Window & Facade Magazine - September/October 2015 Issue

Volume 2 | Issue 3

September - October 2015 | ` 100

FUNDAMENTALS OF FENESTRATIONLatest in windows & doors design, technologies, materials and on challenges faced by the industry

A Look through Glass Façade

Futuristic structures with energy ef�cient glazing

Wind Tunnel Testing The only reliable way of �nding out realistic wind-induced loads

acting on building façade

Sound Attenuation with Laminated Safety Glass

Scope for optimizing sound insulation

pro

fin

e In

dia

Win

dow

Tec

hn

olog

y Pv

t. L

td.

501,

5th

Flo

or,

Kailas

h B

uild

ing,

26 K

.G.

Mar

g,N

ew D

elh

i 11

0 0

01,

In

dia

Ph.

: +

91

11 4

236 8

610

l

Em

ail :

info

.in

dia

@pro

fin

e-gr

oup.c

omw

ww

.koe

mm

erling.

co.i

n

QR

COD

E

WATER

RESISTANT

SOUND

INSULATIO

NTHERMAL

INSULATIO

NENERGY

EFFICIENT

WIN

DRESISTANCE

ECO

FRIENDLY

TERMITE

FREE

l 4 WFM SEPT - OCT 2015 l

Published by: F & F Media and Publications C-55, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase - 1, New Delhi 110 020 T: +91-11-42576205

Co-Founders: Syed Ahad Ahmed Amit Malhotra

Technical Panel: Mahesh Arumugam - Director, Meinhardt Façade Consultants KR Suresh - Regional Director, Axis Façade Consulting Ar. Ravindra Kumar - Principal, Pragrup YP Singh - Treasurer, UWDMA Sharanjit Singh - Chairman, GSC Glass

Editorial: Renu Rajaram [email protected] +91 9312864830

Esha Sharma [email protected] +91 98119 86040

Marketing & Operations: Kapil [email protected] +91 9560925255

Studio Design: M Syed Ahmed Ibrahim J RajendranSanjay B.

“Printed and Published by Amit Malhotra on behalf of M/s F & F Media and Publications. Printed and published at Thomson Press India Ltd, 18/35 Milestone Delhi Mathura Road, Faridabad 121007; Tel.: +91 129 2599 300. Name of the Editor-Ms. Renu Rajaram”

DISCLAIMER: With regret we wish to say that publishers cannot be held responsible or liable for error or omission contained in this publication. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek expert advice before acting on any information contained in this publication which are very generic in nature. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced in any form or context without the permission of publishers in writing.

WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your suggestions to: The Editor, Window & Façade Magazine, C55, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase – 1, New Delhi, 110020 or email [email protected]. Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively log on to www.wfm.co.in and air your views. The opinions expressed in this section are of particular individuals and are in no way a reflection of the publisher’s views.

Contents WINDOW&FACADEMAGAZINEVolume 2 I Issue 3 September - October 2015

Cov

er p

age

imag

e co

urte

sy ©

San

jay

Pur

i Arc

hite

cts

RN

I: D

ELE

NG

/201

4/57

870

All about Wooden Entry Doors

Wind Tunnel Testing for Design of Building Façades

Just FACE It!


Green Buildings: Thermal and Acoustic Environmental Requirements

Design for Daylight


Analytics of Façades for High Performance Buildings

Fluidity in Form

Skylights & Glass Domes

Industry Speaks

A design & material guide to help you choose the right door for interiors and outdoors.

The only reliable way of finding out realistic wind-induced loads acting on building façade

Passive climate control and cooling of buildings using shading systems.

Presenting futuristic structures with energy efficient glazing.

Energy efficient and passive solar design techniques controlling interior environment through insulation

Daylight needs to be designed in conjunction with the HVAC, electrical and Architectural design.

Multiple glazing with panes of laminated safety glass and special PVB acoustic film for protection from noise

Energy efficiency gains from well-designed building envelopes

Interesting fluid facades by Ar. Sanjay Puri, Mumbai

Design of Glass Domes for the Legislative Assembly Hall, Tamil Nadu

Interview with Arun Sharma, Managing Director, aluplast India Pvt. Ltd.

06

10

14

20

Green Façades – Myth or Reality?

Discussing the scope of green facades, which is dependent on many factors

32

39

45

50

56

66

78

96

l SEPT - OCT 2015 WFM 5 l

EDITOR’S NOTE

New building projects around the world increasingly feature unique geometrical shapes, large glass panels and transparent glass that offers views and natural light. Energy efficiency, complexity and occupant comfort dominate current curtain wall and façade design trends. Energy performance of a building seeks utmost importance and facades of buildings play a crucial role in this. It is therefore necessary to develop better performing designs and search for new solutions in order to meet challenges of the future. Many articles presented in this issue address various means to attain efficiency in performance like designs for effective shading systems, day lighting, acoustics management, ventilation and temperature control.

With growing emphasis on environmental and energy ratings, safety requirements, and climatic considerations, the windows & doors segment has become a niche area in the global construction market with great demand for more modern and innovative concepts. Massive projects in India are bolstering the demand for aesthetic, innovative and sustainable doors and windows. The main story of this issue discusses the latest in design for windows & doors, advanced technologies, preferred materials & hardware, design norms & applications, and on challenges faced by the industry.

As the awareness of environmental issues and the concern for conserving energy increases, there is a growing interest in passive climate control and passive cooling of buildings. Few articles including those by Ar. Ismet Khambatta of FACE, Mathieu Meur (Managing Director, Meinhardt Façade Technology) and Kopal Gupta of Saint Gobain India, discuss passive design strategies.

We present some of the futuristic façade designs, which demonstrate effective use of glass as a building material, like those for Infosys Ellipsoid at Pune, and the skylights & glass domes for the Legislative Assembly Hall of Tamilnadu. We have also showcased a few projects featuring fascinating and efficient façade designs by renowned architect Sanjay Puri.

This edition is a special one for the mega exhibition on glass, windows & façade, and aluminium extrusions to be held in Mumbai from the 10-13 December 2015, organized by Zak. The expo has been consistently successful, attracting hundreds of exhibitors and visitors from many countries.

We hope that you would find this edition interesting and informative. We would welcome observations and suggestions from our readers on improvements that could make future editions even better.

Festival time is here again! On behalf of the entire WFM team, here’s wishing all our readers a happy, healthy and safe festive period.

Renu [email protected]


Knock Knock: All About Wooden Entry Doors

elements of wind, rain, scorching sun, yet at the same time be durable and look good to meet your design sensibilities.

Your front door should fit in architecturally with the rest of your home. But you can take the

The front door of a home always makes the first impression. It makes a style statement and gives a hint on what people can expect when they walk through the door. Preferences change, trends may come and go, but the classic, elegant look of a solid wooden door is here to stay. Wood is timeless and natural appeal makes it an ideal material for any luxe project which cannot be replicated by fibreglass or steel. Here is a design and material guide to help you choose the right door for interiors and outdoors.

Entry Door for Apartments

The entry door extends a warm and friendly welcome to your abode hence selecting an entryway can be completely overwhelming, but fortunately this design and material guide will provide a few helpful tips. Wood species used for doors need to meet very demanding conditions and be tough enough to withstand natural

About the Author:

As Country Director of FII-India, Pranesh Chhibber brings over 36 years

of rich experience in corporate life of which over 21 years were spent

working with multinational companies from varied industries. Last

eleven years Pranesh spent working closely with the wood working

industry in India as the Vice President of a German Furniture Fittings

& Hardware Co. and helped it grow from a fledgling start-up to a well-

established market leader. In the process, Pranesh struck up close

working relationships with the leaders in wood working industry.

He joined Forestry Innovation Consulting India Pvt Ltd (FII-India) in

October 2014 and has helped gain an entry into some leading wood

working factories. He is now driving to channelize FII-India efforts into

getting a much wider acceptance in both, the industry and trade.

Pranesh Chhibber,Country Director, Forestry

Innovation Consulting India Pvt Ltd

Contemporary solid wooden door made of Western Hemlock

Doors


by having a low tangential to radial shrinkage (T/R) ratio. A low T/R value makes these wood species less prone to shrinking and swelling when in service - A nightmare most homeowners face during monsoons.

When choosing the right kind of specie for an exterior door, one can look at Western Red Cedar and Yellow-Cedar. Western Red Cedar and Yellow-Cedar possess properties which make them naturally resistant to termites, rot and decay, making them the perfect choice for any outdoor use. Its markedly fine and stable grain structure will not allow the door to warp or twist, ensuring years of reliable operation.

Solid Wood or Flush Doors?

Generally heavier and more traditional in style, wooden doors are an all-time favourite. From the antique Haveli doors in Rajasthan to the hand carved doors in Kerala, India has always had a love affair with wood. Indians love the substantial weight of a wooden door which adds a sense of security and sturdiness to your home. However, a solid wooden door with hand carvings can set you back by a few lakhs!

A more economical option is the use of flush doors. Featuring veneer on both sides of the construction with a solid or hollow core, most flush doors have free-floating center panels

opportunity to let this it say something about your personality as well. Design styles range from the traditional - colonial, cottage, craftman, ranch, split level and Victorian to the contemporary – solid wooden doors with glass or metal inserts. Western Hemlock and Douglas-fir are well-suited for this application. Hemlock’s lighter, creamier colour accepts a variety of stains and finishes, making it a designers dream. Douglas-fir on the other hand is stronger than Teak and characterised by tight, vertical grain and warm colouring giving it an enduring appeal.

Exterior Doors for Villas & Hotels

Wood used for exterior doors must be highly durable, and provide excellent dimensional stability

Beautifully carved Western Red Cedar solid wooden door with glass insert

Western Hemlock carved door stained to a walnut finish (left) and Douglas-fir rustic designed solid door (right) on

display at Canadian Wood’s office in Mumbai


surrounded by stile-and-rail frames. Spruce-Pine-Fir’s (SPF) strength and stability makes it ideal in the framing of a flush door.

Door Frames

Chaukhats as they are called is the key to a long lasting door. Door frames made of Yellow-Cedar STK grade are strong, stable and resist attacks from termites and rot. Consumers today can even buy a complete door set with chaukat and the door.

The Wonders of Wood

For decades wood has held a special place in architectural usage, earlier as an only option to becoming a popular choice today. A wooden door can be custom crafted in any shape or size and all

types of mouldings, carvings, panel configurations, stains, finishes and looks can be incorporated. Given the technology and labour available in the country, wooden doors are also relatively easier and cheaper to repair and maintain.

Green is Good

If you are concerned about the environmental impact of your door as well as its energy efficiency, you can purchase a door made from wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) which assures you that the wood was sustainably grown and harvested.

Artistically appealing and highly versatile, wood offers limitless possibilities in interiors and outdoor space. Considering the numerous benefits wood comes with, it has definitely caught the imagination and interest of many homeowners.

Large entrance door made of solid wooden Yellow-cedar

Sleek and simple solid wooden door of Western Hemlock

Chaukhat in Yellow-Cedar STK

Loggiawood sliding panel

Windtight Fixscreen

Your outdoor in style!

Camargue®, the aluminium pergola

The modular and highly innovative aluminum pergola Camargue can

be closed completely with windtight, retractable and integrated fabric

screens (Fixscreen), with glass sliding panels or aluminum Loggia sliding

panels (both with fi xed or retractable blades in aluminum, wood or

fabric).

• Rotatable blades protecting against sun and rain

• Optimised water drainage and integrated leaf catcher

• Numerous options are possible such as heating elements, speakers, various lighting types in the blades, frame and columns

• Ideal for garden, terraces, balconies and penthouses

Kendre Makarand | Area Sales Manager IndiaMob: +91 98 22 912 403 • [email protected]

www.renson.eu

Visit us at ZAK Doors & Windows Expo 2015 10-13 December 2015MMRDA Exhibition Center • Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai

india_ENG_windows&facade_220x285_2_1015.indd 1 5/10/15 12:04


Wind Tunnel Testing for Design of Building Façades

Buildings are obstructing the motion of air called wind, and as a result the wind is exerting force on buildings. Wind force can be classified into two: the first one represents the overall wind action on the building inducing overall integrated loads called structural loads on the structural systems. The second one refers to the action of wind on the building façade known as cladding loads. As we all know, the cladding and the various building components are relatively small elements and their size is typically very small in relation to the entire structure. So the localized wind pressure variations are very crucial for their design which is the subject matter of discussion in this paper.

In general, in India, less attention goes into the wind loads acting on façades in contrary to the overall structural loads. This translated into several cladding failures in India recently. Though the high wind speeds are being blamed for the failures, the reality lies with inadequate design and poor workmanship.

About the Author:

Dr. Suresh Kumar, a wind engineer by profession, is one of the

Principals at RWDI Inc. Canada with responsibility for India operations

as the Managing Director of RWDI (India). Since June 2000 at RWDI,

Suresh had the privilege to work as a wind engineering consultant on

many iconic structures around the world including the current tallest

building in the world Burj Khalifa in Dubai. He was involved as a wind

consultant in the upcoming Statue of Unity in Gujarat, Vrindavan

Chandrodaya Mandir and many other towers in India. He is currently

in a mission to build RWDI’s wind tunnel laboratory at Trivandrum,

Kerala which will be operational by March 2016. Prior to joining RWDI,

Suresh spent 10 years in academics as a researcher in the area of Wind

Engineering at various institutions.

K. Suresh Kumar,Principal & Managing Director, RWDI India

Figure 1: Pictorial representation of positive pressures acting on building façade

Façade Testing


corner regions due to intense flow separations. So generally the high suctions need not be associated with the higher heights/higher speed, instead associated more with the aerodynamic reasons.

How to Find Wind Loads on façades?

The most common way to find wind loads on façades is to estimate the loads based on local codes/standards. In India, we can use IS:875 (Part3) code to estimate wind loads on façades. Like any other Standard/Code, the Indian Standard also states its limitations as follows:

As per IS:875 Part 3 1987 (Page 5), “Note 1 – This standard does not apply to buildings and structures with unconventional shapes, unusual locations, and abnormal environmental conditions that have not been covered in this code. Special investigations are necessary in such cases to establish wind loads and their effects. Wind tunnel studies may also be required in such situations.”

In summary, IS:875 (Part3) can be utilized for preliminary estimation of loads. Later, wind tunnel tests shall be carried out to finalize the loads acting on the façade.

Wind Tunnel Test

In wind tunnel tests, scaled models of structures are subjected to scaled atmospheric wind in a controlled laboratory set-up. Then sensors installed on the model can measure the physical quantities of interest which is wind pressure acting on the façade. Later in the analysis, these model scale quantities are converted to prototype using model scale laws. Most of the complex architectural and structural innovations are constructed only after being confirmed through wind tunnel tests. As a general practice, wind tunnel tests are being done for almost all buildings above approximately 100 m.

Typical model scales are in the range of 1:300 to 1:500. Since the response of the structure is significantly influenced by its geometry, utmost care has to be taken in modelling the exact shape of

Flow Mechanism

Figures 1 and 2 pictorially show the localized wind phenomenon on claddings and building components. Depending on the location of the cladding elements and wind direction, the subjected wind pressure can be different. The maximum positive pressures generally occur on the windward wall and all the façades will become windward for certain wind directions. As far as positive pressures are concerned (Figure 1), the wind pressure increases as the height increases. This means the lower portion of the building will be subjected to lower pressure and the higher portion of the building will be subjected to higher pressure except the top edges where the wind tries to negotiate with the edges which results into lower positive pressures. Further, the plan also shows the positive wind pressures are lower at the edges and higher at the middle of the façade. On the other hand, the building façades on the leeward side as well as the side façades are subjected to negative pressures (Figure 2). The negative pressures (suction) can be very high at the corners due to the flow separation/vortex shedding. Suction pressures can also be very high at the top and bottom

Figure 2: Pictorial representation of negative pressures acting on building façades


the structure including all the external architectural ornaments such as fins, balconies etc. Typically, all elements more than 1ft can be modelled with the typical scale range noted above. However, certain simplification of the external architectural features is allowed/suggested at the modelling stage by wind tunnel experts.

Selected wind tunnel test cases in India are shown in Figure 3. Note that the fan behind the spires is used to blow the wind through the test section. The upwind spires and appropriate floor roughness elements are used to generate the full-scale wind characteristics (i.e., mean and turbulence profiles). Surrounding buildings for half a kilometre in radius around the study building are also modelled and placed in the disk during the test in order to get the influence of immediate surroundings. Further, the disk is rotated at every 10 degree in order to subject the building to various angles of attack similar to full-scale condition.

When to Carryout Wind Tunnel Test

Interestingly enough, nowadays developers and architects are coming up with unconventional building shapes with offsets, setback, various corner shapes, balconies, fins etc. Further, the buildings are mostly located in complex surroundings along with other structures. These conditions were not addressed in any of the international codes and standards including Indian Standards IS: 875 (Part3). In addition to this, the effect of building response due to its orientation with respect to the wind directionality of the site is not covered in detail in any of the International codes. All the codes and standards are based on box shape buildings in isolated condition. In general, Code analytical methods are helpful for preliminary design and for simple situations, but provide conservative wind loads in most cases; underestimating in others. Presently, wind tunnel studies offer the best estimate

of the wind loading acting on a building for cladding as well as structural frame design. In addition to the potential cost savings and accurate results, wind tunnel studies confirm that the architect’s vision can be safely built and elevate litigation protection.

The results from wind tunnel tests can be lower than code predictions due to unconventional geometry, complex surroundings as well as wind directionality. However, some allowance for possible future changes in surroundings has to be provided. Therefore, finally a minimum load need to be derived and recommended for design based on wind tunnel results and code predictions. This recommended load supersedes code predictions and should be used for design. Note that wind tunnel testing is a proven methodology for the prediction of building response and this technology has been under use for the last few decades and most high-rise buildings are constructed and safely serving occupants for many decades around the world.

As far as wind loads on façades are concerned, it is recommended to carry out wind tunnel tests when buildings are above 120 m above grade, their geometry is complex and they are in the midst of complex surroundings.

Conclusion

Construction industry in India slowly understands the need for wind engineered buildings. Time and money are only secondary to safety and accuracy while designing building’s façade system for wind. On the other hand, optimization of the building façade system could also result into substantial savings which can be a by-product of the wind tunnel test. Wind tunnel tests are the most advanced and the only reliable way of finding out realistic wind-induced loads acting on building façades. I encourage everyone to pay due attention to the subject matter.

Figure. 3: Selected wind tunnel test cases in India

Kingfisher Tower, Bangalore World One, MumbaiStatue of Unity, Gujarat TCS Tower, Chennai

AVIGIRI Urethane & Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. 169-D Vasanthanarasapura Industrial Area - Tumkur District, Karnataka, India

Contact: Phone: +91 9980 223 200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avigiri.com

MICROWAVE CURED EPDM GASKETSAVE CURED EPDM GASKETSA


by wafer thin façade systems that allow the builder to maximize usable floor space. This is true particularly for

speculative buildings. This often means that indoor spaces are left “unprotected” and more vulnerable to extremes of heat

Historically, architects the world over have employed various shading devices and strategies to control the environment within buildings, particularly when designing for hot-arid or hot-humid climates. From the jaalis, jharokhas and chajjas of traditional Indian architecture to the brise soleil of modernists like Le Corbusier, shading devices on buildings are everywhere in our cities and towns.

In recent times, however, with the growing pressure on land in urban areas and rising real estate prices, deep overhangs on the perimeter of buildings have gradually been edged out

Safal Corporate House

Just FACE It!

About the Author:

Ismet Khambatta is an architect and urban designer with over twenty

years of professional work experience with architectural practices in

India, the USA and Switzerland. She heads Façade Applications for

Conservation of Energy (FACE), a division of TDW. Ismet is also the

managing director of TDW Furniture Pvt. Ltd. (earlier 3-D Workshop),

a furniture design, manufacturing and retail company specializing

in contemporary solid timber furniture, based in Ahmedabad. FACE

has been at the forefront of developing exterior shading systems for

buildings in India, starting early in 2008 - 09. It has gone on to produce

and install shading systems for several projects in Ahmedabad, and

elsewhere in India, since then. (www.facesystems.in)

Ismet Khambatta, Managing Director, TDW Furniture Pvt. Ltd & Director, HCP Design, Planning and Management

Pvt. Ltd

Façade Applications


system in 2009. Engineers and designers at FACE worked closely with the architects (HCPDPM Pvt. Ltd.) and product designer (Dinesh Sharma) to develop a range of exterior shading systems for buildings. These systems are compact, easy to install and manually operable to maximize daylight and minimize heat gain. The first project completed was Safal Profitaire in Ahmedabad in 2010. The

and cold, and in our context, need to be cooled artificially all year round. This is normally done using energy intensive methods like air conditioning.

As the awareness of environmental issues and the concern for conserving energy increases, there is a growing interest in passive climate control and passive cooling of buildings. Architects in India have been experimenting with passive cooling strategies, but these have mainly been used in residential and institutional buildings and with limited success. Large scale commercial buildings in urban areas have remained unabashed energy guzzlers.

