Historically, buildings have always reflected the characteristics of its surrounding demography, typography, and the climatic conditions. Key reasons behind it are – to adapt to the local conditions and fulfill the needs of its habitat. The modern world is doing the same but more with active measures and energy intensive technologies. With India’s vision of net zero economy by 2070, building a carbon neutral or a net zero home is now a necessity but it has the notion of having higher costs for construction or technology viability apprehension etc associated with it. But is that the complete truth?

One could argue that a well-planned design which is well integrated with passive measures removes the need of higher cost. Some professionals may also say that a home is a long-term investment and those initial costs will be paid back over time. The relevance and successful solutions of sustainable and economically viable built-environment is well established now whether be in local architecture or modern design concepts. This not only makes India well equipped to meet its target of Net Zero by 2070 but also gives a unique opportunity to all architects, planners, engineers and builders involved in the building sector to reduce the environmental impact of built-environment. The right mix of rich vernacular concepts and new technologies could bring in the synergy needed for modern homes and our net zero vision. Hence, this session talks about the aspects of modern and vernacular practices of making a carbon free and net zero home.