Window & Facade Magazine - September/October 2016 Issue

www.wfm.co.in Volume 3 | Issue 2 | ` 100 September - October 2016

CURTAIN WALL SYSTEMS Design & Build

Special Feature

Natural Light & Transparency in Building Design

Face to Face

Ar. Anupam De Founder & Principal Architect, Anupam De & Associates (ADA)

Green Talk

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Telephone: (+91 120) 4725400 Name of the Editor-Ms. Renu Rajaram”

WINDOW& FACADE

Contents

MAGAZINE

Volume 3 I Issue 2 September - October 2016

The history of curtain wall systems, its significance, anatomy and installation

Natural Light & Transparency in Building Design 08

64 Designing well-lit buildings

Curtain wall System: An Amazing Design Element

Industry Speaks 74

12 Interview: Milind Malve, Managing Director, Alumayer India Pvt. Ltd.

The key process of design & implementation

Curtain Wall Glass: Preserving Appearances Issues that can adversely affect the visual quality of curtain wall glazed panels

82 Infosys Hyderabad Software Development Park

Solar Shading & Ventilation Solutions for Curtain Walls

Form, Function & Finesse 85

26 On developing customized solar shading

Bajaj Bhavan, Lucknow

Cover Story: Curtain Wall Systems

Marvel Edge

Approach to design & technology, issues 31 affecting performance optimisation, and intelligent glazing systems for curtain walls

Shaping the Future for Tomorrow’s Wellbeing

89 The Shape of the Future

Face to Face 58

Choosing the right glass for Greener buildings

Co-Founders: Syed Ahad Ahmed Amit Malhotra Sarvesh Bagla CEO: Arun. R arun@wfm.co.in

Green Design Solutions 20

Published by: F & F Media and Publications C-55, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase - 1, New Delhi 110 020 T: +91-11-42576205

97 Interview: Ar. Anupam De, Founder & Principal Architect, Anupam De & Associates

Technical Panel: Mahesh Arumugam - Director, Meinhardt Façade Consultants KR Suresh - Regional Director, Axis Façade Consulting Ar. Ravindra Kumar - Principal, Pragrup YP Singh - Treasurer, UWDMA Sharanjit Singh - Chairman, GSC Glass Editorial: Renu Rajaram renu@wfm.co.in +91 9312864830 Esha Sharma esha@wfm.co.in +91 98119 86040 Marketing & Operations: Kapil Girotra kapil@wfm.co.in +91 9560925255 Studio Design: Vermillion Communication Pvt. Ltd.

Cover Credits: Anupam De & Associates DISCLAIMER: With regret we wish to say that publishers cannot be held responsible or liable for error or omission contained in this publication. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek expert advice before acting on any information contained in this publication which are very generic in nature. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced in any form or context without the permission of publishers in writing.

WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your suggestions to: The Editor, Window & Façade Magazine, C55, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase – 1, New Delhi, 110020 or email renu@wfm.co.in. Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively log on to www.wfm.co.in and air your views. The opinions expressed in this section are of particular individuals and are in no way a reflection of the publisher’s views.

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RNI: DELENG/2014/57870

The Interesting Story of the Curtain Wall

EDITOR’S NOTE Tall swanky buildings are transforming skylines of cities in India. Most tall buildings, whether it is Imperial Towers in Mumbai, the DLF building in Gurugram, or the World Trade Centre at Bengaluru, have achieved iconic status due to their dazzling glass facades. Façade selection and design have emerged as a critical component for any project. Application of glass in glazing facades has brought great changes and increased environmental and aesthetic efficiency. The demand for maximum transparency, natural light and prestigious design has led to the increased popularity of glass facades.

Renu Rajaram renu@wfm.co.in

With advancement in façade technology, builders are not satisfied with ‘Just another pretty façade which is unique’. They want more. And the more has emerged in the form of Curtain Wall Systems. Curtain wall is a term applied to a widely used facade technology for cladding large buildings. These non-structural cladding systems for the external walls of buildings are closely associated with the modernist movement in international style for large, multi-storey buildings. In fact, curtain wall is considered as one of the most influential developments in the history of modern architecture. The system has evolved through application on numerous major building projects to represent the state-of-the-art in technology and performance. Sophisticated system design features and installation methods have paralleled this evolution, resulting in improved expression of creativity as well as superior performance. Moving ahead, today’s demands are for energy efficiency and alternative power sources, and curtain wall provides a solution. In this edition, we would be discussing the approach to curtain wall system design, cladding elements, issues affecting performance optimisation, latest technologies in the field of intelligent glazing systems for curtain walls.

Other than a few interesting sections and cover story on curtain wall systems, we present an article on ‘usage of high energy efficient glass’ by R Subramanian, Managing Director - Glass and Solutions at Saint-Gobain India Pvt Ltd. The article titled ‘Natural Light & Transparency in Building Design’ by Sharanjit Singh from GSC Glass is very informative. This edition also presents a few interesting projects projecting innovative façade systems.

The number of readers of our magazine and website www.wfm.co.in continues to increase and I attribute this rise to both subscribers and contributors. This growth has been made possible due to efforts you have put in different ways. We thank you for your constant support and encouragement and look forward to bringing you even more interesting articles on façade and fenestration systems.

Wishing all our readers well for the festive season, health & prosperity!

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Curtain wall System

The Interesting Story of the Curtain Wall About the Authors: Abha J. Sharma is an alumnus from the Chandigarh College of Architecture, presently working as a senior architect with the Punjab Government. For 4 years she worked as a Senior Architect with Chandigarh Housing Board. She has an experience of more than 25 years in designing and supervising multifarious projects as well as holding numerous positions of responsibility. She has been a jury member and professional Advisor for many Design competitions.

Ar. Abha J. Sharma, Senior Architect, Chandigarh Housing Board & Mayank Sharma, 4th year B Arch, Chitkara School of Planning and Architecture Curtain wall is a wall which encloses a space within a building but does not support the structure in any way. It is the outer covering or skin of a building, in which the outer walls are non-structural but merely keep the weather out and occupants in. As the curtain wall is a non-structural cladding system for the external surfaces, it can be made of a lightweight material thus reducing construction cost. The most popular material used for this is glass which suffices not only creating an enclosure but lets the light in and therefore, creating large and uninterrupted areas with clear passage of light . Other materials which can be used are Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP), metal panels or even thin stone, thus creating an attractive faรงade of a building whenever required.

These materials, especially ACP and glass, are available in wide spectrum of colours and choices.

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Mayank Sharma is a budding Architect presently pursuing his 4th year of Degree course from the Chitkara School of Planning and Architecture, near Chandigarh. He has a flair for designing and photography with a keen interest in writing.

The Story and Significance English architect and civil engineer, Peter Ellis built Oriel chambers (1864) and 16 Cook Street (1866) both in Liverpool, England. These two buildings are credited as the first curtain walls utilizing glass. Aluminium framed

Most popular material used for curtain wall is glass

Reflective Exteriors

walled systems started developing rapidly after World War II, sometime during the 1930’s when the production and supply of aluminium became readily available. They became a cost-competitive and cost-effective alternative to other façade treatments. ACP was extensively used in the later part of the 20th century onwards, and soon became a staple of the modernist movement of which we all know so nostalgically : Bauhaus school , Hallidie building , Seagram’s building etc.