What would be the right strategy to make modern day commercial buildings more energy efficient without compromising on aesthetics, utility or saleability? This was the question that FACE set out to answer when they developed the first shading 19mm thick marine plywood panels on a stainless steel structure

The façade on which the louver system is mounted is west facing

Shading system: Vertical Rigid Louver System (VRLS) staggered


two projects presented here are Safal Corporate House and D&C Kairos in Ahmedabad.

Safal Corporate House, Ahmedabad

The shading system used for Safal Corporate House is the Vertical Rigid Louver System (VRLS) staggered. The system uses staggered 19mm thick marine plywood panels on a stainless steel structure. The façade on which the louver system is mounted is west facing. The staggered and overlapping panels ensure that no direct sunlight hits the glass when the louvers are closed (usually in the afternoon) but there is sufficient diffused daylight to make artificial lighting unnecessary throughout the day. The system is manually operated, and the occupants of the building can change the angle of the louvers to get maximum protection from direct sunlight at different times of the day.

made from 9mm thick cement bonded fibre-board and the structure is aluminium and stainless steel.

Exterior shading systems on commercial buildings are now commonplace in Ahmedabad - in a short span of five years! Builders have recognized the dual advantage of the aesthetic appeal of such a façade and long-term savings for the buyer, and are able to use these as selling points on their projects.

However, a word of caution is needed here. Increasingly, these systems are being used as ornamentation on building façades with complete disregard for their function of increasing the energy efficiency of the building. This defeats the primary purpose of having such a system! A static decorative screen outside the glass may provide some protection from direct heat gain, but for optimum benefit at different times of the day and during different seasons, it is essential that the shading system be

Safal Corporate House at night

D&C Kairos, Ahmedabad

D&C Kairos, Ahmedabad

The Horizontal Rigid Louver System (HRLS) has been used at D&C Kairos. This is a compact system and can be mounted within a projection of only 150mm outside the window or glazing area. The horizontal louvers, when fully open, allow an uninterrupted view equal to the width of the opening. Here too, when the louvers are closed, no direct sunlight hits the glass, but the overlapping louvers allow sufficient diffused light into the building. The louver panels are


The Horizontal Rigid Louver System (HRLS) has been used at D&C Kairos

The horizontal system, when fully open, allow an uninterrupted view equal to the width of the opening

be designed and tested for efficacy.

The shading system installed on a building façade, invariably becomes a key element of

movable. The type of material used in the shading system and its efficacy in reducing heat gain cannot be disregarded or treated casually either. An effective shading system must

the building’s architecture. The design of the system therefore, needs to lend itself to customization. It must be able to adapt to a different architectural language with each project. This is a function that shading systems fulfil remarkably well. Each project’s requirements are unique and the team at FACE prefers to get involved in the project as early in the design process as possible. They work together with the client and the architect and sometimes the interior designer to ensure a perfect “fit” in terms of design, utility, access and even long term care and maintenance of the system. The shading systems developed by FACE are entirely made in India for Indian conditions and have been tested in the field over the past several years.


for construction practices as it is not very conducive to the Indian climate. But, with the appropriate, skill technology and knowledge, we were able to blend the use of glass as a construction material in our designs through accurate

positioning and use of the appropriate type of glass. Combining the use of glass and fabric, we were able to reproduce dramatic designs that beautifully displayed the innocent play of light and shadow within a building.

Having a glance at monotonous urban spaces at the end of 20th century, we propose a solution which maximizes the possibilities of the human body and spirit and create a chance to energize life in the fullest sense. We propose a comprehensive design that shapes up a place and its environment towards the intangible senses of a human. It is a monumental task to penetrate the city using this approach, yet we desire to find solutions through our designs.

Concurrently, we were working with glass - a material strongly discouraged in use


About the Author:

A mechanical engineer by training, Dhananjay Dake specialises

in new age architectural engineering. His work experience ranges

from designing, manufacturing and installing structures. Dhananjay

established Construction Catalysers Pvt. Ltd., a design and build

consortium for new age architectural engineering, in 1988. The

company has completed more than 250 projects in India and

abroad. The Projects mainly comprise of varied structural detailing

such as component buildings, lightweight high strength bridges,

and structural sculptures for ecologically diverse environments.

Dhananjay has spoken at several national and international seminars

and colloquia. He is a visiting faculty at many leading architecture

and engineering schools in India.

Dhananjay Dake, Director,

Construction Catalyser

Façade Material


The Infosys Ellipsoid Hinjwadi, Pune

Bringing the architect’s dream into reality with structural ingenuity and finesse is the bottom line of every brief that an architectural engineering firm deals with. The design for The Infosys Ellipsoid was especially challenging for the futuristic concept developed by Architect Hafeez Contractor for Infosys at Hinjwadi, Pune. The concept having been realised by Construction Catalysers and the building is all set to become an icon reflecting the pride of all involved in its creation. It is a structure embodying the spirit of its users who are people working in the field of computers and software dealing with cutting edge technology; a structure which understands this technology and speaks a similar hi-tech language.

The internal built form consists of 1, 50,000 sq ft of usable floor

space on five floors, designed to provide an environment conducive to the software development activity. This structure, with an elliptical footprint, is a conventional structure of reinforced cement concrete and brickwork. It houses the workspaces, offices, meeting rooms, other ancillary areas and services.

The uniqueness of the design lies in the enclosing shell created out of steel, glass and aluminium cladding. Doing away with conventional walls,

windows or curtain walling, a gigantic enclosure shelters the entire internal structure. The volume enclosed by this shell is whole and continuous unlike that of a conventional building. The complete structure of the shell stands away and apart from the support system of the internal structure and has a separate structural system of its own.

The enveloping shell has a form derived from an ellipsoid. This partially cut ellipsoid measures 105m along its longer axis and 65m along its shorter axis. It rises to height of 35m and is tilted to an angle of 10 degrees. Due to the tilting, one of its ends appears to be buried into the ground and the other is lifted up. The entrance to the building is from under this raised part. The main entrance has a glass curtain wall with a conical surface that is curved and tilted.

The surface of the ellipsoidal shell, due to its doubly curved


character, is strong and rigid, despite being lightweight. It employs pre-stressed grid cell geometry and is a remarkable engineering feat achieved by detailed and innovative architectural engineering. The entire shell rests on an elliptical base ring and a Mediterranean main member, which runs along the vertical

Ellipsoidal Building Envelope for Infosys• Internal built form 1,50,000 sq ft of

usable floor space on five floors.

Structure• Elliptical footprint, in a conventional

structure of R.C.C. and brickwork including.

• Enclosing shell out of steel, glass and aluminium cladding.

• Gigantic enclosure shelters to the entire internal structure.

• Ellipsoid, measures 105m along its longer axis and 65m along its shorter axis, rises to height of 35 m and tilted to an angle of 10 degrees.

• One of its ends appears to be buried into the ground and the other is lifted up due to tilting.

• Glass curtain wall with a conical surface.

• Ellipsoidal shell employs pre-stressed grid shell geometry.

• Entire shell rests on an elliptical base ring.

• Shell divided into sixteen radial parts and main structural box sections stiffen these parts.

• Entire shell formed out of a trapezoidal grid.

• Ellipsoidal surface covered with four types of cladding materials

• Main central portion with maximum exposure to the solar region covered with a new composite material “KALZIP”

• Large elliptical cut-outs for cladding to increase the visibility of the inner & outside spaces.

• Aluminium cladding for in solar passivation and energy conservation.

• Opaque cladding glass protected by mesh membrane cladding and horizontal curved fins.

• Clear glass for shaded zone.

Snippets

plane along the long axis of the ellipsoid.

The shell is divided into sixteen radial parts and main structural box sections stiffen these parts. The surface of the shell is formed out of a trapezoidal grid. The individual module of the grid is not curved and instead acts as a facet, which forms a part of the whole ellipsoidal surface.


Project : Ellipsoidal Building Envelope for InfosysLocation : PuneClient : Infosys, PuneArchitect : Hafeez Contractor, Mumbai

Other Consultants: Architectural Engineering : Construction Catalysers, PuneManufacturing & Installation : Construction Catalysers, PuneStructural Verification : Sterling GroupCivil Work : Sobha ConstructionsKALZIP : ACP CladdingMaterials used for façade : Steel, Glass, MembraneCommencement Date : December 2004Completion Date : June 2006Area : 14020 sqmCost : 8.0 cr

Quick Facts

The doubly curved ellipsoidal surface is covered with four types of cladding materials. Each of these performs a function relative to its position and in relation to the climatic conditions. The main central portion, which has maximum exposure to the solar region, is covered with a new age material called “KALZIP”. This is an insulated two layer profiled aluminium system with glass wool insulation in between. This cladding has large elliptical cut-outs fitted with high performance doubly glazed units to increase the visibility of the inner floors to the outside world. This glass along with the aluminium cladding aids in solar passivation and energy conservation.

Beyond the limits of the opaque cladding some portion of glass has been protected using mesh membrane cladding and horizontal curved fins. Large portions of clear glass are used

glass aids the visual dialogue of the inside spaces to the outside landscape. The hi-tech materials and technology work in unison to support the creation of this ellipsoidal form.

Using structural and architectural engineering skills the concept has been given physical shape. The superbly dynamic aesthetics of the building reflect honestly the state of the art construction techniques and functional values of the design .The result is a superbly futuristic structure which will stand as a landmark for times to come.

in the zone that is below the equator that is in shade for most of the time. This clear


Sahara Mall, Gurgaon

i-Lab, Hyderabad

Kudal Temple Dome, Kanakwali, Konkan, Maharashtra

The surface development for this project has been inspired from sunflower seed pattern. All the glass panels are flexed to achieve free flowing membrane effect where glass is structurally active. 3 way pre-stressed cable-net, curves in two directions, supports vastly varying glass panels. The cable net with the glass curves against gravity.

The dia-grid shell is clad with hard-coated glass that ensures a high level of visual comfort, which also also allows a good level of reflection-free sunlight. The central portion of the building at the fifth floor, which is the roof of the board room, is covered with water resistant composite construction that reflects partial direct sunlight.

The use of glass purely as a cladding and as a structural element induced a reaction of awe and wonder in the viewer. It was a breakthrough when the firm created a shrine area for a temple using only glass as cladding and allowing sunlight to penetrate the glass that created an unearthly play of light bestowing the temple with a divine semblance.


Nasik Engineering College

Bhopal Airport Quest Mall, Kolkata

A library building with glass façade looking east – For the rising sun. The spacial architectural space represents openness, an unending curiosity, a place for open, free and unhindered interaction and debate. Further the library of an Engineering College should represent the spirit of engineering, display immaculate structural design and motivate engineering students to create unprecedented feats of Engineering and excel.

The total design concept is based on advance engineering analytical & digital technique for free flowing light weight shell roof supported on sleek steel columns. The large span glass skylights at required locations makes the roof very elegant and one of its kind. The shell steel structure with imported metal sheets and two huge skylights makes the spaces underneath lively. The entire roof is supported on minimum steel pyramidal columns to create large barrier free volume.Entrance Canopy: The canopy is of glass and supported with steel members and spiders. The entrance to the building is very imposing and glamorous.

The Glass floors at Quest Mall are a symphony in opaque and transparence, dense & sparse, reflection & illusion. The harmony of materials is achieved with multilayer safety glass within-built ceramic fret work and innovative concept of structure of cable stiffened spatial frame work. As glass floor needs rigid supporting structure, hybrid cable stiffened spatial frame work makes supporting structure sleek and aesthetically pleasing. It allso enhances transparency of glass.


Bamboo Facades

About the Author:

Sourabh Gupta is the Founder & Managing Director of Archohm

Consults, one of India’s leading architectural design firms. He is an

alumnus of CEPT, Ahmedabad and Technical University, Delft, the

Netherlands. Archohm was conceived as a design studio that offers

design consultancy for architecture, urban design, interiors and

product design. Working across diverse scales, from furniture to urban

infrastructure projects, Archohm’s ‘mad and fun’ philosophy promotes

it’s out of the box design solutions. With over 12 years of experience in

Architecture and Urban Design, Sourabh is renowned for his capabilities

in conceptualizing, designing, and detailing.

Sourabh Gupta, Director, Archohm Consults

Indigenous Material

The bamboo basket: Dilli Haat, Janakpuri

More often than not, the word ‘façade’ has been misconstrued as extrinsic, as a ‘put on’ appearance; the reason being that its creators have tended to exploit it for self-expression quite radically, ignoring the fundamental lesson that the ‘form’, of which the facade is a wholesome part, must correlate to the function it embraces. The facade of a structure is expected to fulfill functional as well as aesthetic obligations. Fundamentally, a building needs protection from weather conditions, the onus of which falls on the facade. However this outward looking envelope of an edifice literally and metaphorically gifts an opportunity to an architect to communicate a school of thought to the outside

Bamboo for Facades

According to a Chinese proverb, ‘The taller the bamboo grows, the lower it bends. ’The humble bamboo which in bending shows more character than a rebelling oak, is one of the most versatile natural materials that can be used in buildings. Some of its lesser known facts such as its ability to be regenerated in months, it having an incredibly strong foundation, making no fuss about its conditions and adapting easily, sucking up carbon-dioxide faster than any other tree and many more make it very beneficial to the worlds ecosystem, currently in dire straits.’

world. Through this skin, it gives a hint of its attitude to the context- whether it chooses to ‘fit into or stand out of’. A facade happens to be the first attribute of a building that a person takes note of and forms that ‘first impression’. What is likely to be missed is the interesting fact that it is this surface that separates yet connects two entities, the inside and the outside.


Bamboo Baskets- DilliHaat, Janakpuri

Breaking free from the conventional look and feel of its other two DilliHaat counterparts with their vocabulary of exposed brick and stone, DilliHaat-Janakpuri takes a fresh look at the material palette that paints the multi-faceted programme it houses. Along with a material spectrum which is an eclectic mix of modern and traditional, are interspersed four eight-metre high towers along the site. Designed to resemble huge bamboo baskets, the two-storied buildings with roof top canopies are planned for outdoor activities. Closer to the entry, one basket houses the information centre, while another forms into a café. Wander more into the interiors of the site and the baskets hold a music centre and a museum.

Bambrance - The Bamboo Skin of a Garment Factory, Noida

To depict a garment export house that Supplies ethnic Indian fabrics and techniques to the

global market, bamboo was chosen as it is as much an inherently native Indian material. The out-of-scale, exaggerated fabric weave interlaced like the textile structure forms the external skin of this factory facility. Designed to conceal the dull and uneven building below, indigenous bamboo sticks have been intertwined as a modular system and can be attached to any facade. This eco-friendly and dynamic surface has been naturally treated for weather protection.

These facades are designed as ‘non-facades’; they are narratives in themselves for they tell the story of what lies on the other side and much more!

Apart from being celebrated in the facade, bamboo is used in structures for shading, screens for baskets and food courts and as sculptures or used for street furniture. Saluting the natural beauty of its forests, bamboo has been planted as a soft-scape plantation along the boundary and to accentuate other trees.

Case Studies

Katyal factory bamboo façade in Noida


term “green buildings”. The depth and breadth of strategies that can be deployed on buildings so as to help minimise their environmental impact goes well beyond just greening the façades.

The scope of green façades involves a variety of aspects. On the one hand, these could include improving the environmental performance of the façades, such as limiting solar heat gain or losses (depending on the building location), allowing natural daylight into the building so as to minimise the need for artificial lighting, minimising the risk of glare so as to reduce the risk of visual discomfort for building occupants, reducing sound transmission so as to minimise acoustic discomfort, preventing or reducing air flow through the façade (convection) so as to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and minimise heat gain or loss, and more. On the other hand, developing environment-friendly building envelopes could also mean adopting systems or materials that have a limited or even positive impact on the environment, such

Green” seems to be the buzzword these days. All building components need to conform to green design principles, and the façade is no exception. The building envelope falls under heavy scrutiny, as it is generally seen, often justifiably, as a very significant element in the design of a green building. In fact, this is recognised by the majority of green building rating systems (LEED®, Greenmark, BREEAM, etc.).

But prior to delving into the subject of whether it is possible to design and build a green façade, the first question to tackle is what is meant by “green façade”. The term can be taken literally as referring to a façade that includes an element of greenery, such as plants that creeping up the façade or large planters running along the building envelope. While these strategies help provide a pleasant natural appearance to the buildings, allowing them to blend within their environment to some extent, and also provide some well-needed relief from the heat, they do not do justice to the

Green Façades – Myth or Reality?

About the Author:

Mathieu Meur provides the strategic leadership as the Managing

Director for Meinhardt Group’s global façade consultancy business.

Mathieu has worked on numerous major construction projects in Asia,

the Middle East and beyond, including Resorts World at Sentosa, a USD

5 billion integrated resort development, and The Dubai Mall, currently

the largest mall in the world. Through his training as a multi-disciplinary

engineer and subsequent years of experience at Meinhardt Façade

Technology, Mathieu has developed extensive knowledge of all types of

building envelope systems, their design, engineering and related codes

of practice.

Mathieu Meur, Managing Director,

Meinhardt Façade Technology (S) Pte. Ltd

Green Talk


(glass selection involves multiple aspects), or in combination environmental strategies applied to other parts of the building (e.g. HVAC system, lighting systems, etc.). Secondly, some of the possible “green tactics” involving the façade can actually work against each other, thus requiring the need to strike a balance between them. For instance increasing window-to-wall ratio or glass visible light transmission will reduce the need for artificial lighting but increase the ris of glare and possibly increase heat penetration into the building, depending on the actual glass selected. Similarly, increasing the modulations will reduce the need for sub-framing (resulting in less materials), but in turn means thicker panels (thus requiring more materials). It’s all about balance again.

as deploying energy-generating features (building-integrated photo-voltaic panels, roof-mounted panels silicon less thin film coatings etc. . elfcleaning materials help to minimise the need for water and chemicals to maintain the façade. Usage of recycled or reused materials minimizes carbon-footprint. Sourcing materials locally or regionally also help to reduce carbon footprint by minimising transportation-related energy use. Optimising panel modulations will help reduce or eliminate wastage.

There are several important notions that designers need to understand or at least be aware of. Firstly, some of the strategies mentioned above need to work in combination either with each other

The integration of vegetation within the building envelope offers thermal benefitsand softens the overall appearance of the building.

© M

athi

eu M

eur


Green building rating systems are a necessary evil. They are necessary because of the need to provide an objective assessment of the environmental performance of the façade. Without a scoring system, it would be virtually impossible to compare buildings without a measure of subjectivity. On the other hand, these rating systems can also prove evil in the way that they are implemented. More often than not, the approach turns into a box-ticking exercise, instead of being the reflection of the adoption of a holistic design strategy. Also, the scope of some of the rating systems is limited to in-service performance, without regard for lifetime considerations, how the materials was produced, what were the implications of implementing them on the building, or how they will eventually end up (cradle-to-cradle design). This applies as much to the façade design as to that of other building

components. This is unfortunate, as the initial intention is noble. The failure generally arises from the way that they are implemented.

This being said, this particular aspect isn’t exactly bleak, as far as façades are concerned. For a start, the most common materials used for building modern building envelopes are rather good performers in this respect. Glass, steel and aluminium are all infinitely recyclable. large portion of broken glass pieces (cullets) is in fact used in the production fresh glass, and this actually helps lower the furnace temperature, thus killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. Using recycled aluminium only consumes about 5 percent of the energy used to produce new aluminium from raw bauxite ore. Some of the façade materials that were traditionally impossible to recycle, such as composite metal panels and laminated glass, have been the subject of intense efforts by manufacturers so as overcome this issue. Several prominent producers of composite panels offer to recycle panels at their facilities. This includes the metal sheets, the sandwiched core, and even the paint that can be scraped off and reused. Similarly, a new system has recently been developed to delaminate bonded sheets of glass effortlessly and with minimal use of energy. Both the glass sheets and the interlayer can be reused of recycled. This could avoid sending millions of square metres of laminated glass to the scrapheap every year.

Modern façades typically incorporate substantial glazed areas. Although the extensive use of glass is seen as embellishing the appearance of buildings (at least in most developed countries), this can also be perceived as nonsensical in a tropical location, where the intensity of solar radiation is extremely high, and thus controlling the heat flux into buildings is of prime importance. However, there is more to it than this. Double-glazed units (DGUs) with low-e coating offer a U-value (simply put, a measure of the thermal conductivity of a material) which is lower than solid concrete or brick walls. This can be further reduced by adopting argon- or

Glass and metals are extensively used in most modern commercial buildings.

