omeo t uture

An ecologically sustainable house designed by an Indian engineer has won accolades across Australia

Ever thought 'luxury and comfort' and ' health and sustainability' ate two mutually exclusive groups? I thought the same mo, before meeci1ig Sanjiv Gosain at his 9- sL'lr energy rared (ACT House Energy Racing Scheme) insulated concrete thermal mass house, which is beyond carbon neutral. The hou se is listed in the zero emission category, and produces enough clean tenewable energy to supply all its operating needs. And the best part is that it is affordable cool

Recalling how he embarked on the idea of building a house like this, Sanjiv shares a personal anecdote about how his fatherin- law gave h is wife some 'Vtut11 shastnl (science of construction) notes when they were planning on building a house in Canberra. Based on those instructions, a p lot of land which faces nord1 with a water-body in front was most appropriate for constructing INDIAN LINK a house. Bur going by Australia's geographical location, it was impossi b le to build a very high ene rgy rated house on this. And that set hint th inkilig. Being an engineer, the best thing for Sanjiv co have his wish materialise, was to adapt a technology that would help him.

' The technology didn't exist at di e time, so 1 decided to invent it, it's as simple as that," he reveals. And thus came a design with diermal waUs, named 'econ wall,' whicl, changed the who le scenario "In term s of saving energy, d1e thermal ma ss property of concrete was utilised to absorb, store and release energy and that not only saved energy, but improved occupant comfort levels too," explains Sanjiv. The proof of d1e principle comes from the fact that the home's expected operation has been declared close co carbon neutral by Beyond Neutral, a specialist greenhouse, energy and environment- related service provider.

The home is airtight, unlike most of the Australian homes, to avoid uncontrollab le air leaking, in line widi d1e new mantra in b Lillding architecture wbid, says to 'build tight, ventilate right'. Anod1er interesting feature is d1e use of five layered insul ated curtains with radian t barriers and layers of fabric which are used in snow jackets, d1at shuts out d1e outside temperature.

"Saving energy is not just about making alterations on die building, it is about personal discipline as well," says Sanj iv. "Even widi innovative design, construction, energy and water conservatio n facilities ill place inside the house, the timely, wise decisions from the occupants will make all die difference. For in stance, LED downlights light up the building and a lighring control sysrem has been installed whicl, can be conttolled from an iPad, yet the decision to switch it off as you go to bed is yo m s".

A passive solar d esign is u sed, a long w idi the active one. The sun's warmth is used to heat up rooms, wid, windows installed in the northern direction. As part of the active design, solar energy is abso rbed ill die roof's solar hot water collector which is furdier circulated in to the h yd ronic hearing sys tem. DC ceiling fans which use 40% .less electricity than AC fans, are used d1roughour the building which can be reve rsed in winters to circulate warm air.

"Jusclike ears of the hwnan body get cold first, the external elements of d1e bu.ildlng like driveways conduct a lot of hear," explains Sanj iv. "Thus, many elements of the buildi11g like driveways, alfresco slabs and pergo las have been installed with thermal breaks co prevem heat from getting conducted to die house. Even the awnings, gates, down pipes, solar inverters and lightings have been connected to the house using diermal break fasteners and the house has an insulated garage too," he adds.

The design and construction of th e building can be welJ localized too, in a ny part of a country like Australia with its varriog climate zones The high bushfire survival racing o f the buildi11g makes it the answer to one of the burning necessities faced here ln terms of affordability, Sanjiv believes d1e basic d1ermal mass ,valls will cost the same as brick veneer technology. Certainly i t makes much more sense to build such a sustainable abode, drnn spending thousands of dollars to enhance your kitchen! The technology which has been used is very practical, and die numbered panels of the econ waUs ensllte t hat d1e construction can. be clone quickly.

The concept has been well received by Australia, and the accolades that the technology has received are an attestation to this.

After becoming a fuialist in HIA National Green Smart Product of the Year Award 2013 and HIA National Green Smart Custom Home Award 2013, the house went on to win the }.,faster Btillders Sustamable Construction Award 2013 and the prestigious Master Builders National Excellence Award for Environment and Energy Efficiency in 2013. Sanjiv draws inspiration from award winn ing Indian architect Satisb Gujral , who made Indian arcbi tecrure talce a new turn by bui lding functional spaces chat igoi te life.

'1 believe it is in tbe carbon neutral housing d1a r the future of the wodd resides," says Sanjiv Ald10ugh a late smrcer in sustainable housing, Australia has made tremendous progress so far, thanks to the cighten.ing of energy racing for houses. The next step 15 to create awareness about the option of sustainable living in an affordable budget, and the biggest push will come from the customer's sid e. After all, w ho wouldn't want to be c o mfortable and at the same rime, stay safe?

