Promotion of eco-friendly green buildings need of the hour: VP

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said that promotion of eco-friendly green buildings is the need of the hour and called for tapping digital technology to build smart buildings.

Addressing students at the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture at Mamallapuram, he asked them to adopt the energy conservation building code launched by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency to construct energy efficient buildings.

To address the phenomenon of rapid urbanisation and moderate the effects of migration to urban areas, ways should be evolved to augment infrastructure available in rural and peri-urban areas, he said.

Stressing the importance of creating amenities in rural areas on par with urban centres, he said it should also be ensured that rural areas are not turned into concrete jungles.

"Our built environment must be a perfect blend of modernity and tradition," he said.

The Vice President said the need of the hour was to promote eco-friendly green buildings, adding that the advantage of digital technology should be taken to set up 'small buildings' with automated operations.

He said the students of the college were 'truly' fortunate as Mamallapuram town itself acts as an extension of the institution.

"There are invaluable lessons hidden in every carving, every edifice, every sculpture. You need to only focus, internalise and assimilate", he said.

The role of architects and planners in the 21st century was not limited to merely designing and giving shape to human settlements and buildings,but being innovative and creative in a fast-changing world, where digital technologies play a pivotal role in shaping every aspect of life.

The grand temples of Tamil Nadu like the the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai, Brihadeswara Temple in Thanjavur and Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam are an eloquent testimony to the supreme talent and skill of architects and sculptors, he said.