Green is Gold

By Smita Singh

Photography: Courtesy the architects

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Architects Prem Nath and Associates, Mumbai, design a gated community far from the urban soundscape and get awarded with a GOLD Grading by the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF)…  

Conceptualised by Architect Prem Nath and his team, this residential township merges the grand and the simple almost seamlessly. The township for HP-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) at Bhatinda with its green and eco-smart design uses both conventional and non-conventional features.

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Rain water harvesting through strategically placed percolation pits; a sewage treatment plant that converts waste into reusable water for landscape and public areas; solar water heaters in each villa and apartment,resulting in minimal or zero power consumption and the use of fly-ash-cement blocks for external walls and brick bat coba laid over roof tops to provide heat insulation are just some of the inherent green features of the project.

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With almost 540,000 sq. ft. of land under green cover, the master plan is designed to accomodate ample green spaces: the township periphery is bordered with Neem trees, while landscaping includes lawns, bushes, shrubs, hedges and a variety of trees. The garden spaces between buildings have jogging tracks and child-centric amenities.

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The back-bone of the project is the curvy 24 mt. wide main road that runs from the entry to the end of the property. While villas line the southern side of the main road, apartment buildings line the northern side, interlaced with strategically placed landscape islands, keeping in mind the diverse social strata that are to reside together. Here, the homes are segregated with green hedges instead of fencing or walls.

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Near the entrance alongside the main road, are located the admin building, auditorium and the medical centre, while the amphitheatre, market place, club are built in the inner areas. The township also houses two helipads, pool, gym and shopping arcade.

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This residential township from the Prem Nath stable leads the way for future township planning on a simple footprint with the benefits of the larger picture.