In a conversation with George Philip from dormakaba, he  talks about the company's journey, their product range, and the technologies and innovations they have brought to deal with the COVID situation. Below are the excerpts… Please brief us on the history and objective behind the formation of your company. [caption id="attachment_41487" align="alignleft" width="300"] Image 1: dormakaba’s offerings[/caption] dormakaba is the result of a great merger of two giants in the industry, in September 2015. Dorma and Kaba bring together what belongs together. There are parallels between our companies’ histories that combine and complement each other seamlessly. Innovation has always been a key component of how both Dorma and Kaba do the business. At dormakaba, we multiplied our shared value by pooling our resources and sharing our experiences. Together, we strive to be an innovation leader in our industry. We will continue to invest in innovation, always to create genuine added...

Façade and fenestration industry is a technology-driven industry and innovations keep on happening in this industry. In today’s time, making sustainable buildings is the topmost trend in the construction segment, which is increasing the demand for sustainable and environmentally-friendly façade & fenestration solutions and technologies. Automation is another trend that has revolutionised the façade & fenestration industry. Being one of the largest industries in the Middle East, façade & fenestration industry offers huge opportunities as well as more challenges. The COVID-19 breakdown has brought a tough time for the construction industry, which had a direct effect on the façade & fenestration segment. But, it has also opened a door for innovations to make the buildings hygienic. Automation can play a vital role in achieving the hygienic aspect. In this cover story, we interviewed eminent personalities from the industry and presented their thoughts to know about the important trends, current challenges,...

The SIEGENIA GROUP develops solutions that bring spaces to life, with an innovative and wide-ranging product portfolio for modern window systems, door systems and comfort systems. KFV Karl Fliether GmbH & Co. KG covers the entire field of modern locking systems for doors. Our complete range is rounded off by SIEGENIA GmbH Sicherheits-Service GmbH: with products and services concerning burglary protection and window repair. [caption id="attachment_41029" align="alignright" width="300"] Concelled Hinge[/caption] The prospect of new room comfort is the theme of the future. We need the past to be able to design both sensibly and responsibly. Because tradition is the ideal basis for sustainable innovation. Even if we didn't call it "room comfort" before, we have been working on this for over 100 years. SIEGENIA INDIA PVT. LTD. was established in 2014 with a team of two Marketing persons and one technical person. With an ambitious plan to capture the Indian...

Q-Lon Polyurethane Foam Seals from Schlegel for Timber, uPVC and Aluminium Applications Specifically designed for windows and doors, Q-Lon foam seals from Schlegel combine the best thermal performance along with excellent long term recovery. The unique Q-Lon seal has been developed in consultation with the customers to offer the widest range of polyurethane (PU) foam seals possible for timber, PVC and aluminium windows and doors, window covering products and interior design. Q-Lon foam seals from Schlegel combine the best thermal performance along with excellent long term recovery The unique design has made Q-Lon the seal of choice for many applications. Authentic Q-Lon seals are impervious to paint and stain, while still providing some of the best energy saving performance characteristics currently available. [caption id="attachment_40704" align="alignright" width="217"] Q-Lon range provides a cost effective way of offering continuous high standards of sealing[/caption] Schlegel’s superlative hardware is manufactured in Europe, USA and the...

Curtain walls are one of the most prominent features in modern buildings. They are placed on the surface of a building, forming a barrier between the interior and exterior of the building structure and act as a protective shield. Its main purpose is to keep air and water out of the building and is subjected to weathering actions like wind, sunshine, frost, etc. In this cover story, experts from the industry, including architects, façade consultants, builders, developers and manufacturers of important façade components explain the characteristics of an ingenious and well-designed curtain wall, different types of curtain wall systems, the need for performance tests, challenges associated with erecting of curtain wall systems, reason for failures, common faults found in such façade systems and solution for the same. Characters Of A Well-Designed Curtain Wall [caption id="attachment_40649" align="alignleft" width="150"] Balaji Gunasekaran Project Manager-Associate at KGD Architecture[/caption] Glass curtain wall systems are extensively...

Sayed Anwar Ali is the Country Manager, of Giesse S.p.A. and has been with the company since 2007. A management graduate, Anwar has a vast experience in the fenestration industry incremented by a relentless drive to strive for excellence through sheer grit and an endeavour to succeed by attention to detail. His customer-centric approach and leading by example, have led SchlegelGiesse to be one of the apex hardware companies in India and the region. SchlegelGiesse provides innovative and high-quality engineered components for the fenestration industry. The products are sold into residential and commercial applications all over the world under the SCHLEGEL brand for sealing solutions to aluminium, uPVC and timber applications, the GIESSE brand for hardware systems in aluminium doors and windows and the REGUITTI brand for doors and window handles.

In an Interview with WFM,  Sayed Anwar Ali Country Manager, Giesse S.p.A. talks about his company, its growth, various products, facilities, the evolution of fenestration and the architectural hardware industry in India, the company’s contribution to bringing about the current revolution in the fenestration sector, some of their major projects, and the future of façade and fenestration industry in India. Excerpts from the interview... Please tell us about your company SchlegelGiesse, and yourself? How long the company has been in this business in the Indian market? [caption id="attachment_40538" align="alignleft" width="217"] Reliance Twin Towers – Navi Mumbai: For this project, we supplied top-hung multipoint locking hardware and it was tested for 4.75 KPa wind pressure[/caption] SchlegelGiesse came into being in 2016 as a result of the business integration between SCHLEGEL, a leading English company operating in the sealing systems market, and GIESSE, an Italian company specialising in aluminium window and door...

