Mr. Om Prakash Goel was stressed out. His only daughter was getting married to the scion of one of India’s largest construction companies. The wedding had to be grand and the food - memorable as guests finally remember a marriage only by the food served. And he had to choose the caterer today! He had four choices. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="392"] Mock-up of skylight system[/caption] Shub Catering: a company that claims to be the biggest in the business -capacity to feed 5000 people in one sitting. The owner was a friend of a friend. Feedback from the market: sometimes the food is good - other times -so so. Deliciously Yours: Owned by a NRI from Canada who promised gourmet food sourced worldwide. Good testimonials from expat Indian UK, US and Canada about the food. But he was new in India and was just settling down. Badhai Ho: A local caterer...

Tall buildings will always need to make a bold statement on the surrounding environment. The use of fully glazed façades is common for iconic tall buildings in cities across the world for both its appealing aesthetic and demonstration of engineering possibilities. As the world becomes ever more energy and environmentally conscious, so too is façade design for tall buildings. However, there are significant design challenges associated with the use of a fully glazed façade that can have an impact on the building's energy consumption as well as the building’s construction and operational costs. Alumayer India is a leading construction company in the field of design, supply and installation of facade glazing systems. They provide a first-rate product in addition to a superior customer experience by maintaining complete control of the end product, from pre-construction to installation. Window & Façade Magazine (WFM) got an opportunity to have an interesting chat with...

The site for the project Bajaj Bhavan is located in the heart of the vibrant city of Lucknow, The city of Nawabs. The infrastructure of the city is developing at a great pace and it is now home to many eye catching architecture. Curtain Wall System The building consists of two type of double glazed soft-coat high performance glass: 6-15-6 IGU: 6mm tempered glass + 15mm air gap with Argon gas + 6mm tempered glass (Coating on face 3). 6-15-6 IGU: 6mm tempered glass (with design ceramic frit on face 2) + 15mm air gap with Argon gas + 6mm tempered glass (Coating on face 3). The glass is fixed using aluminium extruded profiles with pressure plate and cover plate. The façade of Bajaj Bhavan is designed according to wind pressure analysis reports. Characteristics of Glass The chosen glass is the most advanced way to achieve that delicate balance between...

Kathputli Colony is New Delhi’s largest performers’ slums, home to magicians, dancers, puppeteers, acrobats and drummers whose families migrated here during the 1960’s and 1970’s from villages across India. An illegal settlement in a dilapidated northern pocket of the city, this place is a thriving paradox. Its denizens allure their audiences into a resilient world where everything is possible. This thesis is an exercise – not merely in affordable housing and slum rehabilitation schemes, but in the exploration of possibilities. The idea is to create a scheme that resonates with the people of Kathputli, allowing them to thrive as artists. And on the other hand, exploring the larger perspective of amenities we must take up cost efficient architecture with special emphasis on treatment of fenestrations as our priority. Delhi climate is a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with a very high variation in comparison of summers and winter. Summers begin in...

WFM: Please comment on the fenestration industry and the growth trajectory particularly for Schueco in India? Rajeev Antony (RA): My understanding of the Indian fenestration industry is based on the constant feedback from the market during the course of business and from marketing research that we do from time to time. I must say that it is an evolving market with tremendous potential. There are a lot of good quality fabricators working independently and with system companies. The builder / developer community is passing on great value to customers by using high quality façade and fenestration products, like ours, which are high in performance and aesthetic value. There is an increased level of awareness amongst end-users pertaining to the importance of quality windows and doors in residential and commercial projects. Schueco India is doing well in terms of business performance, surpassing the expected numbers. WFM: You have recently opened a...

The client brief was to design a K-12 school in one of the Mumbai suburb’s. The key challenge was to provide for constructing the building in three phases and to ensure a non-rigid environment. The fact that the The Green Acres Academy was going to be built in a phased manner over 5 to 8 years, presented an opportunity to design a building that grows. The very high land rates in Mumbai coupled with regressive building regulations made it very challenging to introduce un-programmed spaces beyond the design program. It also implied a vertical school building. The challenge was to create a horizontal feel within the vertical environment. Green Acres Design Concept A child enters a school as a toddler and leaves as a teenager. It was important that the design remains valid for generations of children. It was also important that a school went beyond the 3 dimensions of...

