For the refurbishing of its 880,000-square-foot development centre in East Andheri, Mumbai, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has joined hands with Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj (JLLM) to render the project environmentally friendly in design and execution.
The HUL development centre’s new avatar will encompass a head office, regional offices, laboratories, a central reception hub, a recreational centre, a training centre and service apartments. The entire project sprawls across 12.5 acres in one of Mumbai’s most environmentally beleaguered localities.
The building envelope, materials and the building systems are being designed for optimal energy performance. Immediate signs of this ‘green’ orientation are visible even at the excavation phase, which demands the conservation of a maximum number of trees.
The site accommodates a variety of native trees such as Ficus Benjamina, Ficus Religiosa and Anacardium Occidentole (Kaju). An estimated 375 of approximately 670 trees on the site have been retained, while another 240 have been replanted at alternative locations within the site. Moreover, two new trees are being planted for every diseased tree felled. The entire tree relocation/replacement component involves an additional cost of Rs 1.5 crore.
To optimise the project’s climactic responsiveness, HUL and JLLM have evolved a landscaping design that reduces heat gain throughout the construction. Waste water treated at an on-site treatment plant will irrigate the landscape, and on-site vermi-composting system will produce the required manure.
“The project is designed to respond optimally to the environment,” says Anuj Puri, chairman & country head, Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj. “Apart from reduced environmental impacts, this ‘green’ emphasis will also result in reduced operating costs as well as improved public and occupant health.”
– Bangalore Bureau
