Integrating user awareness and behavior into building and product design for India: Survey in eight giant cities in India

Reinhard Doleschal, Uta Pottgiesser, K. B. Akhilesh, Chitrarekha Kabre, Katharina König

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientificpeer-review

Abstract

Is India on a sustainable road or not? Between April 2012 and January 2014 the authors have conducted a quantitative paper and online based user survey on energy awareness and attitudes in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. The survey was part of the project “Clime Related Energy Efficient Design - Product Solution (CREED-PS)” first funded under the aegis of Germany India Year 2011-2012 “Germany and India: Infinite Opportunities” with a focus on “City Spaces” and then as part of the project “DWIH Excellence on Tour. 2013-2014.” More than 2000 visitors were interviewed during the events about their individual energy consumption, their knowledge of selected energy issues and energy efficient building design and their sustainability attitudes. The majority of the visitors are part of the academic middle class group in India´s Megacities, as a limited group of India's society. One of the main results are that living in energy efficient residences is very important for most of the respondents, although two third don´t know exactly the energy consumption of their household. Yet, most of the respondents are willing to spend more money in energy efficient and energy saving building devices and household equipment. Summing up one can say that the interviewed middle class group (Shukla, 2005, Mawdsley, 2004) is on the sustainable road, although we have identified several inexplicable contradiction in knowledge and awareness as topics for further research work that are relevant for building and product design. This paper illustrates on the one hand the use of survey as part of an integrated design process and suggests on the other hand collaborative approaches to educating architecture and design students about sustainability in building and product design.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication30th International PLEA Conference
Subtitle of host publicationSustainable Habitat for Developing Societies: Choosing the Way Forward - Proceedings
EditorsRajan Rawal, Sanyogita Manu, Nirmala Khadpekar
PublisherCEPT University Press
Pages191-198
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9789383184033
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes
Event30th International on Passive and Low Energy Architecture Conference - Sustainable Habitat for Developing Societies: Choosing the Way Forward, PLEA 2014 - Ahmedabad, India
Duration: 16 Dec 201418 Dec 2014

Publication series

Name30th International PLEA Conference: Sustainable Habitat for Developing Societies: Choosing the Way Forward - Proceedings
Volume3

Conference

Conference30th International on Passive and Low Energy Architecture Conference - Sustainable Habitat for Developing Societies: Choosing the Way Forward, PLEA 2014
Country/TerritoryIndia
CityAhmedabad
Period16/12/1418/12/14

Keywords

  • Energy consumption
  • Energy efficient building design
  • Energy saving
  • India
  • Standards of housing
  • Sustainability

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Integrating user awareness and behavior into building and product design for India: Survey in eight giant cities in India'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this