Capgemini, one of the world’s foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services, inaugurated a new campus at Airoli in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in April 2016. The design for Capgemini (I Gate) Development Center, Airoli, Mumbai, attempts to create a high density, low-rise development to cope up with the expected future growth. The podium has been carefully articulated with a combination of majestic steps, water bodies and landscaping to soften the effect of parking space below. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="774"] Capgemini - Building 5 & 6 of Phase 2(Office building’s east elevation)[/caption] As a design philosophy, open spaces diverse in nature are provided at various locations which help in facilitating the community experience. In a constant endeavour to reduce the energy consumption of buildings, multiple energy conservation measures were adopted to reduce the energy consumption of this campus by 0.7kwh/Sqft/month. A play in glazing pattern, facing the landscaped podium,...

VR Bengaluru, popularly known as “Black Box on Whitefield Road” is located in Whitefield, one of the fastest growing business districts in Bengaluru. The centre is a mixed-use development covering an area of 9,00,000 Sq ft spread across a 4.5 acre plot. A unique community centric, integrated lifestyle destination, VR Bengaluru plays host to a multi-level premium retail arcade with an extensive portfolio of 114 leading global and Indian brands, a nine-screen multiplex that includes an IMAX and India’s largest Gold Class cinemas, a 54 key boutique hotel & residences – The Waverly, collaborative communal work spaces for start-ups and entrepreneurs – The Hive, phenomenal dining options including several pubs, cafes and restaurants and an upscale food court. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="774"] Front view of the facade - VR Bengaluru[/caption] The overall façade comprises of the following four key elements: Curtain Wall glazing Atrium Skylight Textured walls Punch Windows, Eastern...

WFM: Tell us briefly the purpose of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the GRIHA Council. Sanjay Seth (SS): TERI was established in 1974 with an initial focus on documentation and information dissemination. Over the years, it has emerged as a research institute and a think tank, to provide efficient utilization of energy and sustainable use of natural resources in the process of development. TERI is one of the largest institutions in developing countries that work towards sustainability, formulating local and national level strategies in shaping global solutions to critical issues. It has over 30 years of excellence in research and innovation. GRIHA Council is an independent not-for-profit society established jointly by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India (GoI). It promotes and facilitates GRIHA - India’s own green building rating system. GRIHA is a rating tool that...

Global market for Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is projected to grow from a current low of US$5B to a high of US$26B by 2022. This represents an exponential growth of 27 per cent CAGR. There appears to be a sudden surge of interest in BIPV. It is not driven by the finite space available for rack mounted rooftop PV. BIPV, as applied to the façade, will offer the best option to increase solar integration into the built environment. This appears to be consistent with the big rush for decentralised building and nett zero energy buildings. While we can certainly afford to be optimistic about the surging interest in BIPV, there remain certain fundamental real world challenges which need to be overcome before BIPV can be expected to take traction within the building sector. The complexity of these challenges, aesthetical, efficiency and commercial in nature, are the primary reasons why BIPV has...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="166"] Ar. Karl Wadia,Senior Associate Architect, Architect Hafeez Contractor[/caption] Ar. Karl Wadia, Senior Associate; Architect Hafeez Contractor; has always had a penchant for design. He graduated from The Academy of Architecture, Mumbai in 2003 and completed post graduate degree from the Columbia University in New York. His humble beginning in the field of architecture started as a young intern at Architect Hafeez Contractor’s office. Karl, through hard work and dedication, now heads a team of approximately 70 Associates, Architects and CAD Team, popularly known as ‘Karl Group’ at AHC (Architect Hafeez Contractor). Ar. Karl Wadia spoke to WFM about an array of topics including his firm’s design strategies, important ongoing projects, latest trends and technologies in façade and fenestration design, and safety & security aspects to be factored during design. WFM: Can you describe the evolution of your work from when you began? Ar. Karl Wadia (KW):...

