FunderMax India Pvt. Ltd. with HQ in Bangalore is a 100 percent subsidiary of Austria-based FunderMax, which has architectural products for exterior and interior applications. The company is a member of the Indian Green building Council and the products can also be used in constructing green buildings. FunderMax offers a wide range of exterior solutions (High Pressure Laminates) mainly used for façade and balcony cladding, besides others. It provides decorative cladding shield to buildings from wind, sun and rain. The products offered by FunderMax make it possible to change the appearance of a building in a wide variety of ways, from exciting Nature, Material, Metallic and vibrant Neon and Color decors to Digital Print Designs. The ventilation gaps provided between the panels enable the façade to work on the principle of rear ventilation façade system which, keeps humidity off the wall and adds to the energy efficiency of the building....

Tell us about Aluplast and your business in India Aluplast is a family owned business and the brand is already in the market for more than 30 years. We are global players with sales offices and plants all over the world. Aluplast manufactures highly innovative uPVC doors and window systems, which are well-known and adopted worldwide. Aluplast started their business in India in 2008 and now is a well-integrated business. I am a plastic engineer with a background on glass. That has given us some advantage. Aluplast was established in India when the business activity in the sector was all time low. How did you survive against the odds and now established as one of the most successful players in the field? Though we started as a small business in India, we created our own niche through our quality products and service. The market will get segmented on the basis...

Domes and Skylight roofing adds architectural value to the building. Building domes is in vogue right since olden times, palaces used to be built with domes made of artistic facades together with brick mortar, which is predominant especially during Moghul regime. Apart from architectural value, domes provide excellent day lighting, cutting down substantially on the power cost. Modern day skylight roofing are built entirely with glasses, supporting panels occupy least space, allowing entire light to pass through. The sight of sky from within the building provides a feeling of nature, especially creates a good work or home atmosphere. It is very eco-friendly also on the other hand.’ Skylight Glass Dome for the Legislative Assembly Hall of Tamilnadu Unifab had an excellent opportunity to execute the ‘SkyLight Glass Dome’ at a prestigious location at Chennai. In fact it was planned for the Legislative flowerAssembly Hall of Tamilnadu State Government, (Now, Tamil...

Bombay Arts Society, Mumbai Fluid forms enmeshed together in parts and emerging from each other in parts constitute this small building. Within an extremely small plot measuring only 1300 sq m, a mixed use building programme based on the client’s needs had to be adhered to. Worldwide, most public buildings for arts are created on large parcels of land with large built up areas allowing for generous circulation spaces, large gallery spaces are mostly planned in one or two levels, most on plots of area over 8000 Sq m. On this small plot of only 1300 Sq m. in an upcoming business hub in Mumbai, we faced the daunting task of creating two art gallery spaces, an auditorium and a cafeteria within only 1000 sq m in addition to another 1000 sq m of office space, that will generate funds for the art society to be run as a social...

In densely populated areas, noise is almost omnipresent. Noise is also caused by production plants and building work on houses and bridges. Even music from radios and concert halls or blaring television sets can often be annoying and even cause illness. All noise disturbs our concentration and is capable of disrupting our sleep and causing tension and stress. Two similar sounds, even at the same volume, can be perceived differently. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="349"] Figure 1: An overview of typical noises and their measured volumes[/caption] In general, it is important to reduce noise as much as possible. In the case of heavy traffic on roads or railway lines, a noise barrier can help, while earplugs can be a useful remedy in crowded areas and on busy roads. Since people spend most of their time in buildings, these have to be given extra protection from loud noise. Thick walls of stone,...

Today, as we are progressively spending, close to 90 per cent of our time indoors – working or at leisure, the need to feel connected with the outdoors, and the natural world is also growing. A key factor catering to this need is exposure to daylight. It is more than just vitamin D, the pull of the natural view outside is built into our psyche; and this pull is addressed by the comfort that daylighting strategies in building designs, bring in. So what is Daylighting? What is the source of Daylight? How does it affect us? And if it does affect us, what amount of daylight is good? How can access to Daylight, while staying indoors, be addressed? These are some questions that come to our mind, naturally. What is Daylight? It is a carbon-neutral renewable source of energy and can replace up to 80 per cent of lighting energy...

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...

Historically, architects the world over have employed various shading devices and strategies to control the environment within buildings, particularly when designing for hot-arid or hot-humid climates. From the jaalis, jharokhas and chajjas of traditional Indian architecture to the brise soleil of modernists like Le Corbusier, shading devices on buildings are everywhere in our cities and towns. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="350"] Shading system: Vertical Rigid Louver System (VRLS) staggered[/caption] In recent times, however, with the growing pressure on land in urban areas and rising real estate prices, deep overhangs on the perimeter of buildings have gradually been edged out by wafer thin façade systems that allow the builder to maximize usable floor space. This is true particularly for speculative buildings. This often means that indoor spaces are left “unprotected” and more vulnerable to extremes of heat and cold, and in our context, need to be cooled artificially all year round. This...

Façade is the Architect’s opportunity to make a statement. Modern architecture has witnessed fascinating examples of visually enterprising facade statements. The architect’s vision is exemplified through the use of design and building elements that can lend a sense of uniqueness to a building almost akin to creating a special identity that sets the building apart from any other. In today’s world of technology and engineering advancement, the facades of buildings have found a unique place in terms of priority when it comes to construction. The mere aesthetics is not the only contributing factor that a façade can make towards the construction of the building, but also many functional aspects that can help this single element play a crucial role in the construction or post-construction stage. The façade, in a way, can be seen as a sort of “interface” between the inner and outer environs. By definition, good architecture implies an...

