GreenSpaces

Posts Tagged ‘business centre’

PBC Becomes the First Building in India to Get NABERS Certified

Monday, May 18th, 2015

National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) Announces Their First International Certification in India and outside Australia

NABERS Recognizes Paharpur Business Centre’s indoor air environment quality management for occupants’ health and well-being

 Melbourne based company CETEC Pty Ltd, a technical risk management consultancy focusing on occupational health and safety, environmental consulting, awarded  Paharpur Business Centre (PBC), a USGBC LEED (EB) Platinum Certified and BEE 5 Star rated, green office building, located in Nehru Place Greens, New Delhi with the first-ever certification under the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS).

 

NABERS is a performance-based rating system for existing buildings, which rated the Paharpur Business Centre based on its measured operational impact on the environment on several parameters including indoor air quality, ventilation and levels of pollutants.

Paharpur Business Centre is India’s first retrofit building to earn top rating for its green space and its indoor air quality conforms to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) World Health Organizations (WHO) standards.

 

Announcing the first international certification for NABERS, Dr. Vyt Garnys, Managing Director, CETEC Pty Ltd said, “ PBC qualified NABERS parameters by using unique technologies in combination with best practice and extremely high aspirational targets set by the owners.

PBC addressed achievement of high Indoor Environment Quality by attending to control all pollutants such as fine particles, CO2 and enhancement of oxygen levels by the use of plants and mechanical practices.

The lighting levels, noise and comfort parameters were controlled by continous recording and attention to data of the building’s operation. The outstanding feature of the NABERS rating was the exceptionally high ‘occupant-satisfaction score’. This is one of the highest score that has been achieved by the Australian NABERS protocol that we have measured so far. Satisfied tenants are gold for their own business as well as for PBC’s tenants’ retention. Finally, this high tenant satisfaction also indicates high occupant productivity which is vital for India’s recovery.”

Mr. Peter Varghese AO, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Australia Government say, “Being performance based, a NABERS Indoor Environment rating provides proof that the technologies which have been implemented at PBC have been commissioned well, are being managed well, and are providing tangible benefits to the building’s occupants in the form of a more comfortable and healthy workplace.

 

This rating shows that the team at PBC understands that operating a truly sustainable building means not just minimizing its impact on the environment, but also maximising the wellbeing of the people who occupy it. The investments that have been made into making this a high performance building will provide widespread returns, as healthy, comfortable occupants become more productive employees and more energized citizens.”

 

Mr. Kamal Meattle, CEO Paharpur Business Centre and Software Technology Incubator Park, added          “Given that Delhi’s air is practically unfit for breathing, it is great that we have a third party verification of good air quality at PBC – for wellness and productivity of our occupants. People working in buildings need to keep well and it is a well known fact that indoor air is 10 times more polluted than outside or ambient air. What does one do, when the ambient air is itself unacceptable?

 

PBC has found solutions for it. We grow fresh air with the help of more than 1,200 air purifying plants that not only detoxify the indoor air but also enrich it with oxygen.

 

PBC cares for its occupants – their Wellness. This goes beyond its USGBC LEED Platinum and BEE 5 star rating. We have achieved a 4 star rating for our Indoor Environment Quality, in NABERS’ assessment. We hope to make it to a 5 star rating in the next certification after a year.

 

PBC’s occupant-centric approach and the efforts towards enhanced Human Experience has been summarized well by Mr. Varghese.”

 

Barun Aggarwal, Director, Breathe EasyTM, IAQ Division of PBC said, “We are delighted to be the first recipient of NABERS Certification outside Australia. It reiterates our commitment to Occupants’ Health & Wellbeing in a bult environment by ensuring excellent Indoor Environment Quality.

Air Quality has now started gaining momentum in India. It is one of the critical components of Indoor Environment Quality. PBC, now being certified with a clear International certification, paves the way for others to replicate healthy indoor environment at homes and offices.”

 

CETEC Pty Ltd focuses on reducing risk and providing solutions. CETEC’s scientific and technical approach to IEQ (Facility Ecology™) makes them a national leader in this field. CETEC has been a long term and firm advocate of improving occupant’s satisfaction and wellbeing, corporate productivity, and facility efficiency through the development and use of the National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme (NABERS) for Office Indoor Environment.

CETEC was engaged by Breathe Easy to conduct an Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) Study of their office building -PBC and because of their holistic approach, they also elected PBC to apply for the NABERS certification.

***

 

 

About NABERS

NABERS

 

National Australian Built Environment Rating System

BUILT ON PERFORMANCE.

Welcome to NABERS.

NABERS is a national rating system that measures the environmental performance of Australian buildings, tenancies and homes. Put simply, NABERS measures the energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality of a building or tenancy and its impact on the environment.

