The winner in the "sustainable project" category was Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates.

Nevertheless, with many of the finalists government-backed billion dollar projects, Syed Mohamed Beary calls it "commendable that our building stands side-by-side with such world renowned projects."

The World Summit is an event among the Islamic community, referring to Shari'ah principles.

The architect of Beary's Global Research Triangle, Phase I, is the Indian firm N.M. Salim and Associates, which is based in Kerala.

Why Hydro?

The project isn't the first in which Hydro has worked with Beary's. The company also served as a supplier for the Lake Side Habitat building, which is the tallest residential tower in South India.

In that case, Hydro supplied Domal-brand solutions.

Subhendu Ganguly, who is general manager of Hydro Building Systems India, says Hydro was involved in the current project from the very beginning, helping the architect and owner realize their designs for the building.

Hydro is delivering aluminium profiles and accessories to the Beary's project, primarily the Technal-brand products MX Structural Sealant Glazing, Sun Break, and Aluminium Composite Panel System.

Green Beary's

Beary's Group is the founding member of India's Green Building Council and is considered one of the leaders in the country's green building movement.

This project was noted for several reasons. One is that Beary's has developed the building such that it complements the natural surroundings, which have been preserved. This includes retaining and tending the trees, as well as planting saplings, and enhancing the landscape.

But Beary's has also tried to optimize natural elements in the design, such as natural light and air, and used a host of certified natural - or, green - materials in the construction.

What is LEED?

The new building will be certified according to LEED ratings and will be the first "green" Research Park in Bangalore.

What exactly is LEED? The US Green Building Council says the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system "encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria."

LEED projects are in progress in more than 40 countries, including India.