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The new Rs 425-crore Assembly complex coming up on the Omandurar Government Estate at Chepauk in Chennai will be Tamil Nadu's pride for more than one reason. It is not only designed to be an architectural marvel of modern times but is also poised to set a new benchmark in the design of energy efficient and eco-friendly buildings in the country.

According to the reference guide of LEED-India(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the environmental impact of the building design, construction and operation industry was significant as buildings annually consume more than 20% of the electricity used in India.

Buildings are rated under five environmental categories — sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality and points will be given accordingly.Buildings which secure 52-69 points will get Platinum rating, gold for 39-51 points, silver for 33-38 and LEED-Certified for 26-32 points.

The state government is aiming at getting Platinum certification, the highest rating for green buildings in India, for the sprawling complex. "We are taking efforts to comply with the prerequisites for getting the prestigious rating," official sources said. If the requirements are met, the state Assembly complex will be the first in the state and one of the few in the country to become ‘Platinum- LEED'  rated green building.

While the CII-Godrej Green Business Centre, Hyderabad, Wipro Technologies, Gurgaon and Hiranandan BG Building, Mumbai, are some of the proud winners of the Platinum in India, the buildings of Grundfos Pumps India Ltd, Olympia Technology Park and L&T, EDRC are among the few in the city to have won the LEED-Gold.

The certificate is issued by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), an indigenised version of the US Green Building Council formed in 2001 for buildings that meet requirements for energy conservation, water efficiency and effective waste management.

German architect GMP has won the provincial government of Tamil Nadu’s international invitation to tender for the design of the new state parliament building in Chennai. The project is due to be completed by 2010.