January 13, 2010

STUDIO U+A/NORR ARCHITECTS

Canadian and Indian architectural firms are targeting LEED Gold certification for an office tower in the city of Gurgaon.

Design

Canadian architects join forces with Indian firm on green building projects

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

As the green building market heats up in India, a joint venture of New Delhi’s Studio u+a and Toronto-based NORR Architects is targeting LEED Gold on an office tower in the city of Gurgaon.

The tower is one of two projects designed to date by the joint venture, which last month celebrated its first anniversary. The other is a five-star hotel and mixed-use development in Bangalore.

Construction recently started on both of these projects.

“Studio u+a/NORR Architects is an admirable example of international partnership,” said Douglas Lang, vice-president, operations and a founding partner of NORR Group Consultants International Ltd.

“In just one year, we have achieved an enviable market position as a well-established local New Delhi firm with a wealth of western experience and expertise that sets it apart from other local firms.”

According to the Indian Green Building Council, the market for LEED-rated buildings is projected to increase to approximately US$4 billion by 2012. Demand for green building is emanating from both the public and private sectors.

NORR said this is being spurred by the introduction of the Indian LEED rating system, investor and occupant demand for more amenable and efficient living and working space and national shortages of water and power.

In Toronto, NORR was responsible for the design of one of the city’s first LEED-certified buildings, the award-winning SAS headquarters. Other notable projects include the Allstream Centre, Canada’s greenest convention centre, and the Calgary Courts Centre.

NORR is also in the early stages of designing several green projects in Ottawa, Detroit and Shanghai.

Founded in Toronto 71 years ago, NORR also has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Moscow as well as the United States and Canada.

Victor Smith, CEO of the Ingenium Group, NORR’s parent, believes the emerging economies of India as well as China and eastern Europe will be increasingly important as drivers of the future world economy.

“It is important that we capitalize on our international portfolio and reputation to establish ourselves in multiple international markets in order that we may thrive in the new order of things,” Smith said.

NORR opted to form a joint venture with Studio u+a and in turn open an office in New Delhi in part as a result of economic growth in India and the region as a whole.

This has resulted in increased demand for professional services and higher quality projects.

In India, NORR said there is a huge demand for infrastructure projects to keep pace with the growth in population — airports and transportation services, schools and universities, and healthcare facilities as well as modern office stock.

Another factor in the equation was that support could be provided readily from NORR’s existing operations in the UAE, a short plane ride away. A large contingent of Indian staff is based in those two offices.

NORR also viewed establishment of an operation in India as an opportunity to create a lower-cost business unit to support its other offices worldwide, utilizing its management expertise, technical standards and quality control mechanisms.

NORR currently has one senior staff member in New Delhi, operating the joint venture office.

Staff from the UAE offices make short-term visits as needed. In total, the joint venture operation currently employs 12 professionals and two support staff.

To date, conceptual design services have been provided by Studio u+a from its London office and NORR from offices in Toronto and Dubai. The joint venture is responsible for carrying out detailed design and post-contract services.

NORR offers architecture, engineering, planning and interior design services. Officials toasted their collaboration at the start of an Ontario government trade mission to India in early December.

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