Income Tax Office

The new Income Tax Office stands on a 4-acre site on Arera Hills in Bhopal, close to the existing Ayakar Bhawan, so taxpayers find it easily and the department's officers gain a new place to work. A dome and colonnades give the building its public face. It was built by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and completed in 2024.

Daylight at the desk

For taxpayers the building is easy to find, beside the existing Ayakar Bhawan on Arera Hills, and its dome and colonnade make the way in obvious. For the officers who spend their working day inside, the envelope is designed around daylight, which reduces the need for artificial lighting, while the colonnade and deep overhangs hold off the high sun. Outside the window there is planted ground rather than hot paving, which keeps the air around the building cooler.

Working with the climate

The building's GRIHA 5-star rating rests on a set of quiet, practical decisions. The envelope is designed for energy efficiency and makes good use of daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Several measures support it:

• rooftop solar panels for renewable energy
• rainwater harvesting and low-flow fixtures to save water
• materials chosen for low embodied energy
• landscaped green areas that support biodiversity and reduce the heat island effect

Daylit rooms, planted ground

Together these lower the building's environmental impact and running costs. For the people who spend their working day here, they mean daylit rooms and planted ground outside the window. The design was recognised with GRIHA Exemplary Performance Awards three years running: in 2023 for renewable energy utilization, its 150 kW solar system meeting about half of the building's yearly energy use, in 2024 for passive design and in 2025 for energy management.

ARCH-EN DESIGN was the Architectural and Engineering consultant for CPWD, appointed in 2019.