WFM: Are you doing any project in India? Jürgen Mayer H. (JMH): We are doing a project in India in collaboration with Mumbai-based architectural firm - Collaborative Architecture, headed by Architects Mujib Ahmed and Laita Tharani. We shall reveal the details of the project later. Intense discussions are going on for finalization of this Indian projects. I have travelled to India 5 times and have seen many projects here. My trips were always very interesting and exciting and I look forward to work here in India. WFM: Could you please tell me about your ongoing projects? Jürgen Mayer H. (JMH): We do projects from very small scale ventures to large scale projects. Large scale projects include high rise buildings, especially those done in Germany. All these projects have relationship with the skyline, their elevation and the urban fabric around them and they activate downtown parts. All these projects are very...

They have become the façade of choice across the globe, however, lightweight aluminium curtain walling systems can present specifiers with a host of internal sound transmission issues that need to be addressed to ensure the well-being, happiness and productivity of building occupants. Mike Carrick AMIOA, Head of Acoustics at Siderise Group, looks at the common sound transmission paths in lightweight curtain-walled buildings and the performance-limiting factors when considering the flanking sound transmission performance both vertically and horizontally. With the extensive use of specialist criteria, complex jargon and the many ways of referring to the humble ‘decibel’ - Rw, Dnf,w, DnT,w, Dnc,w - to name but a few, the world of acoustics can be confusing to those who are not involved in the subject. This can lead to misunderstandings, or worse, the misapplication of materials needed to achieve good acoustic standards or to solve sound transmission issues. When considering ‘floor to...

A novel design or use of material in one instance, becomes commonplace after repeated use over time. The basic morphologies, materials and processes that comprise the technology are well-tested and of known performance validated from use. Concurrently, a proliferation of highly visible structural glass façades in the built environment has resulted in the dissipation of perceived risk among the building community and the public and an increasing acceptance of the innovative technology. As a result, interest in utilizing structural glass façade technology is increasing among architects and their owner-developer clients. The next tier of adopters is primed. Structural glass façade technology is poised for significant potential growth, but barriers remain. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320"] Kimpenski Hotel, Munich Airport[/caption] The demands on building systems have increased in many respects over the past several decades. Nowhere are these demands greater than with the building skin. Architects are demanding more design control and...

Significant trends are emerging in the window and door industries. The new trend in the fenestration industry and the contemporary architectural solution is heavily involving aluminium envelopes, from façade to casement windows for residential projects. With the emerging trends, contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with various issues pre and post-construction. Some architects and manufacturers of aluminium windows and doors are monitoring the customers' evolving tastes and have identified the following key trends that are expected to affect the building industry in the coming years. Minimalist Trend In recent years, the ‘minimalist’ trend has strongly affected the world of buildings. The architects are redefining the rules of urban planning by designing more and more slender buildings. Constructive [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] NP Supra Asia Handle[/caption] The design has become increasingly modern and daring. Large openings are in trend together with narrow profiles and stylish accessories with low aesthetic impact....

Façade and fenestration are often considered the biggest hurdle in achieving higher levels of energy efficiency in buildings. Buildings have evolved from being predominantly passive systems to having high levels of internal control due to the addition of man-made materials. With the increase in artificial lighting in buildings in the 20th century, the size of fenestrations was reduced significantly as well as dependency on them. They now occupy only about 15 to 20 per cent of wall surface area and play many roles including supplying daylight, providing views, acting as ventilators, noise and heat insulators and glare protectors. Windows not only add to aesthetics but are also a significant component of heating and cooling costs. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160"] Ar. Vivek Bhole, Chairman & Managing Director, Vivek Bhole Architects Pvt. Ltd[/caption] Building owners opt for the most efficient façade and fenestration system which contributes to energy conservation and, thereby operational...