© M

athi

eu M

eur


rypton filled insulated gla ing units I s . There is also intense research into vacuumfilled I s which would yield a value close to ero virtually no conducted heat . n the other hand gla ing also allows a certain amount of radiated heat infra red to penetrate the building. This is measured by a uantity called solar heat gain coefficient . The lower the the better the glass performance less heat penetration . Traditionally a variety

of strategies has been adopted to control or reduce the amount of radiated heat entering the building. ne option consists in using glass with a lower . In order to reduce this value without at the same reducing visible light transmission low emissivity low e glass with ever increasing light to solar gain ratios .

urrently the highest available is in the range of . to . which simply put means that up to . times more light than heat is allowed to penetrate the building. The development of higher performance low e coating after years of continued progress seems to be plateauing off as adding more and more silver layers will result in glass that is simply too dar to be acceptable. The development of thin film or nano coatings using a different chemistry to that of traditional low e coatings seems promising but commercially available products currently fall short of expectations but this should change in the months and years to come than s to intense research efforts. nother strategy consists in providing external shading devices. ften these comprise of vertical or hori ontal elements of varying density or opacity while these can provide extremely useful at certain times of the day there are times early morning or late afternoon where they are utterly useless. possible approach that is more sensible would be to turn to vernacular approaches to solar protection. or instance in the iddle Eastern tradition windows are typically placed high above floor level lower window to wall ratio are set deep into the surrounding walls and are oriented such that the light coming in is channelled towards the ceiling. This has the double advantage of offering excellent protection against

New systems are being developed to harness nature and bring it directly into the façades.

solar radiation while at the same time allowing sufficient light into the building that the use of artificial light becomes redundant for extended periods of time. This is a demonstration of how simple passive strategies can outperform active automated solutions. ith the right strategy and when ta ing a holistic loo at all factors gla ed fa ades can be designed to exhibit exceptional performance.

hile gla ed fa ades have been the target of much of criticism other components of the building envelope have often received little or insufficient attention. In fact other systems or materials should fall under even greater scrutiny. or instance solid or bric walls store up heat

during the day when sub ected to solar radiation and release this heat to the interior for several hours after. et it is fairly rare to see insulated walls in this region. simple layer of roc wool or other insulation would be sufficient to counter this effect. ew generation paints have also been developed reflecting heat to the outside. Even without going to this extent simply selecting

© C

réab

éton

WHY

?MeshResistanceFinishes Cost

EffectiveEco-Friendly DIYInside

Fixing

1, Matoshree Residency, Prarthana Samaj Road, Opp. Prarthana Samaj High School, Vile Parle (East) Mumbai - 400057.Tel: +91 22 2618 4210 / 2618 4209 / 2618 4213. Email: [email protected].

Geeta Gallery – Vile Parle (Head Office)

[email protected] /geetaaluminium /geetagroup

AN INSECT-FREEENVIRONMENT

Geeta Mesh is European make and is 100% Polyester; tested for UV, Salt Water and Wind Resistance. Pleated,

Bi-lateral, Uni-lateral and Central, screens are sleek in design and inherently more stable than flat mesh

screens which ensure an insect-free environment.

Mesh


a pale shade of paint helps minimise heat absorption.

Similarly, the framing system for windows and curtain walls is largely ignored, in particular in Overall Thermal Transfer Value (OTTV)/ Envelope thermal transfer value (ETTV) computations. This is a rather crude omission, since the frames consist of aluminium or steel members, which are notoriously apt at conducting heat. Frames can represent up to 10 percent (sometimes even more) of the total façade area. Therefore, they should be taken into account when looking at the overall thermal performance of the façade. This factor is built into the building design of some countries (e.g. Part L of building regulations in the UK, Part J of the Building Code of Australia). An on-going study by the SERIS at NUS (Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore) is looking into the amount of re-radiated heat from window frames to the interior of buildings. Preliminary results are showing the substantial benefits derived from adopting thermally-broken frames, as opposed to the current belief that this has only a limited impact. Effectively, non-thermally-broken frames act like a series of radiators. Once validated, this study could outline the need to review the current guidelines for the assessment of heat loading through the façade in the region, and the importance of adopting thermally-broken frames so as to avoid underestimating the amount of heat entering the building, and minimise the risk of

discomfort for building occupants who work or live near the building envelope.

Since it takes energy to produce façades, as well as to cool (or heat) buildings as a consequence of the façade performance, it is logical to look into how this energy can be offset through energy generation by the façade. Building-integrated photo-voltaic panels have been used in Singapore and the region for over 10 years. Yet, it is unclear whether the amount of energy that can be produced by these panels justifies the expense. In the tropics, and particularly in Singapore which is very close to the Equator, the North and South elevation of buildings see little direct solar radiation. The East and West elevations are only exposed to the sun for a few hours in the morning and in the afternoon respectively. The rest of the time, they only receive dimmer, indirect light. Also, the efficiency of the panels is reduced at elevated temperatures, and their exterior glass surface reflects much of the sun’s light at sharper angles, further reducing the range of times when the panels can perform at their peak efficiency. It thus appears that in this region roof-mounted panels are a more sensible option. Non-silicon-based thin-film paints are now becoming more and more common, and these tend to be less plagued by these issues, but most are black in colour, which limits their possible use on building façades, for aesthetic reasons. Nonetheless, harnessing solar energy is another topic that is heavily researched at the moment, so there is hope that the technology will become more readily deployable on building façades in years to come.

Totally green façades, in a holistic sense, may not yet be a reality, but heavy research efforts combined with simple but clever design ideas consistently bring us closer to this reality. Designers have been learning to work with rather than against nature, guided by some of the early masters of this art (AntoniGaudì, for instance). Bringing in or seeking inspiration from vernacular design strategies and from nature, blended with modern materials and technologies, can maximise the potential for green façades.


Today, we have gone past the point where going ‘green’ was an option. It has now become an absolute necessity. The concept of green building design relies on minimising the demand of non-renewable resources and optimising the use of natural resources as far as 70 per cent. As a nature green buildings have unique characteristics of having an exposed aesthetics featuring original building materials. An energy efficient building is the one which can reduce energy consumption by at least 35 per cent as compared to a conventional building.

Designers utilise the thermal mass by radiating the heating and cooling comfort to better the thermal environment of the building, thereby reducing energy consumption. A responsive building facade is one of the important components to achieve energy efficiency by reducing the need for cooling, lighting and ventilation. Facade design and construction specifications have great potential in controlling its interior environment, through use of insulation, energy efficient windows and passive solar design techniques.

Acoustics is also very closely associated with well-being and its influence on the stress levels, motivation and productivity of an individual. It has been recorded that a poor acoustic environment would not only cause harm to occupants’ physical but also the psychological health. Hence, one of green building focus is to create a built environment which would reduce the impact to human health and the environment.

Passive Building Design Strategies for Facade

The expression “passive building” refers to a construction standard that can be achieved using various types of construction materials. In other words it implies a green building construction that guarantees an interior climate as comfortable in summer as it is in winter without a conventional heating or cooling system.

There are certain designing criteria to reduce the energy consumption in a building. Buildings in a tropical climate would require a facade that enables in keeping the building cool as against the buildings in

Green Buildings: Thermal and Acoustic Environmental Requirements

About the Author:

Delivering one-of-a-kind ideas

to the clients, Parish S. Kapse

(Principal Architect, Founder and

Strategist, Team One Architects)

is involved in constant

alignment of client requirement

to the practicality of design

development and forming a

route for the designs to walk and

grow on, thus achieving path-

breaking solutions to the most

complex architectural problems.

Besides this, his aptitude for

designing green building and his

international working experience

augments the expertise required

for achieving state-of-the-art

facilities.

Parish S. Kapse, Principal Architect, Founder

and Strategist, Team One Architects

Passive Building Design


The use of insulation material is very essential as it reduces transfer of heat from outside to the inside. The efficiency of the building envelope is depending on three factors: Fully solid or insulated walls, appropriate gaps in insulation (thermal bridges) and limited parasite air passages. Full insulation is a result of the project design phase: while limiting thermal bridges depends on the choice of construction systems and airtight seals are instantly associated with the quality of deployment work. For really efficient green building insulation, we must choose both the suitable material and use it so as to ensure its resistance over time alongside that of the other elements of the wall associated to it.

External Glass Curtainwall Cladding

Both MMRDA and ONGC buildings have a smart facade.

Coming on the detailed specifications, the glass skin used for the curtain wall consists of 28mm thick double glass unit (6mm HS= 16 mm Air gap + 6 mm HS) glass clear fog head having U valve 1.0: Solar factor 24: LT 25 per cent. The spandrel glass has a 6 mm heat strengthened blue tinted glass. For the heat transfer control at the spandrel level, a 75 mm panel of TF quality expanded polystyrene within the spandrel glass is provided over structural steel section. Polystyrene can be rigid or foamed. General purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. Insulation of glass wool 50 mm thick ( density 48kg) with woven make fabric black veil has been provided in 0.8 mm thick GI Black pan with SS screws and nut bolts.

Acoustics in Green Buildings

If we study the survey reports

cooler climatic conditions would prefer a facade that keeps it warm. One has to also take into consideration the site condition and landscape which are essential design components. Green roof, green wall and water features may help in keeping the surrounding temperature low and render higher moisture in the air. Trees can also be used as they not only provide shade against the blazing sunlight but also maintain the indoor air temperature.

In both our recent Green building projects for ONGC at Uran and MMRDA’s new office at BKC, Mumbai the alignment of the main building has been strategically designed keeping in mind the path of the sun. To maximise the penetration of daylight light shelves are installed thereby minimising the need for artificial lighting. Windows play an important role in heat loss or heat gain which either raises or lowers the room air temperature. Both the projects incorporate the use of double glazed units (DGu) as external facade glasses with low ‘e’ values of heat thereby allowing minimal transfer of heat due to the west facing sunlight. The MMRDA’s green building office also boasts of low ‘e’ value glasses for the external facade to prevent heat intake from the sun. To further intensify the effect, solar screens too have been fixed to dissipate the sun’s heat and glare before it transfers to the interior environments.

MMRDA’s new office at BKC, Mumbai


four to five years ago we would learn a huge occupant dissatisfaction on acoustic uality in green buildings compared to conventional buildings especially in wor ing spaces that adopt a open office concept. a or acoustic complaints made were people tal ing on the phone people tal ing in neighbouring area people overhearing their private conversation getting

stages of design. ptimising green design and good acoustics can be a challenging as one has to carefully stri e a balance between the glass re uired for day lighting and the solid wall construction. ot only this the architect also needs to investigate acoustically attenuated passive stac systems while designing a building. The use of under floor air distribution too helps in lowering the bac ground sound levels. To mitigate reverberation designers can incorporate absorptive materials where possible there are a number of new sustainable material options that fit within the

reen framewor .

ithout careful implementation

caught up in others’ conversation and the sound of a phone ring and most important transfer of disturbing sounds from exteriors to interiors.

ince acoustical distractions tops the list of dissatisfaction in green buildings it has become increasingly imperative to ta e notice of the acoustical influences during the early

DGu external facade glasses with low ‘e’ values of heat

Green building projects for ONGC at Uran

Project Name: Location: andra urla omplex E locClient: Engineering epartment

Architect: Team ne rchitectsOther Consultants: tructural trud

onsultants roof onsultants terling onstruction ervices ats

EngineeringMaterials used for façade: ybrid

tructural teel reen pecificationCommencement Date: ay Completion Date: Estimated time

.Area: . ac s .ft

MMRDA

of Green building design strategies, acoustic quality is easily compromised. Architects and designers should not overloo on these influence as it could jeopardize the acoustical environment. Architects need to ensure that facades designs are the ones with more openings. Huge openings at the facade, large sized windows along with the ventilation louvers will trigger cross-ventilation in the building.

At ONGC as well as at the MMRDA, good acoustic design was important due to the nature of operations required for them as the headquarters. Acoustics and sound authentication were critically take care to achieve the maximum NRC (Noise

eduction oefficient . ith our past experience in high and performance theatres, care was taken to ensure that all the factors of the auditorium and

Smart facade of ONGC at Uran

Double wall construction with insulated blocks - ONGC Uran

Project Name: Smart Campus for ONGCLocation: Navi Mumbai, UranClient: ONGCArchitect: Team One ArchitectsOther Consultants: Structural- SR Consultants, Services- DSG ConsultanctsMaterials used for façade: Green

pecification lass and teelCommencement Date: March 2015Completion Date: Estimated March 2018Area: 80000 Sq Ft

ONGC

board room designs starting from the shape profile lining on the wall etc were determined from the very onset at the planning stage o prevent incremental cost at the time of finishing.

The acoustics of the auditorium is designed with appropriate air gap and panelling with wood- wool panels to ensure there is no reverberation of sound. Furthermore, even the line of travel for the sound was programmed to obtain adequate sound reduction in the ceilings with the help of sound attenuators or soak panels. The most important factor to be mentioned here is that all the materials used for achieving acoustic efficiency are made of recycled substances; be it the carpets, wall soak panels as well as the ceilings.

The conventional methodologies of double wall construction with insulated blocks are also great methods to achieve the highest levels of thermal insulators as well as acoustical buffers, which automatically increases the performance of a building.

Site Plan - Green building projects for ONGC at Uranl 44 WFM SEPT - OCT 2015 l


the natural view outside is built into our psyche; and this pull is addressed by the comfort that daylighting strategies in building designs, bring in.

So what is Daylighting? What is the source of Daylight? How does it affect us? And if it does affect us, what amount of daylight is good? How can access to Daylight, while staying indoors, be addressed? These are some questions which come to our mind, naturally. What is Daylight?

Daylight is a carbon neutral renewable source of energy and can replace up to 80 per cent of lighting energy consumption during daytime hours, while also improving the health, well-being and attentiveness of the building occupants.

From sunlight flooding in through a window, to flickering candlelight over a romantic dinner, or dazzling neon lights in a discotheque, light has a profound effect on the way we feel and experience time and space, both consciously and unconsciously. So it becomes important for Daylight design

Today, as we are progressively spending, close to 90 per cent of our time indoors – working or at leisure, the need to feel connected with the outdoors, the natural world is also growing. A key factor catering to this need is exposure to daylight. It is more than just vitamin D, the pull of

Design for Daylight

About the Author:

Kopal Gupta is part of the brand and communication team for Saint-Gobain India Private Limited – Glass Business, and has a background in Marketing Communications. She has worked with Hewlett Packard and co-founder an online initiative for filing RTI applications, prior to joining Saint-Gobain.

Kopal Gupta, Marketing – Brand & Communication, Saint Gobain India Pvt Ltd

Tech Talk

to be combined with intelligent ambient lighting control.

What are the Specificities of Natural Daylight?

Natural Daylight is composed of direct sunlight and atmospheric light (sun radiation dispersed by water and dust). It is the reference illumination source to which our eyes are naturally adapted, so that we nearly always find it more comfortable and attractive than artificial light.

How Does Daylight Affect Us?

There is clear scientific evidence demonstrating the benefits of daylight and associated external views in most buildings – benefits related to health, visual comfort, aesthetics and even energy savings!

For instance, in hospitals, it has been observed that patients in rooms that are well-daylit, need upto 30 per cent less pain-relief medication than others that they recover faster and return home with a happier state of mind; have quicker post-operative recovery, shorter average length of hospitalization.


Excess of anything is bad, hence there is need for controlling the daylight to avoid thermal and energy issues, discomfort due to glare (Daylight >2000LUX; An extremely bright object against a dark background causes discomfort and can interfere with our visual perception. This is generically termed glare) and high contrasts.

Daylight needs to be designed in conjunction with the HVAC electrical and Architectural design.

The correct artificial lighting design needs to be considered in conjunction with the daylight design. Intelligent lighting controls are an essential component of daylight design.

It can be safely concluded that the key to visual comfort in buildings is based on:

- Access to views/ the outdoors- Daylight provision

• In sufficient quantity• Distributed homogeneously throughout the

space ( no dark areas, or flickering)• In good combination with artificial light, adapted

to the visual task and allowing a good colour rendering

• Controlled to ensure the absence of glare and high contrasts

- In an aesthetically pleasing space

What Amount of Daylight is Good?

Metrics: Dynamic (climate and location based) and Static (independent of climate and location),

An extensive study in schools showed that comfortably-daylit classrooms helped improve alertness and concentration levels in children, thus enhancing better learning.

In office environments, studies have indicated that employee job-satisfaction levels and well-being and directly related to employee preference and access to Daylight. Evidences show higher productivity rates and lower absenteeism rates in well-daylit office spaces.

A recent study by neuroscientists suggested that office workers with windows received 173 percent more white light exposure during work hours, and slept an average of 46 minutes more per night. The office layouts which maximize the use of natural light foster better communication and collaboration.When choosing a home, good natural daylight is often the second most important factor, after location. According to the International Energy Agency good use of daylight could represent approximately 50 per cent of the possible savings in electrical energy consumption. Daylight, by its variations in intensity and tint over time, also provides information about the hour of the day, the seasons, and the weather, helping to maintain our psychological and social equilibrium. Spaces lit with daylight appear naturally beautiful and spacious, as daylight is composed of a broad electromagnetic spectrum with an excellent colour rendering quality. It plays a major role in defining the aesthetic quality of a space. Sunlight also encapsulates a clean energy offering, which can both be transformed into electricity via photovoltaic cells, and warm a building by providing passive heat gain.

Sources of daylight in buildings – Direct Sun, direct Sky, Indirect Sun, Indirect SkyGlass enhances Daylight

design


Optimum illuminance levels – Lux, Daylight factor, Glass and Daylight

Daylight is an extremely dynamic resource in terms of Magnitude, Directionality, Spectrum/Colour and dependency on factors like climate, interior layout, occupant’s behaviour etc.

A comprehensive way to assess Daylight would be through:

1. Daylight Quantity: measured in illuminance or Lux (the quantity of light coming from all directions and reaching a given point.) This quantity allows mapping light distribution in a room independently from the observer.

Some standard recommended illuminance values are:For commercial buildings: 500 luxFor residential buildings: 300 lux

2. Daylight Quality: Depends upon uniform distribution of Daylight, Glare, view etc.

The daylight level in the building is characterized with Daylight Autonomy calculated for the given climate: - Between 8 AM and 6 PM - For an illuminance level of 300 lux - In the main rooms of the building : kitchen, living

room, children bedrooms - All the calculated daylight autonomy should be

above 60 per cent

How to Enhance the Daylight Design of a Building?

Daylight designing strategiesdepend on the buildings following characters:

•Orientation: Building orientation can determine the availability of daylight inside the building

•Form: Depending on the function and location of the building, the form can be useful in providing self shading or complete solar access

•Interior Layout: Interior design•Fenestrations: Fenestrations bring daylight inside

the building. The shape, size, orientation and material property affect the daylight quantity and quality - Side Lighting : Windows - Top Lighting : Skylights

Windows are designed for one or many functions such as view, daylight, ventilation, heat gain/loss.

Window-wall ratio (WWR) and Skylight Roof Ratio (SRR) address the quantity and distribution of daylight in a space. Glass is an essential component of windows that affect the quantity and quality of daylight. Glass by nature is an excellent material that enhances Daylight design strategies in building architecture. With its optical features that allow blending interior with exteriors, Glass is the perfect material to play with light and space. Transparent, translucent, mirrored and lacquered glass provide a unique source of contrast and sophistication to your spaces. High performance glass (Solar Control, Thermal Insulation, and acoustic comfort) brings about solar and thermal insulation properties to a building, and help in energy savings too, when used in facades and fenestration, as Glazing units.

Glazing Units

The dual and triple glazed units have superior insulation properties reducing solar heat gain. The cavity between the glass panes is very important for the insulating effect. It is usually vacuum or air and can also be inert gases such as argon, krypton or a transparent gel medium. These glazing units are hermetically sealed during fabrication in factory.

Below are the properties of glass which are helpful:

•U-factor: Reduces heat gain by conduction. It is the rate of heat loss or gain due to temperature difference across surfaces of glass. Lower U-factor is better.

An exciting example of play of light and architectural design is the Louvre Pyramid at Paris


•Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): Reduces heat gain by radiation. It is the fraction of solar radiation that is transmitted and absorbed by the glass which ends up inside the building as heat. It indicates window’s ability to block heat gain from solar radiation. SHGC also indicates window’s shading capability - Very important glass property especially in hotter climates. Lower the SHGC is better. SHGC of 0.75 means, 75 per cent of the total radiation is absorbed by the glass.

•Visual Light Transmittance (VLT): Allows the visible light of the solar radiation spectrum; Fraction of visible light transmitted through the glazing; affects daylight and visibility: Higher VLT is better for good daylight

Balance is needed between daylight requirements and heat gain through windows. LSG – Light to solar heat gain ratio is: LSG = VLT/ SHGC. LSG of 1.5 or more is good for warm climates.

Daylight Factor

Daylightfactor(DF)isdefinedastheratioofinteriorilluminance (Ei) to available outdoor illuminance (Eo). DF = (Interior Lux/ Exterior Lux)*100

This concept was developed for overcast skies. DF can be calculated if the sky luminance distribution is known or can be reasonably estimated.

Factors Effecting Daylight Factor in a Space

•Sizeofdaylightapertures(windows,skylights,etc.);

•Locationofdaylightapertures(sidelighting,toplighting, etc.);

•Accesstodaylight(consideringthesite,building,and room

•contexts);•Roomgeometry(height,width,anddepth);•Locationofthepointofinterestrelativeto

apertures; •Visibletransmittance(VT)ofglazing;•Reflectancesofroomsurfacesandcontents;•Reflectancesofexteriorsurfacesaffectingdaylight

entering the aperture; •Theeffectsofdaylightingenhancements(suchas

light shelves).

Furthering the initiative of educating about the significance of Daylight in building design is Glass Academy India - a non-profit organization, constituted and functioning with an objective to be an industry-professional-academia-interface to impart knowledge and skills amongst the various stakeholders. Glass Academy is steered by an Advisory Board consisting of a distinguished panel of experts from academia and industry who have made significantcontributiontothedevelopmentofIndianglass fraternity.