But the real roots of curtain walls lie much more deeply within the fabric of not only architecture but even within the very psyche of the massive societal renaissance, transforming the world during that time (late 19th century) , which eventually blossomed into the modernist movement.

During this intellectually tumultuous time, thinkers and philosophers rejected the certainty of enlightenment thinking and any religious beliefs. Modernism promoted the recurring critique of previous traditions and beliefs in various fields, advocating self-consciousness and experimentalism while incorporating individual expressions of humanism a.k.a what it means to be human. In short, modernism emphasized on improvement of the human condition (the user).

How the origin of the curtain wall is related to this broad movement? Curtain walls are symbolic of modernist experimentalism as for the first time architects and engineers toyed with the idea of

doing away with traditional load bearing walls continuing since antiquity , which heavily reduced the flexibility of occupancy and focused more on the structure than the users . Instead, they started to experiment with beam and column structures which offered unprecedented flexibility of occupancy; for the first time a building could have multiple functions suited to changing needs of users. For the first time, buildings could represent the dynamic conditions of a user instead of just an institution, religion, state or an abstract ideology.

This particular structure warranted a suitable replacement for the wall. It now served as a portal merging the interior and exterior. Any innovation in the field of architecture is intrinsically tied to the user, the human being, right from its genesis throughout its lifespan. Curtain wall is one such innovation.

Anatomy and Installation of the Curtain Wall Typically a curtain wall system comprises a spectrum of façade design. The various infill panels that can be used are various kinds of glass, aluminium or other light-weight metals, stone veneer, fibre-reinforced plastic, aluminium composite panel, louvers or vents and GI fabricated “jaalis”.

These panels of curtain walls transfer the load back to the primary structure of the building as well as provide thermal insulation to it. They add to a stronger visual impact of the building but at the same time need regular maintenance and cleaning.

Adequate access systems for tall buildings are needed for regular inspection. It definitely creates a dust barrier for the building. They can be classified by their method of fabrication and installation into two basic categories: The Stick System, where the curtain wall frame and panels are installed and connected piece by piece on site, and, The Unitized System -where the entire curtain wall is fabricated and assembled in the factory before shipping.

The unitized system is limited to a typical module size of 5-6 ft. Both these systems are essentially with glazed panels. In case of tall buildings,

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they are installed from the internal side. Careful integration with other elements such as wall claddings, roofs etc. is required for a successful installation.

The success of a curtain wall system depends on its effective ceiling, thermal performance, moisture protection, sound insulation and visual appearance. Any curtain wall system should be designed to collect any condensation on the exterior side. Careful detailing and designing of the curtain wall prevents any movement caused by thermal changes and wind pressure, therefore, the connections to anchor it to the building structure should be so designed so as to allow differential movements. This should be very well taken by good quality glazing gaskets which shall prevent the movement of glass within the frame.

Another very important aspect is the fire safety.

If designed well, these glazed panels offer an easy access for firefighters. But they may trap smoke and poisonous substances within the enclosed space. So, curtain walls can play both the tormentor and saviour in case emergencies.

The most common method of installation is a lightweight aluminium frame with infill panels made of glass fixed to the frame. This can be custom designed and manufactured according to the colour, shade and tint thereby offering a wide choice of a façade design.

Designing of the Curtain Wall The success of a curtain wall system depends on two important features that are the quality of gaskets, sealants and the quality of installation of the panels to the main frame. Therefore, curtain walls and the sealants require regular maintenance to maximize its life. A typical life of any curtain wall generally being 10-15 years. The most common framing system is anodized aluminium which has to be cleaned time to time to prevent corrosion of aluminium. Sometimes, it needs re-coating or reanodizing also.

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The Design Considerations The material of the Solar optical properties frame Waterproofing performance

Solar heat gain control

Glazing methods

Durability

Condensation resistance

The type of installation

Regular maintenance system

Revitalising

The challenge for an effective, waterproof and long-lasting curtain wall system lies in designing and evolving the best strategy for sustainability of the same by employing good design practices to ensure an aesthetically pleasing façade apart from achieving durability, quality installation and good maintenance. Consequently, the curtain wall, not only serves a practical purpose but also advocates transparency, utilitarianism and flooding the interiors with light physically and altruistically at the same time. Flexibility in fabrication and installation of the Curtain Wall with a dose of Creativity can transform a building’s façade into an impressive and iconic, landmark. Curtain walling thus helps architects, fabricators and installers to bring a creative answer for both new projects and refurbishments right at the doorstep of their client.

Moreover, not the least but connecting the soul of the building with the cosmos, the transparent glass becoming the interface between the connections.

Curtain Wall System

Curtain wall System: An Amazing Design Element About the Author:

Rajan Govind, Director & Façade Specialist, BES Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

Rajan Govind (Director & Façade Specialist, BES Consultants Pvt Ltd) has 23 years of international experience within the facade industry, out of which more than 11 years is with Arup (Singapore façade group).

With Structural engineering background, Rajan has worked in various markets such as Asia, Middle East and Australia. He has successfully delivered several prestigious projects with integrated specialist designs, involving 3D design and building physics. He is a Certified SGMM (Singapore Green Mark Manager), which enables him to understand sustainable design requirements from Architectural and practical perspectives. Rajan has good technical skills in resolving design issues with various options and converting them to practical solutions by considering various dimensions such as structural, weather proof, aesthetics and economical aspects. Several clients seek his expert advises and technical knowledge on complex issues related to buildings and facades for new buildings and existing buildings.

Curtain wall glazing system is an amazing design element and integral of modern building architecture and construction. From a layman’s points of view “it is just glass panels stuck to the building”; however, intensive specialist designs involving several modern technologies and skills are key drivers for curtain wall glazing of the building. Curtain wall facades existed for the past several decades with buildings standing tall around the globe.

Types of Systems There are unlimited ways the types of Curtain wall system can be classified, Image 1 illustrates the chronology of most widely used façade types.

Work Flow or Process Like any other pre-fabrication approach, lots of preplanning is of paramount importance for curtain wall

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systems as it makes several aspects much more disciplined in the workflow.

Types of buildings Technical requirements Performanced based Client requirements Desigen criteria Visual/architectural Desigen intent Availability Practical condition Industry developed Building design

Key factors deciding

Facade systems based on functional

Windows Operable Multi functions Stick system-Site based Semi Unitised-Partially pre-fab

Building Facade systems Facade systems based on fabrications

Unitised system-Fully pre-fab

Types of Systems Facade systems based on visual

Curtain wall system most widely adopted Require established factory High quality achieved Intensive desigen involved

Frameless Framed Less frames

Facade systems based on materials

Glazing Cladding Screens/features

Facade systems based on Building

Commercial Residential Retails & shop fronts

Image 1: Façade types and different ways of classifications

•Intensive design involved •Multi discipline skills involved •Greater level experienced needed

Adoptation to Buildings •Adopt to any buildings •Greater flexibility

Design intent

Image 2: Curtain wall glazing - Building view

Following illustrates the key process of design and implementation.

Architectural Design Building envelope/façade is the key communication of the building architecture defining the design intent and desire to achieve particular visual appeal.

Hence the architectural design intent plays vital role in defining both macro and micro level of details including materials, joints, etc.

