Tackling sustainability through a four-pronged approach

“…build me the most sustainable campus in the world” has been one of the most exciting briefs that Manit Rastogi recalls having ever received, given by Infosys chief NR Narayana Murthy. With an increasing number of clients being aware of the environmental impact caused by the architecture and construction industries, architectural firms are offering projects that are maintainable in their individual ecosystems. At least, so it happens at Morphogenesis, globally recognised for its diverse work that encompasses a range of specialised practice areas. 

“Given the onset of the Anthropocene and the contemporary debate surrounding climate change, we’ve noticed a shift within client briefs in recent years. Sustainable architecture has always been a part of the design history of India but today it has become especially important. There are multiple reasons for this importance. Firstly, the buildings by far are one of the biggest consumers of the energy and secondly, design serves as an important catalyst for the rapprochement between nature and human,” says Rastogi, founder partner, Morphogenesis.

Sustainability is defined as the ability to endure in local conditions and thereafter, thrive in one’s lifecycle, he shares. “At Morphogenesis, all our projects are maintainable in their individual ecosystems. Understanding that ‘energy resources’ at most times are considered limited or depleting, the firm’s guiding principle is ‘no is more’. Sustainability, and environmental design has been deeply embedded in the conceptual framework of our design philosophy and, over time, these notions have evolved into our copyrighted design process, S.O.U.L. © 2019, an acronym for Sustainable, Optimised, Unique and Liveable,” says Rastogi. 

At Morphogenesis, these parameters define the enquiry process that shapes the architecture of practice. “We incorporate the socio-cultural realm under this idea of sustainability and special attention is paid to detailing and vernacular methods of construction. Incorporation of local techniques of craft and an inclusive approach towards local materials is aimed at promoting a low carbon-footprint,” adds Rastogi.

Morphogenesis was founded in 1996, and over the last 25 years, the firm has worked across a broad canvas that includes architecture, urban design, landscape, interior design and hospitality projects. “We bring our unique design philosophy to each hospitality project, and have successfully completed 17 projects, both nationally and internationally, for clients including the Taj Group, ITC, JW Marriott and Hilton, among many others. Further, we’re working on about 15 other hospitality projects, across the subcontinent, which are at various stages of completion,” he informs.

As many areas get affected by sustainable design, how does the team at Morphogenesis determine which options to pursue? “We emphasise on tackling sustainability through a four-pronged approach. All our projects are rigorously scrutinised under S.O.U.L. © 2019. In keeping with our commitment towards environmental consciousness, these aspects help us in creating well-rounded, and sustainably designed, projects,” shares Rastogi.

Each hospitality project, opines the experienced architect, brings forth its own unique set of challenges. “While working on a small-scale project, we focus on design and craft material. On the other hand, while undertaking a large project, the focus is on infrastructure and we analyse planning at a macro level. Designing both large and small-scale projects allows us to investigate details within a larger project, while conversely looking at a small project from a wider perspective. Therefore, to maintain a balance, we design low-cost projects as well as high-end luxurious projects,” says Rastogi. Additionally, sustainability within the hospitality industry also poses a massive challenge since hotels are open 24/7 and 365 days a year. “Therefore, going green is of utmost priority. Small initiatives can result in huge savings, for the environment and for the company,” he adds.

Sharing that it is a misconception that green buildings cost more than traditional buildings and this needs to be put to rest, Rastogi says, “Our guiding principle at the firm, over the years, has been ‘no is more.’ It is never more expensive to build with minimal resources and our projects serve as exemplars of this approach. We have successfully designed projects that consume 70 per cent lesser energy than established green rating benchmarks, without incurring additional costs. Optimisation of all resources is a pre-requisite to our architecture today.”

To translate ideas into functional designs, conceptualisation, from an idea to paper, is key for any design thinking process, he opines. Conceptual sketches/ visuals or computer aided software help us translate this thought process into a functional design. Softwares like AutoCAD, BIM, 3ds Max, Lumion, Enscape and Google SketchUp allow us to create technical computer-aided drawings for designing, drafting, and visualising our thoughts, while also carrying out efficient 3D morphology studies. Further, ‘BIM - Building Information Modelling’ helps with multidimensional digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. BIM extends the three primary spatial dimensions (width, height, and depth), and incorporates information about time (so-called 4D BIM), cost (5D BIM), asset management, sustainability, etc. BIM therefore covers more than just geometry. It also covers spatial relationships, geospatial information, quantities, and properties of building components. An amalgamation of these various computer aided software enable us to finally generate a functional design,” Rastogi puts in.

On what sets Morphogenesis apart from other architectural firms with similar experience, Rastogi explains, “Morphogenesis sees itself as an institution in perpetuity – a living, thriving ecosystem, a repository of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. At our firm, architecture is not viewed merely as a profession, it is a way of life. ‘Learning’ is the firm’s strongest value, and each Morphogenesis member learns and contributes to learning in equal measure.” 

Sensitivity is also engrained within the value system at Morphogenesis, and this entails not only sensitivity towards colleagues, but towards clients as well. “We begin each project with lengthy, and comprehensive, discussions with clients while understanding their problems and inconveniences. It is only then that we take to the drawing board in order to find solutions that address both the client and the end user. Secondly, it has been a conscious choice of the firm to explore projects across a broad range of typologies, scale, climate, and cost. This has allowed for cross-pollination of ideas and propagated high levels of design innovation,” says Rastogi.