Glass academy is hosting a webinar series called Enlightened Spaces from July 2015 to December 2015, which will see industry expert share their views and experiences on Daylighting concepts and its effects on human health & well- being, work productivity, thermal comfort and improvement in overall building performance along with techniques and strategies to be followed to harness maximum daylighting in buildings in the appropriate manner.

Registrations are on in full swing at www.glass-academy.com/webinars. The attendees also await acertificationfromGlassAcademy,endorsedbytheChairman- Glass Academy Advisory Board after the webinar series with an assessment at the end of it.

The glass-centric design of Louvre Pyramid at Paris ensures maximal daylighting


About the Authors:

Malvinder Singh Rooprai (GLS Consulting

Specialist - Asia Pacific Region, Kuraray

India Pvt. Ltd.) works on finite element

modelling of laminated glass for analysing

the effects of viscoelastic behaviour of

polymeric interlayers on the structural

performance of laminated glass panels

in architectural applications. He has

provided consulting reports on structural

performance of laminated glass to

architects, façade engineers and structural

consultants on some of the mega projects

in the region like Shanghai Tower in China and World One in Mumbai.

Completing his Ph.D at Cologne University, Dr. Bernhard Koll joined Adhesive & Sealant industry in Germany in

1986. Since 1990, he is with Kuraray Chemical Company. In 2002 he was appointed as the Technical Marketing of

TROSIFOL PVB, and took over additional function as Market Developer for glass interlayers in EMEA region in 2015.

In densely populated areas, noise is almost omnipresent. Noise is also caused by production plants and building work on houses and bridges. Even music from radios and concert halls or blaring television sets can often be annoying and even cause illness.

All noise disturbs our concentration and is capable of disrupting our sleep and causing tension and stress. Two similar sounds, even at the same volume, can be perceived differently.

In general, it is important to reduce noise as much as possible. In the case of heavy traffic on roads or railway lines, a noise barrier can help, while ear plugs can be a useful remedy in crowded areas and on busy roads. Since people spend most of their time in buildings, these have to be given extra protection from loud noise. Thick walls of stone, brick, concrete or wood provide good protection from noise. Thin partitions like doors,

windows or glass façades are much less effective.

The decibel (dB) is the unit of measurement that expresses the intensity of noise. 0 dB means absolutely silence, and each successive increase by 10 dB doubles the volume. The following graph presents an overview of typical noises and their measured volumes. The perceived difference in the volume of noise, as loud or soft, can also be expressed in dB.


Malvinder Singh Rooprai, M.E (Structures), GLS Consulting

Specialist (Asia Pacific Region), Kuraray India Pvt.

Ltd.

Bernhard Koll, Technical Marketing

TROSIFOL, Kuraray Chemical Company

Tech Talk


increases from 30 to 33 dB. The glass is also twice as heavy. However, it is also possible to bond a roughly 1 mm thick film of polyvinyl butyral plastic

uraray film between two plies of 4 mm glass (Figure

. This yields mm thic laminated safety glass, which is about 1/5 lighter and still achieves 34 dB of damping. If the film is replaced with a particularly effective

acoustic film T I T the sound

reduction increases to to 37 dB igure .

o it is possible to produce a lighter laminated safety glass with a lower weight that improves sound attenuation by 7 dB.

ot only is glass’s sound attenuation important, but also its thermal insulation. For many years now, buildings have been fitted with multiple gla ing for this purpose. This consists of at least two plies of glass sandwiching a cavity containing

dB is still audible, i.e. only half as much noise as via the 5 mm glass. But how can the sound attenuation of glass be improved?

The first step is to fit a thic er pane of glass. By doubling the glass thickness from 5 to 10 mm, the noise reduction

0-2 dB is imperceptible

3-5 dB is just perceptible, no

change

6-10dB

is clearly perceptible,

noticeable change

11-20 dB is a big and significant

change

Taking the example of glass windows in buildings, noise mitigation of 5 dB or more means an audible improvement. If road traffic causes a noise level of 80 dB, opened windows or doors admit the full 80 dB of noise. Window glass mm thic can filter out 30 dB of noise; consequently, only 50 dB, i.e. much less, of the traffic noise is audible to people through the closed window. If, however, the window is capable of absorbing 40 dB, only the remaining 40

Figure 1: An overview of typical noises and their measured volumes

NOISE SOURCES AND PERCEPTION

igure mm thi film of film between two plies of mm glass


a gas that keeps the heat inside a heated room in winter and the heat out of a cooled room in summer.

Such multiple glazing is just as capable of filtering out sound. A construction consisting of two plies of 4 mm glass with a 20 mm cavity attenuates the sound by about 33 dB. This value can be improved by increasing the glass thickness and/or the distance between the plies. As in the above example, the pane of ordinary glass can be replaced with a pane of laminated safety glass. If both are replaced, sound attenuation of 53 dB is achieved.

This means that, given 80 dB of traffic noise, ordinary multiple glazing admits 47 dB of noise, while heavy multiple glazing allows only 27 dB of

noise through. With thick double glazing, the noise is reduced to 1/5 of that admitted by the opened window. A double-glazed window with PVB film in one or both glass plies thus provides not only the best acoustic protection but also the best thermal insulation in summer and winter. And this window also increases protection from burglary.

But sound also has another peculiarity: the difference between sounds of low, medium and high pitch. The sound from a noise source spreads in waves, much like those caused by a stone dropped into a pool of water, but normally consists of vibrations propagated in the air. Low-pitched sounds consist

Figure 4: Different degrees ofattenuation for different frequencies of sound or noise

Figure 3: Sound attenuation with different damping layers

SOUND INSULATION WITH MONOLITHIC

ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE OF TROSIFOL® SOUND CONTROL

of low-frequency waves and high-pitched sounds of high-frequency waves. Frequency is the number of waves per unit time, and the unit for this in physics is hertz (Hz).

The young human ear hears sound in a range from 10 to 18000 Hz, while the range for old people is only about 100 to 10000 Hz (old people often need hearing aids). Frequencies below 1000 Hz are deep, rumbling sounds, e.g. of car, ship or aircraft engines. All tones between 1000 and 8000 Hz are contained in normal road traffic noise – this is the medium frequency range. Sounds from 8000 to 18000 Hz are high-frequency or high-pitched, e.g. the piping of a whistle or high-


pitched wind instruments in music. ounds of even higher frequency that the human ear is incapable of hearing are known as ultrasound. uch sound is audible to certain animals such as dogs dog whistle and bats in particular use ultrasound to enable them to navigate in flight in the dark.

The window glass in the example mentioned is capable of filtering out different frequencies of noise to different extents. Glass is capable of attenuating sound mainly in the range from 50 to

. igure shows the different degrees of attenuation for different frequencies of sound or noise.

ound attenuation performance differs from one glass type to the next be it a single pane of glass, laminated glass, multiple gla ing or combinations of these.

The sound attenuation of

different types of glass can be measured on a sound test installation in a test laboratory.

glass unit always of the same standardised si e is fitted with putty in an opening in a wall. t the front, a sound source projects sound of a given frequency

against the glass li e traffic noise assaulting the window of a house and behind the glass is a microphone that measures the admitted sound volume in relation to frequency.

computer program then calculates a “mean sound attenuation value” from this.

nd from this value it is possible to decide which glass can be used for which sound insulation window.

The highest sound attenuation values are achieved by laminated safety glass with special PVB acoustic film best of all in double gla ing. or several years triple gla ing has been available and even better sound attenuation is achieved if the two outer panes consist of laminated safety glass. These constructions also have the best thermal insulation in addition.

sound attenuating film is created with a monolayer (= a

single soft layer or with a triplelayer or tri layer film a thin soft layer between two normal layers .

The tri layer film is used in automotive and architectural gla ing and the monolayer exclusively in architectural gla ing. The tri layer film is slightly easier to process in laminated safety glass particularly for large-format gla ing the optics particularly with the above-mentioned two plies of laminated safety glass are much better with the monolayer film because it does not have any additional boundary layers. The acoustic properties, however, are comparable.

ince the monolayer film is used exclusively in architectural gla ing it is given very high adhesion. In addition, the film is much better able to compensate for the unevenness of wavy toughened glass fully tempered glass .

s we have seen multiple gla ing with one or more panes of laminated safety glass and special PVB acoustic film provide the best protection from environmental noise igure . nyone who lives in an area exposed to high levels of noise, has no alternative but to resort to special sound attenuation gla ing. acoustic film permits undisturbed sleep and provides protection from illness caused by constant exposure to noise.

igure nvitations for tenders for building windows in erman are sub e t to the familiar tables of uideline

supplemented b the standard ound prote tion in building onstru tion

When you perform well. it shows!

FAÇADE CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR


FAÇADE & FENESTRATION CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR


Winning for the 4th consecutive time ‘the facade contractor of the year.’

With remarkable architectural creations in hand, GWS is committed to offer projectsthat are tailor-made to transform dreams into reality. GWS is committed to fulfil

interests by engaging clients as partners and achieving goals with a vision to be acatalyst to build strong and lifelong relationships that leads to a path of success

www.brijde

sign

stud

io.com


Indian buildings that evolved over a period of time in harmony with nature.

Building Façades

Façades as a building envelope form the outer skins of buildings as a project image and creative intent. The façade is also the focal point of the

With rapid urbanization in developing countries, need to reduce environmental impact and building energy costs have never been greater. Indian construction industry is at a critical juncture wherein it has to balance the demand of low cost construction but simultaneously comply with the stringent environmental & efficiency norms that are becoming order of the day.

Building services engineers now have the capability to challenge existing concepts for energy reduction and investigate alternate materials and façade configurations that affect building’s electro-mechanical designs and have a direct consequential impact on the project’s capital and operating costs.

With majority of buildings in India expected to be constructed in next three decades, the experts are working towards creating a balance between the technology from western world and old wisdom of Green Boulevard at Sector 62, Noida – Platinum Rated building

Analytics of Façades for High Performance Buildings

About the Author:

Ashish Jain heads Sustainability & Green Building business at AEON

and has over 12 years of work experience in the field of green buildings,

sustainability, BIM, interior design and architecture. He has been

heading sustainability groups in India and Dubai. Ashish has worked on

passive design strategies and energy efficient design of various building

types and has presented many papers. His core expertise is in advising

architects, engineers and other professionals of the building industry in

sustainability and positively influencing their designs in order to reduce

energy consumption and the negative impacts on the environment.

He is a founding member of Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG) at

AECOM and a Core Committee member of IGBC Green Homes Rating

System.

Ashish Jain,Director, AEON Integrated

Building Design Consultants

Tech Talk


Facade Implications on Occupant Health& Performance

Performance enhancement is more likely to come from a different set of building features and attributes that affect performance. Lighting that produces glare or visual discomfort is more likely to be associated with headaches and eye problems. Glare due to direct solar penetration and due to the lack of luminous uniformity across the space distorts the perception of good indoor day lighting.

As per a field study of office workers, it is found that workers who had window views of nature felt less frustrated and more patient, and reported more overall life satisfaction and better health than workers who did not have visual access to the outdoors or whose view consisted of built elements only. The positive effects of nature may also extend to the immune system, thereby directly affecting human physical health.

Thereby, one of the perennial challenges in designing facades is to achieve an even distribution of diffused daylight across the building section.

Use of Computer Simulations for Façade Optimization

In order to achieve optimized façade design from energy efficiency, Cost efficiency and occupant comfort perspective, there are specialized computer simulations conducted viz. Wind CFD Analysis, Solar &Daylight Analysis, Glare & Visual Comfort Analysis, Natural Ventilation Analysis etc.

Energy efficiency in a building design because it works as the first frontier to face the intense heat and a major source of heat ingress into the buildings. As an enclosing building component, it connects or separates the interior and the exterior. All components of the building façade, therefore need to work together to regulate the indoor environment, responding to heating, cooling, ventilation, and natural lighting needs. It must balance requirements for ventilation and daylight while providing thermal protection appropriate to the local climatic conditions.

The optimally designed building façade is an important factor not only for achieving the energy efficiency, but also the human comfort for which the buildings are actually designed. A thoughtfully designed skin can make a new building work more effectively for its owners, occupants and environment. It can also transform the performance of an existing building. Trends & Implications of Façade Designs

Traditionally we had buildings with thick walls, small windows, huge attics and cross-ventilation. The trend has gradually emerged in recent decade, driven largely by the pursuit of transparency in the building facade. Use of glazed façades in modern buildings gained popularity because of enhanced views, building’s reputation and attracting International companies. However, if not designed consciously, these design approaches have significant impact on capital cost of electrical and mechanical systems and building’s subsequent operational cost.

In addition to economic aspects, building façades have both positive and negative effects on work performance as well. Negative effects are associated with discomforts, distractions or health risks that interfere with peoples’ ability to do their work whereas positive impacts are associated with enhancing work performance, psychosocial well-being, and health to enhance the overall performance. Fig.1:Pattern of direct sun ingress into space & placement of

workstation for glare free daylight


These computer simulations conducted at different stages of the projects help optimize the building designs to enhance performance and achieve comfort at the same time. The simulations are aimed to evaluate building designs for identifying potential concerns and providing solutions to ensure appropriate façade design by identifying the most feasible and cost effective options for the project. The quantified results help owners, architects and engineers to take informed design decisions.

Fig.1 and 2 are the images which demonstrate the pattern of direct sun ingress into space and subsequent placement of workstation to achieve glare free daylight in indoor spaces:

Fig.3 is the image of Wind CFD analysis conducted to optimize the window openings within the courtyard of this office building.

Facades of Future

Catering to the demands of an ever expanding industry and innovative designers, the future technologies in building facades will provide better efficiency, aesthetics and commercial value to the

developments addressing a wider spectrum of issues covering following:

• FacadesGeneratingPowerPhotoVoltaicGlass Unit (PGU)

Building integrated photovoltaic’s capture the solar radiations and turn it into energy. A high level of energy generation (up to 12 per cent efficiency) can be generated through Photovoltaic Glass unit. The advantage of this technology is that it is allowing the usage of fenestration part of the building as PGU’s provides transparency to human eye up to 70per cent.

• LivingFacades

A living facade is a vertical surface incorporating vegetation into its structure or face to facilitate various aesthetic, environmental, social or economic functions and benefits. While research and studies on the subject are limited, it is thought that living facades could make a significant contribution to sustainability if properly integrated.

Also known as; living walls, vertical greenery systems, vertical gardens and vertical vegetated complex walls, they should not be confused with green walls (the process of allowing climbing

Human Sensitivity Analysis

Fig. 2: Computer simulations conducted at different stages help optimize the building designs

Fig.3: Wind CFD analysis

False Colour Rendering


plants such as ivy to scale a wall while being rooted in the ground).

A wall mounted, modular three dimensional, green façade system with plants showing seasonal interest

• InteractiveFacades

The interactive façade will have to include systems that correct or moderate the performance of the glass as the outdoor conditions change, also allowing for individual occupant adjustment of the indoor comfort parameters. In last few years, technological advancements have gone a step ahead as a result of which technologies like phase

Photo voltaic glass unit (Image Credits : Internet Sources)

change materials, motorized external shades, automatically controlled integrated blinds in DGUs, motorized internal blinds are already available. This is a positive indication in this direction and buildings are certainly accepting the same depending on the respective business needs and project budgets.

• DualSkinFacades

The dual skin façade can be simply defined as a system that consists of an external screen, a ventilated cavity and an internal screen. Solar shading is positioned in the ventilated cavity. The external and internal screens can be single glass or double glazed units, the depth of the cavity and

A wall mounted, modular three dimensional, green façade system with plants showing seasonal interest (Image Credits : Internet Sources)


the type of ventilation depend on environmental conditions, the desired envelope performance and the overall design of the building including environmental systems.

• FacadesEnhancingIndoorEnvironment–GrowingFreshAir

Most developing countries have high pollution levels and as a result the indoor environment can be even more polluted. Drawing ventilation air through a green façade or a greenhouse offers a potential to counter the toxins, VOC’s, microbial infections etc. in an air-conditioned building.

• FacadesAddressingFoodCrises–Hydroponics

The idea that fruits and vegetables can grow with water, light and nutrients are the basis of hydroponic: one of the innovative systems of making the building self-sustaining. There have been other numerous advantages of this system as well. A reduction is seen in street level concentrations up to 40 per cent for NO2 and 60 per cent for particulate matter. They potentially contribute to an increase in biodiversity in urban areas by providing a habitat for birds etc. The most important aspect is their “Rejuvenating effect” on the living creatures around as they contribute in softening of the urban landscape and allowing buildings to seem more ‘natural’ and pleasing for the people.

Conclusion

Energy efficiency is a primary challenge in today’s commercial construction industry. How important are energy efficiency gains from a building envelope is a topic that is gaining momentum amongst industry-leading architects and design firms. In order to address a few paramount issues in the industry, with ever-increasing pressure for the dual objectives of higher performance and improved payback calculation to stakeholders, innovative trends and forces shaping the future of building skin contains the answer of many unfolded domains.

Motorized external shades, automatically controlled integrated blinds (Image Credits : Internet Sources)

Summer Operations Winter Operations


Fluidity in Form

About the Architect

Mumbai-based Sanjay Puri Architects was established in 1992

which now has a strength of 72 people. The �rm has won 63

international awards including seven World Architecture Festival

Awards, three Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture &

Designs International Architecture Awards, four A+ Architizer New

York Awards, three Hospitality Design New York Awards, two SARA

(Society of American Registered Architects) Awards and 14 MIPIM

Architecture Review Future Projects Awards in Cannes.

Sanjay Puri graduated in 1988 from the Academy of Architecture,

Mumbai. He has participated in the Venice Architecture Biennale

in 2014, and was a jury member at the World Architecture Festivals

in Barcelona & Singapore, and the Plan Perspective Awards, Milan.

He has been a speaker at architecture conventions in Barcelona,

Belgrade, Singapore, London, Amsterdam, Milan, Venice & Bologna.

The �rm believes in exploring spatial relationships innovatively and

evolving contextual sustainable design solutions.

Project

Sanjay PuriPrincipal Architect, Sanjay Puri Architects, Mumbai


Fluid forms enmeshed together in parts and emerging from each other in parts constitute this small building. Within an extremely small plot measuring only 1300 sq m, a mixed use building programme based on the client’s needs had to be adhered to.

Worldwide, most public buildings for arts are created on large parcels of land with large built up areas allowing for generous circulation spaces, large gallery spaces are mostly planned in one or two levels, most on plots of area over 8000 Sq m.

On this small plot of only 1300 Sq m. in an upcoming business hub in Mumbai, we faced the daunting task of creating two art gallery spaces, an auditorium and a cafeteria within only 1000 sq m in addition to another 1000 sq m of office space, that will generate funds for the art society to be run as a social organization promoting the arts. With an available floor area at each level of only 450 sq m within which vertical circulation had to be separately provided for both the art society facilities and the office area, the art facilities are spread over three levels.

To allow the internal spaces to be perceived as larger, curvilinear walls fluidly demarcate spaces at each individual level and across the three levels, with small voids that provide visual integration. This language is carried through from the inside to the outside with undulating walls across the horizontal and vertical planes, creating a sculptural form for the art spaces from which a small office block rises above as a separate entity, yet integrated into the lower volumes.

The cafeteria is located on the northern side, overlooking an open exhibition ground and is provided with a small north-facing terrace space, usable through the day, as it is not exposed to direct sunlight. Although the spaces seem small in plan, they are visually perceived as being larger due to the seamless integration of walls and

ceilings, and the fluid spaces created increase depth.

Fluid spaces across the three lower levels house the art gallery spaces and their allied functions with walls flowing into roofs homogenously. The fluidity of form seen externally, with a concrete skin encapsulating spaces while undulating on both the horizontal and vertical planes, is carried through to the interior volumes making the entire experience as that of moving through a sculpture.

A separate entrance lobby at the rear corner leads one up vertically onto the fourth level, the office space, which is angled to allow the offices unrestricted views of the sea in the distance. The office spaces are encapsulated above with floor to ceiling glass panels in the direction of the sea. The office block is perched 6 m. above the gallery

Bombay Arts Society, Mumbai


spaces allowing the art galleries to be sky lit. Thus within this small 1300 Sq m plot, two distinct sets of spaces are created, each with its own discernible identity, and yet enmeshed together to create a uniquely sculptural building.

Project: Bombay Arts SocietyLocation: Mumbai, IndiaClient: Bombay Arts Society TrustArchitect: Sanjay Puri Architects

Other Consultants: Structural: Dr.Kelkar Designs Pvt LtdMEP: Rumi H. Bharucha Consultants Pvt LtdMaterials used for façade: R.C.C. framed structure with brick infill walls & the curvilinear envelope in Ferro-cement. Commencement Date: 15th January 2006Completion Date: 1st March 2013Area: 2165 Sq m

QUICK FACTS


Enveloped in abstractly folded planes of perforated screens, this 6 level office building creates a sculptural presence.

Located in the city of Jaipur in India which has a desert climate with average temperatures ranging from 30oC to 50oC through most of the year.

The building is designed in response to the excessive heat imbibing traditional elements. A glass reinforced

concrete screen that takes its inspiration from the old traditional ‘jali’ screens of the

architectural heritage of the region sheaths the building on all sides

further reducing the heat gain and rendering

the building very energy efficient.