•Requires established setup •Highly emphasised with Pre-fabricated approach •Faster and modular construction

Fabrication

Site Construction •Faster completion •Less site works •Reliable performances •Less maintenance •Lower risks of quality and workmanship

Image 3: The key process of design and implementation

Façade Engineering Façade Engineering which deals with several different disciplines such as structural engineers, materials specialists, product designers, mechanical and production specialists. Façade designers or engineers are the key communicators between architects and constructors, and their job is translating the architectural design into building design solutions which has been engineered with greater level of details.

Façade engineering defines several key visible elements which have architectural impact, hence the approach of the design is architectural driven with balanced approach on architectural and engineering requirements. This pushes the boundary of engineering limits and often challenged to achieve the highly optimised, light-weight and simple design solutions.

Product Design& System Design

Image 4: Unitised (pre-fabricated) Curtain wall panel-site installation

Building facades industry has adopted technologies and trends of industrial designs and techniques. This has greatly helped the façade industry with standard/customised design solution through product design approach. Time tested designs and innovative solutions are boldly tried and have succeeded in numerous buildings around the globe.

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Image 5: Curtain wall glazing - close up inside view

Image 6: Mondeal Heights, Ahmedabad -Architectural Render view

The concept of pre-fabrication and factory finished approach has not only helped in the project but has resulted improved confidence of the design solutions which can be worked out for any complex requirements. The availability and affordability of design and production technologies have made positive impact on the constantly evolving faรงade industry.

BES has been responsible right from design conceptualisation stage since any decisions at this stage would have greatest impact on the project outcome which mainly depended on BES expertise.

Variety of Designs

Materials

There are no boundaries in the design solutions for the Curtain wall systems (there are no rules or limits on the designs).

The design of the building envelope displays mixed use of glazing and cladding materials.

Though the looks and physical appearance are different, design principles, functions and behaviours are similar. Primary design and functions of curtain wall systems as elaborated below, irrespective of any systems and designs these remains principle design philosophies.

Various aspects starting from design to final completion were focused while keeping end product in mind. Image 7 illustrates the design process.

Glazing System Careful thoughts were given on the appropriate selection of glazing system. Out of many other

Case Study Mondeal Heights, Ahmedabad Arriving at a most practical and appropriate design solution, which would address the need for iconic architectural building designs and to meet the project timelines, has been a very important and challenging task.

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Image 7: The design process

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Image 8: The design process

aspects,quality, timely completion and overall cost were the key factors to consider. While quality was set as one of the key aspects, BES decided that pre-fabricated façade with less site works need to be implemented.

Image 9: Typical glazing system – Design details by BES

Following elaborates the key process and finalisation strategy adopted: Details of Glazing System Unitised curtain wall system was adopted throughout the project. Continuous glazing system runs along the building envelope, without any interruptions at the cladding locations. This has given huge advantage of less site work, better weather performance, etc. This key decision was one of the main reason for the project success, which has been realised upon completion.

Cladding System With significant area of the building in cladding, they need to be fabricated in the specific forms.

Hence appropriate materials for the cladding was the essence of the overall façade design. Several materials have been evaluated by BES and final list was made based on merits.

Cladding Material Aluminium / ACP panels Fibre cement boards FRP – Fibre reinforced Plastic GRC

Pros Economical and widely available Economical Complex shapes possible, durable material Highly versatile material, time tested approach, good local sourcing and supply

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Image 10: Details as executed – Continuous Glazing system

Cons Require joints and seamless approach difficult to achieve Require backing supporting frames, long term durability in question Limited local availability, finishes and local skills not proven Overall Cost, large scale project on similar application not executed.

Conclusions Not considered Not selected Not selected Selected

Image 11: Installation method study and preparation of right site construction methods

GRC Cladding Plenty of as-built references were available.

However, those completed works were generally ornamental, decorative such as jalli, screens etc.

Large architectural building external applications were nearly none.

BES took the challenges of developing the available vendor and supply chain, and bringing in adequate technology and construction techniques which has helped the vendor’s confidence. The practical approach of BES, layman level design and details has helped the local vendor to implement the design correctly. In addition to design and detailing, BES has spent considerable amount of time on fabrication and installation methods. A detailed installation sequence, lifting methods and site fixing methods were prepared, tested and monitored

by BES team which has resulted in ease of site constructions.

Lighting Façade lighting has been considered as one of key design features, particularly the client had greater expectations to achieve unique facades and lighting. BES has closely worked with the

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Image 12: Mock-ups and trial Installation for verifications

lighting designer (Atelier dada, Architects of Light) of the project so that the design is implemented in the design stage rather than a post completion approach. Key aspects of design integration elaborated in Image 13.

Image 13: Lighting integration

QUICK FACTS Project: Mondeal Heights, Ahmedabad Client: HN Safal Group, Ahmedabad Architect: Architect BlocherBlocher India BES Scope: Building Envelope Design & Consultancy Services covering concept to completion Completion: 2016

Curtain Wall System

Curtain Wall Glass Preserving Appearances About the Author:

Mathieu Meur, Managing Director, Meinhardt Façade Technology (S) Pvt. Ltd

Mathieu Meur provides the strategic leadership as the Managing Director for Meinhardt Group’s global façade consultancy business.

Mathieu has worked on numerous major construction projects in Asia, the Middle East and beyond, including Resorts World at Sentosa, a USD5 billion integrated resort development, and The Dubai Mall, currently the largest mall in the world. Through his training as a multidisciplinary engineer and subsequent years of experience at Meinhardt Façade Technology, Mathieu has developed extensive knowledge of all types of building envelope systems, their design, engineering and related codes of practice.

Glass is undoubtedly the material of choice for curtain walls.

It represents the ultimate material of choice for lending a diaphanous appearance to the building envelope. Glass is also a very resilient material, able to withstand large deformations and strong chemical attacks. On the other hand, glass also displays certain fragile characteristics. In addition, glass make-ups have becoming increasingly complex in recent years, mixing coatings, lamination, multiple plies of glass, and more. This complexity yields more opportunities for failures or reduced performance. Preserving the appearance of glass within curtain walls can prove a daunting task. In this article, we review a number of common issues that can adversely affect the visual quality of curtain wall glazed panels, what causes them, and how to avoid or minimise them.

Float Glass All other glass types are processed from float glass, so it is logical to consider issues affecting this glass type first. Of all the visual problems that may plague float glass, scratches and pinholes (technically called “linear and point blemishes”) are undoubtedly

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Glass distortion can adversely affect the visual quality of curtain wall glazed panels

Scratches and pin holes in glass

the most common. It is practically unavoidable for such blemishes to be caused to at least some of the panels on any given project. These typically occur during transport and installation, even though some may actually appear during fabrication, and post-installation, prior to handover. The easiest way to avoid such problems is to implement adequate surface protection on glass panels for as long as possible. In terms of assessment, several codes of practice provide guidelines as to what is considered acceptable. Typically, this involves observing glass panels from a given distance in order to assess how visible a particular blemish is, then measuring its size and distance to the centre of the pane.

Ironically, protecting the glass for extended periods of time, or improper storage techniques, in turn, may cause aqueous corrosion of the glass panels. At first, this appears like a faint rainbow on the damaged surface. If corrosion is allowed to proceed further, or if the glass is in presence of strong alkali (such as cement runoff), the process turns the surface of the glass into a powdery, milky substance. This is relatively difficult to get rid of, and requires a special chemical treatment, or buffing using cerium oxide. Spandrel glass in curtain walls is particularly susceptible to this phenomenon if the spandrel cavity isn’t adequately ventilated, or if the ventilation allows the intrusion of pollution, or airborne chlorides for projects located close to the sea.

