[www.keralites.net] The 10 Greenest Buildings In The World [10 Attachments]

 

When you think of "green" buildings, you probably imagine recycled materials, walls made of bamboo, and other science project-likes. If this is the case, you'll be surprised to learn that the label "green" means that the building is Eco-friendly, and has a significantly reduced carbon footprint. Below, you will find the 10 most beautiful green buildings in the world that prove that you can combine beauty with efficiency, and make the world a better place.

1. The Edge – Netherlands

The greenest of buildings in the world, is the 40,000 square meter (430,560 square foot) headquarters of the Deloitte consulting firm – one of the four largest of such firms in the world. According to Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), The Edge has a score of 98.36%, and has a -3 power consumption rating, meaning that it sometimes produces more power than it consumes.

2. The Crystal - England

Reminiscent of Sydney's Opera House, The Crystal is one of the most visually stunning buildings on this list. It is the only building to receive an "Outstanding" rating from BREEAM, and holds the title of Leader in Energy Conservation and Environmental Design. The Crystal relies on renewable energy, not using any fossil fuel based sources.

3. TELUS Garden - Canada

Located in Vancouver, The Telus Garden is probably the most beautiful and more ambitious building in the city. It is so green that it won the title of "Leader in Energy Conservation and Environmental Design" a whole month before it was even opened. The building's 1,000,000 square feet (92,900 sqm) is divided to 528,000 square feet of offices and retail space, and 450,000 square feet of residential space. The building will feature a communal fruit and vegetable garden, a rainwater collection system, and an energy system that will draw heat from the TELUS (telecom company) center, as well as a plethora of solar panels. The building will also feature an electric-car charging station, and three square kilometers (2 square miles) of gardens, with over 1,000 different species of plants.

4. Pixel - Australia

Pixel got a score of 105 in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating – the highest score at the time. Despite being one of the greenest buildings in the world, its design is controversial and many people are not fans of the artistic design. Even so, it is a unique building, thanks to both its design, as well as its ability to conserve and utilize natural, renewable resources. It uses solar panels, vacuum-flushed toilets, and an anaerobic digestive system, which converts human waste into heat energy.

5. The Change Initiative - Dubai

Don't let the fact that this is a giant store confuse you: It is a building that scored 107 out of 110 in the LEED ranking. The store is not green by any random reason – it is a store for organic foods and environmentally-friendly products, and serves as a model for any store that wishes to declare itself "green".

6. Bahrain World Trade Center - Bahrain

The most sophisticated building on this list – the triangular shape is meant to direct wind to the three large wind-turbines in the center. The wind-turbines produce 15% of the building's power needs, with the help of solar paneling. The building's design seems like it was taken from a science fiction movie and serves to prove that beauty and sustainability can go hand in hand.

7. David Lucile Packard Foundation Building – U.S.A.

The goal of the David Lucile Packard Foundation is to improve the lives of children everywhere, to encourage creative and scientific thinking, to search for solutions for infertility, and to help replenish the Earth's natural resources. It not surprising, then, that the headquarters of such an organization would be a building that embodies such principals. This modern-looking building is located in Los Altos, California, and is the largest building in the state to produce as much electricity as it uses.

8. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology – Saudi Arabia

The first building in Saudi Arabia to win a LEED certification. The university's campus spans over 14 square miles (36 sqkm), and includes 27 buildings and an aquatic reserve. The building reuses 100% of its wastewater and produces about 30% of the electricity it needs. Students enjoy the beautiful surroundings, which look more like a holiday resort rather than a university campus.

9. Green Lighthouse - Denmark

Copenhagen University's Science Department is home for the world's first carbon-neutral building in the world. The building can transfer heat by using heat pumps, as well as by using solar energy, which it can also turn into electricity. The inspiration for the circular shape comes from the ancient sundials, which is built at an angle to receive the most sunlight possible throughout the day. The interiors are painted white to reflect sunlight and illuminate the building without the need for electricity during the day.