The concrete screens around the building are supported by a steel framework with projections that vary from 0.9 to 1.5m . This creates an external periphery space for plants at each level that will act as further insulation from the external heat creating

72 Screens, Jaipur

Finestre e Porte in Alluminio-Legno AELLE-S 190 STH

Windows and doors in aluminium-woodAELLE-S 190 STHFor those who want a durable material such as aluminium and at the same time want inside of their habitat natural wood interiors. The idea solution has a name: AELLE-S 190 STH. The Metra systen that allows you to obtain frames large sliding through the use of frames compounds: the outer part consists of aluminium profiles, The internal part composed of solid natural wood.

• Ease of maintenance

• Maximum thermal and acoustic insulation

• Absence of architectural barriers

• Design of a high standard

• Inalterability and durability

• Resistence and structural stability

• Great comfort in smoothness

• Wide choice of finishes

Aluminium Systems for ArchitectureCurtain walls

Windows and swing doorsWindows and doors in Aluminium-Wood

Windows and Sliding doors Engineered Burma Teak

Wood – Alu systemsSystems for balconies

VerandasShading system

Photovoltaic applicationsAccessories Design

Finishes and Coatings

[email protected] Gaind+91 8130101999

www.metra.it

[email protected] Bhutani+91 9818392020www.mixxwindows.com


cooler office spaces within.

uilt on a small plot of s m the building envelope is restricted on all sides in plan as well as governed by height restrictions. The office building overcomes the restrictions of its small plot creating office spaces that are very energy efficient to combat the excessive summers of its location while imbibing tradition in an abstract manifestation to create a sculptural uality for its inhabitants. esigned as a corporate office head uarters the ground level houses a reception and conference rooms above a car par ing basement and office areas in the next levels.

Project: creensLocation: aipurClient: hree ement td

rchitect an ay uri rchitects

Other Consultants: Structural Consultants: scent tructural onsultants vt td

MEP Consultants: nil erma onsultants Materials used for façade: lass einforced

oncrete anels supported by steel framewor ramed structure with bric infill walls ost Tensioned lab

Commencement Date: Completion Date: Area: s m

QUICK FACTS

SectionElevation


R’World16 is a 5 cinema cineplex at Gandhinagar built on an extremely restricted site. To reduce the heat gain into the building in a climate that has average annual temperatures in excess of 35°C, the entire building envelope is constituted of glass reinforced concrete panels that are faceted and are 600mm deep. These panels are created in a rectilinear composition with varying sizes to form a collage. The building had to be built in a pre-determined footprint and no permissible deviations in length, width or height were allowed. A 4-level building is designed with the 3 lower levels housing small retail spaces and the 4th level housing a 5 cinema cineplex.

The retail spaces follow a simple rectilinear grid that echoes the grid planning of the entire

R’WORLD 16, Gandhinagar

A RELIABLE BRAND IN THE FACADE INDUSTRY

Sun Glazing has the expertise in undertaking facade contracts involved in the design, supply & Installation of the following types of works:

Unitized/ Semi unitized Structural Glazing using Double/ Single Glazed glass.

Curtain wall Glazing using double/ Single Glazed glass.

Leaf Sky Light Glazing using Insulated Glass/ Polycarbonate / Laminated Glass.

Inclined Glazing using Double Glazed / Single Glazed openable

Sliding doors and windows & installation of Automatic Doors.

Special Hinged Partitions using toughened glasses and Dorma / Equivalent Hardware.

Sliding-Folding / Circular Doors / Partitions. North light glazing.

Aluminum Composite Panel Cladding.

Canopies using Steel, Glass/ Aluminum composite panels

Tension Cable & Cable Net Glazing

Sun Glazing & Fabrication Office : 601, Adithya West End, No-12, Umanagr, Green Lands, Hyderabad-500016. India.Factory : C-63. Industrial Estate, Sanathnagar. Hyderabad – 500018Tel: 91-40-23400438 |Cell : +91 9849333011 | Email:[email protected] | Website: www.sunglazing.com

Sun Glazing & Fabrication is a leading Curtain wall Glazing Contractor in South India, involved in the Design, Fabrication & Installation of Building Façades.

Sun Glazing has been established in the year 2006. Initially the company has been manufacturing complete Glazing Panels in its factory for various projects such as the Hyderabad International Airport... etc. Thereon the company has been taking up turnkey Façade Glazing contracts for projects such as Honeywell, Holiday Inn Hotel, Nektar Research & Development, Alexandria Knowledge Park, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Broad Ridge Financial, SLN Terminus.. Etc


Project: R World 16Location: AhmedabadClient: R World GroupArchitect: Sanjay Puri Architects

Other Consultants: Structural Consultants: Snehal V. Mehta MEP Consultants: Anil Verma ConsultantsMaterials used for façade: GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) PanelsCommencement Date: 15th January 2011Completion Date: 01st April 2014Area: 8964 sq m

QUICK FACTS

Long Section

Short Section

Front Elevation

city of Gandhinagar. Vertical movement spaces punctuate the centre of the building acting as the focal town square within the built form with smaller streets radiating outwards from it to the small retail spaces as required by the clients at each level. The interstitial spaces created by the hollow panels serve to reduce the heat gain into the internal spaces while simultaneously sheltering the window openings from direct glare. The composition of these exterior panels is imbibed within the interior spaces in the central lobbies at each level and the cineplex waiting lobby at the 4th level integrating the exterior to the interior spaces. The building design creates an energy efficient building with a sculptural presence.

5 & 7, Udyog Vihar Industrial AreaGreater Noida – 201306 (U.P.) INDIAPhone : +91 (120) 4889000 (50 Lines)Fax : +91 (120) 4889001Email : [email protected]

GSC Glass Ltd.

GSC Glass Ltd.www.gscglass.com

Glass Railing Solutions

High load bearing capacity Safe to lean on

Systems Available :

- GL 130 Balusterless System- GL 60 Modular Aluminium System- Gl F50 Stainless Steel Baluster System- GL P50 Stainless Steel Pipe System- GL 150 Side Mount Railing System

- Clear Views- Railing & Glass from single Source- Designed to specifications- Value engineered solutions- Easy Installation / replacement- Compliant with most Standards

With laminatied safety glass Easy to install

GSC’s policy has always been to provide completely safe and reliable products to its customers.For us both passive and active safely is important. GSC, therefore recommends to use Tempered Laminated glasses with 8, 10 and12 mm thickness and an interlayer consisting of 0.76 to1.52 mm PVB layer or Sentry Glass plus layer for additional safety.

Safety First

Clean and ClearSafe and Secure


Domes and Sky light roofing adds architectural value to the building. Building domes is in vogue right since olden times, palaces used to be built with domes made of artistic facades together with brick mortar, which is predominant especially during Moghul regime. Apart from architectural value, domes provide excellent day lighting, cutting down substantially on the power cost. Modern day sky light roofing are built entirely with glasses, supporting panels occupy least space, allowing entire light to pass through. The sight of sky from within the building provides a feeling of nature, especially creates a good work or home atmosphere. It is very eco-friendly also on the other hand.’

Skylight Glass Dome for the Legislative Assembly Hall of Tamilnadu

Unifab had an excellent opportunity to execute the ‘Sky Light Glass Dome’ at a prestigious location at Chennai. In fact it was planned for the Legislative

The Dome of Legislative Assembly Hall, Tamil Nadu (now a Multi Speciality Hospital) designed like a Lotus flower

Assembly Hall of Tamilnadu State Government, (Now, Tamil Nadu Multi-speciality Hospital) Omandarur Garden, Chennai. The project was executed by the German architectural firm GMP International, with the local partner Archivista, under the able guidance and the contract of M/s. East Coast Construction Company Ltd., Chennai.

Skylights & Glass Domes

About the Author:

Sriram Subramaniam was born in a middle class family and grown

with the ambition of becoming a chartered accountant. Influenced

by his uncle, he stepped into building industry in 1989. He started his

work with a window and facade manufacturer at Chennai which drove

his passion for windows facade & glazing Industry. Later he wanted

to start his own unit and thus Unifab came in to existence and started

its operations in 1999 in a small shed. Through his hard work over

years it has grown to a factory over 15,000 sq ft with state-of-the-art

fully automated German/Italian machines, which can produce around

500 windows / doors and 500 sq m glazing per month. Unifab enjoys

the support of time tested residential developers, leading Industrial

developers and well-known architects.

Sriram Subramaniam, MD & CEO, Unifab Energy Facade

Solution pvt ltd

Project


Legislative Assembly Hall of Tamilnadu (now a Multi Speciality Hospital)

The skylights under construction. Aluminium frame was used in one vertical and one horizontal, which formed bed for the glasses.

stru ture formed the base and support for the whole wor onsidering the strength of the material

Project: Tamil adu ulti peciality ospital mandarur arden hennai .

Location: ount oad hepau hennai Client: Tamil adu ublic or s epartmentArchitect: s. gmp International mbh rchitects and Engineers ardenbergstrabe erlin ermanyOther Consultants: s. rchivista engineering

ro ects T. td. hennaiMaterials Used for Façade: ild teel luminium and GlassCommencement Date: anuary Completion Date: arch Area: s m

Quick Facts

The ome was designed to exhibit the loo s of a otus flower which had structure formed as the base and support for the whole wor considering the strength of the material and had consumed around T of material alone for the wor . luminium frame was used in one vertical and one hori ontal which formed bed for the glasses.

afety glasses formed as the design exhibitor. eight of a single frame with the glasses is close to ilos and such glasses have been used for the whole wor which is as good as . T of materials.

de uate care had been ta en to design the luminium support frame in terms of design and thic ness. lasses used were . milimetre triple glass and was double


laminated. A thicker glass was chosen for the bottom layer to support the weight of the two upper layer glasses. Enough tests had been carried out to check the strength of the glasses to bear the wind and other pressures.

The main challenge of the game was the ground clearance of the whole dome which is 30 meters. Unifab had carried out the job without using scaffolding due to work constraints. Specialized tapes and sealants have been used for the whole structure to stay as water and sound proof. The glasses have been chemically coated to make it allow minimum heat to pass through. The structure is designed in such a way that it allows the maximum light. The dome would definitely appeal for its architectural class.

Different stages of construction of the Dome. The Dome was designed to exhibit the looks of a Lotus flower,

and MS structure formed the base.

Fenestration

Fundamentals of Fenestration

‘Windows’ is derived from Old Norse

word - vindauga—vind+auga =

wind+eye. Windows are to buildings

what eyes are to the face. Windows

and doors blur the distinction

between the inside and the outside

world. They are de�ned as an

opening in the wall made to facilitate

ventilation, light and view. How much

of a building exterior is covered with

openings, in particular windows

and doors, how transparent is the

enclosing glass, and the arrangement

of openings are some issues of

fenestration.

We spoke to many experts on the

latest in design for windows & doors,

on latest technologies, preferred

materials and on challenges faced by

the industry. Here are some inputs.

Imag

e Co

urte

sy, I

nter

net S

ourc

es



Windows: The Design Elements

Windows are communication links between external and internal spaces as they facilitate one way or two way visual interface. This is guarded by the type of gla ing used location and scale influence the type of visual communication and link to the surrounding. For example, various types of traditional Indian fenestrations are mentioned below:

Jalis or perforations: It is just an obstructed vision Normal glazed opening: clear vision Bay window or Jharokhas: It is a transitional space between the exterior and the interior which results in a beautiful combination of space + light + visual link + exterior view.

Position of windows in the space governs the air movement, creating peculiar environmental conditions in space.

Windows as a puncture help illuminating and enlightening the space within. Its varying size and capability dramatizes space.

Windows as a scaling element: Windows becomes the external scaling reference for monumental buildings to assess the height and width of the buildings and to arrive at a proportion for all other elements with its surroundings. Example: IIM Ahmedabad.

Windows as a façade modulator: Depending on the size, form, number, placement and articulation, windows alter the perception of a building, bringing in aspects of lightness, rhythm and sculptural quality. Example: Hawa mahal, Jaipur and Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvanathpuram.

According to Madhu Chandhok, Founding Partner & Director of pip2020, a Gurgaon-based design studio fenestration design should be fit for purpose operational efficiencies and re uirements. indows and doors are major architectural components in building design. One has to consider parameters such as aesthetics, environment control, built environment of the surrounding, safety aspects, ease in installation and maintenance during design.

The placement of doors and windows in a given space is based on the requirement of internal layouts, light and ventilation, observes Kapil Handa, Managing Director and Principal, STUDIO DRA. Therefore, based on client requirements and costs, materials for the shutter and frame are selected. For external windows, considering the climate of India, uPVC door/ windows and frames have limitations in withstanding challenges of hot climate, adds Handa.

Manjunatha Hanji, DGM-Architecture at K. RAHEJA CORP agrees with Ar. Handa regarding preference of materials i.e., solid wood for high-end residences and Aluminium /uPVC for mass housing pro ects. ooden finish aluminium u windows are preferred for high rise luxury apartments/ villaments.

Vasudevan R Kadalayil, Principal Architect at Ecumene Habitat Solutions also agrees that in the residential real estate market, there has been a marked move away from hardwood to aluminium and uPVC, primarily due to non-availability of good quality hardwood requisite quantities. Conversely, Aluminium and uPVC windows are manufactured at an industrial level and hence are able to match the demands of real estate developers.

Technology advancement has seen the evolution of windows and doors from huge sections of frame and shutters to slim and standardised box sections of metal windows, to the present days’ slim and strong uPVC windows, says Shilpa Madangopal, Architect, Urban Designer, Associate Professor, SJB School of Architecture and Planning, B.G.S Health city, Bangalore. eplacing firm lines of shutters with crisp lines and minimalism characterize IIM Ahmedabad

Alstone International

Toll Free No. 1800-1233123 • SMS ACP TO 56161E: [email protected] • www.alstoneindia.com

Branch O�ces:

Bangalore • Chennai • Delhi • Hyderabad • Indore • Kochi • Kolkatta • Lucknow • Noida • Patna • Pune • Ranchi

2E/7 Jhandewalan Ext. New Delhi-55


frameless shutters. Sliding doors are replaced by sliding and folding doors since they occupy less space and provide more openness.

Abhishek Bij, architect from Delhi based firm - Design Plus, says that the reason for increasing use of uPVC and aluminium doors and windows for residential, commercial and Institutional Projects are easy installation and maintenance. He adds that uPVC ensures environmentally sealed interiors when compared to conventional MS or wood. “Preference of uPVC over other materials is because uPVC industry is an organized sector unlike aluminium. In addition, the myth of aluminium glazing being substandard is difficult to break away from”, opines architect Bij.

According to Fahed Majeed, Principal Architect at Kochi-based Fahed Architects, new products are launched every fortnight worldwide, but these products seldom reach the Indian market on time. On latest developments, Fahed points out that systems capable of incorporating solar panels for power production are gaining ground. Motorized shutters that open, close, tilt or slide depending on the orientation of the sun is another smart innovation. Smart Glass is now used in fenestration to minimize solar gain. According to Fahed, the next level of advancement would be in edge sealing detailing, drains and automated shades. “Improving edge conditions and glass fixing details would give us a product with better acoustic properties,” says Fahed.

Over the years, many European companies have entered the Indian market with well-engineered aluminium and uPVC sections. According to Vasudevan, such products are now increasingly prevalent in upper middle class homes. Windows with superior hardware have provided designers with the option of going for larger glass panes.

Doors A door is a moving structure which allow access to an enclosed space, such as a building or vehicle. Typically, doors have an interior side that faces the inside of a space and an exterior side that faces the outside of that space Doors normally consist of panel, with interior and exterior faces, which swings on hinges or slides or spins to permit access.

Doors can be of three categories based on function, says Architect Shilpa Madangopal.

• Exterior doors: More sturdy and strong• Interior doors: More elegant and slim and creates

a composition with the inside Ambience.• Balcony doors: Creating visual link between

exterior surrounding and interior spaces, becomes an integral part of the elevation. It should be strong and elegant too.

On trends, Ar. Vasudevan opines that the residential real estate market has been using flush doors which are factory made. Pre-treated and industrially produced door frames and shutters have become the norm. But in private higher end homes, use of

The façade is finished in exposed concrete, timber fenestrations, Wienerberger bricks and glass. The materials used in the façade were chosen to create a play of textures, earth colours, transparency and light. The use of Wienerberger bricks instead of regular brick masonry has reduced the cost and added to the thermal comfort within the building, longevity and fire resistance. The base finish texture of terracotta and use of wooden shutters sandwiched in glass compliments the building and its functions. The window shutters are meticulously designed to keep them from buckling under the load. Thin sliders of wood and glass are sandwiched together, providing optimum transparency whilst resisting dust, heat and rain. These windows slide either ways allowing maximum possible light to enter into the building during working hours.

The Amicus Group Corporate Office By Fahed Majeed, Principal Architect, Fahed Architects, Kochi, India


teak and other forms of high quality hardwood are preferred for door frames, with the shutters being either panelled doors with modern designs or flush doors finished with high end materials.

According to Fahed Majeed, people prefer bigger doors. Primary door is available in wood, steel, hollow core with veneer or stretch PCV. For framing, wood, MDF, ceramic, steel, etc. are used in different profiles. ardware used includes bearing hinges concealed door closure, etc. Flush doors are soulless doors and are used largely in low budget projects, says Fahed.

The trendiest door frames are ones that can be flush with wall finish They are pretty smart but very European, says Fahed. Fire rated doors are a completely different gambit altogether.

According to Kapil Handa of STUDIO DRA, pre-laminated doors and skin doors are readily available in market with designs options saving time in window construction. Manufacturers offer frameless doors, composite frames, louver integrated windows, slim aluminium frames sections, etc. which help in achieving the desired interior and exterior aesthetics.

The hardware used in door systems makes it intelligent by integrating new age requirements, observes Ar. Fahed. If tractional doors are not well sealed, it could result in marginal air loss, especially from the bottom. Companies like Hafele have launched systems that can be mounted at the door

bottom. When shutters are closed it pushes down a seal, making the door air tight, he adds. Metal doors are more reliable in performance. Wooden doors could eventually fail or face issues related to expansion.

Hardware

There has been huge improvement in availability of good door and window hardware – both imported and indigenous affording architects larger flexibility in fenestration design in terms of combinations like large panels of sliding-folding doors, or larger panes of glass amongst others, says Ar. Vasudevan.

Madhu Chandhok, Founding Partner & Director of pip2020

Kapil Handa, Managing Director and Principal,

STUDIO DRA

Manjunatha Hanji, DGM-Architecture, K. RAHEJA

CORP

Vasudevan R Kadalayil, Principal Architect, Ecumene

Habitat Solutions

Various digital massing models were generated on the fa ade of the ffice of Marketels, a renowned travel and hospitality company. The skin, in terms of a MS jaali, provided the much needed relief from the harsh summer sun and also carries the world map which symbolizes Marketels’ playing field. Each module of the aali comprises of 4’x2’ MS panels hand cut to conform to a precise template generated by an algorithm. A relatively mature digital algorithm provides accurate 3-dimentional data in terms of turn-lines, bracing locations, mutations, perforation dimensions and this data was read by a very low tech fabrication team. 216 Panels comprising of 103 panel types were cut, welded, and bolted manually with hand held tools.

Marketels Head Of�ce by Arun K. Bij, Abhishek Bij, Design Plus, New Delhi


Architects Bij and Fahed agree that the developments in hardware systems are fast catching up. Hardware being developed addresses environmental insulation issues that a conventional wooden doors face, adds Bij. Fahed points out that the changes are in the hardware system configuration. “Better or newer solutions are available today in terms of its hardware and operations. The conventional window offered 100 per cent opening but the subsequent sliding ones gave only 50 per cent. I think we strive to keep our projects well ventilated and shaded as that is all that matters in the tropics,” he opines.

Fenestration: Design Norms and Applications

It is encouraging to see many companies venturing into the space of fenestrations – a trend that would have a long term positive impact on the way buildings are designed. According to Vasudevan of Ecumene Habitat Solutions, fenestration design is inherently tied up with the architectural character of a building. Hence the first design criteria one would examine is the composition of the fenestration in terms of the materiality of the windows, size of the window panes, the thickness of the frame members, colour of the frame and the overall character that one wants to portray in the building. Architects need to have clear understanding of climatic factors and effects of the weather on the fenestrations during design.

Architect Bij observes that the design and application of door and windows is directly dependent on the end use. It would vary from residential to commercial and also within each program, depending on the specific micro-programmes. Orientation, opening dimensions, fresh air charge required, HVAC, views, aesthetics etc. also play a pivotal role in deciding the application. The challenge is to balance cost with respect to the glazing size, says Bij. Every client favours a large opening, but with greater insulation and lower cost.

According to Manjunatha of K. RAHEJA CORP, fenestration element in a form-based code typically describes the required amount of window and door area as a percentage of the wall—for example 30 to 90 percent of a commercial ground floor facade, and 20 to 70 percent of the upper story facade.

