Revolutionizing Eco-Community Living: Organo’s Triple-Bottom-Line Approach to Real Estate Development

The 2024 MIT World Real Estate Forum’s Alumni Lightning Showcase featured presentations on recent innovative building projects led by MSRED Alumni. Meena Murugappan MSRED ’06, Director of Product Strategy & Innovation, Organo Eco Habitats (Organo), presented details of her company’s third project, “Organo Antharam”, a net-zero energy community just outside of Hyderabad, India. The company aims to counter-urbanize families and create prosumer communities like Organo Antharam – where people are both producers and consumers of energy, food and more.

The 60-acre property features 182 homes, 650 kilowatts of power generated through solar panels, 2.6 million gallons (over 10 million litres) of rainwater captured, local and seasonal crops grown on about 9 acres of the community, and 8.5 acres of afforestation (over 100,000 trees were planted), conscious waste management, and many more sustainable practices.

Innovative Design Prioritizes Health and Nature

As architects-turned-developers, Murugappan explains that the team have developed and applied Sapthapatha (Seven Strands of Sustainability), a framework of design and operations that focuses on safe food, rainwater, fresh air, earth (soil and biodiversity), energy production, shelter (for people and local flora and fauna), people (health and wellbeing). 

Developing and Operating Prosumer Communities

The question, “What is meant by prosumer?”, is one Murugappan explores. “It means we become a producer, and then a consumer…We capture rainwater, then we consume it; we grow food, then we consume it; we produce fresh air, then consume it; So the idea of Organo communities, including in Organo Antharam…is to enable our residents to be able to generate and then mindfully consume.”

Designing for “Feet over Wheels”

Among many unique innovations in these eco-habitats, a key new feature of Organo Antharam is its design focus on “feet over wheels.” She explains that they have restricted vehicular movement and parking to strategic points, prioritizing walkable, cycleable paths within the community – to promote health, social connections, and connections with nature. “The last three projects have shown that more and more housing consumers…are looking for solutions which connect them back to nature…back to soil…allows them to focus on their health and wellbeing.”

Responding to Market Demand for Sustainable Living

With ambitious goals to embrace 5,000 families across Organo’s projects, Murugappan is optimistic as she sees the market demand. “We have seen significant buy in from progressive customers in Hyderabad,” she stated. In India cities, there is increasing buyer preferences in terms of “Being close to a city is important, but you don’t need to be actually located within a city.” 

Triple-Bottom-Line Approach to Real Estate Development

Murugappan’s enthusiasm is contagious. “We can create these homes and neighborhoods that help families become healthier, become active and become reconnected to soil and reconnected to local flora and fauna.”

This project exemplifies how real estate developments can be triple-bottom-line solutions (people, planet and profits) that align with broader sustainability goals – to truly push the envelope when it comes to both environmental and social impact and be a replicable, scalable and innovative blueprint for a better tomorrow.

More Information

Meena Murugappan MSRED ’06

Director of Product Strategy & Innovation
Organo Eco Habitats

Meena has 22 years of International and Indian experience in designing, developing, and delivering living solutions that put people at the center, with a focus on sustainability and people wellbeing. She is a registered architect, a product strategist, an innovation leader, and driven by her global perspective with local impact.

Visit the company website to see other Eco-Communities by Organo
WATCH the Organo Antharam project presentation from MIT World Real Estate Forum 2024