It does this by using measured and verified performance information, such as utility bills, and converting them into an easy to understand star rating scale from one to six stars. For example, a 6 star rating demonstrates market-leading performance, while a 1 star rating means the building or tenancy has considerable scope for improvement.

For over ten years, NABERS has helped property owners, managers and tenants across Australia to improve their sustainability performance, reaping financial benefits and building their reputation.

If you’re new to sustainability, this website will help you to understand NABERS, what it measures, what it delivers and how to get started. You’ll also be able to read how others have used NABERS to advance their sustainability goals.

NABERS is managed nationally by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, on behalf of Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

 

About Paharpur Business Centre

Located in one of the largest and busiest business districts of South Delhi – Nehru Place, New Delhi, Paharpur Business Centre (PBC) is a green micro, small and medium enterprise (mSME) in the services and real estate sector that offers instant, managed & serviced Office Solutions on a “plug & play” basis in mountain fresh air ambience. Built to compulsory Government Design, it is the first retrofit building in India that is USGBC LEED Platinum EB Certified (under O & M category) in 2010 and a BEE 5star rated building with an annual energy hourly energy rating (AAhEPI) of 28 Wh/ hr/ sqm.

Currently PBC operates at 20 Wh/hr/sqm and the endeavour is to bring it down to 15 Wh/hr/sqm.

PBC and its suite of 27 support services are certified to ISO 9001, 14001, 22000, 50001; OHSAS 18001; SA 8000, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (under Act 2006).

Paharpur Business Centre is also a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP). PBC is the only mSME among the 6 signatories to WEP from India.

Care for the environment has been an intrinsic part of PBC’s business strategy. Since inception, its USP, “Indoor Air Quality” (IAQ) is a proof of it. PBC grows its own fresh air with the help of over 1200 air purifying plants. PBC has a fresh-air treatment plant/ air washer in the Green House at the rooftop which is integrated with our IAQ system. IAQ at PBC conforms to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards. It helps the occupants in the building to have better functioning lungs; a fresher mind; reduced number of sick days and 15-20 per cent higher productivity.

IAQ system adds value to the human experience in the building.

PBC was awarded by ET Now for Best Workplace, in February 2013.

PBC has also received special commendation from CoreNet Global in April 2013, for Industry Excellence, Economic Development and Sustainable Leadership. PBC has also been recognized for energy management practices and was presented the 15th CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management in October 2014.

 

PBC has been a leading provider of office facilities and services to corporate houses as well as Fortune 500 companies planning a foray into the Indian marketplace, for nearly two decades now.

 

To know more, please visit the website: www.pbcnet.com and/or follow PBC on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

 

For Media Queries Contact:

Smruti S Samantray

Dy. Manager, Corporate Communications

Paharpur Business Centre

T: +91-11-4120 7171/ 7018

M: 9711215910

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

What To Look At While Searching A Meeting Space?

Monday, October 20th, 2014

Annual review meetings, annual general meetings, sales meetings, meetings with the ambassadors, meeting delegates of high stature etc – the list is quite huge when it comes to prepare a meeting planner. Here comes the demand of meeting rooms into the scene.

To ensure that meetings are productive & successful, you must make careful choices on the following:

  1. List out the number of attendees and mentors who will be attending the meeting. It will give you clarity on the size of space you would require.

 

  1. Location is the second most important factor. A central location offers accessibility and ease to the commuters. There are several business centres in India that offer small and large space for meetings. 99% of them are located in commercial areas that add to convenience of the attendees. Ensure that the venue has secured and sufficient space for parking.

 

 

  1. Next is the infrastructure. Would you prefer a meeting room with in a non environment-friendly building or would you opt for green solutions? Undoubtedly, there are many business centres that provide space with a kind of infrastructure that gives a treat to your eyes but there a few which provide a good ambience with elevated green quotient. There is one such which offers space for office space, training, interviews, and conference and meeting rooms in south Delhi, in mountain-fresh ambience while maintaining professionalism.

 

  1. You should also keep the duration of the meeting in mind. If the duration is long then you might have to make arrangements for snacks, lunch and dinner. Accordingly, you can ask the catering department to organize the same.

 

 

  1. Make a list of things that your meeting may require like white board, projector screen, panafax, stationery etc. You have to share the same with the manager. You should give a surprise visit to the venue to check the amenities like Wi-Fi, air conditioning, parking etc. This will enable you to decide whether the venue is capable of giving meeting rooms on urgent basis. Many business centres do offer immediate meeting rooms in India with all the required facilities.

 

One has to look at the offers meticulously before booking the space for meeting rooms. After all everyone wants a space that can make the meeting run smoothly and be successful.

This easy-to-refer checklist will help you in your search for the perfect meeting room.

Tags: ,
Posted in Business | Comments Off on What To Look At While Searching A Meeting Space?

How About A Green Kitchen?

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

Have you ever wondered that an office building requires a green kitchen?

