CetraRuddy, a New York-based architecture and interior design firm, has broken ground on Choice Marina, a high-rise residential resort condominium property in Cochin, a prosperous port city in the South India state of Kerala. Developed by the Choice Group, one of the largest business conglomerates and property developers in India, Choice Marina, occupies a waterfront site on the southwest coast of India.

CetraRuddy says it will bring a new standard of luxury to the famed, culturally rich area. The 138,000-square-foot, 13-story condominium has been designed for maximum energy efficiency and sustainability. To respond to the unique tropical climate, the towers are sited and oriented to reduce solar heat gain and to minimize the impact of monsoons without compromising views. Each of the towers will bear a unique array of fixed and operable exterior screening and sun-shading devices to enhance the performance of the curtainwall and further improve energy efficiency.

Occupancy is slated for July 2011.