Corrosion of glass in presence of strong alkali turns the surface into a powdery, milky substance

very treatment actually causes physical distortions, which in turn alters the visual quality of the glass panels, particularly in terms of reflection. Along the edges of the glass, tempered and heatstrengthened panels tend to curl slightly, which distorts images in these regions. Similarly, in the centre portion of the glass, wavy lines (called “roller-waves”) develop perpendicular to the direction of travel in the tempering oven. In order to minimise these effects, the temperature in the oven should be carefully calibrated and controlled, and the thickness of the glass can be increased beyond the minimum required for purely structural reasons. In addition, glass panels should be installed such that roller-waves run horizontally.

This makes them less noticeable, but is only possible if the width of the panel fits inside the tempering oven, which in turn can limit the width of curtain wall modules.

Another form of physical distortion that can result from heat treatment is called a “dish”

Heat-Treated Glass Glass is heat-treated for various reasons, principally for increased safety and strength. However, this

Corrosion of glass leading to powdery deposits

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Glass distortion - Visual distortion in heat-strengthen glass is emphasized when reflecting straight geometric lines

or a “dimple”. These defects cause a visuallydisturbing, localised lens effects that appear as a result of poorly controlled furnace, or localised buckling of the glass during the quenching process because of issues with the air nozzles. Good control over tempering parameters, and a good regime of the furnace should eliminate such issues.

On the other hand, one physical phenomenon that is harder to control is anisotropy. This effect appears when polarised light hits heat-treated glass at certain angles, causing the appearance of what is casually called “tiger stripes” or “leopard spots”.

These tend to be more visible on overcast days, or when wearing polarised glasses. Minimising the stress in the glass, and obtaining as uniform stress levels as possible in the panels both contribute to minimising this issue. It is also good practice to carry out a full-scale visual mock-up, with all stakeholders invited for viewing in various light conditions. If this step is not intended to circumvent anisotropy, it has the merit of alerting designers and owners on the potential risks.

Laminated Glass Laminated glass is obtained by combining two or more glass plies with layers of a polymer called interlayer (typically polyvinyl butyral or PVB) for safety and/or acoustic reasons. In curtain walls, it is often used at least for panels that are located immediately above the floor level, and it is even compulsory for curtain wall applications in some countries. PVB is originally a translucent material

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Field of bubbles throughout a laminated glass panes

that becomes transparent once bonded to glass panels in an autoclave oven. However, PVB also happens to be highly hygroscopic, and tends to return to a translucent or cloudy appearance if the edge of laminated panels is allowed to sit in water for extended periods of time. The process is usually reversible, and PVB can become fully transparent once again if moisture is allowed to escape. The design of the curtain wall should be such that the water isn’t allowed to stand over the edge of laminated glass. This involves, amongst other things, the provision of sufficient drainage paths.

The interlayer in laminated glass can also be incompatible with other chemicals components that go into the make-up of a curtain wall, such as sealants or gaskets. When this occurs, a phenomenon called delamination can take place.

The interlayer essentially debonds locally from the glass plies forming circular, worm-like or sunburst bubbles between the glass and interlayer.

This is fairly easy to circumvent, though, by implementing a thorough compatibility testing regime. Delamination can also be the result of excessive deformation of heat-treated glass, insufficient interlayer thickness or clamping during the autoclaving process. Once again, this can easily be avoided through proper manufacturing practices, and selection of adequate interlayer thickness.

Insulated Glazing Like laminated glass, insulated glazing is obtained by combining together several two or more

Circular, worm-like or sunburst bubbles between the glass and interlayer.

plies of glass. Instead of bonding them with an interlayer, the glass panels are bonded along their perimeter, typically using a pierced metal spacer bar containing a desiccating agent. The spacer bar is bonded to adjacent plies with a moisture vapour barrier (usually polyisobutylene or PIB). If the latter is incorrectly applied, or if the surface of the glass wasn’t properly cleaned at the time of application, moisture vapour is allowed to enter the space between two glass plies. There are no visible symptoms until such time that the desiccant has become fully saturated, at which point condensation appears on the inside face of the insulated glazing, and the glass becomes hazy. Once this point is reached, there is no other solution but to replace the affected panel.

Preventing the appearance of condensation can easily be avoided through proper quality control in the glass processing plant.

Another common issue that regularly affects insulated glass is the presence of foreign materials between adjacent glass plies. These range from dirty footprints, to leftover traces from dirty suction cups, to spilled desiccant, to dead insects. Once again, all of these can prevented through the implementation of proper checks in the factory.

Coated Glass A variety of coatings are applied to glass for aesthetic reasons or to improve thermal performance. Coatings typically consists of extremely thin layers of metal oxides and other

Hazy glass due to improper application of insulated glazing

chemical elements. This extreme thinness means that coatings are susceptible to damages such as pinholes and scratches if mishandled.

Since coatings contain various types of metals, a narrow band of coating is removed from the perimeter of the glass panels. This process is known as edge deletion, and it needs to be carried out precisely. If it is excessive, a clear band of glass is visible along its edges, which is unsightly. If it is insufficient, a coloured band of coating appears against the PIB of the insulated glass panels. In extreme cases, it may even lead to corrosion of the coating.

Extreme control is also required in terms of the layering of the coating, and in particular the thickness of each layer. Any deviation in the coating composition will result in unacceptable colour inconsistency, either within panes, or between different curtain wall panels, with disastrous effects on the appearance of the affected building.

Conclusion Glass is a ubiquitous material in curtain wall thanks to its outstanding properties, clarity and versatility.

However, its appearance can easily be marred by a number of manufacturing problems or in-service issues. Minimising or eliminating these difficulties takes strict quality control procedures in the glass processing plant, in the curtain wall factory, as well as on site, along with proper design of the curtain wall panels.

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Curtain Wall System

Solar Shading & Ventilation Solutions for Curtain Walls About the Author:

Makarand Kendre, Area Sales manager – India, Renson

Makarand Kendre is the Area Sales Manager India for Renson. He is a Mechanical Engineer with MBA in marketing from Pune university and has been working in the field of Residential and commercial Ventilation from last 8 years. He is handling Renson operations for the Indian subcontinent region since 2015. Renson®, trendsetter in ventilation, sun protection and terrace coverings, was founded in 1909 and develops and manufactures innovative solutions and concepts, which improve the working and living conditions of people and at the same time cut energy costs – Creating healthy spaces. This Belgian family owned company stands for innovation and communication. Their program consists of window ventilators and ventilation systems, louvres and louvre systems, aluminium solar shading and screens, terrace coverings and hinges.

Today, Renson® counts about 680 employees.

It is a challenge to fit suitable ventilation or solar shading system to every type of project. Curtain wall systems are one of those new building trends, where standard solutions won’t do. The challenge is to look for a solution using its urge for innovation and creativity. A driven ‘Project team’ focusses on projects like these, together with a large research & development division. They collaborates with architects, contractors and engineers to create a proper solution for any given project, however big the challenge is.

Every special project starts with an idea, that is accurately been worked out to a solid design. That design is the first step to come to a mock-up of the specific solution created, to evaluate with everyone involved (architects, contractors, engineers, universities, etc). As soon as these mock-ups are approved, production of the customized parts can be started. Every special project ends up with the start-up and service at the project site itself.

