Mindtree in Bhubaneshwar: Low footprint campus

Mindtree is building a software training and development facility on 20 acres of land in Bhubaneshwar . Water is currently available at 80ft below ground level.  

Making the mud blocks

So far 6 lakh bricks have been manufactured

Compressed Soil blocks made out of the excavated soil from the campus are being used for construction. All the rainwater that falls on the campus as well runoff from an adjacent hill as well as from a nearby office campus pass through the Mindtree campus. Mindtree has constructed a storage sump of 1 million litres to store and reuse rooftop rainwater. All other runoff from the neighbourhood as well as surface runoff from its own campus it being recharged into the ground through 60 recharge wells of about 7.5 KL (7,500 litres) capacity each - a total static recharge volume of 450KL (450,000 litres). In addition to this a pond of 15 Million litres (15,000,000 litres)  has also been created to hold excess runoff water. After all Bhubaneshwar does receive 1.5 metres (1548mm) of rain in a year and during a cyclone the daily rainfall itself could be in excess of 300mm.  Once the entire system is in place the plan is to manage all water requirements through stored rooftop rainwater or water from the pond and wells as well as STP treated water. Even the borewell is not proposed to be used for as long as possible.

Mixing the soil

The construction with mud blocks as well as the planning for use of rainwater and treated waste water has ensured that this will be a low footprint campus. 

Credits are certainly due to the architects(CnT) & services consultants(McdBerl).

soil blocks

digging the well and placing rings

temporary top cover

walls made of soil blocks

5ft dia for the 10 top 10ft
and 3ft dia for the next 10 ft

Well has filled up before completion

Overflowing well

15 million liter pond

silt trap to the pond

Site office - Rajiv explains

The 2 hills