Want to build an energy-efficient home? Follow the Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse mantra, says Tejas Chavan, Managing Director, Green Spaces. In an exclusive interview with RoofandFloor, he shared the company’s vision, changes in consumer preferences post-Covid, their future plans, and much more.
Here are the excerpts.
“Nature is part of our every plan“
“Green Spaces was started by my father Kiran Chavan in 1983 in Nashik with coexisting with nature as the guiding philosophy,” beams Tejas.
The dynamic father and son duo believe in taking care of nature just as it takes care of us and integrating innovative and sustainable concepts in their real estate properties that bring nature alive. Coexisting with nature is the driving force of this Nashik-based realty and hospitality company, where energies are channelised to bring individuals closer to nature.
High demand for vacation or second homes
The demand for second homes has increased considerably over the last year. Explaining the same,
Tejas says, “Until last year, majority people would focus on buying a home for self-use, followed by other investment instruments including the traditional FDs, gold, mutual funds or the stock market. A second home or a vacation home would usually come into the picture when people are nearing their retirement. However, post-Covid, we are noticing a significant change in people’s mindset.”
The buyers
“We have a varied range of clientele, depending on the project. For our premium real estate project, we have NRIs residing in Dubai, Oman, Singapore, and also from Mumbai and Surat.”
Building energy-efficient homes
Tejas shared four important factors to keep in mind while building an energy-efficient home. These include:
- First, Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse should be the mantra.
- Second, the orientation of the building should be such that it gets maximum sunlight for the solar panels.
- Third, work on the window-wall ratio to ensure maximum natural light.
- Fourth, if the project is in a good rainfall area, then make a provision for rainwater harvesting.
Understanding the cost difference
“The costs vary depending on the project, whether it is a bungalow, a residential building, or a commercial building. However, on average, the cost difference is not more than 10-12%. The initial investment might be a little more, but the cost can easily be recovered within three to four years.”
Moving the mainstream toward sustainable buildings
Increase in affordable options for eco-friendly construction material, government subsidies, and rewards and recognition will help move the mainstream towards sustainable buildings.
Future plans
We are focusing on creating community living projects where like-minded people come and live together. We are also working on agro-community projects, where people can live and do farming. Additionally, we plan to build a senior or an assisted living project.
The mission: “Leaving a place greener than it was“
We owe our existence to the diversity of life. So, we are putting in our energies to find innovative ways in which people can share the canvas with nature.
We have teamed up with environmentalists, horticulturists and landscapers and architects from across the world to restore the ecological balance in our projects. Our goal is to bring back the native species of flora and fauna to coexist and form a self-sustaining ecosystem.