ZED Habitats

"Biodiversity Conservation India Pvt Ltd" is a group that is involved in providing green solutions for housing and other buildings. These housing solutions focus on sustainable methods of creating zero energy homes which will not be a burden for the environment.

Foundations

BCIL was incorporated in the year 1994 with an aim to move away from the 'social models' of development with grants and subsidies. BCIL focussed instead on green solutions for housing and other buildings.

Founders

Chandrashekar Hariharan

A doctorate in econometrics and a chartered accountant who has evolved into a lateral, alternative-technology professional over 20 years of work in districts of India, on sustainable buildings and in areas of sustainable built environment. He is the founder of BCIL.

Krish Murali Eswar

An engineer and a alumnus of Harvard Business School's executive education who moved away from his senior management and board level positions in top Indian and Swiss companies on IT outsourcing industry after twenty long professional years and is now a custodian at BCIL.

Radha Eswar

VP Design, Architecture and Innovation, a discerning architect from Chennai School of Architecture and a masters in building science and construction management from IIT Delhi, who has written two books on urban energy for UN Habitat and on how to set up energy information centers in India for ADEME, France. Radha is also currently a custodian at BCIL

Projects

Trans Indus

Trans Indus (Completed in 2000) is set on an undulating stretch of woodlands, a half-hour drive from Banashankari, Bangalore.Locally available, energy-effecient building materials were used in the construction. A leisure centre, an amphitheatre built on the lines of a Rangayan,a private bar/restaurant and a natural swimming pool also form part of this campus.

Townsend

This is a campus created in 2001-02 over an expanse of 13 acres in Yelahanka, north Bangalore. It was designed keeping in mind integration of design nd service elements with engineering skills that bring poise and dramatic effect. This project was completed in 2003

T-ZED Homes

T-ZED Homes was started in Oct 2004 as an ambitious project and was completed in the year 2009. It is one of the most acclaimed residential developments cross the globe. This aims to become a blueprint of sustainable urban housing in this decade and beyond.

ZED Acre

The inspiration for this project was IMF's Conservation International model of protecting rainforests with organistional initiatives in the Amazon basin. Zed Acre is a private initiative for such rainforest patch protection in the 2400 km-long stretch of Western Ghats which is among 18 hotspots of biodiversity in the world. Zed Acre offers 15 designer chalets that nestle on gentle slopes.A planter's club and other amenities are also available.

Zed Collective

Zed Collective marks a sharp reduction in carbon emission in the composite patterns of building materials employed. These have shown a validated drop of 46 per cent in carbon emissions. The apartment campus was completed in 2009.

Upcoming Projects

ZED Woods

Zed Woods is a project of BCIL located over 1.5 acres in Yelahanka, Bangalore. It offers 60 homes in total which is much lower than the industry norm. The enclave is designed to offer you the best in climatic and architecture.It has been designed to reduce the energy bills by providing natural air-conditioning.

ZED Expanse

ZED Expanse is BCIL's second project in Mysore. BCIL Zed Expanse is set on an elevated stretch of land, just off the Ring Road, and no more than 15 minutes from the new airport that Mysore City is all set to have. This BCIL campus layout offers commanding views of the renowned Chamundi Hills.

ZED Earth

This is BCIL's biggest offering so far with over 130+ homes nestling in a land sprawl of 20 acres.BCIL makes a validated claim that it will be by far the largest such ‘sustainable’ residential enclave in the world that relies so little on the world outside for energy or water or its waste management.

ZED Earth will be set on a land sprawl of 20 acres. To the north of Bangalore, pretty close to the Int’l airport, and on the 8-lane Dodda Ballapur Road.

Awards and Achievements

• The TERI award for Corporate Environment Initiatives was conferred on BCIL in 2003.

• BCIL was conferred the Spectrum Award for sustainable architecture twice in these three years — 2003-05.

• In 2005, the All India Practising Architects Award for Sustainable Architecture was also conferred upon one of BCIL’s architectural creations.

• Chandrashekar Hariharan, the managing Director, is the only Indian among eight Asians in all chosen by the Manila-based ADB, in 2005 to be a Water Champion among 63 Asian nations.

• Earth Matters chose BCIL's CEO Mr. Chandrashekaran Hariharan among World's 20 ICONS of Sustainability

• BCIL wins CII Special Jury Award for Sustainable Development 2008

• UNDP, New York, has put BCIL among top 7 companies for 'best practices' on the future of construction in September 2009 after carrying out a case study on BCIL TZed Homes.

• Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, chose to study BCIL TZed Homes as Case Study in their Masters Course for Sustainable Architecture, March 2009

• Mr. Hariharan wins the Udyog Rattan Award from Indian Economic Studies, December 2009

• Sustainable Leadership Award for Design and Development from CoreNet Global, San Diego, United States, March 2010