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As far as curtain walls are concerned, there is always a way to integrate solar shading or ventilation discretely by developing customized FixScreen Solar Shading (Sports Hotel Gent, Belgium)

Sports Hotel Gent, Belgium

Cilium®

Motorised folding shutters as dynamic sun protection In a closed vertical position: protection against the sun’s direct rays

In a retracted open position: protection against the high sun

Perfectly in line with the façade cladding when in closed position

Hall 6 - Stand D6B6

Standard finishing with aluminium blades. Other possibilities: wooden

In a retracted open position, the low position of the warm rays can flow

blades or façade panels

unhindered into the building

Kendre Makarand | Area Sales Manager India Mob: +91 98 22 912 403 | india@renson.eu www.renson.eu

Solar shading, which can be rolled up, is discretely integrated in the roof cover

or window ventilators (Panorama apartments Bratislava, Slovakia).

Case Studies Sports Hotel Gent (Belgium): customized Fixscreen Solar Shading In 2012, Renson adapted its standard fix-screens to integrate discretely in the roof top that finishes the upper side of this curtain wall system of this sports hotel in Gent, Belgium. In that way, the case in which the solar shading is rolled up is discretely integrated in the roof cover. As a consequence, new mounting brackets had to be designed to be able to remove the rolled up screens from above (in case of a defect of maintenance) by simply removing the top cover. As this console smoothly connects with the vertical side channels of the screens, the roof detail of this curtain wall could be finished very aesthetically as well.

As these sun protection screens cover the whole surface of this curtain wall, Renson chose to install a common profile instead of two vertical half side channels to lead each of the screens. This made the installation a lot easier as this common channel could be mounted with only one central screw in the small joint between every two glass surfaces.

With an extra profile between this channel and the façade, Renson helped out its client installer to make this a proper and easy to install project in the end.

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With a standard Fix-screen solution, an expansion joint of 4 mm should have been seen between the side channels and the cassettes. With this specific type of profiles, there’s no such joint to be seen, which makes this a far more elegant solution, while screens and profiles still have the space they need to expand when it comes to fluctuations in temperature.

Worth mentioning with this project is that this specific Fix-screen solution on the long term is way less expensive than cooling down the interior with an airco system. Keeping out the sun before it even reaches the glass, reduces the costs of cooling down the building in warm periods, which

Fix-screen shading solution on the long term is way less expensive than cooling down the interior with an airconditioning system

makes this project as well aesthetically as energyefficiently a huge success.

Panorama Bratislava: vertical ventilation In these apartments in the capital of Slovakia, the architect was looking for a vertical solution to integrate the necessary window ventilators, which are normally integrated horizontally on top of the windows. Renson developed a customized solution with its T100 window ventilators.

Because of the height of this building (over 100m), it wasn’t possible to integrate standard horizontal window ventilators on top of the windows to provide natural fresh air inside the building. As this building was designed with a curtain wall façade, it was even a bigger challenge for Renson to look for a proper solution that still provided enough air circulation to ventilate the building efficiently.

At the end, it turned out to be a simple solution by integrating THL 100 V window ventilators vertically, and double them at the same time to avoid over- and under pressure. After a few tests with different window ventilators and the approval of the Technical University of Bratislava (prof. Boris Bielek) which was involved from the beginning in this project, it seemed to be the most efficient

Vertical ventilation solution in residential apartments Panorama Bratislava at Slovakia

way to get fresh air into the building without the risk of wind and moisture penetrating. As sound reduction was important too (these buildings are situated near 4 main roads), an acoustic channel was integrated as well on demand of the contractor and the ventilators were placed in some kind of extra housing to be sure no moisture can get in at all, even at big heights.

As this wasn’t the first time Renson built in its window ventilators vertically, there was already some knowledge available, but still the research & development division collaborated intensively with the ‘Customised projects team’ to develop a specific product that fits in aesthetically well in this curtain wall.

THL 100 V window ventilators

For more details on the product: Website: www. renson.eu, e-mail: kendre.makarand@renson.net

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Curtain Wall Systems With urbanization inclined perpetually towards fostering construction of multi-storeyed buildings in metropolitan and developing cities, façade selection emerges as a critical component. Modern façades have to incorporate functionality, durability, aesthetics and energy conservation.

Building envelopes, including curtain wall systems, ventilated façade systems and sun shading systems, are all combined structurally in order to manage durability, lasting functionality, light dissemination, water, air and sound insulation, thus preserving energy efficiency of the structure.

Curtain wall systems, non-structural cladding systems for external walls, are closely associated with the modernist movement in international style. In this story, we present approach to design curtain wall systems, key factors to be considered during design, cladding elements,issues affecting performance, optimisation, latest technology in the field and on intelligent glazing systems for curtain walls.

Design of façades depends on multiple factors.

Apart from budget and overall aesthetics, design feasibility and contextual factors such as surrounding buildings, climate, end-users comfortability, interior atmospheric quality, thermal equilibrium etc. play a crucial role. The building must positively respond to all these dynamic factors.

Deciding On the Type of Façade Façades are not just the building‘s skin, they are its face as well. Beyond functional aspects, aesthetic considerations also play an important role and, sometimes, an ambitious client’s aggressive demands lead to extreme designs. Selecting optimal materials opens space for creative design

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Kohinoor Square, Mumbai - Designed by SSA Architects

Cover Story

without compromising on engineering needs in the process.

Before delving into the extremes of design intervention on the façade, it is vital to know the matter of availability of material and manufacturing technology for such design. The type of façade depends on the building type and contextual climate, says Ar. Khozema Chitalwala, Principal Architect of Designers Group.

Façade consultant Mathieu Meur (Managing Director, Meinhardt Façade Technology (S) Pte Ltd) observes that deciding on the type of façade to adopt the best design and materials requires close collaboration between the architect, developer and façade consultant. While the architect sets the aesthetic direction, the developer provides the brief and budget and the façade consultant puts it all together by providing technical advice on the various options that can be considered.

Uttaran B Ray (Founder & Managing Director, Studio Form Techniques Pvt. Ltd.), who is into boutique façade design, engineering consultancy & turnkey contracting, also points out that architect provides detailed design intent. Consultants develop upon it further to make it practical and feasible. “We derive the type of façade through a design dialogue between the architects and us. Façade consultant’s role is to approve or comment upon the interface details and structural calculations that we submit.

The role is limited to performance and not really the look and feel of the envelope”, adds Ray.

Ar. Khozema Chitalwala, Principal Architect of Designers Group

Thus, we understand that architect has the upper hand in designing and consultants work on it to make it practical and viable. Façade fabricators are obliged to go by the tender drawings/specifications and the room to influence type of façade is minimal.

The Key Parameters The building elevation is the first level of dialogue with a user, says Akshat Bhatt, Principal Architect, Architecture Discipline, a New Delhi based firm.

It is important to understand that the elevation has to express concerns of the development and the program. He emphasizes on the importance of engaging in bespoke engineering and refined detailing in order to ensure an expressive elevation as opposed to a generic component.

The façade of a building is the essence of what the building stands for and selection of façade design is an experiential process, says Bhatt. “We need to contemplate on the views of people as they see the building, analyse speed of cars passing by, climatological parameters etc. After considering all such parameters, we develop a building skin that has a strong architectural expression and meets the technical performance criteria”, adds Bhatt.