10. Taipei 101 - Taiwan

Another holder of the LEED title, this building was the world's tallest building until recently. Another unique aspect of this tower is that it was only converted into a green building some seven years after it was completed. The tower's windows reflect 50% of the external heat, and it reuses 20-30% of its wastewater. Even the elevators are aerodynamically designed to reduce air resistance, and thus – power consumption. It is currently the world's greenest skyscraper.

---

www.keralites.net

__._,_.___

View attachments on the web

---

Posted by: Fereshteh Jamshidi <fayjay81@yahoo.com>

---

Reply via web post

•

Reply to sender

•

Reply to group

•

Start a New Topic

•

Messages in this topic (1)

---

Check out the automatic photo album with 10 photo(s) from this topic.

---

KERALITES - A moderated eGroup exclusively for Keralites...

To subscribe send a mail to Keralites-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Send your posts to Keralites@yahoogroups.com.
Send your suggestions to Keralites-owner@yahoogroups.com.

To unsubscribe send a mail to Keralites-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Homepage: http://www.keralites.net

Visit Your Group

• New Members 10

• Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use

.

__,_._,___

[www.keralites.net] 14 Most Beautiful Lakes Across India [14 Attachments]

 

Lakes in India are some of the most beautiful and serene natural attractions, beckoning to several tourists through the year. While some are artificial, others are either freshwater lakes or brackish water lakes.

North to south, east to west, take a look at some of the most stunning lakes in India.

1. Dal Lake, Jammu and Kashmir

Located in the Jammu Valley, the Dal Lake is the second largest in India. Tourists in Srinagar make sure a boat ride along its waterways is a part of their itinerary. Other than the natural beauty of the surroundings, the lake has many colourful shikharas that offer rides to visitors as well as houseboats where tourists can stay on the lake as a retreat of calm.

2. Vembanad Lake, Kerala

The Vembanad is closely associated with the backwaters and lagoon that picturises life in rural Kerala. Major attractions here are the Snakeboat race or Vallam Kali held in the rainy season in August, and of course experiencing life on the many rice boats that sail by the waters.

3. Chilika Lake, Odisha

The Chilika is the world's largest inland saltwater lagoon and India's largest coastal lake. It is the sight for several migratory birds which makes it a bird watcher's paradise. The lake is a source of livelihood for the tribal people of the state who live along it.

4. Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan

Pushkar is a famous pilgrimage center of Rajasthan and is one of the few places on the Earth where Brahma is worshiped. On an average, the lake attracts 5,000 pilgrims daily. People from all over the country converge here to wash off their sins. The depth of water has plunged to just 1.5 m from a depth of 9 m observed in the late 1980s.

5. Wular Lake, Jammu and Kashmir

One of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia and India, the Wular lake is 24 km across and surrounded by nearby mountain ranges which provide a lovely backdrop on a perfect day. The waters are a source of livelihood for the locals who live alongside it. The lake is surpassed in beauty by the Nagin Lake and Dal Lake that are also in the region.

6. Loktak Lake, Manipur

Loktak is the largest freshwater lake in north eastern India and has a high concentration of phumdis (a series of floating islands that are heterogenous masses of soil, vegetation and organic matter). It serves as a source of water supply for hydro power generation, irrigation and drinking water for the local population and wildlife. The Keibul Lamjao National Park nearby is home to the endangered sangai (Manipur brow antlered deer).

7. Damdama Lake, Haryana

A popular weekend getaway near Delhi, the lake is located near the Aravali hills and is a lovely place for boating and rock climbing. The Sohna hills are not very far away from the lake.

8. Lake Pichola, Rajasthan

The poster boy of tourism in Rajasthan and the iconic symbol of Udaipur, this is an artificial freshwater lake. Udai Sagar Lake, Fateh Sagar Lake, Rajsamand Lake and Jaisamand Lake are the four others along with Lake Pichola that make Udaipur the City of Lakes.

