WFM: Please brief on the importance of right hardware for windows? Atul Anand (AA): A window is basically made up of glass, profiles, gaskets and hardware. In some countries there are safety standards that the windows should meet - for example in Germany they have the safety standards RC1, RC2, RC3 etc. Hardware is used to create multi point locking which makes the windows safe and to meet such standards. It is through the hardware that correct gasket compression is controlled. It ensures that the sash has the right pressure so that the window is sealed and yet compression WFM: s not so much that it affects the life of the gasket. In case the window is not sealed properly, there will be air, sound and water leakages.   WFM: What are the criteria for selection of architectural hardware for facades and fenestrations? Atul Anand (AA): There are various...

  WFM: Please comment on the need for choosing the right kind of hardware for windows, doors and façades. Hiten Sethi (HS): Architectural hardware is becoming increasingly design-oriented. Any architectural hardware shall ideally provide the highest level of performance, security & safety without compromising on aesthetics. Hardware used for doors, windows and façades influences the overall look of any architectural project, hence choosing the right ones is of utmost importance! Selection criteria should be based on - firstly, the level of performance which means satisfactory operations and durability. Secondly, no compromise shall be practised about the visual appeal of hardware. Designs of hardware - the colour, texture and finish chosen - can be altered and redesigned based on demand. Ideally hardware product manufacturers should aim for products to perform, be durable and have an aesthetic finish, all balanced together. The overall quality of hardware matters because whether concealed or visible,...

WFM: What are the criteria for the selection of Architectural hardware for facades and fenestrations? Rajan Aggarwal (RA): With more number of design & options available, right selection of hardware for the windows, doors and facades has become very important. While selecting the hardware, functional need and safety should be given priority and they shouldn’t get superseded by aesthetics requirements. One should check the certification for number of usage cycles, weight and load factors at the time of selection of hardware. After taking care the above, one should select the design as per the need of design of the façade perceived by the designer. Main concept with aesthetic requirements of façade design is generally given by the architect. This needs to be further developed by using various types of hardware. The type of hardware is selected as per the structural requirements of the façade, for example structural load, wind pressure...

A novel design or use of material in one instance, becomes commonplace after repeated use over time. The basic morphologies, materials and processes that comprise the technology are well-tested and of known performance validated from use. Concurrently, a proliferation of highly visible structural glass façades in the built environment has resulted in the dissipation of perceived risk among the building community and the public and an increasing acceptance of the innovative technology. As a result, interest in utilizing structural glass façade technology is increasing among architects and their owner-developer clients. The next tier of adopters is primed. Structural glass façade technology is poised for significant potential growth, but barriers remain. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320"] Kimpenski Hotel, Munich Airport[/caption] The demands on building systems have increased in many respects over the past several decades. Nowhere are these demands greater than with the building skin. Architects are demanding more design control and...

Significant trends are emerging in the window and door industries. The new trend in the fenestration industry and the contemporary architectural solution is heavily involving aluminium envelopes, from façade to casement windows for residential projects. With the emerging trends, contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with various issues pre and post-construction. Some architects and manufacturers of aluminium windows and doors are monitoring the customers' evolving tastes and have identified the following key trends that are expected to affect the building industry in the coming years. Minimalist Trend In recent years, the ‘minimalist’ trend has strongly affected the world of buildings. The architects are redefining the rules of urban planning by designing more and more slender buildings. Constructive [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] NP Supra Asia Handle[/caption] The design has become increasingly modern and daring. Large openings are in trend together with narrow profiles and stylish accessories with low aesthetic impact....