Shilpa Madangopal, Architect, Urban Designer, Associate Professor, SJB School of Architecture and Planning

Abhishek Bij, Architect, Design Plus, New Delhi

Fahed Majeed, Principal Architect, Fahed Architects, Kochi, India

West facing wall having Bed room windows given at the corners to reduce heat radiation. (image courtesy: Shilpa Madangopal)


This range varies depending on the context. While calculating the opening area of a door or window, many form-based coders exclude non-transparent parts such as lintels, frames, sills, and mullions. Historically, fenestration didn’t take up a large percentage of walls, but now a days this percentage is relatively more.

Ar. Shilpa Madangopal says that window area, as per building norms, should be one tenth the area of habitable rooms. Size of the window depends on the use of room that light requirements. Window wall ratio should be 60 per cent and skylight ratio should be 5 per cent as per ECBC 2007 code.

Architect Chandok observes that window standards are now shifting from hading oefficient to

olar eat ain oefficient which is defined as that fraction of incident solar radiation that actually enters a building through the window assembly as heat gain. It is therefore necessary to keep these aspects in mind while specifying the type of glazing.

Sustainability & Window Designs

Natural light and ventilation are key elements for a healthy lifestyle. Depending on the region and its climate, it becomes essential to balance the amount of natural light with direct sun-light. Similarly, a balance between natural ventilation and mechanically conditioning of interior spaces is essential. For commercial spaces, air exchange is managed by HVAC systems whereas residential buildings may not have this luxury. Carefully planned vents/tilt-turns provide better interior environment.

Architect Manjunatha Hanji of K RAHEJA CORP points out that fenestration influences the social character of public spaces in terms of gelling with other buildings in the vicinity to create a visually harmonized and immersive landscape.

Most traditional homes in India have small windows. According to Ar. Vasudevan, this serves two purposes first to eep the interiors cool in the absence of active ventilation systems. Second, in traditionally agrarian communities, interior darkness is a welcome relief for people engaged in largely outdoor work. However, there has been a cultural shift to have well lit internal spaces of late. Proper fenestration design with right orientation can result in well-lit spaces devoid of unnecessary glare.

Daylight design is an important part of built environment. According to Ar. Handa, daylight provides a natural connection to the outside world and a sense of time, season and weather. Ar. Chandok points out that successful day lighting design should consider the use of shading devices to reduce glare and contrast.

How much daylight is adequate? Architect Shilpa Madangopal explains this through the diagram

ig.

The design for the pro ect ohini ansions ommercial ffice uilding called for well lit internal office spaces. The architect

achieved this by designing deep recessed windows with clear full height windows. fixed aali screen is planned for one third of the window to reduce the sun glare. All windows are openable to allow the ventilation. In comparison to a traditional façade of all glass curtain walls, this elevation treatment is far superior efficiency wise.

Mohini Mansions Commercial Of�ce Building, Kolkata by Kapil Handa, MD and Principal, STUDIO DRA


Guidelines/standards give minimum light levels required for different spaces with a view to minimize use of artificial lights. Some standards are:• LEED CI guideline • ASHRAE standards • NBC standards

Indoor Air Quality is an important factor in design. Architect Vasudevan stresses on the need for having fenestrations design with an optimum combination of openable and fixed panes so as to ensure well ventilated spaces. Software programmes like TAS are available which aid in modelling natural ventilation in buildings, he adds.

Maintaining Healthy Indoor Air Quality: Proper orientation of a building to capture the summer wind while avoiding winter winds can help maintain healthy indoor air quality. This is demonstrated by Ar. Shilpa Madangopal through the diagrams (Fig. 2):

and aluminium. Double glazing cuts the heat gain by about 50 per cent compared to single glazing and is being used for office spaces, he adds.

Heat Gain and Energy Conservation: Energy Performance of a building can be modulated by climatic responsive architecture design. • Considerations for hot summers: Solar heat

gain should be minimized by using proper external shading or the more sophisticated glazing systems. The buoyancy effects of the solar heat on airflow can be used to lead the warm air to the higher levels of the building, observes architect Shilpa Madangopal. Fortunately, this is in line with the desired airflow patterns for infection control.

daylighted area for windows

Total Daylighted Area for windows = 2H x (W+2mt)

Fig. 1 Daylight areas for windows

Winter wind not allowed inside the building

Summer wind allowed inside the building.

Fig. 2: Proper orientation of a building to capture the summer wind while avoiding winter winds

Huge window given at the stairwell, and side windows of the bedroom at the west wall

(image courtesy: Shilpa Madangopal)

Ar. Vasudevan also stresses the importance of well shaded windows through semi-open design on the shaded side and designing the sunshade to avoid the direct solar radiation. Shading is done using concrete slabs or louvers that come in wood, HPL


• Considerations for winter: In cold winter conditions, a high air-change rate is not desirable and could lead to low energy efficiency. According to Shilpa, building envelope design should be able to capture the solar heat and minimize conduction loss through the wall. Proper insulation of walls and double glazing is desirable. For extremely cold climates, a rigorous assessment using simulation techniques should be undertaken, so that the degree of cold is quantified. This would determine use of natural ventilation strategy for prevailing climatic conditions, adds Ar. Shilpa Madangopal.

According to Chandok, energy-efficient window systems minimize the heating, cooling, lighting load and hence costs. Results can be measured by performance based solutions using simulation tools such as AccuRate, FirstRate, BERS Pro and BASIX. Energy efficiency is also affected by improper sealing.

Passive Solar Design Strategies vary depending on building location and regional climate, but the basic guidelines remain the same. One has to select, orient, and size glass to maximize solar heat gain in winter and minimize it in summer.

In cold climates, it is important to have large panes of glass which can be oriented to heat the building during the day. In such places, well-sealed and insulated windows help in retaining heat within the building thereby reducing the energy consumption on artificial heating, points out Vasudevan. In warm and humid climates, windows placements that optimise cross ventilation help in reducing the amount of dependence on artificial methods of cooling are used. High performance fenestrations with double glazing, low-emissivity coatings, and blue/green tints, have become important means of energy conservation in modern construction, says Ar. Handa.

Acoustics

In increasingly noisy urban environments, architects have started specifying glass that can cut down noise levels. Double glazing and laminated glazing help in acoustic privacy. Frame sections in uPVC

and aluminium that have well engineered seals are important to cut down noise, says Vasudevan. According to Ar. Handa, proper fenestration selection is important to eliminate unwanted sound or noise. By proper selection of double glazed unit, air gap between them, thickness of PVB interlayer, and thickness of glass, the desired acoustic level of 45 dB could be achieved.

Property of the glass used can cut down the noise and heat transfer:

• Insulated glass or Double Glazed glass consists of two or more panels of glass separated by an dry air space (or gas filled space) which is a poor conductor of heat thus reducing heat transfer between the outdoors and indoord. Laminated or toughened glass can also be used as one of the panels. Insulated glass assists in sound reduction as well. (Fig. 3)

• Laminated Glass is a type of safety glass that holds together when shattered. It consists of two or more layers of glass with a layer of plastic film in between to which the glass adheres. It is also has excellent noise-reduction properties.

Challenges in Fenestration Design & Application

The challenge in fenestration design starts right at the allocation of its position and orientation, says Ar. Fahed Majeed. What does a window want to be? “I guess primarily, it should be able to provide security, should be well sealed, should be UV resistant and should be able to generate power, if viable. We are in the tropics and I think it should be like a breathable membrane. I am not comfortable with the idea of a window which cuts of air circulation completely when closed,” adds Fahed.

Fig. 3: Property of the glass used can cut down the noise

and heat transfer


More windows on north and south walls reduce the openings towards west and east. If a site has road on the west then it is a challenge to have the opening on the west side to create any kind of visual connections from the inner zone to external zone. Smart planning is required by placing a balcony or playing with the sizes and location of the windows to cut down radiations.

Most systems available in the organized market are developed in the west where the climates are extreme. For India, fresh air works and the difference between the out and in is not substantial atleast in coastal regions . If the structure shading is resolved it is possible to have a membrane that provides all the above feature and also breathe at the same time, says Fahed. The advantage with a mesh is that it facilitates unblocked view, good ventilation, and avoids insects. But the drain for this system needs to be well resolved says Fahed. A breathing window that minimizes the need to use AC would be smart for the tropics, adds Fahed. The size of the fenestration glass is still a challenge, says Kapil Handa, of STUDIO DRA. Bigger size glazing for uninterrupted views are preferred. But the

systems with bigger glass cost two to three times the regular glazing. Therefore, a designer has to limit the boundary based on available.

In the Indian context, Vasthu plays an important role in the planning aspects. For e.g., master bed room positioning is in the South-West. The biggest challenge for an architect is to control the visibility and noise while giving sufficient openings to maintain a good ambience.

Maintenance aspects of fenestration is an important consideration while selecting the window, says Vasudevan. Maintenance implications need to be amply clear to the client at design stage. For e.g. basic window cleaning requirement is a factor. Ar Handa too iterates that cleaning of the façade fenestrations for high rise building is critical. However various technologies like roof cars and suspended platform systems are available for façade cleaning at a cost.

Security integration at the access points is another important criteria along with weather protection at the design stage, says Chandok. Problems such as no flashings smothered or missing weep holes or loss of continuity in the water barrier are prime causes of leaks in window assemblies. These need to be incorporated and checked at the design level, explains Chandok.

According to Chandok, some checkpoints during the design phase that need to be considered to ease installation are:

Top hung products such as bi fold doors re uire structural assessment to minimi e deflection

ac ing is crucial to avoid distortion through settlement

de uate fixings should be used ollowing the window manufacturer’s installation specification for the category and height of building

Criteria for Best Performance Windows

Products like double glazed and laminated glass for fenestration are being considered as serious options

Use of uPVC windows with profile system of

erman origin aluplast and German hardware

oto within the budget constraints were achieved. Collaborating with the client on design, timeline planning and phasing of the project

for bulk production of similar sizes enabled Alpro team to work on minimalistic overheads and production costs by utilizing the huge capacity aided with automation. Reducing inventory carrying costs along with no timelines overrun and hence cost overruns are a vital feature for success of the project. Use of specially developed monorail system for sliders with one fixed and one openable panel was planned and executed. n additional snap on system of track for wire mesh was used to minimize cost. French doors with full opening, and double door without a fixed mullion in between were installed in the living rooms. The material, produced in a controlled factory environment, was lifted and handled with hanging platforms to control on site damage. These parameters helped the project to gain additional points on IGBC Green Building rating system.

Ajnara Grand Heritage, Noida by Alpro Industries


by users when it comes to sound efficiency, thermal comfort etc. says Handa. Different opening methods of doors and windows controlled by hardware, impact sound efficiency. Selection and installation of the hardware is responsible for efficient proper functioning.

According to Ar Bij, the following aspects decide the type and style of doors and windows:

• Program: The macro-programme (school/office/residence) and the micro-programme class/lab/bedroom/toilet/conference) decide the style and type of glazing.

• Orientation and resultant Insulation: At the planning stage, glazing is based on the longitude and latitude of the built space. Within this, depending on the N-S-E-W orientation of the room/building suggestions are made. A well planned glazing system effectively cuts down HVAC costs.

• Exposure to moisture, dust and similar environmental factors is another major consideration.

• Noise insulation: Cancelling sources of noise is critical and this affects selection of glazing. Here frame sections and glass (thickness and DGUs) play a role.

Agreeing with Bij and Handa, Chandok also points out the importance of incorporating correct frame and glass specifications vis-a-vis environment. Manufacturer of window assemblies should verify compliance with window rating or wind pressure requirements as provided by the client, says Chandok. Water penetration resistance is also a design parameter.

Ar. Fahed stresses on the need for proper mounting of the outer frame which is critical for performance. There is a need to comply with all known material technical standards and specifications when designing, manufacturing and selecting windows and doors. Once specifications are determined, including the finishes and hardware, it needs to be confirmed by the fabricator. Windows should be tested and confirmed for the following criteria:

• Structural parameters• Air Infiltration• Operating Force• Water Penetration• Ultimate Strength

Some of the traditional systems used in the west were smart. Traditional windows in Europe were two fold or bi-layered, says Fahed. The outer one with the parliamentary hinge is a louvered metal sheet and the internal one is glass and wood. In summer one could leave the glass open and close the metal louvered. This format also takes care of security while facilitating air circulation. As the construction market continues to ramp up, fenestration manufacturers need to ensure they are prepared to take advantage of growth. Key to capitalizing on growth is learning the trends, challenges and opportunities of the evolving marketplace. Companies should also consider investing in new tools and equipment, fostering and maintaining partnerships with their suppliers and customers, and gaining & parting knowledge and tools to maximize profits in the changing market.

Diffused light from the window given in staircase (image courtesy: Shilpa Madangopal)


Architects and designers are experimenting with the window designs which could keep the noise, rain and dust away, bringing in more sunlight and help keeping the indoor air quality. More advanced options in framing material came in to comply the requirement.

Steel framing took over wood, the conventional material for windows and doors,with the growing awareness of environment and serious concern over deforestation. Steel framing has its own limitation on aesthetics and versatility.

Later, aluminium, due to its versatility and economy, has made it a preferred material. It is available in various shapes and choices of colours, and its structural attributes allows it to be used in most of the projects. Vinyl windows and doors have enjoyed growing popularity due to its desirable physical properties, design versatility low cost energy efficiency and ease of maintenance.

Though architects like to play with voids and solid space on walls and place windows, the main consideration is its user-friendliness and its performance. Windows installed at coastal areas and high rise building should be strong enough to stand against the heavy wind pressure. uidelines have been identified under the IS 875, part -3 A commentary on Indian Standard Code of Practice for design loads for buildings and structures Part 3 for wind loads.

Windows should not allow the air and water intrusion under the windy condition. condition and should ensure

safe installation at high rise towers. While installing frame, it is essential to keep proper space between the aperture and window frame, inorder to apply proper sealant. such as Silicon sealant or PU foam for best insulation.

Glazing for windows should be selected to take the advantage of natural light, barring solar heat transfer, increasing the efficiency of air conditioning unit at the same time,cutting down the sound transmission. Window closing should be tight enough to restrict the external dust and smell maintaining the air quality.

Brand’s Perspectives

“Windows: Much More Than Just Opening in the Wall”

Nitin Jadhav, Product Market anager rofine ndia indow

Technology Pvt Ltd

T el ome aadodara

Large openings, multiple colours and finishes use of sophisticated hardware and increased performance of windows and doors are the latest trends. Today, we are seeing demand for doors as high as 3 to 4 m and casements as wide as 2.5m or sliders as wide as 6 m. Not only does the door of these types require engineering

for the right material and reinforcements, but more importantly the right hardware for the hassle-free movement of the door. People are preferring systems with integrated mesh solutions. The market is fairly divided between Aluminium and uPVC with high-end projects moving towards thermal break Aluminium. In uPVC, people are looking for options other than white.

Fenestration design norms are still in a nascent stage in India. In projects, they are limited to structural design parameters. In very few projects, concept of laboratory testing is being introduced. The costs for the tests need to be rationalized for increased usage of the same.

Fenestration design includes selection of the right type of solution with the right

width to height ratios, structural stability requirements, acoustics and thermal performance requirements. During installation, care needs to be taken for the cavity to be of correct size before the window is installed. Appropriate treatment of cavity with insulation foam and silicone is essential to improve insulation and sealing properties. The drainage mechanism of the door/window should be integrated with the civil opening and structure.

Maximizing light and reducing heat gain are the main intent of fenestrations. It can be achieved by getting diffused lightthrough solar shading devices, use ofhigh performance glass, and use of integrated blinds in double insulated. system with integrated wire mesh bring in fresh air and protects from the menace ofmos uitoes flies.

“Large Openings, Multiple Colours and Finishes are the Trends”

r eema ain ire tor lpro ndustries


Before selecting new windows for home, determine what types of windows will work best and where to improve in energy efficiency. If the budget is tight energy efficiency improvements to existing windows can help.

window’s energy efficiency is dependent upon all of its components. Window frames conduct heat, contributing to a window’s overall energy efficiency particularly its

u-factor. Glazing or glass technologies have become very sophisticated, and designers often specify different types of glazing for different windows, based on orientation, climate, building design, etc. Another important consideration is how the windows operate, because some operating types have lower air leakage rates.

To ensure energy efficient window it is best to have a professional install the windows. Windows should be installed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and be properly air sealed during installation to perform correctly. To air seal the window, caulk the frame and weather strip the operable components.

Green versions of windows are low emittance windows, which are coated with metallic oxide to block the sun’s harsh rays during summer and keep the heat inside in the winter, thus significantly brings down costs.

Double glazing and new window frames can make a big difference to the style and energy efficiency. The latest design trends in windows are based around the idea of conserving heat and renewable technology like solar PV in windows and reversible windows (the windows which can keep heat in during winter and expel it during summer). Using a small amount of electricity, advanced material -smart glass (electro chromic glass) charges ions to control the amount of light it reflects. In effect this glass tints during the sun’s pea hours and returns to transparency at night.

In today’s time, people prefer designer windows and doors that give a beautiful look to their homes. They choose uPVC windows & doors over the traditional aluminium and timber windows. There is more than 50 percent growth in uPVC windows & doors in terms of cost and productivity and overall usage. The uPVC products are considered as eco-friendly and it is a smart alternative for wood.

It is a natural insulator, hence provide a cool environment. While designing doors and windows, certain norms are followed. In many cases, uPVC doors and windows are explicitly designed. The main challenge is using the right product at the best suited space, at the same time, meeting the requirements of the loyal customers and setting high standards for themselves.

The basic criteria for the best performance firstly is to understand the absorption of area/space where the window or door has to be installed. Secondly, the designer has to decide on type of glass. Thirdly, the size of a particular door and window is determined.

igh performance fenestration features perfect insulation superb safety and minimum maintenance. These uPVC doors and windows have become an immense mode of energy conservation. Fenestration is based on three principal energy performance characteristics which have been identified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) to be tested and labelled on manufactured windows, namely: Visible light transmittance solar heat gain coefficient and the factor. Site-built windows and skylights may or may not have such tested information available.

“Select the Windows that Will Work Best”

“Bring More uPVC Technology to India”

Narendra Patel, anaging ire tor

Torfenster stem ndia Pvt Ltd.

anish ansal ire tor indow agi

avalia s ouse a ot pro e t b Torfenster is the s nthesis of life in materiali ed form

Top hung windows


About the Author:

aluplast, a 32 year old German company, is a world leader in uPVC Doors

and Window Profile Systems. aluplast started their business in India

in 2008 as a 100 percent subsidiary of aluplast GmbH Germany. Arun

Sharma, an Engineer and MBA, has been Managing Director of aluplast

India Pvt. Ltd. since then. Earlier he worked as Managing Director of HT

Troplast Group of Germany in India, one of the leading companies in PVB

films used for Laminated Safety Glass and Trocellen Crossed Linked PE

foam, for 15 years. He is a founding member and General Secretary of

IFF - International Fenestration Forum (www.i-f-f.org), an international

forum (NGO/ Non-profit organization) to spread knowledge on glass,

windows and façade technology.

aluplast is technologically equipped to provide innumerable window

solutions in India. Arun Sharma, Managing Director, aluplast India Pvt.

Ltd. answered questions about his company, their products and the fenestration market in India. Here is an

excerpt from his interview to WFM.

Tell us about aluplast and your business in India

aluplast is a family owned business and the brand is already in the market for more than 30 years. We are global players with sales offices and plants all over the world. aluplast manufactures highly innovative uPVC doors and window systems, which are well-known and adopted worldwide. aluplast started their business in India in 2008 and now is a well-integratedbusiness. I am am a plastic engineer with a background on glass. That has given us some advantage.

aluplast was established in India when the business activity in the sector was all time low. How did you survive against the odds and now established as one of the most successful players in the field?

“aluplast is Bringing Technology Ahead”

Arun Sharma, Managing Director,

aluplast India Pvt. Ltd.

Industry Speaks

Though we started as a small business in India, we created our own niche through our quality products and service. The market will get segmented on the basis of the products sold – basically on the quality and cost of the products. aluplast provides top-notch products and services since we stick to our quality. ‘Always being the best in quality’ is our vision and it is very clear. Keeping this vision in mind, we work on the excellence of our products, our servicing and support. We cannot have ‘cheap and best’. That is a wrong thinking.

Please tell us about your position in the Indian market

We are doing good business and our products are perceived as one of the best in quality. Our customers are those who are looking for superior products. Our sales volume is not so


instead of the small pigeon holes you see around. We are getting quite strong on the quality and innovation.

How do you project the features of inward openable windows?

We go for house to house regular campaigns. We approach architects and demonstrate our products. We have displays our products which should attract house owners and architects. In time to come we will have more and more display centres.

Please tell us more about your products?

aluplast uPVC window and door systems are one of the most technologically advanced and durable window systems available in India, offering functional efficiency for many years. All products are Made-in-Germany and developed specifically for the Indian climate to avoid discolorations of the profiles (U.S. test certificate). Our merchandise is 100% free of lead and other harmful chemicals (German test certificates).

Owing to unique technologies such as our coextruded gaskets, aluplast uPVC window systems

high. But those which sell largest in volume may not be best in quality. Volume or quantity is not our target right now.

India is a tough market, and it is very cost sensitive. Many companies try to encash on that. We are not having that option. But our products are quality material and hence the price is not always the factor.