According to Gaurav Gajjar, Design Team Leader, Alfanar Aluminium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, façade type selection is centrally driven on the basis of project peculiarities such as architectural concept, geographical location of the project, environmental factors prevalent at site and the end user. The

Mathieu Meur, Managing Uttaran B Ray, Founder & Managing Director, Director, Meinhardt Façade Technology (S) Studio Form Techniques Pvt. Ltd. Pte Ltd

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Akshat Bhatt, Principal Architect, Architecture Discipline

Gaurav Gajjar, Design Team Leader, Alfanar Aluminium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Nicholas Goldsmith FAIA LEED AP, Senior Principal, FTL Design Engineering Studio

Hans Brouwer, Principal Architect, HB Design Pte Ltd

system type and design is dependent upon these factors and not a single aspect could be missed or taken for granted if the project is to succeed holistically.

Nicholas Goldsmith FAIA LEED AP, Senior Principal, FTL Design Engineering Studio, says that while developing a façade, the architects would look at the building physics, orientation of the site and proposed buildings, climate zone and environmental challenges. They would provide us a sense of building mass, openness and desired transparencies.

Hans Brouwer (Principal Architect, HB Design Pte Ltd) points out that the design of any façade system should be determined based on a rigorous investigation into the key performance criteria and the most appropriate ways of achieving these. It is never the result of purely aesthetic concerns.“In addition to the environmental performance of a façade system, we also need to take into account capital investment costs as well as downstream operational costs. All 3 elements need to be looked at holistically to determine the best solution for each project,” he adds.

Santanu Duttagupta (GRIHA Trainer & Evaluator, IGBC AP), Project Manager, Design2Occupancy Services LLP, is certain that durability or life expectancy is the key factor while designing a façade system to resist environmental loads. But selection and design of the façade system depends on the building type, size, usage, ownership and management team. But from the sustainability

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Santanu Duttagupta, Project Manager, Design2Occupancy Services LLP

Antony John, Engineering Director, Schueco India

point of view, optimization of daylight and reduction of heat ingress are most important influencing factors.

Khozema Chitalwala too agrees that the type of façade should be simultaneous with the building system profile. Although desired as something specific, the façade still depends on other intrinsic factors that include building type, easy maintenance, design style followed, thermal conductivity, availability of material in the market, operative performance, acoustics and above all assurance of safety and shelter.

Design factors must fundamentally focus on having a healthy interface between the external & internal environments, meeting the desired aesthetic intent, being simple to install/repair/maintain, adequate design strength to bear the wind loads/ live loads/seismic loads/snow loads/thermal loads, says Gajjar. The objectives for a healthy interface relation between external & internal environment

Pride World City Sales Office at Charoli - Designers Group

to be highly versatile and experienced in order to achieve a successful outcome.

Durability and sustainability

Discovery Centre, Bengaluru - Architecture Discipline

are controlled by effective water proofing, thermal efficiency, air tightness, condensation proof, acoustical insulation, maximizing natural light intake, he adds.

According to Santanu Duttagupta, Wind loading depends on the complexity of the building design.

A wind tunnel study is important to understand the wind pressure. A full scale laboratory test can be done to check Seismic loading. Thermal performance and moisture condensation resistance capacity have to be verified to analyses thermal loading. Visual light transmittance is one of the most important factor for occupant comfort and indoor environment quality. Optimization of daylight and direct indoor outdoor visual connect are important factors as far as sustainability and green buildings are concerned. Routine maintenance is necessary to make sure the performance of the curtain wall system. Durability is measured by various structural checks (in line with above mentioned load factors) which are done prior to design finalization.

Curtain wall designers also need to be aware of practical aspects of curtain wall fabrication and installation (e.g. maximum die size available, glass stock sheet sizes, metal panel sizes, etc.), opines Mathieu Meur. In addition, there are various regulatory requirements that apply to curtain walls, and these vary from country to country. For instance, some locations limit external reflectivity of glass, or set a maximum U-value and g-value that can be used. In other cases, certain materials are prohibited. All in all, curtain wall designers need

Durability and sustainability is measured by quality of systems and materials which are recommended.

We generally take into account various material interfaces and long term performance.

Information from manufacturers is critical in the recommendation of systems.

Durability and sustainability factors are researched upon at the design bid stage, which may go through many iterations to achieve the overall design intent, opines Uttaran B Ray. Available experimental data is trusted to estimate reliability of finishes, corrosion resistance, material integrity/ compatibility, sealant degradation etc., says Gajjar.

Curtain walls are built to last longer, but are liable to have life expectancy issues if not maintained properly. Glazing, being braced on aluminium frames (malleable hence design friendly), is to be given a specific fluoropolymer coating or else would environmentally degrade. Sealant corners

AKH Tower, Dammam, Riyadh

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are prone to abrasion on prolonged exposure to moisture or heat. Along with good design principles, it becomes important for the walls to have high resistance and low emissivity values for prolonging service life.

It is observed that bad workmanship and bad design are two main causes affecting durability of curtain wall systems, explains Duttagupta.

Steps to prevent bad workmanship: a. Certified and experience installers must be engaged b. Regular on-site inspection required c. Check installation sealants, fixings, gaskets, etc. d. Review of storage and handling of the pre-cast units Steps to avoid bad design: a. Design life consideration b. Understanding of building physics c. Adequate movement of the joints d. Environmental considerations – mock ups and inspections e. Research the product materials. f.

Design façade in harmony with the structure.

AL Sebei Hotel (Train is the design theme)

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Good design specs and planned maintenance are the other factors to ensure façade durability.

Sustainability for any given project could be best achieved by fine-tuning the material selection/ sourcing for façades. Materials which are produced locally (ideally within a circular periphery of 50 km) and which are easy to decompose within a time frame threshold to the building design life period becomes the ideal choice. This way the sustainable buildings will not generate a residual balance to the environment upon demolition.

Selecting Between Stick and Unitized Systems To better evaluate selection criteria, let us first understand the basic difference between Stick and Unitized Systems. In Stick systems, the individual mullion and transoms are machined in factory and the assembly with glass, pressure plate, accessories and cover cap takes place at site. The mullion-transom installation over the brackets, anchored to slab, takes place resulting in a structural grid work. This makes the system performance quite dependent upon the installation workmanship at site and necessitates the requirement of a dedicated scaffolding arrangement for installation.

In case of unitized system, the complete panel fabrication and assembly (with glass and accessories) is done in a factory under controlled conditions and merely the panel fixation with bracket takes place at site with floor mounted hoist or cradle arrangement. This achieves better quality control, enables swift installation and does not need scaffolding on site. For projects which demand better performance, rapid installation and where space is limited (like crowded metro cities) for the erection of scaffolding structure, unitized system is best suited. Stick systems are generally viewed as being more economical. Since Unitized systems are pre-fabricated, they tend to be slightly more expensive to produce.

Selection of system depends on the size of the curtain wall systems. For large buildings, unitized

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structural adequacy, durability, availability, cost, thermal performance, etc. Infill materials could be fabric veneer, stone veneer, panels, louvers etc., says Dattagupta. Accordingly, infill materials could have matt, satin or glossy texture.

