The Infinity Infotech Parks Ltd’s signature project, Infinity Benchmark, has been awarded LEED Platinum level certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings.

The award was handed over by Shri K Rosaiah, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh at the 7th CII Green Building Congress 2009 at Hyderabad on 10 September 2009.

Infinity Benchmark

Infinity Benchmark is the second building outside USA and 7th in the world to get a Platinum rating by the renowned US Green building Council (USGBC), under LEED Core & Shell version 2.0. This project was worked on Rs.200-crore semiconductor hub in Kolkata.

Infinity Benchmark covers an area of 5,60,000 sq feet spread over 20 storeys. The building has a multi-level car parking facility, a multi-cuisine Food Court of International standard, a Business Centre, a Retail area dedicated for IT related products and office support facilities, and Osho World.

The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Some of these categories are explained below:

1. Site Efficiency

• During construction, top fertile soil has been retained and used for landscape.
• Electric car charging points and preferred car parks provided for electric vehicles. This helps reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use
• 100 % multi storied covered parking has been provided.
• Roof garden has been provided to avoid heat passage  through roof.
• Rain water from roof and open areas is captured to recharge the ground water.
• Excess light from the building and site is minimized to increase night time access to sky.
• In order to avoid & minimize soil erosion & sedimentation, soil sedimentation controls are carried out.

2. Water Efficiency

• 100 % waste water generated in the building is treated to high water quality standards at site.
• The treated waste water from STP is sued for irrigation, flushing and air conditioning purposes with in building.
• Use of water efficient fixtures in the building saves 40% water.
• Native plant species for landscaping consumes very less water.
• In case of storm, the pervious pavement and landscape recharge the ground water.

3. Energy Efficiency

• Wall and roof are properly insulated. This avoids heat entering the building.
• The high performance glass used in the building envelope helps in better daylight transmission and minimizes heat entering the building through glass.
• Energy efficient air conditioning equipment enhances human comfort levels and reduces the energy consumption.
• Eco-friendly refrigerants used in air conditioning equipment reduces ozone depletion.
• Use of shading devices reduces the direct sun light  through glass.
• Energy efficient internal and external light fixtures have been used.
• Use of artificial lighting during the day time is minimized.

4. Materials & Resources

• Provision of separate space for storage of various waste materials.
• Regionally manufactured construction materials have been used to reduce the environmental impacts resulting from transportation.
• Recycled materials such as aluminium, ply board, vitrified tiles, glass etc., have been used in the construction to reduce the use of new virgin materials.
• Use of certified wood to encourage environmentally responsible forest management.

5. Indoor Environmental Quality

• Tobacco smoke prohibition in the campus to avoid the exposure of building occupants to tobacco smoke.
• Carbon dioxide levels are regularly monitored for occupant comfort and well being.
• 30% more ventilation to improve indoor air quality improved occupant productivity.
• Air conditioning equipment & systems are designed to maintain 24 ^oC in all occupied spaces.
• Separate exhaust provided for chemical storage, printer and copying rooms to minimize the exposure of occupants to chemicals.
• Use of low emitting paints, adhesives, sealants, carpets and composite wood products to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants.
• Provision of maximum day light in work spaces through the introduction of sunlight in workspace.
• 90% of building occupants are connected to outside environment through glazing.

The impact of energy and water costs directly affects the operations of the occupants. Water and Energy represents 30% percent of operating expenses in a typical office building and with this achievement, occupants at Infinity Benchmark will see the financial benefits from day one which translates into saving of Rs. 5/- per sq ft – a laudable benefit to our clients.

Roof Construction and Finish

Roof has under deck insulation with 30 mm thick rigid polyurethane foam. In addition to the insulation, the building roof has roof garden to ensure that a large percentage of the incident heat energy is not absorbed by the roof.

Glazing

Most of the glazing in the entire campus has better shading coefficient and light transmittance in order to enhance available daylight in the space and maintain visual comfort for the occupants without comprising on energy-efficiency. Most of the glazing is double glazed units (DGU’s).

The building also takes credit for reduced direct solar gains through the glazing by the use of overhangs on select facades. These high performance glazing will also provide external connectivity for the building occupants.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and fresh air monitoring:

CO2 levels and fresh air quantities will be continuously monitored and maintained at a pre-determined value. This will further enhance the productivity of the building occupants.

Finishes

Adhesives, sealants, paints, resins used in finishes (core & shell and common areas) are selected with low volatile organic compound (VOC) content. These features will also enhance the human comfort levels.

Efficient Lighting

Efficient fluorescent lamps (T5s) and luminaries with high coefficient of utilization have been used in most of the zones to achieve efficient lighting. It shall be a mandatory requirement for the tenants to install lighting which is 20% less than the minimum requirements.

Daylight Sensors

The common spaces like lobbies, lounges and the food court are amply day lit.
This has been achieved with the selection of glass with optimum visible transmittance.
HVAC System

Efficient Chillers

The chillers provided for this building are of water cooled type with high COP of 6.3

Secondary Chilled Water Pumps

The building has primary & secondary chilled water pumping with variable speed drive to economize on pump energy.

Energy efficient equipment & systems will reduce the operating cost from the day-one of operation of the building. These equipment & systems are designed, without comprising the human comfort levels, such as, lighting levels, temperature in the conditioned space.

Daylight & Views

The project has been designed to provide occupants connectivity with external landscapes. Various studies have proven that the connectivity with the external world further enhances occupants’ productivity.

Infinity Benchmark provides an excellent opportunity have daylight & views for its occupants.  Hence, it shall be a mandatory requirement for the tenants to have all partitions/workstations with views to the outside to be transparent above 1000mm (41 inches) to facilitate a line of vision to the outside between 2’-6” and 7’-6” for all the occupants.

Parking facility

The project has been designed to provide covered parking. The covered car parking helps in reducing the “heat island effect”

Promote use of eco-friendly vehicles

Being a green building, provisions have been provided to charge the electric vehicles (EV) at parking area. The tenants can avail the EV charging facility by adopting energy efficient and environment-friendly alternate fuel vehicles, such as, electric vehicles, CNG vehicles

Waste management

The project has allocated a separate space for segregation waste. This will the facility management group to segregate the waste generated in the complex at the source itself.
 
Recycling

The buildings has provided a dedicated storage and collection area to segregate, collect and storage of materials for recycling which includes, paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, metal, etc.

Recycled content

1. False ceiling material, which comprises of gypsum (which an industrial by-product or waste)
2. Door panels made out of baggasse.
3. Aluminium door and window frames, with very high recycled content

Low emitting material

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC’s) present in finishing products has harmful effect on the building occupants. The VOC’s vaporize (become a gas) at normal room temperature. Hence, the interior designers can use products with VOC’s within the specified limits.