Even if yours is a green office that takes care of environment in a meticulous way but the kitchen is left out then the effectiveness of the efforts of going green lowers down.

Kitchen is a place from which a huge percentage of air pollutants and waste get released.

You may ask the following questions to the concerned departments about the kitchen @your office.

–          Are the appliances that are used in the kitchen BEE 5 – Star rated?

These days, most of the serviced offices in India are using energy-efficient appliances as they now understand the benefits of using such products.

–          Are these appliances checked at regular interval of time?

There is a huge difference between procuring appliances and maintaining them. If they are not maintained properly then their performance level will degrade. Various business centres in India take this seriously but many don’t. An inefficient appliance would consume more energy and release more pollutants further heating up the room and increasing the use of air-conditioners and ultimately leading to high energy bills.

–          Are the raw materials tested as per their specific requirements before they are used? And whether the food is prepared properly or not.

There is a business centre that offers meeting rooms in India in mountain fresh ambience, provides nearly organic and healthy food. They use ground spices and materials that are devoid of preservatives, MSGs and transfats. Water is another important criterion. You must check the quality of water supplied to the kitchen and whether RO water is used for washing vegetables and fruits and preparing food.

–          Which tiles are used inside the kitchen?

These days, you get low VOCs and bacteria free tiles that enhance the green and health quotient. Such tiles are said to reflect heat allowing the temperature inside the rooms to be cooler. In fact one must also check the kind of paints used in the kitchen. Paint and polishing chemicals are likely to emit a good amount of VOCs.

–          Which chemicals are used for the cleaning the kitchen and storage area?

Green seal certified housekeeping chemicals should be used for cleaning as they are not harmful to the environment. Non-toxic, bio-degradable and plant-based detergents are easily available in the market.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Business | 1 Comment »

Dull or Happening – Which Workplace Would You Prefer?

Thursday, August 21st, 2014

We all would agree to the fact that a dull and boring environment brings the energy & enthusiasm meter down while a bright and happening environment takes the zeal high. Needless to say, work environment and the factors related to it are very important for a healthy work life.

This is one of the reasons why business centres have come up with a variety of innovative options to make workplace livelier. There are many business centres that offer serviced offices in India with a different ‘look and feel’ of the space.

Bright and lively colours are in. Colours like white, beige, yellow, lemon green, etc illuminate the space more. Consequently, the pressure on the eyes and mind get reduced in addition to the positive vibes that increase.

Other than this, different designs of furniture also add to the live wire quotient. These days, workstations with different designs and levels of convenience are seen in the offices. Companies give a special attention to the recreation rooms. They make it creative and equipped with a lot of stress busting activities.

Decoration and arrangements add another dimension of making a workplace happening. An everyday quotes calendar is one of the good stationery for the desks. Quotes can be inspirational and business specific. Putting paintings and motivational poster on the walls is another way out.

Serviced offices that also provide meeting rooms in India, have also started taking the task of enlivening the meeting and conference rooms, seriously. You will find aesthetic and good luck charm lucky bamboos placed on the tables, especially for those who are expected to have hard time during the meeting. Jokes apart, in meeting rooms you will find a good number of creative paintings and sculptures even they add to the feel good factor.

Prefabricated structures or modular set ups are also grabbing attraction. As it adds to the flexibility and creative designs, most of the business centres in India have started using them. They make a place more attractive and interesting to work in. Moreover, they are portable, easy to install & handle and store.

Likeable interiors bring inspire the employees to work and build a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Business | Comments Off on Dull or Happening – Which Workplace Would You Prefer?

Looking For A Conference Space?

Thursday, July 31st, 2014

MICE (Meetings Incentives Conferences & Events/ Exhibitions) industry is flourishing these days. The reason behind this is the growth of the organization. Be it for a sales-meet or for a training session, every organization these days require space to organize their seminars, meetings, training sessions and conferences.

If you are looking for such a space, keep the following things in your mind.

You can look for options on search engines. Search engines will fetch a good number of options to explore. You can also do a background check of the shortlisted options. There are many serviced offices in India that offer space for conferences, meetings, interviews and trainings.

Check the location of the venue. A good location not only caters to the convenience of commutation but also leaves a good impression. Normally, business centres are located in the locations that provide good business value in a number of ways. There are many business centres in India to try out.

You also need to see if the options meet your requirements in terms of space and technical equipments. For example for video/ web conferencing you need a good internet bandwidth and an efficient microphone. If the option that you have shortlisted does not the adequate facilities, then its better to divert you focus on other options.

The best part of getting a space in a business centre is that you need not stretch a wrinkle for making arrangements as everything is set and save yourself from the expenses involved in them. Many of them also provide secretarial assistance for the business events.

You will also find a number of business centres that provide conference, training and meeting rooms in India as they have presence in multiple cities. So searching a good venue and changing it won’t be that difficult.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Business | Comments Off on Looking For A Conference Space?