uPVC Windows and Doors Manufacturers Association (UWDMA) & Glass Academy Foundation,in association with Department of Skill Employment &entrepreneurship (DSEE), Govt. of Rajasthan organized the ‘Train the Trainers program’ for the faculty members from various Industrial Training Institutes of Rajasthan from 13- 17 September 2016 at Bhiwadi. Ten participants gathered as appointed by the DSEE, Rajasthan. The program turned out to be a highly successful one with high enthusiasm from the industry and participants. The program ended on a highly positive note, opening up a lot of new opportunities for the students and the industry in the years to come. Following are the names of experts & corresponding organizations who contributed towards this programme: Mario & Mr. Dinesh Sharma from Lingel Amar Srivastav from LGF Anupam Sharma from Saint-Gobain Amit Malhotra from Spectrum Rahul Aherwal from LGF Prakasam from Deceunink Varun & Mr. Ajay from Fenesta Manoj Yadav & Amit Dhawan from...

THE GRID, an innovative office complex built in the Essen inner-city only 300 metres from the central railway station, was based on a design by Hamburg-based BN Architekten for Essen’s Schenker AG. It provides space for 900 workplaces and covers just less than 30,000 square meters of total floor area across eight office building floors. It also includes 221 parking spaces on two underground garage floors. The property’s extraordinary depth provided a particular challenge for the designers. However, they were able to create economic floor plans, which enable all employees’ workplaces to be bathed in light from behind through almost room height windows. Sommer design & security, from Döhlau near Hof/Saale, supplied facade elements with over 1,000 opening windows. For THE GRID, the German family-owned company developed a design in which the advanced Roto hardware technology guarantees the durability of the over 1,000 integrated window sashes. THE GRID was developed...

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...

NSG Group, the owner of the Pilkington brand, and one of the world’s largest glass producers, and Solaria, specialists in PV technology, are entering into a collaboration agreement to manufacture and produce (semi) transparent Building Integrated Photo voltaic (BIPV) solutions. NSG Group chose to collaborate with Solaria due to the company’s robust BIPV technology and manufacturing processes that combine attractive aesthetics, compelling economics, high energy efficiency and design flexibility. NSG Group has significant experience in high efficiency architectural glass solutions and is now extending its product line into BIPV, incorporating Solaria’s Power View™ technologies as part of an OEM relationship. Establishing a BIPV supply chain signifies that BIPV is commercially ready for mainstream adaptation. The next level will see BIPV being integrated into IGU and glass products for building facades. The first Pilkington branded glass products powered-by-Solaria include architectural glass with unified vision, effective day lighting, glare control, improved thermal...

Mumbai, 8th September 2016: Asahi India Glass Limited (AIS), India’s leading integrated glass company expanded its existing portfolio in the architectural segment with the introduction of a new range under its Ecosense range of high-performance glasses (The Green Standard in Glass). The new range – Excel combines the best of functionalities with best-in-class eco-friendly features. Ecosense Excel is a specialized green building glass with advanced solar control and low-E properties. This glass product comes with excellent thermal insulation and best-in-class solar control performance. Excel (Double Low-E glass) can be used in a number of applications, like structural glazing, facade glazing, bolted systems, curtain walling and fenestration applications, insulated glazing units, laminated double glazed units, laminated, heat treated and bent glazing units. The two series in which Ecosense Excel is available are – Pearl and Sparkle. The shades available in these two series are Clear, Blue, and Green. Mr. Vikram Khanna, COO...

Decorating kid’s room can always be a challenge as the kids don’t like a lot of fuss when it comes to their rooms. Hence you need to decorate your kid’s bedroom that should be fun, functional and most of all durable in which proper space utilization is very important.Keeping this in mind Ottimo the luxurious furniture brand has launched the great space saver rooms for kids by Tumidie from Italy at his designed studio OttimoDisegni LLP at Ghitorn, New Delhi. The great space saver rooms for kids by OTTIMO provides all the required cabin beds, platforms, beds above wardrobes, pull in beds, wardrobes under the beds, doors and walls of bookcases, writing desk and any other essential that meet your requirement with furnish complete solution for children bedrooms. The rooms are designed with satin finished, lacquered and coated aluminum tubes and profiles with customized sizes that make rooms aesthetically and...