9. Gurudongmar Lake, Sikkim

One of the highest (17,100 ft) fresh water lakes, the Gurudongmar is located north east of the Kachenjunga range. Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Dongmar, touched and sanctified the lake, and thus, even in extreme winter, a portion of the lake does not freeze. The lake is also one of the sources of River Teesta, which flows through Sikkim, West Bengal and Bangladesh to merge with the Bay of Bengal.

The water of Gurudongmar Lake is said to have curative properties and many tourists carry the water with them on their way back. Close to the lake, there is a 'Sarva Dharma Sthal', and as the name suggests, it's a place of worship for all religions.

10. Bhimtal Lake, Uttarakhand

Located 22 km from Nainital, Bhimtal Lake is at an altitude of 1370 meters. It is surrounded by the Kumaoun hills and is named after the second Pandava, Bhima, from the Mahabharata. Nearby the Bhimeshwara Temple is said to be where Bhima came to worship Shiva during the vanavas period of the Pandavas.

There is an island in the middle of the lake and a restaurant is located on it. Tourists reach it by boats. The total distance of the island from the lake shore is around 91 meters. The best time to visit the lake lies between April and July and September and October.

11. Pakhal Lake, Telangana

Pakhal Lake is a man-made lake in the Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary in Warangal district. It is situated amid undulating forest land hills and dales and is a popular retreat for tourists. Set around the shores of this lake is the Pakhal Wild Life Sanctuary with an area of 839 km2. It is a dense forest shelter for a variety of fauna.

If you are lucky, you can spot a tiger, leopard or a bear roaming about freely in the wild.

12. Osman Sagar Lake, Andhra Pradesh

Osman Sagar Lake, popularly known as the Gandipet, lies 20 km west of Hyderabad. It is a man-made lake created by the dam across the Isa, a tributary of the river Musi, and is a source of water supply to the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

The lake is surrounded by parks and grass on all sides. The ideal time to visit the lake is after the monsoons, although tourists are seen here throughout the year.

Overlooking the lake is the Sagar Mahal which was once the summer residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Today it is a lake resort that is open to tourists.

13. Bedhnikund, Uttarakhand

Bedini is a Himalayan Alpine meadow, situated at an elevation of 3,354 metres in the Chamoli district. It falls on the way to Roopkund and the Trisul and Nanda Ghunti peaks are visible from here. This lush green meadow is adorned with blooms in a wide range of varieties. This small lake is a feature of the meadow that draws travellers as it looks more like an oasis.

14. Lonar Crater Lake, Maharashtra

Located in the Buldana district of Maharashtra, this lake is said to be of extraterrestrial or volcanic origin due to the strange chemical elements present in the water and the soil surrounding it.

Numerous temples surround the lake, most of which stand in ruins today, except for the temple of Daitya Sudan at the centre of the Lonar town, which was built in honour of Vishnu's victory over the giant Lonasur. It is a fine example of early Hindu architecture. Vishnumandir, Wagh Mahadev, Mora Mahadev, Munglyacha Mandir and Goddess Kamalaja Devia are the other temples found inside the crater.

---

www.keralites.net

__._,_.___

View attachments on the web

---

Posted by: Fereshteh Jamshidi <fayjay81@yahoo.com>

---

Reply via web post

•

Reply to sender

•

Reply to group

•

Start a New Topic

•

Messages in this topic (1)

---

Check out the automatic photo album with 14 photo(s) from this topic.

---

KERALITES - A moderated eGroup exclusively for Keralites...

To subscribe send a mail to Keralites-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Send your posts to Keralites@yahoogroups.com.
Send your suggestions to Keralites-owner@yahoogroups.com.

To unsubscribe send a mail to Keralites-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Homepage: http://www.keralites.net

Visit Your Group

• New Members 10

• Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use

.

__,_._,___