Tell us about your practice and design approach? [caption id="attachment_46146" align="alignright" width="217"]                  Al Habtoor City, Dubai[/caption] Khatib & Alami is a multidisciplinary design firm with a strong track record across the Middle East and Africa region. As well as architects, we employ experts from across the built environment spectrum, including planners, engineers, environmental specialists, project managers, and technologists. This has a strong influence on our design approach because it gives us an opportunity to work in a practical and holistic way with colleagues from across the business. What inspired you to become an architect? My love of architecture started when I was a child. I was always fascinated by buildings design, wondering about adding some elements to the buildings as well as the materials used in the construction of buildings. This interest grew into thinking about how we could make buildings better,...

By 2050 it is anticipated that there will be an extra two billion city dwellers across the globe and the general consensus is that sustainability can only be achieved by minimising the negative environmental impact of buildings by efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, development space and the ecosystem at large. A more sustainable approach to future façades is needed. There must be a common global goal, rather than individual agendas, and innovation of new energy efficiency products and optimisation of current façade space to create more sustainable buildings. This year World Environment Day on June 5 marked the formal launch of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a decade which efforts in preventing a major climate change and assisting the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact. It seems logical that the...

Please tell us about your practice and its growth over the years. Our practice, Architecture  Discipline, is based in New Delhi and our expertise spans many multidisciplinary fields from residential and retail interiors to large-scale public and commercial projects. [caption id="attachment_44064" align="alignleft" width="300"] Timber panels and glass meet in the façade of Palm Avenue, a residence in Delhi[/caption] Our projects are spread across the length and breadth of India and we attribute this growth to our thorough design processes, from full-scale mock-ups to long-term material investigations, which strive to develop programmatic and technical flexibility. When we started in 2007, our goal was to stay true to this process and we have indeed followed through, continuing to reinvent ourselves for now and the years to come. The firm’s work has been critically acclaimed in India: multiple Indian Institute of Interior Designers (IIID) Awards, an NDTV DAA Architect of the Year Award...

Buildings are the largest users of energy and are also our greatest opportunity for energy conservation and protection of the environment. In the past few years, the rapidly growing energy needs have raised a global concern over the continued depletion of energy resources followed by their negative impact on the environment. The major objectives for contemporary façade design are the strategies and technologies that allow us to maintain our satisfaction with the interior environment while consuming fewer resources. [caption id="attachment_43365" align="alignright" width="217"] Skylights are light transmitting elements filling building envelope openings[/caption] Ventilation and daylight can be provided via windows or glazed doors, as well as via skylights and other forms of top lighting. These glazed openings are collectively referred to as "fenestration."While fenestration refers to the design, construction, or presence of openings in a building, they are extremely important and can also tip the balance between a high-performance and low-performance...

The façade is an elegant component that shows the unique architectural aesthetics of the building as well as plays a critical role in thermal/energy performance and occupants’ comfort, health, and productivity where it reduces undesirable external factors such as rain, heat, storms, and noise, and utilizes favourable factors such as light, air, and sun. To achieve the desirable and intended purpose of the façade, criteria should be considered as follows: AIRTIGHTNESS It is one of the intrinsic building envelope functions which can be defined as the resistance of inward or outward air leakage through unintentional openings in the envelope. Airtight envelope has several pros in thermal efficiency and comfort which affect substantially in energy savings and HVAC equipment capacities as well. The mold because of moisture could be reduced especially in coastal regions if the façade achieves airtightness standards. The airtightness of buildings would be affected by wind load which...

The façade is one of the most important contributors to any building's energy use and comfort parameters. In order to provide occupants with a comfortable environment, a façade must fulfil many functions, such as providing views to the outside, resisting wind loads, supporting its own dead load weight, allowing daylight to interior spaces, blocking unwanted solar heat gain, protecting occupants from outside noise and temperature extremes, and resisting air and water penetration. The highly glazed façade has become an important component today. The common use of glass in building envelopes has greatly fascinated the 'green building' and construction designers and owners. However, most of those buildings have an intense reflection or use overly reflected glass and face severe internal comfort challenges. Only robust HVAC systems can solve this, resulting in substantial capacity, costs and environmental penalties. The future façades will be much more interactive, environmentally friendly and design innovative. Integrating...

"We" shape our buildings thereafter they shape us”, Winston Churchill Restoration of the façade of an ageing building that is still strong enough to last a few more decades, will give it a new identity and breathe fresh life into it. A building can get old, or its design may become obsolete, as architecture is evolving constantly with new ideas and new technologies. Over the years, there can be leaks due to damaged silicone joints and glazing gaskets, worn-out cladding systems or rusted support systems, and building maintenance can become more expensive due to rising replacement and operating costs and decreased energy efficiency of outdated façade systems. The same can be said for older glazing that may have glass without high-performance low-e coatings. This may be sufficient for building owners to consider options for façade replacement. There is also the pressure to attract new tenants or to increase rent through...

The architectural hardware industry is gradually witnessing a new wind of change globally with the presence of several international and domestic hardware products in the market. The use of the latest technologies with different materials and finishes has increased extensively providing better quality, functionality, security, installation, look, etc. In terms of design, there has been a drastic evolution with a focus on a more minimalist and energy-efficient approach. However, challenges abound in the hardware architecture product market. The market is pervaded with fierce competition coupled with a lack of information/awareness on prices, authenticity, test, standardisation, etc., which are still few and far between. Given the huge opportunities present within the challenges, the market is relatively buoyant and positive based on the demand from the growing housing and construction industry. The demand compels us to unleash more enhanced new products, and constantly innovate and upgrade the existing products, which gestures a...