Diwali is the biggest festival of India which also known as the festival of lights.To welcome this joyous festival we do different things to give our home powerful look and home decoration tops the priority. To make your Diwali more beautiful IDUS the super luxurious store has come up with its exclusive Wall Art Collection by Artisan House that would surely enhance the entire look of your home in a special way. The collection comprises of 3D design wall art, transitional wine wall art, sculpture wall art and different theme based designs like last summer, mama owl, and baby owl sit on the branch, wine tasting wall art etc that are  perfectly suited for the interiors of your homes that gives the feeling  one is looking for. It designed with hand painted steel, ground steel, antiqued steel and is purely handcrafted. The 3D wall art and wine tasting wall art designed with painted steel, ground brass, copper and brass plated elements that make your home impressive one. According to Mr.Sameer Hora, IDUS Wall art are in...

Sustainable Building materials play a very important role in creating Green or Sustainable buildings.  They help in improving the functions of the building and its occupants and is in coordination with the climate and natural site conditions around. Sustainable buildings drastically help in reducing its carbon footprint. The characteristics of Sustainable Building materials are- Sustainable materials are those that are locally available. They help in reducing the manufacturing costs, transportation costs and reduce the air pollution. Use of local construction techniques. This reduces the cost of construction and is capable of giving employment to the local laborers and craftsmen. The building material should be recyclable or reusable. The materials should be highly durable and resistant to external weather conditions. This shall make the building last throughout its lifetime and become maintenance free. The Sustainable materials help in increasing the thermal efficiency of the building. This results in reduction of electrical costs...

Once marketed as “The City Above Toronto,” the City of Vaughan is considered to be one of the fastest growing suburban cities in the Greater Toronto Area. Their new five-year-old Civic Center campus is situated just outside the historic community of Maple, an agricultural center dating back to the mid-1800’s, and it’s commuter rail station linking the city to downtown Toronto. The upcoming Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension—projected to open in 2018—along with a planned transit-oriented development that anticipates housing for 25,000 residents and employment for over 11,000 workers promises to establish a new identity for Vaughan. Nestled in between all of this is the City’s latest project: the Vaughan Civic Center Resource Library. Designed by Toronto-based ZAS Architects, the building responds to a “library of the future” brief with a sweeping glass and steel “maker-space” dedicated to community learning, gathering, creating, and celebration. Peter Duck worth-Pilkington, Principal at ZAS, says the...

  In the last decade, there has been a lot of focus on and interest in green commercial buildings from global and Indian corporates. This increasing interest has led to an accelerated availability of green building products, services and also enthusiasm from builders catering to this segment. There has also been a significant increase in 'green' growth in the residential segment. There are now investors such as International Finance Corporation, UK government's Department of International Development (DFID) and the National Housing Bank involved, which is significantly boosting this segment. Today, many more Indian developers have understood that green certification can attract more customers and investors, and are aligning themselves with green concepts. However, the supply gap is still quite significant, and there is still a definite need to create a broader spectrum of awareness among end-users. Another lacuna is on the banking front - bank loans are an integral factor...

The Economic Times Architecture & Design Summit charmed Delhi with the second of its session on July 29, 2016. The summit had industry sleuths deliberate on new trends like “A new design thinking for new times and new generation”, where Ambrish Arora (Principal Architect, Lotus Designs) addressed the audience. A special informative case study was presented by  Krishna Mehta, (Textile Designer & Creative Director on Elements & Principles of Design) ​on Principles of Design explained using texture. The event also facilitated discussions on elements and principles of design through texture and impact of texture on built environment. Addressing the topic, industry stalwart Abhishek Somany, MD, Somany Ceramics elaborated on the international best practices in the design space and the impact of texture, which are the key drivers of the next phase of growth for the A&D industry.The panellists - Britta Knobel Gupta (Founding Partner, Studio Symbiosis); LipikaSud (Founder& Director, LipikaSud Interiors); and Sangeet Sharma (Principal Architect,...