It was February 12, 2005, when an electrical fault on the 21st floor of the Windsor building in Madrid started a small fire. The building was unoccupied and the fire was undetected for quite some time before the city’s fire officials were notified. By the time they arrived, the magnificent 32-story structure was essentially lost. All that firefighters could do was to try for the next 18 hours to keep the fire from spreading to adjacent structures. There was no impact from a jumbo jetliner, and this fire lacked the thousands of gallons of jet fuel that so readily accelerated the World Trade Center fires. It was just a little electrical problem. So how could this fire spread so uncontrollably that it consumed eleven higher floors and turned the fourth largest structure in Spain’s capital to rubble? Unfortunately, we may not be able to avoid such disasters where the perimeter...

Sun Glazing is a leading Curtain wall Glazing Contractor in South India involved in the design, fabrication & Installation of building facades, including stick curtain walls, and pre-glazed unitized curtain wall systems. Sun Glazing was founded by Mr. Madhusudhan, a Mechanical Engineer by profession, with a 20 years of expertise in the Aluminium industry, Initially, the company was manufacturing complete Unitized Glazing Panels at its factory for various projects such as the Hyderabad International Airport, Ascendas IT Park, Novotel etc, Thereon the company has been taking up turnkey Facade Glazing contracts and earned a reputation as one of the reliable brand in the Curtain Wall Glazing Industry at Hyderabad, Bangalore & Vishakhapatnam region. Sun Glazing has recently completed the facade envelope using Pre-Glazed Unitized panels for “SLN Terminus” Commercial building located next to the Botanical Gardens at Kondapur, Hyderabad. The unitized panels at project SLN were composed of large panels with...

The possibility of a fire in a tall building is always an emotive subject as the potential for loss of life is that much higher. There is a long history of fatal fires in tall buildings dating back well over 60 years. In 1946 a fire in the Winecoff Hotel, Atlanta GA cost 119 lives, many as a result of jumping. Other notable disaster such as the Joelma Building¹ in São Paulo, Brazil (179 deaths), Hotel Dupont Plaza¹ in San Juan, Puerto Rico (97 deaths) and the Garley Building¹ in Hong Kong (41 deaths) have made those responsible for building codes and regulations around the world sit up and take note. India has also suffered its fair share of high rise fires. Mantralaya is the administrative headquarters of the state government of Maharashtra in South Mumbai and in 2012 a faulty electrical circuit led to a fire in the 7...

Uniquely designed and strategically located ThaneOne Business Park is a corporate real estate with iconic office space. It is spread over 6 acres in Thane and built to LEED Platinum standards. Designed by Bentel Associates Realty Design Consultants, ThaneOne has bagged the coveted “Best Office Architecture 2013” recognition at the Asia Pacific Property Awards, Malaysia. The project features high speed elevators, 24-hour facility management, next-generation energy efficiency standards, Seismic Zone 3 earthquake resistance and it is designed along the proven intricacies and fundamentals of Vastu. ThaneOne prides in itself with unparalleled benefits of structural elegance, high level of security, all-encompassing amenities and seamless connectivity that add to its 360 degree appeal. Besides the top-notch features, its design incorporates lush green terrace gardens, water bodies, green zones to offer an unmatched balance of productivity and tranquillity to corporate executives. The project is structured to impress with a grand double height entrance...

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...

  Turner, a North America-based international construction Services Company, is known for working in diverse markets undertaking complex projects. The company has more than 5,200 employees who work on more than 1,200 projects each year that vary from design/build to procurement services Face to Faceto building information modeling to lean construction. Turner Group´s project management consultancy, Turner International, completes 50 years of its global presence. The Company has been serving the Indian market since the last eight years and is involved in few major projects in Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat. [caption id="attachment_38402" align="alignright" width="192"] Mark A. Boyle (Senior Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer, Turner Construction Company)[/caption] WFM interviewed Abrar Sheriff (President & CEO, Turner International LLC), Jairam Panch (Managing Director of Turner India and Vice President of Turner International LLC, USA) and, Mark A. Boyle (Senior Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer, Turner Construction Company) at an event celebrating...

A 20’ tall pivoted door (given name of “Giraffe” Door) in Burma Teak wood that opens effortlessly welcomes guests to the double heights space well lit by pergola covered skylight. 83’ long skylight throughout the residence binds all functions together like a spine. All public areas interconnect each other with large fenestrations that can be opened to merge connecting spaces. Exposed concrete is used as primary material of construction. West and south facing external walls of bedrooms area are cladded with Navonna Beige Travertino handpicked from quarry in Tivoli (Rome), Italy. Garden facing (east side) public areas of the residence are fully glazed. Thermally insulated Aluminium fenestration system is used with security glass throughout the residence. All the lights and electrical switches in the expo [caption id="" align="alignright" width="392"] All public areas interconnect each other with large fenestrations[/caption] sed RCC walls and ceiling are finalized at the drawing stage and...