What is your company offering to the current market trends?

aluplast is bringing technology ahead. Our company is quite well known as innovators. About 5 to 6 new systems are introduced by us every year in the market. For example now we are slowly moving towards steel free profiles. In Europe, the U.S. and some other markets it is a real success. Moreover, we have trained people, experts, who have the required experience.

What are the latest products that have been introduced in the market?

We have recently introduced a highly energy efficient window system without steel reinforcements and extra-slim profile appearance from outside for delicate facade designs.

Energeto® 5000 View is a new, innovative fenestration product for inward openable windows. With a U-value of the frame of only 1.0 W/m²K together with a triple glazing unit a U-value of the window of only 0.80 W/m²K can be achieved. With Energeto® 5000 View the window sash is completely concealed behind the frame overlap, creating an attractive design solution that meets the current trend towards clearly-structured and delicate facade designs.

Its outstanding sound insulation and various decor options available for the interior as well as its elegant outward appearance, thanks to aluskin® aluminium shells, make it aluplast’s most sought after innovation ever.

We have many patents with us. In India we are trying to introduce tall windows and bigger windows

Project at Janakpuri, New Delhi


offer perfect insulation from heat, noise and pollution, all while conserving natural resources and lowering energy costs.

Our window systems come with a 10 year guarantee and internationally highly-regarded European test certificates confirming all quality parameters mentioned above.

Please tell us about the range of customers you have

We are niche. So our target is not the mass. We have higher and upper middle class as customers. We do not target middle class customers.

What are the plans for this year?

At the moment we are trying to push the German concept because we are still living with the legacy of the British ruling in India and we still have outward openable windows. To convert our customers’ taste to inward openable windows, sliding windows, lift and slide, tilt and turn, tilt and slide, etc. is not an easy task. Windows, as fully engineered systems, which need a lot of expertise.

Please tell us about your plans to set up production units

We are setting up a state-of- the-art plant near Baroda. This plant will not only cater to the Indian market but to the whole of Asia. We are not targeting India as the only market with this. This would be the first aluplast plant in Asia. At the moment we are getting all our supplies from Germany.

When are you planning to start production at the new plant?

We should start operating the plant by end of this year (2015). For this plant, we have bought the land and are building it on our own. This is a longer commitment to the Indian market with full support to the ‘Make in India’ campaign. Believing in India, we are looking at the advantage of catering to our

neighbouring countries too to get some foreign exchange. Whatever advantage we get from this plant would be passed on to our customers in India.

You said that you are not looking at the mass market. How do you project your products?

There are two ways to reach the market. One is from bottom to top and the second is from top to bottom. Lot of people made mistakes when they said that they could cater for one millions of people. Ours is not a household product. It is a very technical product. We need to progress and our approach for the same is top to bottom in the pyramid. We don’t have any intention to reach the bottom, but stop at upper middle class.

What are the advantages of your products compared to those available in the local market?

Windows are products which need to showcase performance. One needs to feel the performance of the window by experiencing spaces. A window has to keep the interior atmosphere livable, keeping away dust, heat and noise outside . Our windows are very high performing windows.

There are very few other global companies who manufacture and offer a similar type of products. If they are offering the same quality product, it cannot be cheaper. We are committed to maintaining the quality of our products.

The large windows connecting indoors to outside world


Please tell us about some of your important projects and on the latest trends

We are doing a number of high-end residential projects but are not into commercial designs yet. We are into high-end designer houses like those in Vasant Vihaar and other flourishing areas in , New Delhi.

Windows are not artistic products. Design-wise windows have many limitations and at times it gets quite technical. There are architects who want special types of windows in their high-end projects like complicated arch windows or Georgian windows and large-size sliding systems, and we do cater for them.

The latest trend is concealed window systems where you do not see any hardware. We offer various colour options too. But we rely on performance along with aesthetics.

What is the importance of proper installation of windows to make them more efficient?

Installation is one component, but not ‘the’ component, for efficient performance of windows. If your total window system is not efficient, the installation can contribute little to the performance or towards energy efficiency.

Now there are LEED rating and GRIHA rating for buildings. How are your products helping to achieve these criteria for green building ratings?

Ratings such as GRIHA/ LEED are not giving much importance to windows. Initially they were not even recognizing windows; they were just mentioning ‘glass’. What is in a frame? It is just 1 percent of the total building cost. They do not understand the importance of window systems. They talk about a 5 watt LED bulb for energy conservation; but that is very less considering the possible losses due to air conditioning, which may be a result of improper insulation of windows. Windows are most commonly neglected. People do not understand how much energy is lost due to improper windows and lack of knowledge or skill for installing windows properly.

For best air quality, what kind of window system would you recommend?

Windows have to be water and airtight and should insulate the inside from the weather outside. Many companies are selling window systems without gaskets. So how can they guarantee water tightness? One needs to provide the whole system which should be superior in quality; does not matter whether it is aluminium or uPVC. If the gasket is not supplied with the window, the customer may buy it or may not buy. Hence the system which is not complete can never ensure performance. aluplast sells complete systems.

Many architects are not ready to use uPVC windows. Why?

India is slow in adopting any new system. In India, everyone has their own ideas. May be those who bought uPVC profiles from China or local markets at cheaper rates were disappointed seeing their performance, developed an aversion to uPVC

Vasant Vihar, New Delhi


systems and are now advising against their use. In India, always the fast selling are cheaper products. In Europe they go for quality. In India, the share of uPVC windows sold is just 10 per cent of the total window sales. In Europe, 60 per cent of windows used are uPVC.

In coastal areas, people still go for wooden windows. Why aren’t they trying uPVC?It is just a perception. Many assume that coastal areas may not require as much air conditioning as other areas of India. But also in the coastal areas of India air conditioners run 24 X7, all 365 days. In Delhi and other northern cities, air conditioners run continuously for only 4 months during summers but during winters and autumn it is not required. When uPVC windows work very well in Delhi, why wouldn’t they work well in coastal cities? Air conditioning is the reason for 50 percent of your energy bills. But if you are saving 30 per cent energy out of it by using better window systems this will definitely lead to a huge net savings. Aluminium profile makers are spreading wrong notions regarding uPVC profiles. No one will buy aluminium for energy efficiency. We have to educate people properly.

How do you project your products as best for acoustics?

We sell windows by explaining its 5 principles - Safety, Security, Solar, Sound and Sustainability. Acoustics is an important part when you are designing a window. Earlier all the credits were given to glass used for better acoustics. No one thought of the role played by the frames. But if you see, even if the glass is very thin, the frame helps to keep it in place. If the glass is well framed it can give better performance. Sometime clients give more weightage to glass and consider the frame has no role to play. But it is not so. We educate them.

Tell us about the refusal to use glass in residential projects due to security aspects

In aluplast we are talking about the whole window system. We guide our fabricators to use glass and steel in proper thickness, and best quality hardware

along with it. Sometime hardware is just installed on PVC. If your PVC is too week, it will not hold the hardware. That is what is creating problems most of the time. If you hammer a screw, it will not have the proper strength to hold the material, even if the screw is of best quality. Material and the design of the profile help better performance.

Groove systems are usually used for holding the system so that it doesn’t move. Proper technical knowledge on how to fix the system is very important. We are not allowed to sell any unapproved system. That is how our profiles are better than others’. All hardware is designed accordingly.

We have the best technology and knowledge on the systems. 80 percent of the profiles sold in India are not equivalent to or satisfy the stringent norms of European systems.

How do you ensure the thickness of the glass in your systems? What kind of glazing suggestions do you give regarding the selection of glass in window systems?

Our systems are customized for our customers. We do not advise to go for any glass which could break and harm the inhabitants. The customer has to define his priority, whether it is safety, security, acoustics, or other things. Accordingly we give advice on the systems. Every product is customized based on the needs and priorities. The glass for a west facing house would be different from that for a north facing one.

Villa project at Chandigarh


There is a variety of products available in the market starting from reflective glass to coated glass. We give options and the clients can choose. We some times give a choice of blinds too.

What are the challenges you face in the industry?

It is a growing market and the knowledge available about the systems is too less. Sales men come with minimum knowledge. They are just asked to sell, but the majority of them do not know or have information on their own products. We need to educate customers and users. Architects too are not updated on the latest available systems or the advantages of using such systems. Architects should learn and understand and keep themselves updated on what is the best available in the market.

We hear that majority of European brands entering India treat their system to match the local Indian standards. Is it so?

Yes. Many downgrade their quality to match the Indian needs and cost. But when they go to China or Middle East they keep their standards high. Our brand would never do this. This is the major difference between our products and those from other European brands.

Where do you see your business in another five years?

I would say our speed of progress is seen as double. We are moving with ace speed and other brands are helping us to gain momentum due to wider gap in quality of products between ours and theirs. Our speed would double up due to failure of our competitors.

Considering the window industry in India, where do you see the business in the country in the next 10 years?

In India, we can predict the growth as 5 to 7 percent in the next 10 years for the window industry and uPVC industry. Now our share in the market is very

low. But in the next 10 years our share will be much more in the pie.

In India, the window sector is 100 percent unorganized. But I would not say it should become more organized, but should become systematic. If fabricators become too much organized, the cost will go up.

Are you planning to supply for mass scale projects too?

uPVC is basically meant for mass scale project. The problem in India is that the developers are hyping the demand supply shortage. Appreciation is very high. We supply for projects like Ajnara and many other builders. Convincing builders to use quality products like ours is tough. But the builders’ mind set might change over the time. Window costs are about 2 per cent of the value of the house. Still they are not ready to purchase quality products. The outlook has to change.

We are going to the quality conscious builders and they are fairly open. We cannot reduce the cost of our products. We cannot negotiate, but can assure on quality. A lot of people approach us because of their bad experiences from the past, using low quality products. Speaking about choice and variety, we will come up with more and more projects, like now we are getting much bigger windows unlike earlier.

Villa at Chandigarh - another view


With an extensive sales network in 60 countries, 26 subsidiaries worldwide and an extremely wide product range of outstanding Architectural Systems, we are pleased to announce that ALUMIL S.A. is NOW IN INDIA! Their products are tested and certified by internationally accredited certification institutes and laboratories, such as IFT Rosenheim (Germany), A.A.M.A (USA), CSTB (France), ATG (Belgium) and Instituto Jordano (Italy). ALUMIL owns state-of-the-art industrial facilities in Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania, offering tremendous production capacities: 106,000 tons extrusion of aluminium profiles, 57,500

tons of powder coating, 65,000 tons of billets, 10,000 tons of anodized aluminium, 45,000 tons of thermal broke profiles, 800,000 m2 aluminium composite panels, 800,000 m2 polycarbonate sheets, and 10,000,000 m2 polyamide profiles.

ALUMIL offers a wide range of products, ready to cover every need, always in top commercial buildings:

1) Building Envelopes: Curtain walls, Unitized systems, Window walls, Cladding, Double skin facades

2) Windows and Doors (Residential and Commercial buildings): Cold Systems, Thermal-Brake Systems Hinged, Sliding, Lift-slide, Folding Doors

3) Entrance Doors (Residential and Commercial buildings): Cold and Thermal-Brake Systems for entrance doors, Over sized, Luxury Aluminium or Carbon-Fiber doors, Hinged or Pivot

4) Fire Resistance, Safety, Antismoke Panic Doors

5) Winter Garden and Skylights6) Partition Systems: Stick(capped), Structural,

Semi-structural7) Solar Protection aluminium systems: Fixed or

Movable Louvers, Light Reflectors8) Pergolas: Fixed or with Rotating Louvres9) Shutters: Hinged, Fixed, Sliding or Rolling Shutters10) Bullet Proof Curtainwalls, Hinged/Sliding/

Uplifting-slide doors11) Railing Systems12) Composite Panels13) Polycarbonate Sheets: Cell or Massif14) Insect Screen

Alumil Architectural Systems Now in India

Various Large Scale Projects around the world in New York

Innovative Hinged System for GOOGLE Headquarters

Advertorial

Outstanding sliding systems


ALUMIL India Team

The Managing Director of ALUMIL India, Hemjith A Vengateri (photo - in the center), brings with him over 16 years of professional

working experience in the international façade and fenestration industry. Under his leadership, a skilful team is dedicated to giving the best possible solution for every construction need. He announced, that ALUMIL will from now on provide its full product range to the Indian market and will take part in the architectural development of the subcontinent. With top European quality standards, ALUMIL Systems India will provide customized solutions, fully adapted to the local needs and ready to exceed every expectation.

Supreme series

ZEN Carbon entrance doors

Moreover, SUPREME systems are the new generation of architectural solutions which in corporate ALUMIL high standards in terms of technical quality, functionality and aesthetics. The new generation of Supreme systems offer:

inimal and innovative design Innovative solutions for large and impressive frames

igh energy efficiency and top performance

For instance, the S650 concealed sliding system allows triple glazing (46 mm) on very large sashes with only mm wide interloc ing profile and an additional option of a unique and very effective tropical water drainage system. The S650 also allows corner typologies and electrical automation.

INTERNO Doors by ALUMIL, is specialized in the production of interior and entrance door systems. INTERNO has 10,000 m2 of privately owned production and storage facilities, advanced technological equipment, high level of expertise, and an innovative Research & Development department. For example, Interior Doors

include Hinged Aluminium-wood doors security. In Structural Glass doors, Top sliding wood and Aluminium doors. ZEN entrance doors offer minimal and innovative design, coplanar surfaces, and top-performance in air permeability water proofing heat insulation, sound insulation and security. In addition, ZEN Carbon models are dressed with real carbon fiber that architects name as “The New Black” in architecture. Last but not least, multipoint-locking can be operated by code, �nger print or voice recognition.

In addition, with more than 12 years of experience in Photo-voltaic mounting structures for field and roofs installations, ALUMIL Solar is a dedicated Business Unit of ALUMIL Group that provides certi�ed PV mounting structures, produced with high toughness aluminium alloy (AI6005T6). The full range of PV mounting structures “HELIOS” are internationally certified according to Eurocode 1 and 9 speci�cations. The innovative structure designs, enable the mounting of all sizes of PV frames, for various PV technology patterns, thus minimizing the total installation time.

Alumil is among the top suppliers of branded aluminium systems for architectural use in Europe is NOW in INDIA!


FunderMax India Pvt. Ltd. with HQ in Bangalore is a 100 percent subsidiary of Austria-based FunderMax, which has architectural products for exterior and interior applications. The company is a member of the Indian Green building Council and the products can also be used in constructing green buildings.

FunderMax offers a wide range of exterior solutions (High Pressure Laminates) mainly used for façade and balcony cladding, besides others. It provides decorative cladding shield to buildings from wind, sun and rain. The products offered by FunderMax make it possible to change the appearance of a building in a wide variety of ways,

from exciting Nature, Material, Metallic and vibrant Neon and Color decors to Digital Print Designs. The ventilation gaps provided between the panels enable the façade to work on the principle of rear ventilation façade system which, keeps humidity off the wall and adds to the energy efficiency of the building.

FunderMax Exterior is a high-quality construction product that is available in large format panels for building facades and cladding balconies. FunderMax Exterior panels are duromer high-pressure laminates (HPL) as per EN 438-6, type EDF, which offer extreme resistance and durability. The weather protective coating consists of double hardened acrylic polyurethane resins. Panels are produced in laminate presses under high pressure at high temperature.

Other properties of the panels include Optimal light fastness, Double hardening, Scratch and Solvent resistance, Impact resistance, Frost and Heat resistance and Easy installation.The virtually limitless variety of possible designs makes Fundermax panels an innovative companion for architects. They make it possible to add an identity to a building. In addition, there is a broad selection of assorted formats and mounting variations that also create a whole different character for the building.

FunderMax for Wide Range of Exterior Solutions

Advertorial


Fire Rated Metal Doors from OzoneOzone Overseas has introduced Metal Doors with customizes solutions. They are manufactured in its newly established state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Ozone range of metal door includes Fire Rated Metal Doors, Clean Room Doors, Industrial Doors and Partition doors suiting to varied requirements. These Metal Doors are manufactured as per site condition depending on door size available & safety norms laid out by national building safety authority & local fire fighting and municipal authorities. Ozone Metal Fire Doors are

Louver, Full Louver, Square Vision, Round Vision, Vision Rectangle, Top Louver, Louver Top and Bottom, Transom & Transom with Louver.

one offers a range of fire rated door hardware that are used to fix the ire ated Metal Doors such as Door Closers, Panic Bars, Hinges, Handles, lock set etc. Using Electromagnetic door closer, a fire metal door can be integrated with Building management system that puts the door in secure mode on detection of smo e or fire.

tested for hours fire rating by CBRI, Roorkee. All Fire Doors are factory finished with epoxy primer and polyurethane finish paint as per size. It is available in different designs such as Solid, Top Glaze, Full Glaze, Full Glaze with Transom, Half Glaze Louver,

Products


Since 1995, the French company EURADIF creates, manufactures and sells PVC, aluminum or glass insert door panels, but also main doors in PVC, aluminum, composite, wood and with pivot systems.

We also propose security doors with outstanding designs, stainless steel accessories and automatic control systems, says Mr.Jean-Gabriel Creton, who looks after overseas markets for Euradif. Our company has become a key player on the French door market, thanks to its considerable experience, innovating products and its French partners network intended for the private individual, he adds.

What is the next EURADIF project in India? The growth of our distributors’ network and the creation of a website with which the private individual will be able to create his door, put it on his house and contact

a member of the EURADIF Indian professional network to achieve his project. This network will be established with PVC manufacturers and joinery professional. You want to know more about that? Do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail or by visiting us during ZAC fair.

Up to now, we have published several hundreds of products and we create 3 new ranges per year, from the most modern to the most classical, to meet all the needs of everyone’s way of life.

Today, our company counts 140 employees, 2 production sites and is driven by a strong economic growth since its creation.

We will be glad to see you at ZAC fair on our stand [email protected] – www.euradif.co.uk

20 Years of Expertise and Innovation

EURADIFDecorative Insert Door Panels and Main Door Manufacturer

Advertorial

McCoy Silicones Limited (Facade & Fenestration Division)

1800-121-6569 (Toll Free) +91 9958094312

[email protected] | [email protected] www.mccoy8m.in | www.mccoygroup.in

Handle | Espag | Hinges | Friction Stay | Locks

Rollers | Cylinder & Covers | Accessories

COMPLETE RANGE OF

uPVC & ALUMINIUM WINDOW & DOOR HARDWARE


Welcoming, pragmatic and informative discussions in a conference sends a positive message to potential customers and draws them into business. That is exactly what is seen in the third session (13th edition) of ZAK World of Facades held at New Delhi on 4th September in the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

ZAK World of Facades, India’s largest and exclusive conference on Facade Design & Engineering, is determined to propagate awareness on the newest cutting edge technology and perspectives that are revolutionizing the field. The conference lays bare a platform for networking, necessary in the professional world.

Iconic façades require all the stake holders to strike the right balance between a host of parameters from conceiving the correct design to specifying the optimum materials and finally putting them together in place to materialize the epochal, vanguard building envelope. With ever increasing population density and destinations getting farther, the demand for the latest and

Post-Event

Propagating Awareness on Cutting Edge Technology

best in technology and quality also has increased. The 3rd season of Zak World of Façades held at New Delhi, brought together a horde of new and efficient façade materials and technologies to entice the minds of the designers and users alike whereby the industry stalwarts tried to bridge the gap between proposed and practical. In its 13th edition, the conference had become a specialized forum in region, and discussed the latest innovations and challenges in the Facade industry.

The event commenced with a warm welcome note by Zak group. The event convener and host was Tariq Kachwala, Director, FG Glass Industries. ‘

The Session 1 began with a presentation by Sourabh Kankar, RM Architectural, Gujarat Guardian. The topic was “From rendering to reality – Principles of glass selection for façades”. Kankar spoke about solar spectrum vis-à-vis performance and design, sunguard applications and tools and calculators for glass selection. He explained various aspects of energy conservation in buildings


Mr. Tariq Kachwala (Director, FG Glass Industries)

Mr. Micha Pawelka (MD, Priedemann Building Envelope Consultants)

Mr. Sourabh Kankar (RM - Architectural, Gujarat Guardian)

Mr. KR Suresh (Regional Director, Axis Façades)

Dr Prashanth Reddy (MD, CEO, FunderMax India)

Mr. Jonas Upton-Hansen (MD, UHA London)

by effective control of solar energy through right coating and glazing, and this is to create better interior environment as well. He also spoke about the products by his company which could be applied on various surfaces based on climatic conditions, satisfying aesthetic needs, providing better performance, saving energy.

Dr Prashanth Reddy, MD & CEO, FunderMax India spoke on “Vitality of rear ventilated façades”. He discussed high performance glazing and shading materials. He also explained the proper use of shading materials and how it would help reducing power bills. Conservation of energy, environmental protection and acoustics are also important factors to be considered.

Micha Pawelka, MD, Priedemann Building Envelope Consultants discussed complex and challenging aspects of façade designs, He also deliberated on various guidance service. He explained various methods to achieve desired quality façade within the stipulated cost and time and added that inconsistency in design, lack of realistic schedule, inefficient budgeting, and de-motivated façade suppliers are the reasons for complications in design.