Three enterprising young men experience the vastness of Australia in an exciting road trip

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It is well known that even as toddlers, li ttle boys love playing with car s. Cars seem tO be in the male DNA, so to be ab le to undertake adventurous jorn: neys in a 4x4 fo r a Jiving must be one of the best jo bs in the world.

Sanjay Madan (37) and Tushar Agarwal (33), both from Delhi, founded Adventures Overland (www.advennu-esoverland.com) a couple of years ago to provide exci ting driv ing ho lidays for their clientele. For design, publicity and to capture images on camera, they were jo ined by Prasad Deshpande (3 1), the you ngest member of the group who, appropriately, hails from the home of BoUywood

The tean1 currently holds a fistful of Limca records for various dri ving feats on the subcontinent.

With their recent mammod1 drive around Australia, they have broken the Guinness World Record for the 'longest drive in a sing le coumry' and tb.is awaits registration. They now go on to Africa co continue their round the world expedition (www. greatindiamvorldcrip.com) that \\~ll cover 70,000 kms over 50 countries. To accomplish such daring cha Uenges muse require strength of character and I was curious to find out a little more abour these record-breaking young men.

In 2010 and still unknown co each oche r, Tushar had driven from London to Delhi and Sanjay had driven in a Taca Nano on the highest motorable road. A little later the [\VO met in Delhi.

"\Vie found we had a common passion for the road and as we talked, i t made sense to get together," Tushar said. "\V/e had shared similar experiences and had a feeling that we could trust each other"

A world trip tbac would last rwo years requires considerab le resources. Toyota India and Jindal Panther are very generous sponsors for this trip, but to succeed it surely requires much more. "Dedication! How badly you want it, o n ly then can it happe n. And Sanjay feels di e same," explain ed Tushar. While acknowledging that there could be dangers and uncertainties ahead, Tnshar was confident that be spoke for Sanjay as well when he said, "If you re spect nature and go -with nature, the so lution will come )'Olll' way". Thi s absolu te conviction and unwavering confidence had a ring of fatalism about ir. Desp ite several probing questions I could not find a chin k in their belief that they would succeed.

"So what does it cake?" I questioned. "A positive belief," stated Tushar adding, "It _is i mportant tO chase the dream. \)(le are prepared to get by in materi al things for the sake of the trip They are not the means of happiness. Bur these memories will last a lifetime".

It is often tl1e case that those who are the m ost succes s ful are often modest, generous and just pleasing to be witl1. The y don't need ro boast and are not loud, their achievements speak for themselves They may appear soft bL1t have an icy deterrnination wi thin. The more time 1 spent with the boys on their only day in Adelaide, the greater was my respect for tl1em. l was p leased co have been able to arrange a '1i1ee t and Greet' for them with Stephen Yarwood, che Lord Mayor of

Adelaide City Cmmcil, and Counc illor Natasha Malani. As a change from the view of a road, the group would have appreciated being shown around the historic rooms of the Town Hali

Bue it's not easy being away from home, admit the boys Sanjay admitted that he missed h is two children and Tus har said that his parents think be is crazy, bur now they don't mind bis adventures as he has some experience. Prasad just loves the variet y of sce nes that can be p hotographed. His stills and movies w ill be part of a documentary which s hould appear on the History channd of JJiaC0111111. The b log, notes, diaries and filmed interviews on the trip

INDIAN LINK will most likely feature in a b oo k on th is great Indian world trip, which already has a publisher. They have family at home w h o follow theit progress w ith some an..xiery and a !or o f pri d e. So do they find it easy to sleep, I asked.

' ' or unless we have driven at least 9U0kms in a day!" was the respo n se. Yes, a se n se of h rnnour is also n ecessary, as is t es p ec t and the enjoyme nt they h ave of each other's company.

Asked about their most memo rab le exp erience while driving in Australia warranted a longer answer than expected.

"Th e vastness - it's intin,idating, overwh elmi ng! The eeriness of

Coober Ped y. The monster roadtrain s. The beauty of di e Snowy }.fountains T he '90 Mile Strnight', a 1 45.6km stretch o f gun -barrel straig h t road on the Eyre Highway in South Australia Seeing desert snakes The lone ly road in Western Australia th at douhles every now and again as an emergency airstrip.

Driving fro m Penh to Bro o me nonstop, coveting 2400kms in 30 hours. Being hit by a kangaroo at

4am". And 1 th.ink Tushar could have gon e on and on Now in Delhi while their trusty Toyo ta 4x4 is being shipped to Mombasa in Kenya, die boys will rem em b er how safe t h ey felt in Ausrral ia. As I waved goodbye tO them for the last time, Tushar's words came back to me, "\Y/e will finish rbis trip - come wha t may!"