Zak Doors & Windows Expo - one of the leading exhibitions in South Asia for doors, windows & façades segment is going to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 12 to 15 December. The expo is organised by Zak Trade Fairs & Exhibitions Pvt Ltd - the leading event management firm which organises the façade & fenestration industry exhibitions in over 16 countries. [caption id="attachment_34621" align="alignleft" width="300"] ZAK Doors & Windows Expo 2019[/caption] The show alternates between Delhi and Mumbai every year. The 16th edition of Zak Doors & Windows Expo, the 11th edition of Zak Aluminium Extrusions Expo, and the 17th edition of Zak Glass Technology Expo is expected to witness a huge gathering of industry leaders, architects, builders and consultants. China, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Austria, and Korea are the few of the participating countries for this expo who are going to be displaying their products. The...

[caption id="attachment_34023" align="alignleft" width="150"] Bedroom - Before Renovation[/caption] Windows is a dialogue - an interaction between elements - sometimes complementary and sometimes divergent. Windows is a way of deciding the language the dialogue should have, as well as the intonation, and that is really what sets the mood. Every project that creates a habitable space is constantly addressing the making of fenestration. It is the underlying dialogue that is created between the inside and outside, between the built and unbuilt. [caption id="attachment_34024" align="alignright" width="217"] This Pavillion had a Corner Frameless Glazing within a Steel Structure andthe Open-able Sliding Window is Only in the Middle for Access OutsideMaterials: Combination of Mild Steel Structure Fixed Windows with a Sliding uPVC Window[/caption] Often there are certain features of design elements that are generalized and passive across different typologies of the built environment, however, windows are design elements that are heavily influenced by multiple...

Addressing the performance and functional aspect of architecture and after successfully completing 15 editions in various cities of India, Zak World of Windows was held in Visakhapatnam, at the Novotel on 2nd August 2019. The event was a great success which saw a turnout of more than 200 people in attendance. [caption id="attachment_33999" align="alignleft" width="300"] Azaan Ahmed Director, Zak Group Giving the welcome Address[/caption] The ‘Jewel of East Coast’, Vishakapatnam, is now being developed as a ‘Smart City’ by the Government of India under the 100 Smart Cities project. The aim of the Mission Smart City is to efficiently utilize the available assets, resources and infrastructure to enhance the quality of urban life. With Viashakapatnam’s heritage of art, architects have long sought to communicate their craft through their buildings. Being one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, modern pace and development have completely changed the face of this city...

Modern technology has given us much better alternatives. Along with many other building materials, the doors we install are wonders of engineering and design. They are aptly designed and well-insulated to provide a thermal barrier between the weather and your home or office, at the same time providing a beautiful entry setting. You can even get doors with large glass panels that use low-E glass technology to deliver excellent thermal performance. Thus, doors and windows play a major role in boosting the energy efficiency of any building. They may also provide some of the biggest energy savings. This edition’s cover story is all about the right designs and proper installation techniques of doors in order to provide the utmost acoustic and thermal comfort within a building. It also elaborates on the performance evaluation of different door configurations to enhance energy conservation. We spoke to the experts on the above-mentioned topics,...

In a conversation with WFM, Ar. N.  Mahesh talks about his practice, inspirations, design approach and his milestone projects. ♦ Please Tell us About your Practice? I started my architectural practice in 1976, i.e., 43 years back, the firm has designed a wide variety of projects ranging from a small “Home” to “5 Star Hotels”. Perhaps some of the largest, the tallest and The research block is a 6 level modern, sleek structure which is planned to house at least 300 biotechnology researchers in a spacious and well-appointed laboratory environment. This technological building faces south-east and northwest, and solar penetration and heat gain are controlled by the use of vertical aluminium fins, which are rotatable. As per the solar study, the incident sunlight on the large glazed windows will be reduced by 80 percent. The U-value, therefore, is expected to be less than 1.5. Bio-Innovation Centre at Aakulam, Trivandrum for...

Aluminium extrusion, being a cost-effective material, has become one of the most preferred choices in construction. Extruded aluminium materials are known to be the most versatile in application as well as in production. Aluminium is one of the most malleable materials and allows complex shapes, hence it can be used in various structures. It also allows more options in design without sacrificing the strength and durability of the end product. There are numerous benefits the aluminium can provide to a building. The Middle East's construction and building industry has adopted aluminium extrusion as an important material for their buildings. In this cover story, a few of the big players from the Middle East Extrusion industry have shared their views on aluminium extrusion as one of the most sustainable and versatile building materials in the region. Benefits Of Aluminium Extrusions Used As a Building Material [caption id="attachment_33604" align="alignright" width="300"] Hilal Mahdi...

In a fast world where urbanization is the only way of improving the growing needs lifestyle and the comfort of the mass population, one cannot disregard the alarming factor of providing a safe environment without compromising the latest evolution of architecture. Considering the above scenario, we are now using various new materials which were not seen in the past decades. The architecture is evolving at every step and the materials used to realise the architecture should also ensure a safe environment for the people inhabiting the space. This brings us to the very need of standard testing procedure and certification process in order to ensure the materials that are used in our daily space provides Fire Safety. Building fires are increasing partly because of unregulated use of materials that are not fit for use in a compartment which required to contain or stop fire from spreading further. To sum up...

Johann Vranic has been with Ensinger for the past six years and has broad industry experience, having previously worked for a door and window hardware company. What he likes about working with customers in the Middle East is the local dynamics based on a growing positive attitude towards environmental protection. Being associated with Ensinger has made him proud to be a part of the movement supporting energy saving. Profiles for thermal separation in different geometries enable to precisely meet individual customer requirements, and this has been his main objective.