Philip May has worked in a variety of roles within the construction industry including interior contracting, architectural seals and architectural hardware sales during a 20-year career. Having worked in senior roles with Consort Architectural Hardware in the UK and the Middle East, he has now relocated to India to support their country head, Harish Sokhi to deliver on their long term goals within the Indian market.

India’s rapid economic growth and emergence as a top-tier world economy over the past 30 years have been well documented. This economic growth has necessitated the need for a whole range of construction projects. From a national and regional government perspective, it means new and upgraded transport infrastructure including airports, railways and urban transit systems to support future economic growth. Expansion of healthcare and education provision to improve the health and life chances of its citizens is also seen as a high priority. The positive impact on disposable incomes has fueled demand for high-quality, privately funded projects from well-built, safe residential accommodation, leisure and retail facilities and the expansion of the hospitality sector to meet the needs of both international and local business and tourism. Within this context, the procurement of architectural ironmongery has always had a low profile, but few items impact more the ongoing functioning, safety, efficiency and...

Contemporary Challenges In Building Industry Sector Use of mechanical door handles, manual operation of the door can many times be exasperating. It may not be on top of mind for people to close doors every time. This situation is not only inconvenient for day-to-day use, but also jeopardise the safety and security of the building and its occupants. The manually operated doors are also prone to hazards of cross-contamination in areas where hygiene is of paramount importance for buildings such as hospitals, laboratories, food processing units, public access doors and toilets. Unlike common users, opening and closing of a manually operated door could be arduous for people with special needs such as wheelchair users, children, senior citizens, the disabled and the like. [caption id="attachment_40331" align="alignnone" width="774"] Smart entrance solutions help to reduce costs and reduce carbon footprints[/caption] The carbon footprint is yet another challenge prevailing across the word. Global inventions...

Ajay Khurana has been instrumental in diversifying REHAU’s product portfolio and bringing new categories of Advanced Living Solutions into its fold. An industry veteran with over three decades of experience in building materials, automotive and industrial products, he has successfully formulated and implemented Vision 2020 for REHAU’s business besides chartering a new growth curve for it in South Asia. As a responsible employer, REHAU is committed to causes beyond its own business activities. Around the world, REHAU champions ecological, economic, social and cultural concerns. Ajay Khurana is the founder member and President (2014- 16) of UWDMA (uPVC Windows & Doors Manufacturers Association) and Representative Member of Furniture and Fitting Council of India. He has a proven success record in cultivating engineering MNC startups.

It goes without saying that windows, doors and façade systems are among the key components of any building. Hence, the architectural hardware used in these should be supported by avant-garde features and technologies. [caption id="attachment_40294" align="alignleft" width="300"] There is a rising demand for premium quality hardware products that offer new design options, colours, materials[/caption] With Indian market for doors, windows and façades showing positive trends on the back of increased emphasis on meeting green building standards and use of eco-friendly materials, there is a rising demand for premium quality products that offer new design options, colours, materials and above all safety and better lighting & sound insulation. Lower energy consumption is another important requirement. While the customers are mostly looking for products with customised options, the manufacturers are equally innovating with hardware, materials and futuristic technologies. The latest range of architectural hardware used in windows and doors includes state-of-the-art components,...

Gaurav Oswal is Director at KELEGENT, a product company based in Pune, which specializes in manufacturing and exports of architectural hardware worldwide. KELEGENT has a very diversified range of high-quality engineered architectural hardware products for Aluminium and uPVC window and door systems. Gaurav Oswal heads the technical design and innovation team at KELEGENT which is responsible for developing its new range of products and works with many system companies and fabricators closely in designing and developing hardware solutions for new evolving systems.

In conversation with the team of Window & Façade Magazine,  Firas Hnoosh from Nordic Office Architects talked about his architectural journey, his USPs, the status of the façade industry, and the future of the architectural segment in the Middle East. Here are the excerpts… What inspired you to become an architect? How is your journey so far since you started your career? I have been interested in architecture since I was a little boy because of my uncle who is an architect. Every time we visited, I would sneak into his studio to admire the cardboard models with miniature figures and play with the drawing equipment. The idea of creating buildings for people fascinated me. During my first semester in architecture school, I was confused and almost quit if it was not for architecture books that enticed me to stay and learn more about architecture. My journey has been very...

Rolf Manuel is working as a Project Sales Manager at Al Marafi Architectural Products FZCO. He has spent a career span of 13 years in the architectural hardware industry in the Middle East market and is a 2nd level certified holder from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers. Manuel has worked with some of the reputed manufacturers and suppliers in the region while directly being involved in creating the specifications, hardware schedules or direct execution and also on a consultancy basis. He has seen the changing dynamics in the architectural Hardware industry and claims that the future holds nothing less than a very competitive and accelerating future ahead.

Latest Edition of Window and Facade Magazine Middle East (March-April, 2020) on Architectural Hardware is out, Checkout now.