Depending on the viewing angle, the appearance of the Opus glass building oscillates between a hollowed-out cube and two towers connected via a sky bridge. The building’s appearance plays off the strong contrast given to its two distinct façades of the all-glass envelope: a clear glass curtain wall with a distinct fritting pattern for the exterior faces and a blue tinted glass for the free-form interior void. Many of the challenges of this façade were unprecedented in the region and helped drive innovation both in engineering and fabrication. Exterior Facade [caption id="attachment_35236" align="alignleft" width="351"] The Building is wrapped in a simple, clear Glass Curtain Wall and makes Maximum use of the Material’s Inherent characteristics[/caption] Against the visual cacophony of endless towers vying for attention in Business Bay, it was decided to give the OPUS a certain quality of muteness. The glass building is wrapped in a simple, clear glass curtain...

Glass is one of the oldest and most popular material in building construction. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the widely used facade materials around the world. Glass when used as a facade material, makes the building look more beautiful. One of the most important benefits of glass is that it allows natural light to enter the building, thus saving the electricity costs. Glass Facade also offers extraordinary flexibility, which makes it the most preferred choice amongst the architects, builders and consultants. In this Article, the experts have given their opinions on how glass is revolutionizing the building industry in the Middle East. Through this article, you will also get to know about the new technological trends in the glass facade and how they benefit the buildings in the region. Demand for glass facades in Building Envelope Over the centuries, the glass has evolved dramatically. For years,...

Saint Gobain Glass  Saint-Gobain founded in 1665, has developed into providing high-performing and innovative glass solutions: products, services and systems, helping to create great living places and improve daily life. In an interview with Window & Façade Magazine, Bruno Mauvernay Chief Operating Officer of Saint-Gobain Glass Exprover shared his views on the scenario of the glass industry in the Middle East. He also talked about the plans of Saint-Gobain for the coming years. Here are the excerpts from the interview… Please Elaborate on the Innovations you have made in the Latest Architectural Projects you have Undertaken. We feel privileged to be part of an industry that challenges us daily to deliver improved performance, design and service. We play our part in designing some of the world’s most iconic architectural projects, offering a wide range of innovative glazing solutions for façades. [caption id="attachment_33208" align="alignleft" width="225"] Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion[/caption] One...

In recent years, Vertical Garden has become a favourite among those who wish for lush green surroundings but are faced with space restrictions. Vertical garden is not limited to barren outdoor walls or indoor spaces but has come to include façades as well. A well-designed and constructed vegetated façade can provide a thick layer of greenery that is aesthetically pleasing, can act as a thermal insulator and provide a habitat for fauna. Vertical gardens have various names in the industry, namely living walls, bio walls, green walls, vegetated walls, breathing walls and so on, depending on their individual brands. [caption id="attachment_32531" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selecting the Right Vertical Garden System is a Crucial Step in the Installation of a Green Façade[/caption] Creating greenery over a façade or green facade is a task that requires certain elements of engineering, architecture, horticulture and irrigation. Selecting the right vertical garden system is a crucial...

Energy efficiency in a building is always a major concern for the architects all around the world. It is unfortunate that the efficiency of a building is majorly measured by the efficiency of the mechanical systems used in the building. Yes, the HVAC systems of the building consume the maximum energy, but the cooling load of the building also depends on the architectural efficiency of the building. If the building architectural efficiency is maximised, its cooling load will reduce, which will impact on the load on the mechanical system with minimum energy consumption. Therefore, both architectural and mechanical aspects are equally important to create an effective energy-efficient building.   [caption id="attachment_32274" align="alignright" width="300"] Rear & Right Side View[/caption] [caption id="attachment_32251" align="alignright" width="300"] Rear & Courtyard View[/caption] Well, it’s appropriate to say that the architects now need to be energy literate. However, yet the architects are moving forward with the same principles...

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...

Real Estate has witnessed significant transformations in the last few years, be it, demand and supply or incorporation of new technology or usage of new materials in construction. However, with a shift in a developer mindset now growing towards the idea of promoting sustainability and green building concepts. The industry is looking for an opportunity to become more involved through construction technologies that are being developed to pave the way for long-term practices in sustainable construction. One of the many such technologies is the use of high-performance glass or glass façades. [caption id="attachment_40048" align="alignright" width="500"] Mindspace, Airoli West – usage of high-performance glass for façades has become increasingly popular[/caption] In the recent years, usage of such high-performance glass or glass façades has become increasingly popular especially in commercial spaces. Perfect for today’s modern day workplaces, developers are using glass to bring out efficiency and enhance the aesthetics of the structure....

Cladding is an exterior finishing system a skin to a skin or an additional non-load-bearing layer that serves a dual purpose. It not only helps protect the interiors of the building from harsh weather elements but also makes the outside decorative and attractive. The right cladding helps to maintain the buildings weather-tight and cost-effective, at the same time providing thermal insulation, reducing the temperature variation inside the building. It also helps to improve interior acoustics and daylighting. The cladding can influence the value, sale-ability and safety of the building. So cladding your property effectively is a wise investment that pays both short and longer-term dividends. There are now more cladding systems in the market than ever before. Finding the most appropriate choice may take a little time, but cladding – used creatively and intelligently – is a great way to stamp your own personal style on a property. Ready to...

