is relieving for both back and spline.

It is design to accommodate a wide range of persons regardless of body type and height. and the visual and acoustic effects within the capsule make it easy to reach a state of relaxation.


The Napshell was part of the exhibition “Interior/Exterior - Living in Art” at the Museum of Art in Wolfsburg (Germany).

Some of the key features of the napshell are,
• especially developed for power-nappin
• symbiosis of elegant design and functionality
• application areas (office/fairs/hotels/at home)
• offers privacy and the feeling of security
• innovative `room within a room` concept
• more flexible and cheaper than a common relax room
• MP3 sound-system with speakers / headphones
• unique and customized to your individual needs
• high laying comfort
• intuitive use and smoothly getting into the Napshell
• optimized by several studies of motion sequences
• upholsteries: artificial leather / micro-fibre / leather
• ergonomically optimized lie down space
• relaxation of your spine and muscles
• very hygienic by a simple cleaning

Standing behind the BIM bars, I ask the BIM non-believers – Are you nuts????

Sometimes when you pause and let the world go by at its speed, you are in a position to objectively think about the world that has just moved ahead together in a herd.

Now, I would not say that attaching myself to BIM (in context to the AEC industry) would imply the same thing but BIM seems to be a process which is changing the face of the AEC industry. BIM plugs the loopholes in the design and construction process and makes it more efficient.

One of my friends Gregory Arkin from Revit3d.com derives comparisons between well known author Seth Godin’s theory of Efficiency is free – Why BIM is better. He states and I quote, “The only way you can make it past the recession is through the BIM door.”

Source: http://bimboom.blogspot.com/2010/10/seths-blog-efficiency-is-free-why-bim.html

I take this further and ask the architects, engineers and contractors who still don’t believe in BIM – ARE YOU NUTS????!!!!! BIM would give you the edge and professionals using these tools will be unbeatable on their bids. Large scale projects & even Federal projects are already demanding BIM a prequalification for architects and consultants.

As Gregory says, as more and more owners get educated on BIM, resistance would be futile.

Commonwealth Games 2010 – A common man’s point of view

Driving through Delhi I feel GOOD. I say GOOD in capitals because I am one of the small percentage of people who feel proud that our city is hosting this event. I would advise the CWG haters not read this article as it can be hazardous to their health and mind.

The attitude of the city’s majority population is appalling and in fact very saddening; the media is having a field day (or year) highlighting the shortcomings of the organizers, the government and the Games itself. I am not a spokesperson for CWG or the Organizing Committee but just trying to do my bit as a citizen of Delhi.

Negative news is being sensationalized and reported because it sells. It serves as fodder for cracking stupid jokes to cynics, and gossip for Page 3 wannabes who sit in coffee shops and show off their knowledge gathered from the ill-informed media. It has become fashionable and trendy to be critical of CWG. People look at you like an ‘outcast’ if you talk positively about the games.

There has been so much development in Delhi in the past few years which somehow went unnoticed (I guess they were busy noticing a stray dog walking through the game village). I hardly see any reports on the fantastic infrastructure that has been built in and around Delhi, the amazing network of the Delhi Metro, the world class Terminal 3 of the Delhi International Airport, the amazing sports facilities. We see reports of a false ceiling falling in a stadium but no one talks about the world class designing of the stadium. We see pictures of dirty toilets without any context but not at the excellent design of the games village. I will not dwell into the great infrastructure our city has developed coz that you can find all over the internet.

Today, by cracking idiotic jokes and repeating what the news channels feed us, we are undermining the efforts of every professional and worker who have put in their best to make the games a success. Some of the people talking about the collapsing infrastructure are pretty lame and ignorant about construction and planning methods and even though we have always been taught to keep our mouth shut about things we know nothing of, the general trend seems to be in the complete opposite direction. Everyone suddenly seems to have become an expert on planning policies and have started finding faults with the anything and everything related to CWG.

The painful part is that some people actually want the games to be a failure. What they don’t realize is that every joke and every insult that they commit actually falls back on them.

The criticism and the negativity won’t be a shame for just the OC and the CWG; it will be a shame for the whole nation we are a part of.

