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...

Glass For thousands of years, Glass was thought of as something to look at. It was valued in making precious objects for decorating purposes. Glass really became useful when it was thought of as something to look through. Ancient art is now a medium of architectural advertisement. Glass is architectural. Its transparency, masking, fabrication ability, adaptability and specialisation highlight its suitability for structures. To meet the specific construction needs, it can be made transparent, translucent, opaque, diffused or stained by mechanical or chemical means. Processed and cured correctly, it is sound insulating, heat absorbent, heat reflecting, weather resistant, non-abrasive, and incombustible. Efficient Use of Glass in Façade and Fenestration It starts with understanding the building requirements and selecting the optimum basic glass and its processing. With the logical and correct selection, glass can be a very useful and friendly material by providing optimum daylight, energy efficiency, sound insulation, comfort and...

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...

Established in 1998, Art N Glass Inc. has made a name for itself in the list of top suppliers of glass & glass products in India . Founded by Lokesh pathak , the company has come a long way from its humble beginning to one of the most comprehensive and technologically advanced glass processors in the country, providing complete glass solutions for both interior and exterior applications . The company headquartered in New Delhi, has become a renowned name in almost all vertical related to glass - everything from decorative mirrors to laminated glass  , insulated glass, stained glass etc. In an exclusive interview with window and facade magazine (WFM). partners  at ART N Glass Inc., Swapnil Pathak and Satwik Pathak  spoke about their family business , state-of-the-art integrated processing facility at kala Amb in Himanchal Pradesh , their products and  projects the company's persistent efforts to improve quality and...

What is your view on façades of the future? Latest state-of-the-art fenestration is proven and durable. In future, all fenestration will have a minimum carbon foot print when processed and/or manufactured. The steps for the same are: use of renewable energy; minimum or no wastage of raw material resources; should have a similar life cycle as the whole building envelope; should be fully recyclable and contribute towards energy and CO2 reduction. In addition, they should be ergonomic in operation, especially for the ageing population; safe and secure to use; should offer for traditional or modern designs and should be cost effective. Complying with these desired attributes is a tall order for any of the known fenestration materials. Industry has not found the ‘perfect’ frame material yet that ticks all those boxes. Selection of the appropriate or most suitable fenestration solution in terms of frame material and glass will always depend...

Mumbai, though home to thousands of residential towers, is always open for a fresh architectural idea. When ZZ Architects team suggested to the builder an entirely new approach for the new high-rises, he was more than keen to hear them out. The architect’s idea was to use ample sunlight and earthy elements to develop a warm and nature-based personality for the new residential tower, but with all the trappings of modern day luxuries. The architect assembled the necessary façade components to create a one-of-its-kind architectural icon in Santa Cruz, Mumbai. Various factors had to be deliberated upon to arrive at the final design, including the exterior look. The builder was in complete alignment with the architect’s vision - a play of light and shade, embellished with natural elements like wood, marble and vertical gardens. The greater challenge was in integrating all these elements in a pleasant manner, within budget and...

What are the structural roles of cladding? Depending upon the architectural design of the building, the external cladding can play a significant role in the structural design of a building. External factors such as high winds and rains play a crucial role in the selection of materials for façades and their design. Also, high-rise buildings have a stringent regulatory requirements while designing the façades. Facades could be designed purely as aesthetic elements that are clad superficially on the buildings, or as a full-blown structural component integrated with the building structure such as the 750-seater auditorium that we designed for the Symbiosis University of Applied Sciences, in Indore. What are the key factors to be considered while designing and selecting materials for cladding? Cladding is often prefabricated in panels that are attached to the structural frame of the building. Cladding systems may include additional components such as windows, doors, gutters, roof...

According to the United Nations, more than one half of world population now lives in urban areas. Urbanisation is increasing in all countries of the world. It is known that there is a clear link between urbanisation and environment. This is evident from the fact that cities have high demand for resources and have higher pollution levels compared to rural areas. So, it is important to ensure the new infrastructure, especially buildings are environmentally sustainable.Buildings account for one-third of global energy use, and significantly high carbon emissions. Considering the fact that a large fraction of buildings is going to be built in the coming years globally, it becomes imperative to follow sustainable building design strategies to minimise the environmental footprint. Buildings need to be designed in the right way from the concept stage to achieve high efficiency and minimal cost. Air conditioning accounts for nearly half of the energy consumption...