  India has taken a leap in fenestration product technology. The use of alternate materials such as UPVC and aluminium instead of traditional wood not only furthers green initiatives but also reduces costs in the long run. Lingel, a German-based veteran and one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality doors and windows in Europe entered the Indian market in the year 2006 with Mario Schmidt at its helm. With a meagre workforce and little experience of the nascent Indian market, it wasn’t a cakewalk for the company and Mario to reach where they are now. Mario Schmidt, Director, of Lingel Windows and Doors, shares the details of his journey of 10 years in the Indian sub-continent, the growth of his company and the industry, their newly launched product and his company’s future plans with WFM. WFM: Please give us a brief background of your group and your products. Mario Schmidt (MS):...

If some of the myth were actually true, uPVC fenestration would not have achieved world-wide acceptance and recognition. Besides, uPVC would not have entered the extremely challenging Indian fenestration market. But I dare to suggest that uPVC was actually invented for India. Coping with hot dry climate and hot humid climate; compensating for temperatures ranging from minus 10°C to plus 50°C; providing a non-corrosive framing alternative for India’s 7500 km long coast line; being thermite resistant; being dust and sound proof; have a negligible water absorption; being colourfast and durable, being energy efficient, environmental friendly etc. is quite a tall order! If someone would have asked, 60 years ago, top European engineers to develop a frame material that can meet India’s varied environment, they might have said “It is impossible, it cannot be done!” but decades of ongoing research & development and rigorous testing resulted into a material proposition which...

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="204"] The curtain wall concept is implemented in the façade design of Altitude[/caption] The proposed 383m tower, Altitude, will be 211m taller than the current tallest building - World Trade Center - at Colombo, Sri Lanka. This mixed-use high-rise development, is planned as a revenue-generating landmark structure that shall mark Sri Lanka’s presence on the world map of high-rises. The skyscraper will incorporate various private and public spaces including luxurious apartments and penthouses, retail and commercial spaces, a revolving speciality restaurant, an indoor cricket training facility, and a 360degree observatory. Facade The curtain wall concept is implemented in the façade design of Altitude, amounting to an approximate of 1, 10, 000 Sq m of glazing area. The research below traces the underlying decision that led to the development of the overall curtain wall concept; focusing on the design options at different location on the exterior, and also...

WFM: Please give us a brief introduction of your fim and a few of your recently completed important projects. Jonas Upton-Hansen: UHA is an international architecture and design studio based in London. The firm was founded in 2011 with an initial focus on luxury residential projects in London and grew rapidly to undertake larger-scale projects across Europe, Asia and the Americas including countries such as China, India, Mexico and Russia. Recent projects include a 20 million Sq ft mixed-use master plan in central Moscow on the historical ‘Hammer & Sickle’ steelworks; a 160m tall luxury office tower and hotel in downtown Mexico City and a corporate headquarters in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. In India, UHA is involved with a significant number of prestigious projects: in Gurgaon - the Michael Schumacher World Tower for Homestead; a series of projects for M3M Group including the St Andrew’s Tower, Escala Urbana Premium and Satya’s Element...

WFM: Please give us a brief introduction of your firm and a few of your recently completed important projects. ZC: Bentel Associates is a leading Architectural practice formed as a joint venture between ICS Group, India and Bentel Associates International, South Africa. We are a dynamic international design team, offering a full range of cutting-edge specialist design skills including master planning, architecture, interior design, graphic design and store planning. Some of our recently completed projects include – PVP Square in Vijayawada, Pacific Mall in Dehradun and Acropolis Mall in Kolkata. WFM: You have been working with international architectural firms like RTKL and SOM earlier in Madrid, Dubai, etc. How different it is to design and work on projects in India? ZC: There are always cultural differences that can create obstacles to a quick understanding of what clients want and price sensitivities which vary globally. What doesn’t change however in our...