NBCC gets work on Delhi University Institute of Eminence underway

NBCC India is set to build a new academic complex at Delhi University, enhancing capacity for 1,800 students with a focus on sustainability.

New Delhi

The structure will have a built-up area of around 455,000 square feet and will comprise of a basement, ground level and seven floors, reaching a height of approximately 35.5 metres. (Representative photo)

NBCC India is in the process of appointing a consultant to construct administrative and academic buildings as part of the Institute of Eminence (IoE) complex at Delhi University’s North campus in Maurice Nagar, following a groundbreaking ceremony last month, officials aware of the developments said on Wednesday.

The structure will have a built-up area of around 455,000 square feet and will comprise of a basement, ground level and seven floors, reaching a height of approximately 35.5 metres. The facility is expected to increase the university’s academic capacity by accommodating nearly 1,800 students.

“The new building will house offices for the director and allied departments, nine lecture theatres with 100-seat capacity each, 16 classrooms for 65 students, two seminar halls for 150 participants, a modern library and six multi-purpose rooms,” an NBCC official, who did not wish to be named, said.

An IoE is a special status granted by the Government of India to 12 universities to help them emerge as world-class institutions. IoEs receive greater academic, financial and administrative autonomy, enabling them to introduce cutting-edge courses, attract top global faculty, collaborate with international universities and pursue high-impact research without many of the regulatory constraints faced by other institutions.

The IoE is being developed on a 4.8-acre plot at an approved project cost of about ₹330 crore. NBCC officials said the project has been conceived as a model for future-ready institutional infrastructure, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability.

The construction also entails 75 office spaces for faculty members, 16 meeting rooms and 11 laboratories. NBCC officials said the infrastructure will support academic, administrative and cultural functions within an integrated complex.

Sustainability features have also been placed at the core of the design, with the project targeting a three-star GRIHA rating. GRIHA is India’s national rating system for green buildings that evaluates a building’s environmental performance across its lifecycle based on nationally accepted benchmarks, covering aspects like site selection, resource conservation, and energy efficiency. Projects are awarded star ratings from one to five stars.

The plans also include a 500,000-litre rainwater harvesting system, a 75kW rooftop solar installation and an organic waste converter for on-site waste processing. The complex will use energy-efficient fixtures, including LED lights and solar-powered streetlighting. Provision has also been made for 30 electric vehicle charging stations.

“Almost 20% of the site will be maintained as green cover, with integrated landscaping and the preservation of existing trees. The building layout has been designed to incorporate older trees into the final plan,” the official added.

The upcoming facility includes modular spaces for varying academic needs. All floors will be interconnected with barrier-free access and wide corridors, while central courtyards and landscaped plazas have been planned to encourage interaction and pedestrian movement. The project will use sun-shading systems and passive design elements to improve thermal performance, along with materials selected for durability and low maintenance.

According to the layout plan, the ground floor will house the library and cafeteria, while the first to fourth floors will host classrooms, labs, lecture halls and multi-purpose halls, and the fifth to seventh floors will comprise staff rooms, dining facilities and meeting spaces. Parking for nearly 300 vehicles has also been proposed.