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...

Facade Cladding, while essentially being the skin of the building, should not merely accentuate the aesthetics but also serve as a shield from extremes of weather and the external environment. This protective layer, while being functional, should also permit the building to breathe while defining its significance and character. The Facade Cladding industry, today, is undergoing many changes in terms of functionality and performance parameters. To create an optimal artificial environment inside the building, the cladding material has to ensure a reduction in energy consumption through the wall of the building. This also means that the cladding material and system have to perform in all types of climatic conditions giving rise to more robust, energy-efficient, innovative and adaptable façade systems some of which are explained below: Rain Screen Façade Cladding (Back Ventilated Façade System):   [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] Functional wind protection and privacy along with design sophistication[/caption] Rear-ventilated facades...

Typical building façades require the design team to strike the right balance between a host of parameters that pull the design in different directions, including structural, aesthetic, thermal, technological, acoustics, security, and more. Healthcare facilities have not only these to contend with but a unique set of challenges that require consideration of multi-stakeholder needs, including patients, operators, health authorities, builders and architects, with often conflicting demands.Through a combination of early façade consultant engagement and the incorporation of imaginative thinking and the latest technology, the façade can literally unify these demands. Patient Comfort Patient comfort is one of the prime concerns when designing hospitals and healthcare premises. Patients require a quiet atmosphere, plenty of natural daylight, as well as thermal comfort in order to recover in the best possible environment. This involves the deployment of a variety of façade design solutions such as multi-functional low-emissivity coatings, laminated double-glazed units, exterior shading...

What is a window treatment? With a primary goal of enhancing the aesthetics of a window in a building, the window treatment is a non-architectural element placed on, in, around or over a window. Often the main goal of the window decoration is to beautify the window & the room and to secure privacy. Treatments for covering the window may include: Hard treatments – Hard window treatments are made of hard materials like wood or vinyl. Soft Treatment – anything made up of soft materials comes under the category of soft treatments like the curtains and the draperies. Window shutters: These are usually installed onto the window frame and are horizontal slats, made either of wood or a poly resin that can either be stationary or may have a tilt. They do not move up and down like blinds but in certain applications can fold across the window. Types of...

Project by Merge Studio, New York Led by Varun Kohli, Principal at Merge Studio, the team has created a rigorous process of such integration process where environmental analysis, financial feasibility and other parameters are assessed in tandem with the design process, thus allowing them to solve varying problems and often creating opportunities from initially perceived constraints. For architects of the 21st century, it is impossible to ignore the significance of building envelope design in most sizable projects. It is significant aesthetically as the primary visual element of the building, but more importantly, it is essential in negotiating the transfer of energies between the exterior micro-climatic and interior comfort environments. In addition to aesthetic and environmental considerations, the building envelope design must also address pragmatic issues of maintenance and safety whilst responding to market conditions such as financial feasibility, constructability and material availability. Creative design resolutions for such variable parameters can...

A piece of News that has been doing rounds of Façade and Fenestration industry off late, is “LIXIL Corporation’s acquisition of majority stake holding in Start Alubuild. At one hand is Japan’s largest building products company LIXIL Corporation, which also owns Permasteelisa, world’s largest and most admired façade company.In its drive to enhance focus on the Indian market LIXIL acquired a majority stake in Star Alubuild from DLF. On the other hand is Star Alubuild,North India’s leading façade design, fabrication and installation service company focusing primarily on doors & windows, curtain walls and solid surface façades for interiors and exteriors. Led by founder and president, Romi Malhotra, it has serviced an array of projects, ranging from residential to infrastructure, as well as from economy to premium segments, with key clients including DLF, IREO, and Larsen & Toubro. Together they have forged a partnership which promises to bring about a revolution...

In an exclusive round of question and answer with WFM Mr. Varghese talks about the window and façade industry, his choices and the uphill journey of Sobha Group Following are the excerpts - WFM: Please tell the readers how you got into the PV Varghese: I was working in Dubai for a construction company taking care of their cladding division when I got a call from Sobha Group. Mr. PNC Menon interviewed me and shared his vision of setting up a glazing and metal works division for Sobha  Group as a part of their backward integration initiative. The association worked out and I moved to Bangalore to set up the same. Since then I have been part of the illustrious Sobha group. WFM: So this division only does projects for Sobha’s in-house projects or have you diversified to other avenues? PV Varghese: Actually not. In fact only 15-20% of SGMW...

Knowing how to do things not just with the head, but with the hands as well, might seem a programmatic and ideological goal. It is not. It is a way of safeguarding creative freedom. We envision a workshop against a studio to Build. The Green Revolution Tall buildings are getting greener. Or green buildings are getting taller. Either way, you slice it, the sustainability movement in the world has gone large-scale and skyward, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Mumbai or in other metro cities of India. By the end of this decade, several green high-rises vis-à-vis apartment buildings, and office towers for financial institutions which are now being planned or are under construction will pepper the skyline. Why the surge? Owners and developers say they’ve discussed green design for years, but no one wanted to be the first to take the plunge. Within a year’s time from...