Ahmedabad’s Government Girls Polytechnic is constructing a new green building without cutting the 28 mature trees located across its campus, after the institution changed the original design proposed for the project. The facility near Gujarat University is being built at an estimated cost of more than Rs 26.9 crore and is expected to serve over 2,000 students and more than 100 staff members.
The original design prepared by the Roads and Buildings department would have required the removal of around 28 trees, according to the institution. Principal Bhaskar Iyer, who is a qualified architect, prepared an alternative design based on the location of the trees and submitted it to the Roads and Buildings department and the state government. The revised plan was subsequently approved because it allowed construction to proceed without damaging the campus greenery.
The trees include species such as bael, mango and jamun. The source report describes several of them as being between 40 and 50 years old, while another statement attributed to the principal refers to trees that are 20 to 25 years old. The project is being constructed around the existing trees, rather than clearing the site and creating a conventional rectangular building footprint.
The new structure will have a ground floor and two upper floors, with classrooms, laboratories and other facilities for the polytechnic’s eight branches. The design creates recesses in the external walls wherever trees stand, allowing the building’s boundary to follow the existing landscape. The approach is intended to preserve the trees while also creating additional wall space for windows.
According to Iyer, the design uses courtyards similar to those found in older pol houses in Ahmedabad. These courtyards are intended to help hot air escape from the building and can also be used by students for different activities. The design is expected to increase access to natural ventilation and daylight, potentially reducing the need for artificial lighting and air-conditioning during suitable conditions.
Iyer said the building was designed to make greater use of freely available air and daylight while retaining the campus’s established greenery. The institution said the construction had progressed close to completion at the time of the report, and that no tree had been cut for the project.
The building is expected to be completed in about a year, after which students and staff will be able to use the new classrooms, laboratories and other facilities. The project’s implementation will determine how effectively the approved design retains the trees while delivering the planned institutional space.
