Please tell us about your practice? I started my architectural  practice in 1989, after graduating from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. The driving force behind the journey of over three decades has always been the openness to continuous learning, the quest for excellence and the sheer joy and pride in our work. As an architectural firm, we have grown exponentially by accepting every challenge that came its way. We not only provide technically sound advice, but cutting edge technology and engineering, trendy, modernistic architecture, interiors and landscape designs. I have poured in my passion, commitment, wholehearted enthusiasm, hope and my energy in all my work, maintaining a high level of integrity and commitment. [caption id="attachment_31711" align="alignnone" width="774"] The entire house is cladded with natural stone[/caption]   At HPA, H stands for happiness, P for positivity and A for accountability. That tells our philosophy. We are a small team of 20 people based...

The office building of the Central Information Commission (CIC) at Munirka, New Delhi is abutting a proposed 30 meter wide road namely Baba Gang Nath Marg. The state-of-the-art building facilitates the effective functioning of CIC, which is a symbol of transparency in the largest democracy of the world. The ambiance of the building is in such a way that the visiting Central Information Commission (CIC) at Munirka, New Delhi - front elevation public shall be at ease and comfort while pursuing their functions at the building. This has resulted in capacity building for the Central Information Commission. [caption id="attachment_31683" align="alignnone" width="774"] The building envelope protects the indoors from external elements and provides optimum daylight[/caption] The architectural façade, an inevitable part of any building, has long been a compelling focus of interest for building physicists and designers, combining attributes of both appearance and performance in a holistic manner. Façades, as building...

Established in 1981, Sikka Associates Architects (SAA) is recognised as an important architectural practice in our country, not only for its rich and varied projects but for its rapid growth over recent decades and the unique design solutions it continues to provide. Raman Sikka is an Associate Principal in Sikka Associates. He graduated from SPA Delhi in the year 1991 and joined AD Consortium in Singapore as a Design Architect. He later worked with Sachdeva Eggleston and Associates, then with S. Ghosh and Associates as an architect, and finally joined his father S.R Sikka in his practice in the year 1993.laAr. Raman Sikka holds design expertise in varied context and geographies and has delivered successful projects across a variety of sectors from concept to completion. He has also obtained a Masters in Management and often interacts with students of SPA Delhi as a guest jury member.Team WFM had the pleasure...

An architect with over 18 years of experience, Ar. Nilesh Dongre has been leading the Developer Spaces Vertical at Edifice Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (ECPL) for the better part of the decade. Handson and detail oriented, Nilesh specialises in the design and execution of large-scale corporate buildings and complexes. With his architectural expertise and a keen understanding of commercial viability of built environments, Nilesh’s projects consistently exceed performance and sustainability benchmarks and actualising their commercial potential. A part of ECPL for over a decade, he has been instrumental to the growth of the organization, especially with his work on award-winning projects such as Tata Tritvam at Kochi, the Ascendas-V Park redevelopment at Hyderabad, Incor One City at Hyderabad, the Samsara Residential Township at Vijaywada, and the World Trade Centre Development at Abuja, Nigeria. His projects, such as the Ascendas Campus at IT Park, Bengaluru, have further received widespread coverage in national...

The Zak World of Façades, organised by the ZAK Trade Fairs and Exhibitions Private Limited, was held at the Hyatt Regency, Delhi on September 14, 2018. With a focus on “Bridging Emerging Technologies and Enduring Designs for a Sustainable Future”, the most anticipated event has served as the best comprehensive platform for the construction industry, as it gives the chance to mingle and connect with the industry leaders from India and around the globe providing expert solutions, services and products. Besides, the conference offers a unique opportunity of knowledge sharing and cross learning on subjects related to façade design and engineering. With more than 300 attendees, the action packed conference created a vigorous and dynamic atmosphere where specialists from the industry spoke on varied topics. The conference covered four sessions that gave significant information on what is feasible and discussed solutions in terms of innovation, technology and sustainability in the...

Alumil is the largest privately-owned aluminum extrusion group in South East Europe, in terms of production, distribution network and range of aluminum profile system for architectural use. With over 40 years of experience, Alumil is one of the most advanced companies globally in the design and production of Architectural Aluminium Systems, owning state-of- the-art production lines in its 18 factories over South East Europe. Through our modern production facilities and strict quality controls along the entire production line, we ensure the creation of superior products of high added value. Our continuous research and development leads to offering unique solutions with many innovative features, which totally meet the needs of our customers. Alumil offers very wide ranges of product to investor solutions like: Building envelopes: curtainwalls, unitized systems, window walls, cladding, double skin facades Windows and doors (residential and commercial buildings): cold systems, thermal-brake systems hinged, sliding, lift-slide, folding doors Entrance...

