A new Ahmedabad green building at the Government Girls Polytechnic near Gujarat University is being constructed around 28 existing trees, after the institute’s principal redesigned the project to avoid cutting them down. The building, being developed at an estimated cost of more than Rs 26.9 crore, is intended to provide modern facilities while retaining the campus’s established greenery.
The project replaces deteriorated buildings at the government institution. The original design prepared by the Roads and Buildings Department would have required the removal of approximately 28 trees, according to the report. Principal Bhaskar Iyer, who is also a qualified architect, prepared an alternative design and submitted it to the R&B Department and the state government.
The revised plan was approved because it allowed construction to proceed without damaging the trees. The report identifies trees including bael, mango and jamun varieties on the campus. It also says the trees are approximately 20 to 50 years old, reflecting differing descriptions of their age in the supplied report.
Instead of using a conventional rectangular footprint, the new design introduces recesses in the external walls wherever trees are located. This allows the building to fit around the existing vegetation while creating additional wall area for windows. The project is being developed as a ground-plus-two-floor building with classrooms, laboratories and other facilities.
The building will serve more than 2,000 students across eight branches and over 100 staff members, according to the report. The design is intended to increase access to natural ventilation and daylight, reducing dependence on electric lighting and air-conditioning. The campus’s existing tree cover is also expected to continue providing shade and supporting the outdoor environment around the building.
The plan includes a courtyard inspired by the courtyards found in older pol houses. According to Iyer, the courtyard will help hot air escape from the building and may also be used by students for different activities. The design therefore combines a response to the site’s existing trees with a traditional spatial feature adapted for a contemporary institutional building.
The principal said the design was prepared with the objective of ensuring that not a single tree would need to be cut. He said the building’s irregular external edges were based on the location of each tree, rather than on the standard square or rectangular form commonly used for government buildings.
Construction is expected to be completed in approximately one year, after which students and staff will be able to use the new facilities. The project’s next milestone is the completion of the building and its transition into use by the institution.
