E-Paper
Chandigarh: Plaksha University and CCF deliberate over city legacy for coming decades
The discussions explored practical and scalable pathways for designing and operating buildings in the Tricity that are energy efficient, healthy and comfortable for occupants, aligned with net-zero carbon goals, intelligent and future-ready.
With Chandigarh marking its 75th foundation year, Plaksha University, in collaboration with the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation organised a program to deliberate over the future trajectory of the city and how it can retain its legacy as India’s most planned urban centre in the coming five decades.
The discussions explored practical and scalable pathways for designing and operating buildings in the Tricity that are energy efficient, healthy and comfortable for occupants, aligned with net-zero carbon goals, intelligent and future-ready.
Key thematic areas discussed included the impact of AI and emerging materials on the built environment, autonomous and aerial mobility, food security and urban agriculture, renewable energy integration, emission reduction, and the role of design and policy in navigating these transitions. The conference was supported by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) Chandigarh Chapter, ISHRAE (Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Chandigarh Chapter, and IGBC (Indian Green Building Council).
The programme was attended by former additional chief secretary of Punjab, J.M. Balamurugan, who represented CCF, former chief architect of Chandigarh Kapil Setia, vice chancellor of Plaksha University Rudra Pratap, vice chancellor and others. The keynote address, titled “Global Megatrends: The Tricity Lens”, was delivered by Ashish Rakheja, treasurer, ASHRAE & managing partner, AEON Consultants. A second keynote, “Less is More”, was delivered by architect Ravi Sarangan, executive director, Edifice Consultants, who emphasised the importance of adaptive reuse of buildings. Two panel discussions were held on the topics “Future Buildings: Design, Technology and Innovation’ and ‘Enabling Implementation: The Role of Policy, Regulation and Developers”.
