The advantages of sustainability for institutional buildings are well documented. The current approach of designers is to create micro climatic responsive designs based on the site layout and conditions. Expanding the design to wider frame of reference, the architects also question the intent and context of the project with reference to its function. The five projects featured - ranging from office building to educational institutes to medical facility not only demonstrate the fundamental design principles of sustainable architecture but also showcase the human centred design thinking. This new perspective has grown out of taking into account end user’s experience, emotional needs and motivation. Considering the current economic challenges, commercial building owners are exploring ways and means of constructing cost effective facilities that can reduce operation costs and environmental impacts and increase workforce productivity. Thus collaborative and multi-disciplinary design attitude includes all the relevant stakeholders and is specifically geared towards solving specific business or design problem.

  For example, project designed by architect Arvind Krishan follows solar passive architecture to create a complex which can be a prototype for other buildings in the region. Architect Yatin Pandya bases his eco-friendly design and site planning on the Gandhian philosophy of the client which is an NGO. Architect Sandeep Shikre’s green office building and N. M Salim’s sustainable IT complex projects; reflect the company’s work culture with empathy towards the occupants. On the other hand Malik Architect’s Medical and Research Centre is a development designed in context of its macro and micro climate and also focuses on the sustainability of the region around it. The synergy between the developer and the designer becomes more critical with the rising complexities of businesses and desire for resources efficiency. Sustainable design with all its facets - eco-design, human-centred design, research-based design and collaborative design along with philosophical shift towards climate responsive development forms an important part of providing effective solutions for commercial projects.