In the heart of Dubai, halfway between the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa) and the newly opened Dubai Water Canal, construction is coming to an end on yet another landmark for the city: The Opus by Zaha Hadid. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] Street view of The Opus[/caption] The Opus is a mixed-use 20-story building – hotel, serviced apartments and offices –which resembles a glowing cube that floats above the ground and has a freeform void in its centre. The building consists of two concrete towers connected by a steel bridge on top and a large steel-supported atrium roof at the base, seamlessly cladded with glazed curtain walling. The external façades are built with transparent glazing with a mirror pattern, in contrast with the freeform inner “void” area which has dark blue glazing. Our job since the start of the project was to provide consultancy services on building envelope engineering. From...

The proposed building for the Library Block of reputed state government technical university named Abdul Kalam Technical University (formerly Gautam Buddh Technical University) at Jankipuram, Lucknow, showcases an amazing multi-coloured and bright façade. The façade of the building is designed by Ar. Ritu Gulati and Ar. Vandana Sehgal. The building is located at the outskirts of Lucknow city in very calm locality. The project is one of its kind and will prove to be a milestone in the city’s architecture. Details of material used in the project are provided below:   [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="265"] Details of Double Glazed Unit panel[/caption]   Glass Details: The glass used in the project is security glass with coloured film pasted between glass sheets. Detailed description is given below: 6mm Clear Tempered Glass + 0.38mm Coloured PVB + 0.38mm Clear PVB + 0.38mm Coloured PVB + 0.38mm Clear PVB +6mm Clear Tempered Glass +...

In a world where nine to five, monotony, drudgery and boredom reside in the same cubicle, comes a revolution to the workplace. One that is innovative in design, imagination and size. It goes by the name of Marvel Edge located at Viman Nagar, the heart of Pune. This state-of-the-art infrastructure is a testament to modern and distinctive commercial structures.Spread over one million square feet, Marvel Edge boasts of environmentally sustainable designs, with a profusion of greenery, luxury, quality and technology. Amenities like maximized natural lighting, breakout spaces, inclusiveness of complex and advanced security systems are part and parcel of the experience sunscreening. The building has a three-layered façade consisting of a double-glazed curtain wall, private terraces and sun screening. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="392"] Fig.3: Internal view of the gallery[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="392"] Fig.4: View of the internal courtyard[/caption] Intelligent Design Divided into 4 wings, Marvel Edge is a combination...

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...

Architect Tony Kettle The LakhtaCenter is designed to be a colossal project to construct a contemporary business center in the Primorsky district of Saint Petersburg, Russia.It will be implemented as a pilot project of an integrated development of the area and the construction of a mini city on the outskirts, therefore creating a sustainable district for life and work. At 86 floors and 462 m tall, it will be the tallest tower in Europe when completed in 2018. The architects Gorpoekt and RMJM deployed a whopping 44,000 sqm of high-performance glass from Saint-Gobain for glazing Europe’s tallest tower. The objective of the project is the construction of a cluster in Petersburg that would align with international standards of construction of a business and public environment so as to increase the level of business activity in the city and North-western region as a whole. The headquarters of Gazprom Neft and Gazprom...

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...

  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...

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...

The 7th edition of the Zak Aluminium Extrusions Expo, 12th edition of Zak Doors & Windows Expo, and 13th edition of the Zak Glass Technology Expo took place from 10 - 13 December 2015 at MMRDA Exhibition Centre, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai, bringing together thousands of professionals from the Glass, Doors & Windows, and Aluminium to network, learn and do business. Zak Glass Technology Expo 2015, India’s and South Asia’s leading fair for glass and glazing technologies, was held on 10 - 13 December 2015 at MMRDA Exhibition Centre, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai. With 13 years of development, the event constituted 3 concurrent fairs — the 7th Zak Aluminium Extrusions Expo, the 12th Zak Doors & Windows Expo, and the 13th Zak Glass Technology Expo. This grandest event in the Asian glass industry report was organized by the Zak Trade Fair and Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd., one of the leading tradeshow and exhibition...

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...