Please tell us about your practice and its growth in India? Gensler is a mission-driven firm, and we believe in making the world a better place through the power of design. We’re deeply committed to shaping the future of the world’s cities and there are several key aspects that go into this, including climate change and how we can design in a highly sustainable and reliant way. We’re also looking at the future of mobility in these cities, along with technology and smart cities. Our job is to make the world a better place. There are 50 Gensler locations around the world, which provides the firm with a unique, broad view of what our clients’ needs are. We’re the biggest architectural and design firm in the world with more than 6,000 team members. We’re an incredibly diverse group, with a diversity of thought, which is important to us. [caption id="attachment_44855"...

[caption id="attachment_44411" align="alignright" width="362"] The office building for the Sangini group characterizes new strategies for a flexible, column-free office space that creates a new urban venture in the city’s dense business district[/caption] The humble design of the corporate office building of Sangini House is imbued with legacy, contemporary panache, and indispensable workplace wellness. The architecture and design of Sangini House explore ways in which it can respond to the context and spirit of the heritage in which it stands. This office building for the Sangini group characterizes new strategies for a flexible, column-free office space that creates a new urban venture in the city’s dense business district. Established in 1984, the Sangini group is a leading construction firm delivering technical excellence in building design for habitats and commercial spaces. The site for their new office building is located at Canal Road. The areas on the Vesu – Canal corridor area...

When designing the building components such as the facades, windows, and doors, we need to ensure that the products don’t just look great but perform to the highest possible standards without the risk of deterioration. Efficient, productive applications need adhesives that provide high durability in a cost-effective, easy-to-use manner. 3M™ bonding technology is a high-strength, reliable and affordable alternative to traditional fastening methods and is a reliable alternative to screws, rivets, welds and other mechanical or thermal bonding solutions. 3M™ adhesive technology creates a stronger bond while weighing less and giving a clean design and consistent appearance. The façade is the most important part of the building envelope responsible for a range of functions, most importantly the primary weather defence and architectural aesthetics. Metal has been included in architectural façade designs, windows & doors for the routine smooth skin design for commercial and residential buildings. The designers have embraced metal...

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...

Historically, the visual aesthetics of the external façade of any structure was always as significant as the achieving of the appropriate functionality indoors. Glimpse back and you would realise the humungous thought, efforts, skills and details through exhaustive labour that the ancient churches, temples, mosques and other institutional structures displayed on the exterior. There was a representation of the cultural context. It was a matter of prestige and pride to make them iconic to evoke the ‘awe and wow’ factor amidst the viewers. [caption id="attachment_43975" align="alignnone" width="774"] Tribal Home, Odisha (Courtesy - @sudarshan_swain[/caption] In the olden times, rulers and regimes have often used the representations on the façades as symbols of strength and power. And this is very evident when viewing our heritage of palaces, forts and parliament houses. They ejaculated a grandeur of monumental scale, an emotion for art through meticulously detailed materials, a love for voluminous indoor spaces...

Glass has made its way as a wonder material and deep inroads in the building industry. It has revamped itself hugely and the industry has broken the conventional fears and norms of breakage, safety, security and several other factors and addressed them head-on. The technological innovations in glass and glazing have helped and rewarded the industry with substantial growth in volumes and adding diversity and versatility in usage. Façade glazing contributes to the aesthetics of a building and reduces the visual and physical weight of a building. It presents design opportunities to architects, where they can explore different geometric configurations and shapes of glass with customised module design and its assembly. Architects are still exploring its creative applications. [caption id="attachment_43466" align="alignnone" width="774"] Blu by BES Consultants[/caption] Window/Façade Glazing - Why is it Important? [caption id="attachment_43467" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dwayne Sloan Director Principal Engineering, Built Environment, UL[/caption] The building façade refers to...

What is a window / facade glazing and why is it important? Windows and façades are the elements of the building to communicate with the surroundings. It is exactly like the skin of the human body. This will play a bigger role in accepting or rejecting the various aspects of the environment. [caption id="attachment_43402" align="alignright" width="500"] Sattva South Gate Project, Electronic City, Bangalore[/caption] What is the difference between tempered glass, wired glass and laminated glass and their use in projects? Keeping security in mind, we can use the above glasses for the façade which will cover the safety aspects also. Toughened glass will ensure the glass will not break into bigger pieces to hurt people. The wired glass will keep the broken glass pieces in their place after breakage. Laminated glass which is considered superior to the above categories will give full safety for the façade even after the glass...

