- First Indian project as part of Holcim Group’s global initiative
- Materials of low carbon footprint used to build house in Puducherry
What makes a building sustainable? What are the materials that go into building a house with low carbon footprint? How can this carbon footprint be further reduced? These were some of the questions that ACC Ltd., one of India’s most sustainable and innovative cement makers, set out to answer while launching its “Houses of Tomorrow”, an initiative that seeks to promote construction through materials that are less resource intensive, have a low carbon footprint, while promoting customer satisfaction.
As part of this initiative—spearheaded by ACC’s parent company, the global cement major Holcim Group—houses or tenements built with materials that have near-zero carbon footprint are showcased. The first such project in India, named “Gratitude Eco-Villa”, is located in Puducherry. Designed by Architect Trupti Doshi, a well-known sustainability professional, the project uses materials, climate specific passive design, and smart construction methodologies to create a holistically sustainable house while enhancing the comfort of the residents.
Every construction material has a carbon footprint as some amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is emitted during their manufacture. And “Gratitude Eco-Villa” has shown that it can reduce CO₂ emissions by nearly 40% through the use of materials such as ECOPact green concrete, ACC Suraksha cement, fly-ash bricks and low-CO₂ alternative to virgin steel reinforcements. Through the “Houses of Tomorrow”, ACC seeks to align the construction sector with where the Earth is collectively headed to: a low-carbon future that consumes fewer resources and promote the circular economy by making the most out of existing materials.
Speaking on the initiative Mr. Neeraj Akhoury, CEO India Holcim said “Our vision for Holcim India and its two operating companies-ACC and Ambuja Cements is to make sustainable construction accessible to all in India and not just in the domain of the infrastructure and commercial buildings. We are proud to introduce ‘Houses of Tomorrow’ initiative in India, which will help us continue inspiring future generations of home builders to adopt green products and sustainable solutions. We strongly believe that sustainability is for everyone in any location and at any price range through innovation and smart design.”
Ms. Trupti Doshi, principal architect of Auroma Architecture, Puducherry, who has designed Gratitude Eco-Villa, said “The most exciting thing about this Initiative - Houses of Tomorrow is the opportunity to respond to the people’s and the planet’s needs for building a sustainable future. Auroma specialises in designing & building holistic buildings which integrate heritage wisdom and cutting edge modern technologies. At Gratitude Eco-Villa, Holcim & ACC have complimented the design & construction competence of Auroma by specifying the right green building materials and calculating their impact on the environment. We are totally thrilled and deeply grateful to be part of this collaboration which has set a new, inspiring & irreversible benchmark in our architectural practice." From here on, it's only Upward & Onward!
Mr. Prabodh Doshi & Mrs. Roma Doshi, the proud owners of Gratitude Eco-Villa, said “We strongly believe that we do not inherit the earth from our parents but we borrow it from our children. Our buildings will outlive us. This is the legacy we leave behind for our future generations. Hence, this legacy must be created in a responsible manner. Our search for a team to manifest our sustainable home couldn’t have had a better outcome! We were happy to have one of top 10 Sustainable architects in India, Trupti Doshi and her Design & Construction firm Auroma Architecture. When we learnt that ACC envisions similar ideals, and had the cutting edge expertise to technically support the creation of our home, we decided to have them on-board. The result we can all see is an extraordinary home which enhances our sense of well-being alongside nurturing the earth. We are overwhelmed with gratitude to step into "Gratitude". We are deeply grateful to ACC and team Auroma Architecture for helping us realise our biggest dream - building a living Green Home which we and our future generations will be proud of."
Mr. Sridhar Balakrishnan, MD & CEO ACC said “My heartiest Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Doshi for taking the first and important step. I also wish to congratulate the architect of this project Ms. Trupti Doshi for her contribution through design to address both operational energy and embodied energy of the Gratitude Eco-Villa.”
As part of the selection process, over 40 well-known architects were invited to participate in the “Houses of Tomorrow” initiative. Following a review by the jury, Gratitude Eco-Villa was selected to be the first House of Tomorrow in India as it met the objective of showcasing a beautifully designed house that utilizes low carbon impact materials and sustainable construction.
The Houses of Tomorrow is awarded on the basis of parameters such as design, relatability, team commitment to meeting project timelines with sustainable practices, sustainable design, and architects’ commitment to sustainable practices.
This unique project is being coordinated across five countries—India, Kenya, France, Canada and Mexico—which aims to positively impact the environment, while creating long-term value for the residents.
The initiative also ties in with #ChangeTheStory, a joint initiative on sustainability by ACC and Ambuja Cements, in which a non-invasive bubble barrier technology was deployed at the Mantola Canal in Agra. The barrier has prevented nearly 2,400 tonnes of plastic waste from entering the river Yamuna.