Brinda Somaya (Founder) and Nandini Sampat (Director) from Somaya and Kalappa Consultants , spoke about their practice, their ongoing architectural projects, the role of façades and fenestration in buildings, latest trends and technologies in façade cladding, the importance of energy conservation and the role of façades and fenestration in achieving the same, intelligent and future façades and on renovation/restoration of façades of existing buildings. Below are the excerpts from the interview... [caption id="attachment_40480" align="alignright" width="300"] TCS House, Mumbai[/caption] Please tell us about your practice? Brinda Somaya (BS): It was in 1978 that my sister Ranjini Kalappa and I started our architectural consultancy firm. However, in two years she moved out of India and I was on my own. This led to the formation of Somaya & Kalappa, the company I founded and have headed for the last four decades. My work includes corporate, industrial and institutional designs that extends to...

Buildings are the largest energy consumer in the prevalent construction industry practices in our context. That makes it offer a unique boundless opportunity to protect the environment and conserve energy in a sustainable way. The combined crises of energy source depletion and significant climate change are generating a sense of urgency and fundamental changes in many industries including the construction industry. The heating and air-conditioning load and lighting load can be reduced through many means; notable among them is the proper design and selection of building envelope components. Façades are one of the most important contributors to the energy expenses and the vital comfort parameters of any building. It also is one of the essential considerations in the design, engineering, and operation of the buildings. The parameters affecting building envelope energy performances may be designed variables (e.g., configuration of the exterior wall) or design given inputs imposed by the context...

Façade is one of the most crucial parts of a building and adds a visual outlook as an effect on the entire building’s design. A building façade has many layers to protect the exterior of the building, providing it sustainability, at the same time it’s identity. Façades should be aesthetically pleasing and its exclusivity is the requirement of the present era. Curtain wall and cladding are the integral part of a façade system. With the right choice of façade, by keeping in mind the materials’ durability, sustainability, compatibility and suitability, safety and availability, the look and lifespan of the entire building can be transformed. The right material gives a perfect façade. For this cover story, we interviewed a few top names from the Middle-East’s façade industry to help our readers in choosing the best suitable solutions for their building façade requirements. The experts have also shared their views on the...

Façades are the most important building element from both the users and the architect’s point of view. They are the most difficult to design since the perception of iconic and technologically advanced façades is changing frequently. As per the United Nations Environment Program, buildings and their construction together account for 36 per cent of global energy use and 39 per cent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions annually. [caption id="attachment_39031" align="alignright" width="151"] AR. Khozema Chitalwala Principal Architect & Designer, Designers Group[/caption] Since the building’s envelope is the primary contributor to energy gain, and correspondingly its most important element in controlling the carbon footprint, it is no longer a matter of choice but mandatory to come up with technologies that perform better, are more functional and, of course, look great. Designers are researching and experimenting with new and complex façade and fenestration technologies. [caption id="attachment_39032" align="alignleft" width="150"] AR. Manish Dikshit Partner &...

Avondzon Residential Care Centre, Flanders, Belgium Avondzon, a renowned Belgian geriatric care facility located at Erpe-Mere has opted for dynamic Halio insulating glass units. A total of 132 windows make up a glass roof that, on 304 m2, connects the old wing, built in 1978, with the new one completed in 2019. 73 modern, spacious rooms open to a light flooded common area under the glazing. In bright sunlight, the Halio glass units - either separately or in groups - can be completely darkened in less than three minutes. In its dark state, Halio blocks 95% of incoming energy and 98% of light. The system also allows daylight to be controlled in a patient-friendly and precise manner within a light-flooded glass architecture. In addition, it lowers the energy costs for lighting and heating. The first experiences with the glass roof in the Avondzon building complex are all positive: It stimulates...

Façade is one of the most significant components of a building envelope. It goes about as the essential obstruction against outer climate components that could harm the well being of the structure, for example, downpour, wind, sun, and so on. In contrast to the structural design of the building, the façades are designed in distinct ways on the basis of different architectural styles. [caption id="attachment_35384" align="alignleft" width="176"] Ian Weekes Associate Director, Abu Dhabi/Qatar, Meinhardt Façade Technology[/caption] The architects have been deploying the latest façade technologies and materials in their designs and it will keep on changing in the future. Technological advancements in the design trends and new materials will keep on entering the façade industry in the Middle East in the future. Sustainability has always been playing an important role in the selection of façade material and designing process and it will always remain the most important part. Other than...

The defining symbol of the Expo -2017 site is the 24,000 sm Kazakhstan Pavilion Sphere, located at the center of the exposition. In order to maintain a true spherical character, the exterior envelope is a double-curved-glass façade. The Kazakhstan Pavilion Sphere is structurally supported by a central double core that is used to organise stairways and support functions such as service elevators and restrooms. A central atrium is surrounded by eight passenger elevators where visitors can experience the building and exhibitions as they travel on glass elevators from the ground level plaza to the top observation and event space. There are two opposing atria that are designed for absorption and convection in order to circulate air from the warm side of the Sphere to the cool side throughout the year. At the base, a covered access plaza organises the entry sequence to the museum floors and also acts as additional...

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...