Site study
Mapped hot spots, dust corridors, and visitor bottlenecks with NRM teams.
National Rail Museum Landscape Development
A 9-acre heritage campus in Delhi NCR made greener, cooler, and more immersive through landscape beautification, maintenance, and long-term care.
The Problem
Heritage campus suffering from heat island effects and dust.
The National Rail Museum in Delhi NCR is a high-footfall public heritage campus. Historically, large expanses of hard surfaces, unshaded walkways, and neglected soil created a severe heat island effect. Strong wind currents carried dust across the campus, affecting visitors and vintage locomotives. The campus lacked structured greenery, cooling corridors, and native ecological support.
- 9-acre hardscape heritage museum campus.
- Lack of vegetation leading to high surface temperatures.
- No natural barriers to protect vintage engines and visitors from dust.
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What We Are Doing
Heritage character meets green infrastructure.
Hara Jeevan reimagined the NRM campus with native horticulture, efficient soil irrigation, and visitor-centric landscaping. We designed bioswales to manage runoff, introduced pollinator-friendly plants, and collaborated with CSR partners like the Taj Hotel to install eco-friendly birdhouses.
Design studio
Selection of drought-resilient native species, irrigation layout, and lighting cues.
Implementation
Phased horticulture works scheduled around museum hours to avoid disruption.
Care & monitoring
Annual pruning, soil health reviews, and horticulture staff training modules.
Cooling corridors and story-led pauses.
Every pathway was redesigned to guide visitors comfortably through heritage exhibits while supporting local biodiversity.
- Interpretation pylons share rail history alongside environmental facts.
- Native hedges provide soft barrier protection for vintage train units.
- Night lighting and cooling mist networks improve evening event spaces.
Current Status & Impact
Active maintenance stage and living care systems.
Today, the NRM landscape is in a mature maintenance phase. Our work does not end with installation. We maintain, prune, monitor, and care for the landscape until the green cover establishes well enough for a responsible handover to the campus authorities.
- Horticulture staff trained on organic soil management and composting.
- Seasonal tree and hedge maintenance schedules ensure healthy growth.
- Active monitoring of bird species and beneficial insects.
9 Acres
managed for landscape beautification.
98%
success ratio through ongoing care.
40+
species of native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers.
2.5 km
of shaded walkways linking exhibits.
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Sustained green canopy.
The introduced native flora helps bind the soil, reduce ambient dust, and cool walking trails by up to 3°C during peak summer months, making the outdoor museum accessible year-round.
- Hedges protect engines from immediate dust contact.
- Planted corridors serve as stepping stones for local bird life.
Gallery
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