We distinguish between “vision panels” and “nonvision panels”, says Ar. Hans Brouwer. Where transparency (views out) and light transmission (natural lighting in) are required, vision panels are specified. In other conditions, the options for cladding material can be wide ranging from stone, to laminates to metal screens.

Noor Tower, Qatar, Doha (SMARTIA M50 from ALUMIL): Structural stick type curtain wall system, outstanding design and high energy efficiency

systems are apt as they are modular and are less prone to faults of bad workmanship.

For cases where the solar light is not desired, there are wide range of choices available like ACP (Aluminium Composite Panels), Solid metal cladding like Aluminium, Stainless Steel, Copper, Zinc, Titanium and Br, ceramic/porcelain/ clay, high pressure laminates, tensile fabric, GRC(glass reinforced concrete), ETFE, corten, etc. Here,

Unitized curtain systems can have multiple infills (ex. operable vent). They normally work best when the façade design involves a high degree of repetition.

On the other hand, for low-rise constructions with limited repetition or a small number of panels, stick systems make better sense.

Cladding Materials for Curtain Walls For curtain walls, any material from plastic to fabric to stone could be used for cladding. Selection of material depends on requirement of expression and performance.“We have started using new age composite materials and carbon fibre in recent projects”, says Ar. Bhatt. Glass is the most widely used infill material due to excellent light transmittance characteristics. Use of glass reduces internal passive lighting requirements, observes Gajjar. Glass is durable and comes with wide ranges of colour and thermal properties.

Desired aesthetics is the primary criterion for selecting infill material. Once required aesthetics has been established, several possible options are reviewed in the light of the other criteria including

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President Place, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

An integrated glass and membrane curtain wall for the Central Library in Phoenix AZ, USA, by FTL Design Engineering Studio

selection criteria depends upon the architect’s intent and the theme being iconized for the project.

For glass selection it is good to have low solar factor & U Value and high light transmittance.

Materials can be combined to give a special look to the façade. Besides conventional glass with infills being combined with brick and concrete to create innovative building envelopes, other cladding fills like terracotta, thin stone, HPL (High pressure laminate), WPC (Wood plastic Composite), GRFC (glass fibre re-in forced concrete), etc. are selected to produce experimental skins on the building, notes Chitalwala. Meur considers GRC, GRP, solid surfaces, phenolic panels and other exotic materials for curtain walls other than stone and ACP. Nicholas Goldsmith says that their specialty is working with ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) foil cushion systems and fabric shading which can be used in conjunction with glazing systems.

According to Ray, Corten steel screens have large demand. Though there is an issue of staining due to a water run-off, it requires almost no maintenance while seasonally changing various tones of oxidation (rust!) Un-sealed copper is another such favourite with similar properties.

Other existing processed materials include complex geometry formed acrylics and solid surfaces which are UV rated. Another trend that we notice is the requirement for energy related performance skins.

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Prior deciding the cladding material to be used, one must also consider how the visionary access (opaque, translucent, transparent) goes in tandem with other instances such as reflectiveness, choosing the type of glass (triple glazed/double layered), its thermal conductivity, exchange of light, heat and air, responsive outcome of an altering climate (day and night), the need for a sustainable integrated façade, etc. The market availability and constraint on manufacturing could collide with the planning and completion time as well. However, since each material exhibits different properties based on the above list, it is essential that the whole vertical curtain performs as an entwined system.

Safety is also important selection criteria. For the balustrade, skylight or children play area applications, laminated glass is an ideal choice.

Post breakage, laminated glass has the ability to hold the broken glass pieces in place thereby minimising direct injury risk, says Gajjar.

Key Factors Escalating the Performance of Façades According to Dattagupta, design is the most important stage to optimize the performance of a curtain wall. We need to study the building’s profile and orientation. Shadow analysis and sun path analysis are important. One needs to consider heating cooling load and daylight too before the selection of best façade material/

combination. Façade maintenance aspects are also crucial. Ar. Chitalwala too agrees to this. In addition, one need to consider energy exchange loads, glazing ratios, periodic changes of shading according to overhangs, etc. These aspects, well in accordance with the building’s profile, need to be clubbed with the occupant’s productivity and well-being.

It is important to understand both the inside and the outside of a building’s façade to evaluate it correctly. Some of the essentials for performance evaluation are: daylight ingress, night time expression, heat bridges and dew points. The architect’s skill really lies in being able to translate building physics parameters into an expressive construct, says Ar. Bhatt.

Gajjar points out that the most critical factor improving performance of a façade is its ability to provide efficient weather proofing,to enhance the solar performance the façade, the material must have a higher resistance to the heat flow i.e. lower U value and a lower solar factor applicable for glasses. Pressure equalized rain screen principles play a vital role in enhancing the weatherproofing and thermal performance of façades. Another crucial aspect to consider at design stage is accessibility for maintenance.

Thermal Performance of Curtain Wall Systems Thermal performance of curtain walls play an important role in resisting the inflow or outflow of heat energy. For the projects in hot regions, the objective is to reduce the solar heat influx to reduce the cooling load. Whereas in cold regions, it is imperative to retain the internal heat to reduce load on heating systems. According to Meur, in a high-rise air-conditioned building, the façade can contribute in the range of 30 per cent of the total heat load on that building, with the rest coming from internal equipment, human occupants, etc.

If the building envelope is made 30 per cent more efficient, then this could represent a reduction in the total heat load on a building of about 10 per cent, which is substantial.

RMIT Design Hub, Melbourne by Meinhardt - The glass shading disks are individually controlled via a computer so as to optimise daylight harvesting and minimise heat gain

According to Gajjar and Dattagupta, thermal performance of façade systems could be improved by incorporating a non-metallic, low conductivity infill material to create an insulating effect. Common insulation infill materials used are polyamide (PA) and polythermide (PT). PA has better thermal performance and rigidity then PT; however, it is twice as expensive as PT. Another way to enhance the thermal performance of system is by increasing the number of gasket and its contact with the AL section or by having more air pockets. Use of soft coat, low E coatings have a major impact on solar passive heat gain.

Thermal conductivity of the curtain wall is important as the heat loss/heat gain directly affect the heating/cooling cost of buildings. To improve performance, thermal breaks of are incorporated.

Pressure bars are also used in some of the systems. Maintaining the continuity of the air barriers at the perimeter reduces airflow around

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and more importantly, they reduce the NLA (net leasable area) substantially. The same applies to increasing spandrel areas to save on supposedly more expensive vision glass. While it is true that monolithic or laminated spandrel glass is cheaper than a double-glazed vision area with coating, the unit rate for spandrels is often higher than that of vision areas when you factor the additional powdercoated back-pan and foil-backed insulation.

Latest Technologies and Trends in Curtain Wall Systems Pride World City Sales Office, Charoli, Pune - Designers Group

the curtain walls. Aluminium is normally used for curtain wall framing due to its light weight.

However, heat transfer coefficient of Al is high and therefore there is a tendency of heat loss/heat conduction through Al curtain wall mullions.

Development of more “intelligent” glazing systems have radically altered the energy balance of traditional curtain wall systems. Double-glazing has improved insulation values significantly and intelligent coatings, such as low-e, have reduced the impact of direct insolation (sunlight coming into the building) and the resultant heat loading on the interiors.