Audaciously sculptural or pared down pristine. India’s great feats of architectural ingenuity are pushing the field in bold new directions. Designing energy-efficient terminals that have a long-lasting effect on the environment and passengers alike is the definition for new-age terminal designs. Creative Group, one of the leading Architecture and Engineering Consultancy firms in India, has demonstrated that large expansive public concourse within an airport terminal assists to alleviate a passenger’s sense of being crowded while still accommodating the flow of arrival, departing and connecting passengers. Extensively designed facades within the spaces of Airports in Chennai, Raipur, Goa and Vaodadara are thought products Design of a sustainable endeavour by the design team. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="350"] Raipur Airport designed by Creative Group[/caption] “The facades that we have designed for all these airports allow natural light to filter through the skin of the terminal thus providing passengers the delight of experiencing exterior...

With the advent of Global Warming, energy efficiency and conservation have become paramount factors when designing a building. A typical building contributes to 40 per cent of the total power consumption today. As an interface between indoors and outdoors, the façade plays a significant role in the definition of a building’s energy efficiency. By employing a rear ventilated facade, an energy concept can be developed for each building that takes into account the heating and cooling requirements of the building along with the perfect light quality inside it. What Exactly is a Rear Ventilated Façade? The rear ventilated façade is a multi-layer building façade system consisting of a rainscreen cladding on the outer layer in combination with a frame, weather-resistant membrane, insulation, sub frame and a ventilated cavity. (Image 1) A differential between the temperature on the face system of the cladding panel and the air cavity temperature creates a...

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 Indian buildings that evolved over a period of time in harmony with nature. Building Façades Façades as a building envelope form the outer skins...

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, and 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 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 that come to our mind, naturally. What is Daylight? It is a carbon-neutral renewable source of energy and can replace up to 80 per cent of lighting energy...

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 for 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 one that 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 the use of...

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 creep 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...

Established in 1964, Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC) has grown from a small-scale manufacturer of aluminium hardware to one of the largest players in Façade Systems in India. It had been slow and steady growth over the years, working with some of the leading architects, and consultants, associating with numerous prestigious and landmark projects in India. WFM brings you the edited excerpts from the interview of Rajeev Shamlal, Arjun Shamlal and Rishi Shamlal, Partners of Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC), detailing their business and future plans along with potentials and opportunities in the façade industry in India. WFM: Please tell us about yourself and about your company Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC)? Rajeev Shamlal: Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC) was established in 1964 by my father Shri Shamlal. I joined the company in 1976 after doing my Chartered Accountancy, my elder son Arjun joined the company in 2003 after completing his masters from London...

Façade acts as the boundary between the external and internal environments of a building. As it is the occupants’ interface with the surrounding environment, it has a large impact on energy efficiency and indoor quality performance of a building. For a Platinum-rated building (under IGBC New Buildings Rating System version 3.0), the solar gain through façade accounts for 25 per cent of the building cooling load. For a building which complies with the specifications of ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 (to fulfil Energy Efficiency Mandatory Requirement 2, under IGBC New Buildings Rating System version 3.0), the solar gain through façade accounts for 35 per cent of the building cooling load. For a conventional building, the percentage increases to 50 per cent. A well designed façade with appropriate material specifications can reduce the solar gain by 50 per cent, and exploit daylight to reduce the peak lighting load by 60 per cent. This...

As part of its focus on skill building, Gyproc the gypsum business unit of the 41 Billion Euro Saint-Gobain group of France in partnership with NAC (National Academy of Construction) and GMR Varalakshmi Foundation launched skill building programs in Hyderabad where unskilled youth will be taught the in demand and fast growing skill of false ceilings and drywall partitions, with an aim of making them employable and capable of earning a livelihood. Gyproc is the world's leading manufacturer of ceilings, drywalls and gypsum plasters. The company is a pioneer in introducing lightweight interior construction practices in the Indian market, and its products and systems are the preferred choice of companies, builders, architects, contractors, interior decorators, dealers and end consumers. Gyproc will be the knowledge partner in this skill building initiative– wherein its role will be  to provide gypsum material, teaching content, train the trainers, training collaterals, mock up’s and display...