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Question

While defining the green architecture, discuss its principles and challenges in response to climate change in India.

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2025 (Prelims) CSAT Official Paper (25-May-2025)

Green architecture is the design, construction, and operation of buildings that minimize lifecycle environmental impacts while maximizing human comfort and resilience. In India’s warming, water-stressed context, it aligns the built form with climate, materials, and energy-water cycles.

Principles: (1) Climate-responsive design—orientation, shading, courtyards, wind scoops, ventilated roofs, thermal mass, and high-performance envelopes adapted to India’s zones (hot–dry, warm–humid, composite, temperate, cold). (2) Energy efficiency and low-carbon energy—daylighting, efficient HVAC, smart controls, on-site solar PV/solar hot water, demand response. (3) Water stewardship—rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, low-flow fixtures, permeable surfaces, and landscape that cools and infiltrates. (4) Material circularity—low-embodied-carbon materials (stabilized earth, fly-ash cement blends, engineered timber where apt), recycled content, modularity for disassembly. (5) Waste and indoor quality—segregation, composting, non-toxic finishes, daylight and fresh air for health. (6) Nature integration—green roofs/walls, bio-swales, and urban biodiversity that also mitigate Urban Heat Island. (7) Resilience—flood-safe plinths, passive survivability in heatwaves, and backup water/energy loops.

Challenges: Upfront cost perceptions and split incentives (developer builds, tenant pays bills); limited availability/quality control of green materials; skills gap across contractors and facility managers; weak enforcement of energy codes and green norms; urban plot sizes and high densities that constrain passive strategies; heterogeneous climates needing localized design rather than copy-paste templates; financing hurdles for retrofits; maintenance lapses that erode performance over time; and data paucity for measured outcomes.

Way forward: Mandate and mainstream building energy codes, offer green finance and property tax incentives, build supply chains for certified materials, upskill the workforce, and prioritize passive-first design. Public buildings and affordable housing can lead by example, showing that climate-responsive architecture lowers bills, improves health, and builds heat–flood resilience at scale.

Answered By:

Sakshi Negi

Sakshi Negi is a Delhi-based journalist and content specialist with expertise in educational content and digital media, focusing particularly on government exam preparation and career guidance. With a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from NRAI School of Mass Communication and her background as a Kendriya Vidyalaya alumna, she brings unique insights into the Indian education system and government sector opportunities.

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