The Gurgaon new community features a climate-appropriate public realm that serves the ecological purpose of groundwater recharge along with amenities and attractions that are critical components of liveability. The plan ensures vehicular connectivity as well as bike paths, pedestrian paths, and trails to encourage alternative modes of transport. The project includes approximately 8,000 residential units with approximately 73,000 residents.

The 500-acre site lies within the new growth sector of Gurgaon, to the south of the central city. Primarily used for agriculture, the site is relatively flat and lies within a regional floodplain. The client, IREO Management Advisors Pvt. Ltd, is a Delhi-based development firm sought innovative and sustainable solutions for their site which could potentially serve as a model for future developments in Gurgaon.

The Gurgaon new community offers exemplary urban development amidst the chaotic growth that is prevalent in Gurgaon. Sasaki’s plan proposes a sustainable strategy that responds to the topography of the site and local climate and encourages sustainable architecture, pedestrian use, and public transit connectivity. The plan also provides a landmark public realm with retail and entertainment facilities that will be a center of leisure activity in Gurgaon and creates a large civic park out of the historic bund and nallah water channel for recreation and flood control. The plan also provides amenities such as schools, clubs, community centers, and civic facilities.

The plan acknowledges the various pressures on the environment and adopts key sustainable principles. Water supply and management must be carefully considered for each development in Gurgaon. The water strategies in Sasaki’s master plan can be grouped in two types: groundwater recharge and balanced water budget. Because of local weather characteristics and the ever-changing sun course, each potential building orientation is subjected to different levels of heat gain. There is a direct correlation between the amount of light and the amount of energy each façade receives. Sasaki studied the levels of illuminance (lux/m2) on each façade orientation for the whole year and identified the most favorable orientations and corresponding shading strategies. Overall transportation demand is reduced with the implementation of integrated neighborhoods, providing all the basic services of daily life within walking distance of each resident. Places of worship and health services, clubs, school, and retail are all located at the heart of each residential neighborhood.