Technopolis in Calcutta, eastern India’s first green building. Picture by Pabitra Das

Don’t think that you can slam the door on pollution once you step into your home and breathe easy in the familiar surroundings.

Inside your home, environment pollution could be replaced by “invironment” pollution.

With the sick building syndrome - a combination of ailments associated with place of work or residence - lurking around the corner, commercial as well as residential properties are looking at ways of going green.

Green buildings try to increase the efficiency with which resources are used while reducing the impact on human health and the environment through better design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal.

With Calcutta set to add 20 lakh sqft in infotech infrastructure alone, creating 2 lakh jobs, more buildings are going green.

“Green buildings will be a way of life. The sick building syndrome is a common ailment that affects productivity. IT companies around which bulk of the real estate development is going to take place in the city are willing to pay an additional rent of Rs 5 to Rs 10 a sqft to ensure optimal environment for their employees to enhance productivity,” said Pradeep Chopra, managing director of PS Group.

Chopra’s company is developing the PS Regent IT park - a 16-storey structure that will apply for green building certification.

The stress comes at a time global focus is also shifting to “invironment”. This is a new terminology being used increasingly to focus on indoor air quality and its effect on the health of occupants.

While the outdoor environment continues to be of concern, the condition indoor is drawing more attention as more information has become available on the presence and effect of contaminants.

Indoor air quality, as defined by the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Airconditioning Engineers, should provide acceptable comfort level to 80 per cent of the people exposed to it.

The sick building syndrome refers to the presence of acute non-specific symptoms in people caused by working in buildings with an adverse indoor environment. It is a cluster of symptoms that includes irritation of the eyes, blocked nose and throat, headaches, dizziness, lethargy, fatigue, wheezing, sinus congestion, dry skin, skin rash, sensory discomfort from odours and nausea.

The symptoms are usually work-related: they begin shortly after a person enters a building and disappear within a few hours after exit from the structure.

According to a study, indoor air quality problems cost American business nearly $60 billion a year, most of it because of loss in productivity.

Technopolis is eastern India’s first green building but other upcoming projects such as Godrej Waterside and Infinity Benchmark are also vying for similar certification.

A green building project entails an additional cost of Rs 400 to Rs 500 per sqft. Estimates suggest at least 100 green buildings in the country by 2010 with a market potential of $400 million (Rs 1,588 crore).

A green building can be termed so only if it meets certain parameters. An internationally accepted benchmark is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-INDIA) Green Building Rating System.

LEED-INDIA takes into account performance in the following key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environment quality.

The LEED India rating includes two categories, one for new construction and another for core and shell. Core and shell buildings are those where the owners or developers do not control all aspects of the building’s design and construction. These are leased or rented spaces, such as an IT park.

The directorate of energy efficiency, under the Centre, also has an energy conservation building code, which real estate projects can adhere to and speed up approvals.

Existing buildings, too, can incorporate elements of green buildings to become environment-friendly.

The non-availability of green building materials and equipment is a concern. This is being addressed by the Green Business Centre - a joint initiative of the Andhra Pradesh government, the CII and the House of Godrej with the technical support of the USAID. It is networking with various manufacturers for recycled aluminium, steel and tiles, high-efficiency chillers and reprocessed wood.

Other components which are untapped and need to be used include composting toilets, waterless urinals, low volatile organic compound adhesives and sealants, carpets certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute and wood endorsed by the Forest Stewardship Council.