• While designing projects, the seven strands of sustainability – Earth, Water, Air, Shelter, Energy, Food & People become basic drivers of decisions at Organo. These seven areas are not independent. They are interconnected.
• For example, the installed solar capacity depends a lot on the overall water management systems in place, such as borewells, motors, pumps, etc.  The overall water strategy depends on the food requirement for the community. The air quality depends on the plantation strategy practiced in the eco-habitat.
• While this type of interdependence means careful thought is required not to oversize systems, it also gives us a lot of opportunity to find multiple uses for materials within the project.

Water Management leading to upcycle of material in Shelter design

To design a water-balanced and drought-resilient community, at Antharam, detailed hydrogeological studies have been made and a 60-lakh liter dug well is being made. Naturally, a lot of stone is being displaced from the ground to create these wells.

‍

‍

These basaltic rocks have found various uses within the project.

‍

‍

Compound wall feature at the Entrance to the Community

‍

‍

Compound wall foundations around the site.

‍

‍

Drainage system channels and linings near the God’s Own Office

‍

‍

Other features in the project such as the above at the God’s Own Office

‍

Retaining walls along clusters

‍

Our effort is to find more and more ways in which materials in the site can be upcycled or recycled. The above example is just one of the ways in which material is being reused. Another example that is often overlooked is the reuse of vegetable waste and cow dung to make natural fertilizers that are reused in the farm creating a closed loop system.

Creating a circular economy, as much as possible, is always something that our Studio team is ideating upon. In case you have any suggestions, please do let us know. Your idea may help us reduce our carbon footprint further.

‍

‍