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...

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="221"] Er. Cyrus Pithawalla[/caption] Enter the most upmarket locale of suburban neighborhood in northeastern Mumbai – Powai. Amidst the upscale hotels and commercial buildings, the place is marked by a distinct neo-classical styled architecture – Hiranandani Gardens. After 1985 , Hiranandani Developers purchased large tracts of land between Vikhroli hill and Powai lake and set up the present day township. Besides Powai, Hiranandani Developers have a prominent presence in Thane, another suburban township near Mumbai. Hiranandani group – focused on a larger goal of the Happiness of people and raising global lifestyle, has gone from strength to strength. Hiranandani Group is synonymous with quality, commitment, reliability and excellence in architecture. WFM brings you the edited excerpts from a candid tête-à-tête with Er. Cyrus K Pithawalla – Director, Engineering of Hiranandani Constructions Pvt. Ltd. In conversation with Er. Pithawalla, a force to reckon in the construction world, a...

“Mighty spirited in progressing from a 2 member team setup, in a small rental office premises to a team of 230 highly talented group of Architects, Interior Designers, Engineers and Professionals in a spacious office premises of 50,000 sq. ft. floor space. He has recently received several prestigious awards and recognition in multiple categories, HSBC Sponsored International Asia Pacific Property Awards 2012, Bloomberg Property Awards 2012 for best residential high-rise design in the world, CNBC Award: Best In Ultra Luxury Segment 2013, Artists in Concrete Awards Asia Fest: 2013-14 for best Educational Institute Design where his work was selected from amongst the top architects of the country. Felicitation by The Times of India followed by four-page coverage to celebrate the Architectural brilliance of Ar. Vivek Bhole and his contribution to transforming the Mumbai skyline is another feather in the cap.” Let us just go through the success mantra of Mr....

Developing the most prestigious buildings in south India, from UB City to Shantiniketan, from the Golfshire to the Polygon, Prestige group is the uncrowned king, at the helm of the real estate development scenario of Bangalore and other parts of South India. Known to rule the high end as well as the mass-scale residential developments with the same aplomb, Prestige group became the real game changer in the retail segment also when they built the first ever mall that the southern part of India ever saw – The Forum Read along as Mr. GOPAL V. – Executive Director of the Prestige group, talks about the journey, the vision, the challenges and the dreams, which set the developer on a paramount pedestal. WFM: Mr. Gopal, could you please give us a little background about yourself and how long have you been with Prestige? Gopal (Executive Director, Prestige group): I am a...

“A great leader's courage to fulfil his vision comes from passion & not position. With a legacy of over 45 years of excellence in architecture, PG Patki Associates continues to instil the creative spirit in their designs. Started by the late Mr PG Patki, the practice is one of the front runners in the country with a number of prestigious projects to their credit. Carrying forward this legacy of distinction, Mr S P Patki is now at the helm of PG Patki associates. With an azimuth zeal and passion towards the job, this spirit flows over to the whole team of P G Patki Architects. Mr Patki maintains: “It is not always about superficiality, for even iconic ones can be huge architectural failures. It is a balancing act where detail, character and fundamentals are not compromised, where structure reflects the mark of the individual; the soul behind it” In awe...

The enormous economic and population growth worldwide over the last four decades has together driven the impacts that threaten the health and well-being of our communities and nations. To name a few -  ozone depletion, climate change, fouling of natural resources and extensive loss of biodiversity and habitat. Amidst this, one word that drives all activities across the globe in today’s time and age is Sustainability. Ranging from ecosystems to buildings, from commercial buildings to urban habitats, you name it and it strives to be sustainable. Leaders in business, government, academia, public interest organizations, and communities are responding with innovative new solutions to sustainability. Large corporations, as well as small businesses, are progressing beyond simple regulatory compliance in favour of more proactive roles in finding solutions to sustainability issues. The Indian building and construction industry is not far behind in this race run for the cause. “For most urban projects,...

India has always embraced new technological advancements with open arms. With the advent of spurt in the growth of Indian construction industry in 2006-2007 many multinational companies forayed into India. One such Solution provider is Reynaers Aluminium. Headquartered in Duffel, Belgium, Reynaers Aluminium is represented in over 40 countries worldwide and is the market leader for developing and selling innovative and sustainable aluminium systems for the building sector. Reynaers Aluminium ensures its financial success by integrating social and environmental considerations into all its activities. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="230"] Ajay Tenany[/caption] WFM got a chance to interact with Mr. Ajay Tenany, who is Director – Reynaers India and is responsible for sales, marketing and operations of the Indian Subsidiary. Mr. Tenany has a vast experience in the Building industry. He marketed interior application products like window coverings; blinds etc. and He had a brush with the façade contracting business when he...

The construction of buildings has evolved to newer heights in the past few years, and so has the awareness of conserving energy. With the Kyoto Protocol signed so many years ago and increasing global awareness about climate change, even a school student is now aware of energy conservation. In any given building, its envelope is the main point of heat exchange. As much as 41% of energy might be lost from the fenestration depending on the window-to-wall ratio. If we look at a picture of a house from a thermal camera (Fig 1), we will notice that the brightest red lines, or where the heat is transferred most from, are the frames of the windows, yes, even more than the glass. Energy finds the weakest point between the walls, frames, and glass to pass from. It is apparent in the above thermal analysis, where the isothermal lines are very constant at...

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...

On average, we spend about 90 per cent of our time indoors, thus it’s imperative that we have an indoor environment that is conducive to the general well-being of the occupants. There are a number of factors that influence the indoor environment in any given building. Be it an office space or a house. For instance – Indoor air quality, natural lighting of the indoor spaces, clean ventilated and well-lit interiors, bereft of annoying outdoor noises. Windows and façade play an enormous role in ensuring the building’s indoor environment is healthy. They are responsible for ensuring that the interior spaces are well-lit and adequately ventilated. And while ensuring this prime objective they take up the dual responsibility of acting as a barrier between inside and outside and keep unsolicited intruders such as Noise, air pollution, rain, and humidity at bay. It is of utmost importance that a building façade is...