Please tell us about your practice and its growth over the years. I started my practice in 1988 where the initial years ensued to be challenging as I was never keen on outlining small bedrooms, living rooms and apartments, therefore, a couple of projects did not materialise for me. Working persistently on various interior design projects, I manifested a strong base for craftsmanship, which led to extensive and diversified work experience. [caption id="attachment_42901" align="alignright" width="300"] Vivanta by Taj, Lucknow[/caption] I design projects, I manifested a strong base for craftsmanship, which led to extensive and diversified work experience. I designed numerous multi story outlets in the retail sector for various brands but my passion for hospitality never died and I kept pitching for numerous Hotel projects.I got my first break in hospitality in 1999 with the help of Mr Sampath Kumar, a marine chief en There has definitely been an evolution...

Cladding in construction is a material applied on the exterior walls to provide a skin or layer. It provides a degree of thermal insulation and weather resistance and also improves the appearance of buildings. Cladding can be made of any of a wide range of materials available in the market, including wood, metal, stone, brick, vinyl, and composite materials that can comprise aluminium, wood, stones, blends of cement and recycled polystyrene, etc. The wall cladding market in India is still evolving and the future for the same definitely holds much promise with the high demands in the construction industry. In this edition’s cover story, we discuss the trends in cladding materials and technologies, intelligent and responsive cladding solutions, future cladding materials and designs, testing for the wall clads for strength and durability, standards and norms while procuring and installing cladding materials, and much more. [caption id="attachment_41788" align="alignnone" width="774"] One of...

In an interview with Monnanda Appaiah Managing Director at Wienerberger India, he spoke about his company, their business in the Indian market, their sustainable and future-ready solutions for new-age constructions, manufacturing facility, a few significant projects in which their products are used, and on the future of façade and cladding industry in India. Here are the excerpts from the interview: Please tell us about your company Wienerberger, and yourself. How long the company has been in this business in the Indian market? The Wienerberger Group, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, is a leading international provider of smart solutions for the entire building envelope and infrastructure. Wienerberger is the world’s largest producer of bricks (Porotherm, Terca) and the market leader in clay roof tiles (Koramic, Tondach) in Europe. Wienerberger is the world’s largest producer of bricks (Porotherm, Terca) and the market leader in clay roof tiles (Koramic, Tondach) Wienerberger started its operations...

Cladding is one of the most important elements which ensures that the exterior of a building is protected from the elements of nature and potential sources of damage. Cladding extends the longevity and lifespan of the building. It also provides the other important benefits that include providing strength to the structure and thermal insulation to the buildings. Cladding not only protects the building envelope but also enhances the appearance of the building. It is also very important that the cladding design and the right choice of cladding material should have the right balance of aesthetics and efficiency. We interviewed the experts in the construction sector who have provided their thoughts on the cladding sector, the trends in cladding technologies & materials, the role of fire safety in external cladding systems, etc. Here are the views of experts presented in this cover story The Latest Trends In Cladding Materials [caption id="attachment_41637"...

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...

Defining Façade and Fenestration Façade - In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect from a design standpoint, as it sets the tone for the rest of the building. From the engineering perspective of a building, the façade is also of great importance due to its impact on energy efficiency. Fenestration – The term is still used to describe the arrangement of windows within a façade, as well as defenestration, meaning to throw something out of a window. Here are some notable facts and study regarding COVID on its spread in reference to façade materials, climate and us. How Does Covid-19 Spread? [caption id="attachment_41207" align="alignleft" width="150"] Table: Median Half-Life on Surfaces[/caption] COVID-19 spreads mainly by droplets produced as a result of coughing or sneezing of a COVID-19 infected person. This can happen in two ways: Direct close contact: One can get the infection by being...

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...

The design of the project is an analogue response to a digital campus. The campus, designed in collaboration with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects|partners, New York, is intended to be experienced on foot. Rather than grouping the entire program into one structure, the project is divided into separate buildings that are low to the ground to emphasise the natural beauty of the site. [caption id="attachment_40524" align="alignright" width="300"] The buildings are connected by the network of raised, shaded passageways | The corridors have double-sandwiched stone jaalis[/caption] The Context: It is a new architectural sensibility, based on the inputs of sunlight, daylight, and air temperature in time and space. The architecture and environment went hand in hand through the design process. The existing foliage was retained, and courtyards are a prominent feature of the design for cross ventilation. The Design: The buildings are connected by the network of raised, shaded passageways, providing...