Glass For thousands of years, Glass was thought of as something to look at. It was valued in making precious objects for decorating purposes. Glass really became useful when it was thought of as something to look through. Ancient art is now a medium of architectural advertisement. Glass is architectural. Its transparency, masking, fabrication ability, adaptability and specialisation highlight its suitability for structures. To meet the specific construction needs, it can be made transparent, translucent, opaque, diffused or stained by mechanical or chemical means. Processed and cured correctly, it is sound insulating, heat absorbent, heat reflecting, weather resistant, non-abrasive, and incombustible. Efficient Use of Glass in Façade and Fenestration It starts with understanding the building requirements and selecting the optimum basic glass and its processing. With the logical and correct selection, glass can be a very useful and friendly material by providing optimum daylight, energy efficiency, sound insulation, comfort and...

Curtain wall is a building envelope that intends to support only its own weight and withstand the effects of environmental forces such as wind. It is not intended to assist the structural integrity of the building. There are two main types of curtain walling construction: “stick” and “unitised”. In stick construction, the curtain wall frame is constructed mainly on site with mullions and transoms supporting glass, spandrel panels, metal panels and brise-soleils, connected piece by piece. Each mullion is usually supported by the floor or perimeter beams. In unitised construction, on the other hand, the curtain wall is composed of large units that are assembled in the factory, shipped to the site and erected on the building. Aluminium profiles are used to form the frame, which is normally one storey high. Opening vents, glazing and infill panels are built into units before being transported to the site. As with stick...

The production of window glass started in 1836 in a factory in Belgium. Since then, the product has come a long way. Glass has become an inevitable part of any urban building. One of the first milestones was the invention of tempered glass in 1929 by the French glass company Saint-Gobain. The first double  glazing was produced in 1947 in Belgium, and it became popular due to its insulation capacities, both thermal and acoustic. During the 1950s, the British manufacturer, Pilkington invented a new method of glass production called float process and since then float glass has become the rage. By the end of the 20th century, 90% of the flat glass used throughout the world were float glass. Enameled and tinted glass followed this. [caption id="attachment_31416" align="alignright" width="150"] ANSHU SHUKLA Deputy General Manager – Design, Kalpataru Ltd.[/caption] With the material science constantly pushing its boundaries, we saw the entry...

What are the important aspects of façade design for fire safety? Generally, façade design considers the passive design for fire safety and is limited to fire stop and smoke seal. In addition, the design also needs to consider smoke vents in the form of an operable window or actuator for smoke. In Mumbai, it is becoming mandatory to provide fire drenchers specifically for highrise curtain wall buildings. What are the impacts of façade design on the fire safety of buildings? The impacts of façade design are very significant and can be hazardous and unsafe by using combustible materials. The materials used could be due to ignorance or value engineering (VE) options as the façade cost is considered at the fag end of the project. Façade design ideally needs to consider the design parameters for a proper fire stop and smoke seal between the floor and provision for the smoke extraction...

Alumil is the largest privately-owned aluminum extrusion group in South East Europe, in terms of production, distribution network and range of aluminum profile system for architectural use. With over 40 years of experience, Alumil is one of the most advanced companies globally in the design and production of Architectural Aluminium Systems, owning state-of- the-art production lines in its 18 factories over South East Europe. Through our modern production facilities and strict quality controls along the entire production line, we ensure the creation of superior products of high added value. Our continuous research and development leads to offering unique solutions with many innovative features, which totally meet the needs of our customers. Alumil offers very wide ranges of product to investor solutions like: Building envelopes: curtainwalls, unitized systems, window walls, cladding, double skin facades Windows and doors (residential and commercial buildings): cold systems, thermal-brake systems hinged, sliding, lift-slide, folding doors Entrance...

India is a developing country and also the second most populous country in the world. Our cities are growing taller and taller and the industry is demanding energy efficient and clean looking systems. Traditional construction in India has always been a brick and mortar type of construction. But since last decade, we are seeing a huge increase in highrise structures with facade systems. Every technology and material has its benefits and associated risks. Façade related fire safety risks are one such risk, which are still at premature discussion level and needs a lot more attention. In a practical scenario, we often discuss as to how to respond when a fire occurs. What we often ignore is that how to get such fires contained under one compartment itself and restricting its faster spread without relying solely on fire department. Except very few, many of our states do not even recognise firestop...

Construction industry is the largest energy consumer and greenhouse gas emitter, both in the developed and developing countries. We must admit the role of construction industry in the global warming issues. Keeping the social responsibility towards the future generations in mind, many new innovative products are coming in to the market. One such product is glass ceramic. Glass ceramic stands as a true performance circular economy material which offers a wide range of applications bringing full creative freedom and functionality. The main advantage of glass ceramic is not only its contribution to the environment, but of a unique, exclusive and durable material, produced under stringent quality standards which also offers an exciting aesthetics. This glass ceramic material is almost 100% recyclable. Glass ceramic plays an important role in the careful use of natural resources and improvement of the sustainability balance in building projects and design objects. This is an enormously...