AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES
Embodiment of futuristic spirit
THE CAMPUS of this research, development and manufacturing company represents the kind of 21st century architecture that provides comfort while ensuring minimal impact on the environment. The building is designed with the quintessential glass look aspired by a typical corporate entity. But glass traps heat. The architect circumvents this problem by using sheets of glass that are of proper size and shade, and has fitted them at places where they offer the maximum benefit.
The building avoids glazing on east and west directions, which are associated with uncontrollable solar radiations, whereas almost 60 per cent of the façades facing north and south are covered with glass. Curtain wall glazing has been done only in lobbies that do not receive direct sunlight. Heat ingress has been further controlled by placing shading devices horizontally in the south and vertically in the north. These ensure that the building receives good daylight with minimal overheating.
The building also takes special care to control daylight glare by limiting average room depth to 25 metres and by keeping the ceiling relatively higher at 3.2 metres. This has been complimented by lowenergy led task lights at every workstation.
Energy demand has been reduced to a large extent by replacing the central air-conditioning (AC) system with an extremely low-energy hybrid AC system. Unlike the central AC, where cooled air is distributed overhead, the hybrid AC delivers air through diffusers placed on the floor. This enhances efficiency of the system. It also allows partial shutting down of the AC during off-peak hours. To further reduce the energy consumption, Agilent uses the AC to cool down water during off-peak hours, especially during the night. The chilled water is then used to run the AC during peak hours. When compared with the conventional AC system, these measures have helped the organisation half its energy requirement for cooling.
Despite using water-cooled chillers, the building has managed to reduce its water consumption by one-fourth by harvesting rainwater and recycling water. It stores rainwater runoff from its roof in a 5 million-litre tank. The landscape has passive drainage wherever possible, with swales and percolations to facilitate rainwater harvesting. The parking area and roads in the campus have been paved with grass to reduce surface runoff and aid in groundwater recharge. In its three-step water recycling system, municipal water is mixed with rainwater and is used for washing hands. The wastewater is then treated and used for flushing, and the treated sewage water is used in gardens.
The campus also has electric sockets for charging electric and hybrid vehicles.