It is a common saying that the first impression is the last impression. This is true in the case of architecture as well. And to create that perfect first impression, an architect needs to design a unique and striking façade. In architectural design, the façade of any building is a primary aspect from an aesthetic perspective as it defines the architectural language and character for the rest of the building. Moreover, from a pure engineering perspective, the façade is also of great importance due to its influence on energy efficiency and indoor comfort. The saying “Form follows function” is very common with architects, but in the contemporary style of designing, form of a building has become as important as its function. The competition amongst designers to create a landmark building has pushed humans to continuously try and develop new materials. With the ever-so-developing technology, a lot of ‘modern day materials’...

Facades and building envelopes determine the visual identity, character and expression of architecture. Building facades lie at the intersections of the exterior and interior environments, forming an integral part of a building’s aesthetics as well as the building’s performance. As the external environment is changing all the time, buildings need to adapt to it in a smart way and facades play an important role here. Adaptation needs to be made with respect to environmental factors such as heat, light & wind. How these factors affect the performance of a building largely depends on the façade design & engineering. Irrespective of how the facades are designed, they are meant to serve a purpose. Architectural practice in the Indian context today has become more globalized than ever and there is a healthy exchange of knowledge and data due to the openness of the internet, mass sharing of data and architectural journalism being...

Glass in architecture has been used in façades and as a construction material for many years. The invention of steel and plate glass in the late nineteenth century made possible an imaginative leap - the transparent steel framed enclosure - which underpinned the development of architecture in the twentieth century. Glass perhaps, is the only material that has seen continuous technological advancement since its first use as a building material. This is evident from the vast range of glasses now available to clad the buildings depending on the usage and budget. In this article, we present are view of today’s available architectural glass types as well as their characteristics and potential for future development of glass as a structural material. In the past few decades, the use of glass in buildings has remarkably increased. As a result, several transparent buildings have been constructed. The flexibility or versatility of glass keeps...

Today, the advancement in technology and innovation has turned our once simple cities into beautiful landscapes and skylines that are the epitome of architecture and design. No more does the term concrete jungle apply to our cities; they are now instead an artistic display of twisted and twirled sheets of steel and aluminium façades. India is known for its beautiful structures and monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutab Minar, India Gate, Mysore Palace and more, that are worldrenowned for their beauty, but most of all, they still stand tall as they were made to last. Innovative architectural designs have transformed our cities with aesthetically pleasing materials such as glass, steel and aluminium, favoured by many architects for their design flexibility. Following this transformation, powder coating became a popular choice for architects, both big and small. Many of the architectural masterpieces we see today were made possible due...

ZAK WORLD OF FACADES 2nd September 2016 - Hyatt Regency, New Delhi The 22nd edition of Zak World of Facades completes successfully in Delhi with a turnout of more than 400 delegates. The key focus of the event was “Shaping a Smarter and Safer Tomorrow in Façade Design & Engineering”. The building envelope remains one of the most important exterior elements for building functionality. It is the component that defines the significance of a building and also plays many critical roles related to the overall functioning and energy performance of a building. The Zak World of Facades is the largest conference series on facade design & engineering in the region and has become a specialized forum to discuss the latest innovations and challenges in the construction industry pertaining to the building envelope. Now in its 22nd edition globally and 16th edition in India, the conference also showcased the latest technological...

The curtain wall glazing system is an amazing design element and integral of modern building architecture and construction. Though from the layman point of view “it’s just glass panels stuck to the building”, however there are intensive specialist design involving several modern technologies, skills are the key drivers of any curtain wall glazing systems exists for the past several decades with buildings around the globe. Types of Systems There are unlimited ways the types of Curtain wall system can be classified, following illustrates the chronology of most widely used façade types. Work Flow or Process Like any other pre-fabrication approach, a lot of pre-planning, and workings are paramount and make several aspects much more disciplined in the workflow. The following illustrates the key process of design and implementation. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Image 1: Façade types and different ways of classifications[/caption] Architectural Design Building envelope/building façade is the key communication...

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....

The Structural Glass Research and Testing (SGRT) Facility, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) and Glazing Society of India (GSI) organized a one day seminar on “Design and challenges in glass façade in buildings” – Sustainability in Safety and Energy Performance on Thursday, the 29th of September 2016 at Visveswariah Seminar Hall, Building Sciences Block, IIT Madras, Chennai. Objective of the seminar was to understand the design parameters for the safety, structural and energy performance of glazed buildings. It also provided insight on the selection of materials for the safety and energy performance of glazed buildings. The seminar discussed the need to understand and to facilitate the implementation of codes and standards for the use of glass in buildings. Themes of talk by industry experts and academia included ‘Design of glazed buildings’, ‘Selection of materials for efficient design and building performance’ and ‘Code of practices and...

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...