India’s New Parliament Building will serve as an operational hub for the country’s government but also as a cultural centerpiece for national festivals and ceremonial events.

Early on, the project was set back by COVID-19 restrictions and changes to project scope, but the construction team used a mix of technology, including artificial intelligence, laser scanning and building information modeling, to move work and avoid additional delays.

BIM enabled real-time team collaboration and was also used for clash detection, ensuring structural and architectural elements could be integrated without conflicts. Laser scanning helped increase the precision and quality of measurements and material placements, “allowing adjustments to be made as needed,” says the team.

Photo by Bibhabaree, courtesy TATA

To help reduce COVID-19 outbreaks on the jobsite and ensure safety compliance, a contactless, AI-based system was used to take and monitor temperature changes among craftworkers. Use of face masks was enforced as was adherence to established safety protocols.

Architecturally, the structure’s design is inspired by India’s national cultural icons. The Platinum-rated LEED-certified green building has an overall triangular shape that is a subtle nod to the country’s national flower, the lotus. Cultural influences also are visible inside. The main legislative chamber was inspired by the peacock, India’s national bird, and an open courtyard featuring the national tree, the banyan, is designed to foster interaction among members of Parliament and visitors. Additionally, at the building’s core is a state-of-the-art constitutional hall, which is designed to symbolically and physically place Indian citizens and visitors at the heart of the country’s administrative operations, says the team.

Photo by Bibhabaree, courtesy TATA

Most importantly, the team adds, the building is Div-yang-friendly—ensuring that individuals with disabilities can move freely and independently throughout the space, enabling a full experience of the New Parliament.