Murals lighten up Chennai's Kannagi Nagar

Kannagi Nagar home to nearly 80,000 people mostly living in identical multi-storied apartments now sports a brand-new facelift. Mural artists national and international in association with Greater Chennai Corporation have added bright murals to make the apartments colorful and lively. 

Over 100 local kids were also involved in the process. 

Murals play an important role in architecture as they bring art into the public sphere. At MIDAS, architecture students organize regular mural art training camps to help locals gain insights into the world of murals. 

Drawing inspiration from the livelihoods of locals, the color tones and elements of the mural at Kannagi Nagar reflect the environment. 

The building that welcomes one to Kannagi Nagar sports a medley of gradients. The Geometrical shapes are filled with yellows, reds, and blues 

  

The second wall portrays a woman with a powerful gaze in vibrant colors of green, orange and blue. 

  

Adjacent to these is the mural inspired by scenes from the Koyambedu flower market.  

  

A little away from this network of walls, stands a mural dedicated to the inhabitants of the area who had to move after the devastating tsunami of 2004. It depicts a mother-daughter duo, amidst waves, looking upwards, surrounded by iris flowers. 

A boost for green buildings! Public buildings in France to be built with at least 50 % timber

The French government has announced plans for a sustainability law that will ensure all new public buildings are built from at least 50 percent timber,  natural materials or bio-based materials that are made from matter derived from living organisms like hemp and straw, says a report in dezeen.com

Like wood, they have a significantly lower embodied carbon footprint compared to other construction materials like concrete and steel.

The measure will be implemented by 2022 and will include all public buildings financed by the government.

The move was inspired by Paris and its recent low-carbon mandate to build structures for the 2024 Summer Olympics from timber.

Green construction offers eco-friendly solutions that can drastically reduce the carbon footprint created by traditional building methods.

The ultimate goal of green building and design is to create sound structures that possess environmental sustainability without the sacrifice of the kinds of modern comforts people expect. Both architects and builders of eco-friendly buildings follow comprehensive reuse, recycle, and repurpose model in as many facets of construction as possible. Here are some ways that modern construction is making strides to decrease environmental impact both during and after the construction of new structures.

Generating clean energy

One of the most effective ways to decrease the impact of a building on the environment is to make sure that it is constructed in a way that generates a high percentage of the energy it consumes. Structures that generate energy on their own like solar panels on the roof and walls do not draw as much power from plants. 

The reduced draw on these resources means fewer polluting fuels need to be burned in order to generate the energy needed to run the systems within the building. 

Increasing HVAC system efficacy

Eco-friendly construction companies also seek to make the heating and cooling systems of the structures they design and build environmentally sound. Making them more efficient consequently reduces the amount of energy it takes to effectively run heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Eco-friendly insulation is also becoming a more popular choice.