Welcoming, pragmatic and informative discussions in a conference sends a positive message to potential customers and draws them into business. That is exactly what is seen in the third session (13th edition) of ZAK World of Facades held at New Delhi on 4th September in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. ZAK World of Facades, India’s largest and exclusive conference on Facade Design & Engineering, is determined to propagate awareness on the newest cutting edge technology and perspectives that are revolutionizing the field. The conference lays bare a platform for networking, necessary in the professional world. Iconic façades require all the stake holders to strike the right balance between a host of parameters from conceiving the correct design to specifying the optimum materials and finally putting them together in place to materialize the epochal, vanguard building envelope. With ever increasing population density and destinations getting farther, the demand for the latest and...

Andreas Engelhardt is the company director of Schüco International KG.He is working with the company since 2012. Schüco is a leading provider of high-quality windows, doors and facade systems of aluminum, plastic and steel. Schüco products are used worldwide and they meet the highest standards of design, comfort, safety and energy efficiency. Innovation, partnership, excellence and responsibility which determine the success of the brand. As a technology leader for the whole building envelope Schüco stands for continuous advancement. At the same time, the company is a global resource for investors, architects and fabricators.

DuPont™ Corian® is an advanced mineral-filled acrylic material with homogeneous colour throughout, offering a distinctive finish and a fascinating interaction with the light. Whatever the nature of your project, multiple or single storeys, minimal or decorative, curved or angular, DuPont ™ Corian® Exterior Cladding enables complete creative freedom. This material allows outstanding creative flexibility to high-performance durability, excellent UV and weather resistance, easy maintenance and reparability, reliable structural performance and certified fire rating. Also, DuPont ™ Corian® Exterior Cladding makes it possible to produce two or three-dimensionally formed façade sections as well as shaped sections for corners, and lintel elements, therefore creating seamlessly corresponding façade connections. Unlimited design flexibility 2D thermoforming at very narrow radii 3D vacuum thermoforming Seamlessly bonding Numerous choices of colours Ability to create various shapes and textures Translucent colours for backlit applications High-quality/Low low-maintenance finish A naturally resistant surface that is ‘ready to install’ An easy-to-clean,...

KALCO, a 22-year-old company in the field of manufacturing aluminium products for architectural designing, is all about improving the health and well-being of individuals through green solutions. They are committed to developing, promoting and marketing energy-efficient solutions through their aluminium architectural products for people across the globe. They address this challenge with their Green Products and focus on Green Innovation. Their energy-efficient products like Thermal Break Systems, Aluminium-Wood systems, BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic systems) are an ideal combination of innovative design and unique properties contributing to a Green world that leaves a lighter footprint on the conservation of the environment, while at the same time providing cost-effective, low-maintenance and long-lasting products for architectural needs with U value up to 1.2 W/m2K as against the recommended U value of 3.3 W/m2K or less by Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Also, the value of acoustic insulation in our systems is achievable up to...

Excerpts from the discussion: M: As a visionary for any project, can you give us a broad overview of measures that you, as an architect, would take to ensure a safe and secure building from the inception to completion? AKB: Each project’s space planning is specific to its requirements. We derive a structural system in consultation with the structural consultant and incorporate structural members accordingly at this stage. Additionally, we also bring in the structural engineer during the course of design and elevation development. Each project has to be designed as per the code and soil conditions. We are conscious in terms of drawings and detailing, including the coordination at site, to make sure it is safe, right from inception to the completion. M: Is it a given that codes such as IS 1893 Part 1, shall be followed for every building facade ? Is following the code sufficient to guarantee a...

Established in 1964, Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC) has grown from a small-scale manufacturer of aluminium hardware to one of the largest players in Façade Systems in India. It had been slow and steady growth over the years, working with some of the leading architects, and consultants, associating with numerous prestigious and landmark projects in India. WFM brings you the edited excerpts from the interview of Rajeev Shamlal, Arjun Shamlal and Rishi Shamlal, Partners of Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC), detailing their business and future plans along with potentials and opportunities in the façade industry in India. WFM: Please tell us about yourself and about your company Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC)? Rajeev Shamlal: Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC) was established in 1964 by my father Shri Shamlal. I joined the company in 1976 after doing my Chartered Accountancy, my elder son Arjun joined the company in 2003 after completing his masters from London...

Andreas Engelhardt, Director, Schüco International, explains how his company achieves excellence under the umbrella of a strong brand through certified quality and award-winning design and has the edge over other brands in India. Excerpts from the interview with WFM : WFM: Please tell us about yourself and your company - Schüco. AE: I am a businessman and have over 30 years of professional experience, 25 of which have been in managerial positions for different companies, including some firms also involved in the construction industry. Together with its worldwide network of partners, architects, specifiers and investors, Schüco creates sustainable building envelopes that focus on people and their needs in harmony with nature and technology. Windows, doors and façade solutions from Schüco meet the highest requirements in terms of design, comfort and security, whilst simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions through energy efficiency, thereby conserving natural resources. The company and its metal and PVC-U...