An Adaptive and Dynamic Design Approach for Natural Conditioning of Offices in Hot Climates of India

 Energy use in the commercial sector in India is escalating, with the country expected to triple  its office building stock by 2030. According to India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE),  electricity consumption in offices is rising at double the rate (11%-12% annually) of the  average electricity growth of the economy at 5%. (Rabadia, 2015). In a country with over 3000  cooling degree days, which is over four times that of the United States, the current trend still  involves a blind aping of the western ‘glass box’ which does not take into account the varied  climates, be it the extreme hot and dry climate of Ahmedabad or the extremely hot and humid  climate of Mumbai. (Narain, 2013) As a result of a tremendous increase of the energy footprint  of inefficient Indian offices, India needs to increase its primary energy supply by 3 to 4 times  and electricity generation capacity by about 6 times to meet the rising demand. (India Energy Outlook Special Report, 2015) 

This thesis aims at demonstrating that future office architecture in the hot-dry and hot-humid  climates of India could be optimized for its specific climate through adaptive and dynamic  design solutions that not only reduce energy consumption and energy costs but also make  workspaces healthier and more comfortable. By analysing nature’s adaptive strategies,  sustainable vernacular architectural principles and case studies of high performance modern  buildings, the study formulates guidelines and presents a toolkit of ideas for designers. This toolkit consists of recommendations and ideas for future office buildings, and aims at inspiring  a new generation of high performance office architecture in India.