Delhi is choking. Can green buildings help win the Battle for Breath? 

It's that time of the year! No, I am not talking about festivals, but what follows after that: pollution and smog. Several Indian cities suffocate after the Diwali celebrations. The situation keeps getting worse in the subsequent weeks, especially in India's capital. This annual source of misery causes thousands of premature deaths each year in New Delhi. Each year we discuss ways to prevent it but fail to come up with a viable solution to bank on. 

Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorated in the past few days and on Monday (Nov. 11), the capital was enveloped in dense smog, and the air quality index (AQI) dropped to 347, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data at 7:00 am (IST). The level placed the city in the "very poor" category. 

Health concerns due to pollution 

The pollution level is alarming in the capital and surrounding regions, which is home to more than 30 million people, raising serious concerns for the residents and their health. The pollution is caused by a combination of factors, including stubble burning and atmospheric changes that affect everyone, and the effects are far more adverse to some than others. 

Dr Pragati Rao. D, HOD & Consultant, Pulmonology (Respiratory Medicine) at Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, told WION, "The particulate matter levels increase by 60 per cent and respiratory problems increases by 30 per cent and hence the hospital admissions." 

The PM2.5 particles, which are the smallest and most harmful, can enter the bloodstream. Their level was registered above 300 micrograms per cubic metre in Delhi recently, according to monitoring firm IQAir. That is 20 times the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization. 

While speaking about prevention measures, Dr Rao said that keeping air purifiers at home for asthmatics is advisable. She added that there should be "more and more mask usage, and cross ventilation will be a good choice when there is a lot of pollution entering the home". 

She said that pollution can be reduced by community initiatives like organising cleanup drives, establishing green zones in the neighbourhood, and spreading awareness about environmental importance. The government must constantly monitor air quality standards and enforce emission standards. 

How to cope with pollution in urban areas? 

In an urban setup, solutions to reduce pollution levels include green building designs, and to explore it, WION reached out to some architects. 

Harsh Varshneya, who is the Director and Head of Design at STHAPATI, said, "As populations concentrate in urban centres, the strain on infrastructure, housing, and essential services intensifies. To address Delhi's severe air pollution crisis, we must recognise that green buildings alone are not the entire solution." 

"While sustainable architecture is a key component, it must be integrated into a broader strategy of sustainable urban planning. Buildings are just one part of the urban ecosystem in which we live, and long-term improvement requires a holistic approach," Varshneya added. 

Varshneya said that constructing greener buildings and rethinking how cities are planned will prioritise green spaces, enhance public transportation, and reduce overall carbon footprints. 

Rahul Bansal, the partner and principal architect at groupDCA, told WION that green buildings optimise natural light, air, ventilation, greenery and water usage to regulate the microclimate and enhance air quality. Such structures can have a significant impact on the Air Quality Index. 

Here's how: 
1. Reduced Energy Consumption: Green buildings enhance energy efficiency, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and reducing harmful emissions. 
2. Vegetation and Green Roofs: Vertical gardens and green roofs purify the air, cool surrounding areas, and minimise the heat island effect. 
3. Sustainable Construction Materials: The use of low-emission materials like bamboo, fly ash, and recycled steel decreases pollutants during production by reusing or reworking older materials, thereby bringing down the carbon footprint. 
4. Air Purification Systems: Advanced air filtration systems and HEPA filters ensure cleaner air by removing contaminants such as dust, allergens, and pollutants. 
5. Water Efficiency: Rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling limit water pollution, reduce the strain on public utilities, and improve water quality, which ultimately affects overall air quality.
6. Individual Responsibility: Avoiding fireworks and promoting eco-friendly celebrations contribute to better air quality and environmental protection, highlighting the importance of individual effort. 

What is Regenerative Architecture?  

Goonmeet Singh Chauhan, who is the founding partner at Design Forum International (DFI), had a slightly different approach as he weighed in on Regenerative Architecture and enabling biodiversity to recompense carbon footprint. 

Chauhan told WION that the "solution to Delhi's pollution problem does not lie with green buildings. Green buildings might claim lower than the collective average, but the quantum of the carbon footprint left behind remains relatively high. Thus, every time we build, we damage." 

"In the case of a 'green building,' the collateral damage during construction processes may be lowered, but it persists as an issue until and through the building's operational phase," he added. 

To questions such as 'Should we then stop building?' or 'Is there a way to undo the damage?', Chauhan answered, "Architects and other design stakeholders must isolate 20 per cent of their total land parcel to create Carbon Sinks—a mechanised reservoir that absorbs and processes the carbon produced during the construction and demolition stages. These sinks support the forests and surrounding areas, making them sovereign adjunct greens with forest patches within them." 

The carbon sinks are designed to increase the amount of carbon mass in the city’s biomass metric. Biomass, a city’s reserve of renewable resources, would employ trees and local biodiversity to sequester carbon from the air. This, in turn, will boost carbon dioxide absorption and, effectively, the production of life-giving oxygen. 

In short, Chauhan explained that architecture based on Regenerative Design will help revive the ecosystem and initiate a healing cycle for all the carbon footprints that ensue during the construction phase. Regenerative design, by its nature, operates on a circular model of indemnifying the carbon impact. It facilitates a cohesive give-and-take dynamic between urban dwellers and their depleting biomass.