India is a developing country and also the second most populous country in the world. Our cities are growing taller and taller and the industry is demanding energy efficient and clean looking systems. Traditional construction in India has always been a brick and mortar type of construction. But since last decade, we are seeing a huge increase in highrise structures with facade systems. Every technology and material has its benefits and associated risks. Façade related fire safety risks are one such risk, which are still at premature discussion level and needs a lot more attention. In a practical scenario, we often discuss as to how to respond when a fire occurs. What we often ignore is that how to get such fires contained under one compartment itself and restricting its faster spread without relying solely on fire department. Except very few, many of our states do not even recognise firestop...

Buildings in India were traditionally built with a high thermal mass (brick, stone masonry) and used natural ventilation as their principal ventilation and cooling strategy. However, contemporary office buildings are energy-intensive and increasingly make use of steel, aluminium and glass as primary materials for construction. These resource-intensive materials, their processes and operations require a high level of fossil fuel use. According to UNEP, approximately 80 to 90 per cent of the energy a building uses during its entire life cycle is consumed for heating, cooling, lighting, and other appliances. The remaining 10 to 20 per cent is consumed during the construction, material manufacturing, and demolition phases (United Nations Environment Programme, 2010). It is therefore imperative to aggressively manage building energy efficiency and include a slew of  (ECMs) as important metrics in the integrated whole-building design. These ECMs have to be planned during the design stage to achieve large, but relatively...

The building façade, also known as the building skin and/or building envelope, has become popular in recent times. It is, however, not always considered an important and necessary exterior element of a building with aesthetic and functional purposes. Historically, the facade has been just a concrete cover of façade material on the structure. Only in the last decade, architects and designers have started to think or consider about this aspect of the building and focus on sustainable material procurement. Façade is an independent frame made of Aluminium Composite Panel, double-glazed glass, pre-cast stone, natural stones or metal panels mounted and fixed in Galvanized Iron or on an Aluminium structure. The frame could be of a material alone or a combination of two materials. It is fixed with stainless steel components along with rubber gaskets, sealant, silicone gel, metal screws etc., on the beams. The architect/designers divide the face of the...

Zak World of Facades through its 27th edition globally and 6th edition in Mumbai, once again took up the ongoing cause of empowering the facade industry and bringing together the stakeholders to discuss and dwell on some novel concepts and ideas like ventilation, solar shading, structural glass, alternative facade materials - both natural and synthetic in nature, natural cladding material, GFRC and a lot more. The one day conference held every year in prominent metropolitan cities of India is becoming a ‘go to’ event for the most prominent and appreciated names from the construction industry in India. This time, at Mumbai, it was no different when the facade experts from India and abroad converged and shared their expertise and experience in order to achieve best façade execution practices. Needless to say, this edition exhibited some of the finest facade products and hosted some highly technical, but relevant to the Indian...

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...

In the heart of Dubai, halfway between the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa) and the newly opened Dubai Water Canal, construction is coming to an end on yet another landmark for the city: The Opus by Zaha Hadid. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] Street view of The Opus[/caption] The Opus is a mixed-use 20-story building – hotel, serviced apartments and offices –which resembles a glowing cube that floats above the ground and has a freeform void in its centre. The building consists of two concrete towers connected by a steel bridge on top and a large steel-supported atrium roof at the base, seamlessly cladded with glazed curtain walling. The external façades are built with transparent glazing with a mirror pattern, in contrast with the freeform inner “void” area which has dark blue glazing. Our job since the start of the project was to provide consultancy services on building envelope engineering. From...

Minimalistic and simplistic façade design incorporated with façade systems which are current and energy efficient are paramount factors when dealing with residences. The integrated design approach of combining both aesthetics and functionality helps in developing the architectural form and give rise to an “intelligent skin”. Design firms create SVAGRIHA rating awareness by practically executing Green construction practices in façade designs. Effective façade systems and techniques have been used in the independent residential project called ‘Green One’ to achieve a 5 star TERI GRIHA rating, first of its kind in India. The most basic and essential façade design aspects that affect the interior living quality that have been taken care of are: Natural ventilation Natural lighting Solar control Strategic massing is vital and is done to provide shade and maximise diffused lighting in the interior by staggering and stacking of the built form. The hard scaping is then reduced by adding...