Session 2 stated with a presentation on the topic “Safety in Facades and Optimum Perimeter isolation” by KR Suresh, Regional Director, and Axis Façade. He explained the need for following fire safety norms and strategies while constructing buildings. His presentation


discussed various aspects for fire safety like evacuation methods, fire source detection, fire alarms, crowd management, need for compartmentalization, etc. As per National building code Fire rated glass should be used in buildings. Quality control of glass is most essential for the safety of buildings.

A special keynote speech was given by Jonas Upton-Hansen, Managing Director, Upton Hansen Architects (UHA) London. He spoke on designing façades for the north Indian markets, looking at the cultural, regional, economical, statutory, performance challenges. He said that façade design is of very low priority for builders and developers at present. The builders are driven by the demand, and hence the developments are very typical and dense in Indian

cities. He spoke on the challenges vs opportunities in the façade building segment, cost monitoring, tendering strategies and quality control of facades. He also explained various approaches for designing facades as building ‘USP’ (Unique Selling Point). Jonas elaborated on the need for façade testing and proper review process, and how streamlined façade installations help controlling the quality of façade. He presented his firms project “Michael Schumacher World Tower” at Gurgaon for Homested as a case study.

Antony John, Engineering Director, Schüco India, presented the case study of the Schüco façades at One BKC, Mumbai. He explained the project details and challenges, and the customised solutions by Schüco.

Mr. Antony John (Engineering Director, Schuco India)

Mr. Niten Patial (VP, McCoy Soudal)

Mr. Elia Lacentra (Exports Manager, Decoral Italy)

Mr. Sharanjit Singh (Chairman, GSC Glass)

Mr. Harish Gupta (VP - Architecture, Glass Wall Systems)

Mr. Rajeev Antony (MD, Schuco India)


Session 2 saw a panel discussion on “Façades for Sustainable & Energy Efficient Buildings”. The panellists were Harish Gupta, VP - Architecture, Glass Wall Systems; Amit Kumar Gangal, Principal Architect, Modarch; KR Suresh, Regional Director, Axis Façades; Manoj Gupta, AGM, Bharati Realty and Sanhita Chaturvedi, Director India, UHA London.

The panel discussed many aspects that contributes to sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings like optimum U-value and shading co-efficient for optimum occupant comfort; use of glass and various permutations for better facades, how to avoid over-designing, façade acoustics - miles and methods, double skin façades and shading techniques and daylight control and light shelving strategies. The session was moderated by Tariq Kachwala, Director, FG Glass.

Session 3 started with an enlightening presentation by Harish Gupta, VP - Architecture, Glass Wall Systems on Façade lighting. He spoke on LED integrated façades, value addition that façade lighting brings to a project, and Challenges in implementation of a LED integrated in a curtain wall. He also presented a case study of the façade lighting at Mondeal Square, Ahmedabad. He showcased many interesting projects too including Kohinoor Square, Wave One etc.

This was followed by an informative and eye opening presentation by Sharanjit Singh, Chairman, GSC Glass on ‘Spontaneous breakage in tempered glass - Cause and effect’. He discussed the reasons for Spontaneous breakage like impact of load, poor glazing, glass to glass contact, glass to metal contact, etc. Most of the breakage may not be due to nickel sulphide particles present in the glass, but due to various other reasons including badly tempered glass. Ne has to look for signs which reasons the breakage. Sharanjit Singh discussed various solutions to avoid the spontaneous breakage of glass too.

Tanuj Sharma, Manager - Railing & Façade, Kinlong India spoke on the topic ‘Taking Facade Solutions to the next level.’ He discussed various aspects including Cable Support Façade, which would be the next big thing. He spoke about various Precautionary measures & recommendations in the selection of hardware for facades on how to bring down the costs. The project, Chong Qing International Airport, (Sichuan) China, was presented as a case study.

The session 3 saw an intensive panel discussion on the topic ”Understanding Façade Process Management – FPM” and the panel members where Micha Pawelka (MD, Priedemann Building Envelope Consultants), Nikhil Jain (Managing Director, Alpro Industries), Pinaki Ranjan Bosu (DVP - Procurement, IREO), Mayank Bhatnagar, Ar. Viswananthan from RSP, Kunal Rishi (VP &

Mr. Tanuj Sharma (Manager - Railing – Facades, Kinlong India)

Panelists: Harish Gupta,Manoj Gupta, Amit Kumar Gangal, KR Suresh and Sanhita Chaturvedi


Panelists: Micha Pawelka,Kunal Rishi, Nikhil Jain, Pinaki Ranjan Bosu, Mayank Bhatnagar & Ar. Viswananthan.

Panelists: Surat Kumar Mantoo, Deepak Gutpa, Rai Singh, Ashwani Khanna & GP Singh.

Head, Projects & Corporate, Paras Buildtech) and the Moderator was K R Suresh, Regional Director, Axis Facades. The panel debated on various factors pertaining to façade deliveries, understanding and mitigating risk, the need for FPM Implementation, players involved and their roles, possible pitfalls and their avoidance and the combined effect of good process management on the bottom line. The need for coordination between the architects, structural and civil engineers, façade consultants, etc for the effective management and façade performance was discussed.

Session 4 started with a presentation on ‘’Sealants & PU Foams for fire safety in building facades’’ by Niten Patial, Vice President, McCoy Soudal. He spoke about the products Perimeter seals, Core fills and Fire barriers, which are important components of any building façade or fenestration. He also spoke about the products by his parent organization, MCCoy Soudal in attaining best quality products for the said fields. This was followed by a presentation by Elia Lacentra, Exports Manager, Decoral Italy on ‘Alternative finishes for new-age façades’’.

The session 4 ended with a panel discussion on “Façade trends for high end residential and mixed-use developments’’. The panel members were Surat Kumar Mantoo (SVP - Architecture & Design, Experion), Deepak Gutpa (Partner,

Dema Consulting), Rai Singh (Managing Director, Green Façade), Ashwani Khanna (Deputy Regional Manager - Sales, FunderMax India), GP Singh (VP & Head - Contracts & Procurement, Antara Senior Living (Max Enterprise)) and Rajeev Antony, Managing Director, Schüco India was the moderator. The panel discussed various topics pertaining to façade trends for high end homes and mixed use development including facade performance objectives for specialty residences, engineered system windows and balustrades, differentiating the facade lines for different usage in same building, rainscreen cladding and ventilated facades and various criteria behind choosing the window typologies.

All the three panel discussions were very interactive and many questions from the audience were answered by the panellists. The delegates too discussed various topics of interest with the panel members.

The 13th edition of Zak World of Facades was an event for exclusive business opportunities, including a dedicated display area exhibiting new perspectives on building skins and material technologies for the contemporary façades of India. Organized by Zak, this is a part of the build-up to the mega exhibitions on Glass, Windows & Façade and Aluminium Extrusions to be held in Mumbai from the 10-13 December 2015.


Giesse India, a subsidiary of GSG International S.p.A. – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of hardware and fittings for aluminium windows & doors, recently inaugurated their new showroom cum office at a brand new premises in Navi Mumbai.

The new office doubles up as a training centre for their partners and fabricators and encloses a huge warehouse ensuring a glitch free and timely supplies of the orders placed. The 8000 sq. ft. warehouse can stock hardware sufficient enough to service the whole of South Asia market.

Regular training sessions are also being conducted for the partners at the premises for imparting knowledge and awareness on quality fittings and installations.

Started Indian operations a decade back in Mahalakshmi in Mumbai, today, GSG International, commonly known as Giesse, is vendor to some of the most reputed projects and has provided window and door fittings to homes and offices and multiuser complexes alike.

Contact GSG International S.p.A - India Branch Office: D-362, MIDC, TTC Industrial Area, Behind IOC Terminal, Kukshet Village,Juinagar, Navi Mumbai-400705e-mail: [email protected]

Giesse’s New Showroom and Office at Navi Mumbai

Advertorial


Buzz

International Conference of suppliers to Construction Chemicals Industry of India, branded SCC, was held at The Lalit in Mumbai on 25th and 26th September, 2015. It was well attended by over 250 Delegates. SCC an unique seminar – covering Right usage of inputs in the field of Construction Chemicals was inaugurated by CCMA Managing committee. Dr.Rajan Venkatesh, VP, South Asia of BASF and Anand Gopaladesikan, MD of Wacker Chemie India were key note speakers.

At the inaugural session Samir Surlaker, President CCMA Construction Chemicals Manufacturers Association, welcomed all. Inaugural session exposed the audience as well as CCMA members to tremendous growth of Construction Chemicals Industry in India over past three decades. Nilotpol Kar, BASF set the tone for SCC by presenting Technology and growth figures. SCC was addressed by over ten international speakers

from BASF, Sika, Wacker, Borregaard, Dow Corning, Apple Chemie, Kerneos, Denka, Calmetrix, Wagner, 20 Microns, Yasham, Domsjoe, etc. as well as experts from India. Sessions were chaired by eminent Chairman with vast experience in Construction Chemicals Industry. The program was excellent and fully technical and participants appreciated the dissimination of knowledge.

Most important feature of SCC was sessions of Two Panel discussion viz, Role of Construction Chemicals in smart city concept and ‘Does Construction Chemicals contribute to sustainability’. Charles of Perma played key role in organizing this event and leading to success. Construction Chemicals Manufacturers Association, with over 60 members, aims at standardizing and marking Construction Chemicals products to give confidence to end users and Construction Industry. They are already a part of few BIS committees and many codes are in officing. n

CCMA International Conference

Festival of Architecture & Interior Designing 2015 (FOAID 2015), held in New Delhi, witnessed humungous attendance of stalwarts from the design fraternity. Presented by Hindware & Powered by Artt d Inox, FOAID started on a grand note by showcasing some of the iconic Architecture. On his inaugural address, Getamber Anand, President CREDAI congratulated the organizers for organizing such a conference. Architect B V Doshi, Vastu Shilpa Consultant (audio visual aid) complemented Team however, and suggested to hold such discussions at regular intervals in regional and national levels to secure the future of Design.

The National Conference saw the presence of delegates including the leading names like Ar. Sanjay Puri, Ar. Manit Rastogi , Ar. Reza Kabul , Ar. Naresh V Narasimhan , Ar. Vivek Gupta ,Ar. Ravi Sarangan, Ar Ninad Tipnis, Ar Dikshu Kukreja , Ar. Rahul Kumar , Ar Kalhan Mattoo, Ar Tanuja Kanvinde , Ar Rajeev Agarwal ,Ar, Nitin Gupta, Ar Raman Sikka, Ar. Manish Gulati, Ar. Sonali Bhagwati, Ar. Khozema Chitalwala, Lipika Sud, Ar.Oscar Concessao & many more who discussed on various topics.

The highlight of the event was the DESIGN ARENA, a learning platform, where 40 Iconic Projects were on display.

FOAID Celebrates the Glory of Indian Architecture


The visitors comprised of developers, corporates, project managers, contractors and the allied fraternity members. Design Arena also showcased 30 nominated projects by young designers who were the nominees for Architecture Ideas 2.0 competition. There were Creative Installations by

the students too.

The dignitaries at FOAID 2015 were over whelmed to see the growth of the event as compared to the last edition which took place in Mumbai. The platform not only celebrated Architecture & Design, but also helped the fraternity to interact in an open environment.

TThe Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that the globally-renowned architect Zaha Hadid will receive the 2016 Royal Gold Medal. She would be the first woman to be awarded the prestigious honour. Zaha Hadid is internationally known for her built, theoretical and academic work.

Given in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture”.

Zaha Hadid Announced as 2016 Royal Gold Medal Winner

Born in Baghdad in 1950, Zaha Hadid started her architectural journey in 1972 studying at the progressive Architectural Association in London. By 1979 she had established her own practice in London – Zaha Hadid Architects with office partner atri Schumacher. Hadid’s notable projects including the MAXXI: Italian National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome (2009), the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympic Games (2011) and the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku (2013) illustrate her quest for complex fluid space.

Asahi India Glass Limited (AIS), India’s leading integrated glass company, launched Glasxperts and Windshield Experts at the South Extension area in New Delhi on 13th August, 2015. The store launch was attended by Architect Sunil Taneja, entrepreneur Arjun Khanna along with top management from AIS.

Speaking at the occasion, Vikram Khanna, COO – Consumer Glass, Asahi India

lass imited said These stores bring us one step closer to our customers. An opportunity for us to give them all the great services we offer at a convenient destination. They can discover a world of possibilities in glass, for their car home and office.

Asahi India Glass (AIS) is India’s leading integrated glass solutions company and a dominant player

AIS New Experience Centre at New Delhi

Winwall Technology India Private LimitedFlat - D, Block - 1, Ground Floor, “Bajaj Apartments”,Nandanam Extension, Chennai - 600 035, INDIA.Tel: 91-44-24340422 / 24355940Email: [email protected]: www.winwallindia.com

AIR PERMEABILITY

Our Products Services

WATER PENETRATION

HEVAC (for Louvres)

STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE

LATERAL & VERTICAL MOVEMENT TEST

PERFORMANCE TESTINGOF BUILDING FACADE

Testing of curtain walls, windows and doors systems for water penetration, air leakage, structural

performance and seismic loading.

Curtain walls

Exterior windows & Doors

Storefronts & Sloped Glazing Systems

Skylight

Building Facades

Weather Louvres

Field or On-site testing

Third party witness

Consultancy

Inspection Services

SAFE FACADES, SAFER WORLD


and commercial spaces and is known for its technical characteristics of durability, hygiene and flexibility. It could be used for multiple applications such as backsplashes, countertops, interior and exterior walls fa ades and flooring. Techlam the large si e format (3000mm × 1000mm) is low on porosity, and has anti graffiti properties ma ing it an ideal surface for fa ade applications. collection of over fifty products with wide array of colors and patterns are available.

The new series have a loo and feel that is almost as rich and real as natural marble”, says r. i as esar ar ice

resident ar eting .

Inspired by nature the collection brings authentic visual appeal to the applied area. hile natural finish adds instant glamour wood and bamboo finishes add warmth to space. tone finish is edgy and bold and makes a classic statement. Techlam the 100 per cent green product has been well customi ed for the modern world by infusing shades of rustic colors in nature-inspired designs and is well-accepted as the exterior wall application

both in the car and building glass segment. lasxperts is

I ’lifestyle solutions specialist that delivers expert solutions in glass for interiors of homes, offices and commercial spaces. They offer an array of contemporary products, functional solutions and modern ideas in glass and lasxperts provides consumers with expert service at every stage from design and choice of products to installation. ith speciali ed nowledge in glass lasxperts

delivers solutions li e aesthetic safety ecurity energyefficiency acoustic privacy and doors windows.

Techlam: Large Porcelien Tiles from CMCTechlam, the large porcelain cladding tiles, is introduced in Indian ar et by lassic arble

ompany . ne of the premium stone companies, CMC has announced the launch of a new collection of en ex engineered marble under its flagship brand alingastone. The company is associated with the international tile ma or evantine for mar eting Techlam. offers over seven hundred varieties in natural stone as well as engineered marble and uart has always been on their toes when it comes to innovations and global trends in the industry.

Techlam the mm thic large si e slab collection could be used in the residential

Merger between Dorma and KabaDorma and aba have merged to become dorma+kaba

roup. The merger was announced recently. Thus dorma+kaba to become one of the top three companies in the security and access solutions market with pro-forma sales exceeding billion and around staff. Customers and partners will profit from a complimentary product portfolio value chain and geographic footprint. The new company will provide a leading product and service offering from a single source.

Earlier this year, the responsible competition authorities have unconditionally approved the planned merger of Dorma and

aba. Therefore the merger announced at the end of

pril was completed in eptember . ollowing

the decision by ermany’s Bundeskartellamt, the competition authorities in all the relevant countries have now unconditionally approved the planned merger of Dorma and aba. This fulfils another key requirement for the merger, announced at the end of pril between aba

olding head uartered in mlang wit erland and orma olding mb

o. a the family owned company based in Ennepetal

ermany .



In coastal areas or high rise buildings where the local wind pressures are higher, ENCRAFT utilises ‘Hurricane Bars’ as additional support to give further rigidity to frame members. ENCRAFT uPVC doors & windows can withstand storms gusting over 3000 Pascal’s which is equivalent to a speed of m hr. esign flexibility is a hidden

Wind-Proof Windows and Doors from ENCRAFT

strength of most uPVC systems.

The basic ENCRAFT uPVC door or window is designed to cope with ‘ALL’ Indian wind pressures due to its ability to insert structural steel reinforcements into the hollow main chamber of the u profiles thereby achieving strength compatibility with wood and Aluminium. The technical excellence of u as a material together with E T’s expertise and has been put into good use to introduce a modern uPVC door & window in 2008 that is proven over many years of service in varying climates.

All windows and doors are designed to meet extreme conditions and to comply with recognised standards such as the EN (European Standards), BS (British Standards), DIN (German Standards)and LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and esign .

urian presents Exterior rade Compact Laminates (EGCL), a self-supporting compact grade HPL (High Pressure Laminate) that’s ready to withstand every shortfall seen in other external application substrates. A durable and highly versatile product, it is recommended for exterior applications which need a decorative look and long-lasting strength. The material is decorative on both sides making it a functional choice for panelling as well.

The strength of EGCL gives it an added advantage when compared

Exterior Grade Compact Laminates from Durianto other external surface decoration materials. The laminate range is easy to apply, maintain, replace and handle. The sturdy range has been tested and certified by Environment and Public Health (EPH) for a life cycle of 3000 hours.

The collection can withstand adverse weather conditions owing to the imported nti raffiti ilm used on it.

The film provides extra strength for the laminates, protecting their colour and design from fading. The range provides a warranty of 10 years on colour fading.

The film protect against acid etching, gouges, tagging and most scratches. It rejects Ultra Violet Rays up to 99%, making the product UV resistant.

Along with being resistant to water and termites, the range is flame retardant up to rade and can resist borers too. Meeting the international standard EN 438, EGCL has high resistance to abrasion and is eco-friendly. The product meet ISO 14001 standards to reduce its environmental impact.


Façade is the Architect’s opportunity to make a statement. Modern architecture has witnessed fascinating examples of visually enterprising facade statements. The architect’s vision is exemplified through the use of design and building elements that can lend a sense of uniqueness to a building almost akin to creating a special identity that sets the building apart from any other.

In today’s world of technology and engineering advancement, the facades of buildings have found a unique place in terms of priority when it comes to construction. The mere aesthetics is not the only contributing factor that a façade can make towards construction of the buil ding, but also many functional aspect that can help this single element play a crucial role in the construction or post construction stage. The façade, in a way, can be seen as a sort of “interface” between the inner and outer environs.

By definition, good architecture implies an unending creative quest for new applications. The use of clay for facade cladding is perfectly attuned to this philosophy. Clay facade tiles have already been used for protecting dormer windows, gables ends and blind facades. But they also offer major technical and architectural advantages as facade cladding.

Facade and curtain wall systems are of paramount importance when considering issues of green building and sustainable design. It becomes imperative for a building construction specialist to understand the importance of improving the performance and sustainability of the building envelope. The high environmental cost to ‘all that glitters’ leads to increased energy consumption. Until new glazing technologies make technical solutions more affordable, many experts suggest that we should collectively end our infatuation with conventional

materials and look for more environmental friendly materials like “Clay” as façade options.

Wienerberger’s Aspect Ventilated Clay Facades have helped architects across Asia to create buildings that lend a special character to the neighborhood itself. A correctly executed facade cladding, with clay façade tiles, is an excellent heat insulator.

Thanks to its mass, ceramic has a high heat buffering capacity. The effect is as if the house were sheathed in a continuous second skin. This minimizes heat loss in winter and prevents overheating during summer. In addition, thick layers of insulating material can be inserted between the load-bearing structure and the ceramic facade. This facilitates meeting the strictest U-value requirements for vertical walls as well. Clay tiles have good acoustic insulating properties.

Façade elements made from clay whether in the form of facing bricks or cladding tiles, lie in subtlety, symmetry, natural elegance and timeless perfection, making this an interesting finish for modern buildings and refurbishments. Compelling harmony is even achievable in locations with sensitive planning issues like being adjacent to historical structures.

For more details on the product, contact: Wienerberger India Private Limited, 88/4, Richmond Road, Bangalore 560 025, Karnataka, India, T: +91 80 41491 682 – 11, www.wienerberger.in

Building it with a Difference

Advertorial

Call us to know more+91 80 4149 1682

www.wienerberger.in

‘Designing possibilities with functionality’

uPVC insert door panels

The revolution of main doors

www.euradif.co.uk - [email protected] - FRANCE

F RENCHORIG INAL DES IGNINDIA

HOW tO iNstAll an insert door panel ?

From 20 to 60 mm thickAdaptable with all uPVC & Alu profiles in IndiaTermite resistantStrong structure and glazingsExtruded polystyrene foam insulationAn easy-to-install innovative productEasy to cutDimensions: 2100 x 900mm as a main dooror 2100 x 750mm as a bathroomGroove and decorative metal piecesin the outer face only. The inner face is smooth.

Very easy! Just imagine that instead of installing a double glazing in your profile, you insert a door panel!Use it as a main door for the outside or as a communication gate for the inside.

uPVC & AluminiumReady-to-install main doors for your projects

Best quality & security!

Window & Facade Magazine - September/October 2015 Issue

Documents