This article may be a bit too late as balconies seem to have almost disappeared from apartments with RERA kicking in. In most projects, flower beds seem to have faded out too, except in luxury apartments and stand-alone buildings. To retain the charm of balconies and enjoy a good ‘cuppa coffee’ or early morning tea, it’s important to have good quality doors. Balcony doors can be classified into three main types but are not limited to only these. Types Of Balcony Doors : Sliding Doors a. Two Track Two Shutter Sliding Door – The classic, always best suited for openings of around 1800 to 2000 mm X 2100 to 2400 mm. The Two Track Slider offers 50% opening with close to 900 to 1000 mm opening to enter or exit the balcony with ease. [caption id="attachment_33076" align="alignnone" width="774"] Balconies Add a Lot of Charm and Character to the Building Elevation[/caption]...

When loss to human life and property bring about grief, we invest our resources to ensure such losses do not occur again. For decades, countries and jurisdictions have been writing and evolving guidance documents (building codes) to build-in safety measures in construction to prevent loss to life. These codes give requirements ranging from structural requirements, fire initiation and growth prevention requirements, and even requirements for the design of plumbing systems to ensure the health of building occupants. The development and implementation of such codes in many countries is usually driven by manufacturers of products who believe very strongly in prevention of loss. The ethos of such companies drives them to aid the adoption and localisation of such codes written internationally. Fire Safety Codes They are guidance documents which usually divide construction of different types of buildings by grouping them into what is called occupancies (the occupants and use of the...

Jignasa Pravinbhai Suthar has over 8 years of experience in the façade industry. She has closely worked with McCoy 8m hardware division for technical support since 2015. Currently, Jignasa Suthar is responsible for Product Manager in McCoy Soudal in Delhi/NCR. After completing her graduation from Sardar Patel University, Gujarat in 2007, she started her career in façade industry working as an estimator at Perfect Glaze (India) Pvt. Ltd. Later she worked at Reynaers Aluminium NV as a design engineer & estimator, and at Kawneer (an Alcoa company) as a technical support engineer. She has in-depth knowledge of window and door systems. After finishing her MBA in Marketing and HR from Gujarat University, she joined McCoy in 2015.

This takes me back to my childhood and my frequent visits to the grandparent’s village, the colourful doors were such a feature of each house. The colourful wooden carved doors were the identity of that house. The doors are very technical! May be, before we get into the technical aspects of doors, it is important to understand the use and impact of doors. Heavy wooden carved doors were such a striking feature of some of India’s old palaces. The carving, the detailing on the door reminds you of that era’s wealth, might and craftsmanship. Open chain latches were such a bold and striking feature of those days. That was a different time and different age, we moved much ahead. Beyond aesthetics, doors need to be utilitarian and coexist with the space. The Colourful Wooden Carved Doors were the Identity of the Bygone Era We rarely realize, but doors help us...

[caption id="attachment_32604" align="alignright" width="217"] Omkar 1973 designed by Foster+Partners[/caption] WFM: Please tell us about your company and yourself? Navin Keswani (NK): Aluplex has been in the window, door and facade business since 1981. We started off as a window-door fabricating company in Mumbai and progressed to become one of the largest facade and fenestration companies in the country. Aluplex has built its reputation over brand credibility, which does not get built overnight. It is achieved only with excellence in whatever we do – excellence in terms of performance of the end product, customer service and team dedication. These three criteria took the company to super heights and helped us to earn an unparalleled name in the industry parse. To tell you a little about the company and myself, Aluplex was started 36 years back because we realised that there was a need for this product. I realised that I had...

Ozone, a provider of architectural hardware solutions, has announced the launch of its slimmest automatic sliding door system ‘Airdrive’. It is designed with a tiniest yet powerful operator of only 68mm height and 135mm depth enabling it to be the slimmest in size, which is the USP of the Airdrive door system. [caption id="attachment_32303" align="alignnone" width="774"] A Sliding Door Fitted with Airdrive Door System[/caption] It delivers consistent performance without any halt as it is engineered in compliant with best prevailing standards such as EU standard EN 16005, EN60335, EN 1SO 13849 1: 2008, German standards DIN 18650S, CE Conformity and EU low voltage directives with max power consumption of 250W. It is manufactured following ISO 9001: 2000 standards which ensures the stringent quality check at every stage as a result a best quality final product delivered. With Ozone’s Airdrive automatic door system, you can achieve max door opening of 2m...

Deceuninck, one of the leading producers of uPVC profiles for doors and windows, has come up with a unique shift and sliding doors system ‘Legend Slide’ in the Indian market. Legend Slide combines simple operation of lift and slide system and with the exceptional sealing capability of tilt and slide. The door system offers in various formats, such as outer frame of 149mm, 76mm sash with 5 chambers in class B, TPE weldable gaskets and glass thickness options from 24mm up to 52mm. Sash movement occurs with guide locking parts and running car sets on different axis. The continuous all-round seal and the guiding and locking elements in all four corners of the sash ensure a tight seal for stringent energy efficiency requirements. Besides, the system is tested for air permeability – EN 12207 – class 4 – 600 pascals, water tightness – EN 12208 – class 8A – 450...

Architecture as science tells us that there is more to space than just cementing building blocks together. Guwahati’s fast developing skyline tells us that architects have long sought to communicate their craft through their buildings. Being one of the fastest growing cities in the country, modern pace and development have completely changed the face of this city and has made it an epitome of a new emerging India - restless and energised. As a result of the upcoming boom, with development being the key word, there’s a lot to learn and experience in Assam’s most dazzling city Guwahati. In this quest, the event - 15th edition of the Zak World of Windows held at the Taj Vivanta in Guwahati - featured some of the most important and dynamic architects from Guwahati who, in their prime, are working their way one-building-at-a-time, to make our ‘space for living’ more exciting.   The...