Do we really want that?

CWG has been a blessing in disguise for the city and even though I may not totally agree with the structure the games and the infrastructure has been planned out, I still choose to look at the positive side of it and urge everyone to do so too.

I generally steer clear of controversial topics like these, but my city is something I feel very passionate about. My purpose of writing this note is to inform all my friends who are reading this it is too late in the day to be criticizing. If nothing at least be there for the games. You don’t need to be an official CWG volunteer to help the thousands of visitors descending upon our city, you can do your bit by helping anyone in need around you.

My choice is clear – to be a part of the games make them a success and show the world that we are capable of hosting a great event.

I would certainly like to know yours.

New Information Modeling Technology to Improve Sustainability

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is proving to be particularly valuable for addressing the complex systems, demanding construction schedules and cost pressures of multi-family housing projects. BIM and sustainability are both hot topics in the AEC industry. These powerful trends are now converging as designers and contractors learn how to leverage modeling, analytical and simulation technologies to improve sustainable outcomes.

Many of the innovative companies that have been using BIM for several years are now measuring the positive impact on their projects and their business processes. These metrics confirm that users are experiencing real business value by implementing the tools and processes related to BIM. Besides offering advances in the construction techniques, I feel time has come to lay much emphasis on sustainability as the devastating effects of climate changes are getting more severe with each passing year, I.e. Flash Floods, Cloud Bursts, Receding Himalayan Glaciers , Rise in Sea Level, El Nino etc.

Obelisk would like to offer its condolence for the precious lives lost in the devastating cloud burst at Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, India and the severe flooding in our neighboring countries.

Collaboration and Outsourcing

Recently I came across a very heated discussion about outsourcing and observed a lot of professionals who support both collaboration and outsourcing or support collaboration but not outsourcing. Majority of the participants involved in this discussion had a personal take on most of the outsourcing issue and I see no harm in that. But somehow we were missing the point?

It was supposed to be a debate on collaboration and somehow it crossed the line (which is very blurred) to outsourcing.

The boundaries of countries and continents have blurred, what we attach ourselves to are cities rather than countries. I am sure all of us are patriots and want to put our country first but when we talk contextually, we mention the city we belong to rather than a country. The point here is that the world is now a global platform. If an architect has an office in Chicago he would be more than willing to work in Shanghai and an architect in Mumbai would definitely be more than welcome to do a project in Dubai. Similarly he needs to collaborate with the local expert or the expert in the particular discipline to deliver efficiently.

The profession is changing, the technologies are changing, everyone can no longer do everything attached to the profession. It is best left to a person who does it best. So if a firm's core focus is design and that is what they do best, they have a partner come in who can give them BIM or CAD support. The geographical location then becomes secondary as is the location of the project . Costs maybe a critical issue in today's time but it is no longer a primary issue to partner/ collaborate or outsource on projects.

India makes a statement

The Prime Minister of India and Civil Aviation Minister inaugurated the new Terminal 3 at Delhi on July 3, 2010.




A country’s first impression to any visitor is communicated through its Airports and this Delhi Airport claimed to be the 8th largest in the world is bound to create a lasting impression on the visitors.

Built in a record time of 36 months the terminal is spread across a footprint of 5.4 million sq.ft. with 78 aerobridges and 20,000 sq.mt. of retail space.

Spread over 4 km, 80 per cent of T3 is made of glass supported by metal frames. The nine-level terminal building would be used for 90 per cent of the entire passenger movement at the IGI Airport.



Around 800 Flight Information Display Systems have been used for live flight information and 8,000 speakers installed for public address system. Most modern technology has been put to use for check-in process and baggage retrieval at the new terminal, which can handle 12,800 bags in an hour.

T3 will be one of the few green airports in the world, having eco-friendly features like energy-efficient buildings, high-performance air-conditioning, use of municipal waste to generate electricity, rain water harvesting, waste-water treatment and reuse of treated water.

Designed as per the Indian Green Building Council's rating system, T3 will have a high level of green cover with landscaping of 70 acres outside and 10,000 square metres inside the building.