by Brianna Crandall — October 13, 2010—Space Matrix, an architectural and interior design firm based in Singapore, was recently awarded CoreNet Global’s 11th-Annual H. Bruce Russell Global Innovator’s Award (GIA) for TZED (Towards Zero Energy Development), India’s first LEED Platinum-rated housing development in Bangalore, which houses 80 residential units and 15 stand-alone homes.
The five presenting finalists were: Space Matrix, FXFOWLE, Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Area Development Council, and WICELY.
Consensus among the judges in selecting Space Matrix was that TZED has set the benchmark for future developments, as the project brought together numerous thinkers and designers in developing systems and innovations that clearly were in the realm of out-of-the box ideas and thinking, most notably the fact that they looked at off-site construction waste.
According to Space Matrix, TZED embodies “Sustainable Urbanism” and is a celebration of modern technology and its progression toward more common ecological concerns. The project aims to prove that sustainable living in the urban areas of India is not only economically and technically viable, but can also be comfortable and manageable for individuals. The campus features many firsts: LEED Platinum-rated residential apartments, central air (with no CFC and HCFC), no water supply from outside the community, and treated and reused waste.
The GIA defines innovation as an activity or initiative that brings about a paradigm shift in the way business is done in a rapidly globalizing economy. It produces a new concept to practice and makes it a commercial success. Launched in 2000, the GIA has recognized winning projects that span a wide geography, cross multiple private and public sectors, touch on a diverse range of disciplines, and bring an incredible array of precedent-setting case studies, says CoreNet Global.