According to Khozema Chitalwala, certain buildings may opt for single glazing where the interior operations does not matter, hence no specific requirements besides cladding. However, the insulation and conductivity depends on reflective coating applied to the glazing and single/multiple layering.Besides the purely thermal aspects, curtain walls also play a key role in limiting air infiltration, thus minimising the risk of condensation and mould formation.

Reducing Construction Cost Repetition of details and modules brings down the cost of façades, says Meur. Unusual modulations, particularly very large or non-rectangular panels, contribute to additional costs due to excessive wastage and higher shipping charges. The unit rate for granite from Brazil or a travertine from Italy is higher than that of a composite aluminium panel, for instance. Interestingly, some developers want to explore adopting window walls (floor-toceiling glazing) as a cheaper alternative to curtain walls. This may not necessarily be effective, as window walls require more brackets, anchors and sealant, scaffolding for external access,

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CIS Tower, Manchester: BIPV (building integrated photovoltaics) on façade

∙

60mm face width unitized façades

∙

Parametric façades where the Architect’s vision for truly 3D façades can be fulfilled.

∙

Modular façades: Easy upgradation from basic to very high end thermal and acoustic requirements within the same façade. Mix and match of façade face width to suit architect’s need for emphasis and iconic designs.

∙

Façades designed with advanced software: Integration of design, shop floor and site installation using advanced software’s. Next generation post BIM.

∙

Smart Façades: Holistic integration into the building maintenance system of internal and external shading devices, control of solar heat gain coefficient through glass such as sage glass, ventilators and exit devices.

Factors Responsible for the Failure of Curtain Wall Systems

Eskenazi Hospital, Indianapolis - Dynamic façade

The nascent trend of façade integration that includes amalgamating various power influx techniques providing energy-efficient buildings, are gradually taking lead. In response to keeping the interior air quality comfortable, these active façades tend to perform strategic mechanisms that control solar heat gain/glare infiltration, effectual ventilation, harvesting daylight, thereby reducing the building’s gross energy consumption. Some examples include rain-screen façades, BIPV (building integrated photovoltaics) (CIS Tower, Manchester), automated shading and transparency controls (Eskenazi Hospital, Indianapolis), effective daylighting, multiple infill unitized systems, Nano coated ACP (in gulf countries), etc.

According to Antony John, Engineering Director, Schueco India, following are the latest technology in curtain wall systems: ∙

Slim façades with less than 50mm face width

∙

Concealed slim width to tall openable

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Failures of Curtain Wall Systems in most of the cases are due to (i) wrong system selection for a given site/project requirement (ii) faulty fabrication & installation practices followed and (iii) neglecting or giving little importance to the performance testing of the façade system.

For a developing country like India, there is a substantial deficit of skilled technicians to carry out the installation, the quality control defects resulting from workmanship errors is a biggest hurdle in realizing the intended system performance for which it’s engineered. The use of international systems make a little good sense if the manpower who fabricates/installs is not technically skilled and poorly aware about the system.

Even the most well detailed façade can fail due to sub-standard on-site workmanship, says Uttaran B Ray. Damage caused through maintenance and repairing, for example – careful cleaning of anodized aluminium frames without affecting the finish, failure to accommodate building movement (especially wind load on higher areas) or product failure are some other examples of the same.

Another source of failure is the design of the curtain wall itself, says Meur. This is more critical, as any mistake in the design of a panel gets repeated throughout the faรงade, resulting in the system failure. Other main factors of faรงade failures are wrong or no structural analysis, interface details which are not practical and achievable.

According to Khozema Chitalwala, besides any seismic, natural or man-made calamities where a catastrophe is inevitable that may result in a collapse of the curtain-wall, it is imperative to crosscheck other common failures that might cause low performance affecting the faรงade system.

Factors that may cause glass cracking include nickel sulphide inclusions (in case of toughened glass), thermal stress due to evident temperature differences (air infiltration through weep holes or inaccurate joineries) or uneven expansion due to absorbed solar radiation (through absorptive coating).

Water infiltration damage caused due to sealant breakage (Fig. Proper waterproofing of curtain walls) and consequent condensation is another cause of failure. The moisture resulting from infiltration creates poor air quality, growth of mould, damage to structure, etc. Neglecting the right method of using a sealant causes functional failure.

Proper waterproofing techniques for curtain walls

185 Rajadamri, Bangkok - HB Design Pte Ltd

Conclusion The selection criteria for the type of curtain wall system is dependent upon the manufacturing, installation & performance aspects of the respective system versus demands of project.

Factors ranging from simple glare discomfort to a major structural collapse define the quality in curtainwall systems. There is a significant shortage of skilled technicians to carry out appropriate installation and proper quality control.

Poor performance of curtain wall is often due to misunderstanding of fundamental principles of faรงade design and structural concept of curtain walls by construction parties, and gaps of oversight and coordination in the established project delivery routines.

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The world looks better Technal, aluminium glazing systems for an improved quality of life: even distribution of natural light, large dimensions, high performance acoustic insulation and energy efficiency. Aluminium building systems suitable for the most contemporary of creative architecture, with a diverse range of styles, finishes and textures. Aluminium building systems in tune with today’s concerns: the environment, security and accessibility.

For a more comfortable living space. For more harmonious towns and cities. For a better world.

Windows - Doors - Façades

Curtain Walls Should Meet all the Performance Specifications a curtain wall type: ∙ The architectural intention purpose ∙ Need of highly glazed façades ∙ Narrow frames ∙ Horizontal or vertical framing emphasis ∙ Geometry complexity ∙ Quality level Hemjith A Vengateri, Managing Director, ALUMIL Systems India Pvt. Ltd. WFM: Please brief on the factors to consider while designing curtain wall system for a building? How do you ensure the durability and sustainability of curtain walls?

Hemjith A Vengateri (HV): First of all, an elementary study is done to decide on “grid façade” and during this study, the type of the curtain wall – stick, structural glazed or unitized – is decided. Other factors taken into consideration are architectural trends, budget, and completion time. All the performance specifications for water tightness, wind load resistance, thermal insulation, as well as other specifications such as sound reduction, fire safety, anti-vandal & bullet proofing, etc. are to be met.

The following aspects should be taken into account while selecting

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∙ Erection area ∙ Erection time ∙ Cost factors ∙ Choice between Stick type and Unitised curtain wall systems.

ALUMIL has a notably wide range of products such as SMARTIA M5, SMARTIA M6, SMARTIA M65, SMARTIA M50 and SMARTIA M7 which offer great performances and value-for-money solutions.

procedures, minimizing overall construction time. In addition, although aluminium systems are characterized by their thinness, through special embedded polyamide profiles and other materials, they provide impressive thermal break performances offering high thermal insulation.

Lastly aluminium provides infinite design and surface treatment options, giving to architects a wide spectrum of aesthetic possibilities and expressions.

WFM: What is the criteria for selection of cladding material including glass and aluminium?

HV: As you may realize, there are many criteria for selecting

WFM: How can you use Aluminium as an efficient curtain wall material?

HV: Aluminium is a great modern construction material, with multiple advantages making it clearly the best choice for effective curtain wall systems. It is a light yet strong material, which is crucial for a safe construction of highrise buildings. It is also 100 per cent recyclable and thus enables LEED certifications, contributing significantly to the protection of the environment. Moreover, it is a flexible material which leads to faster and easier construction

A building on Madison Avenue, New York: Special customized unitized curtain walls ystem

aluminium & glass as cladding materials. Some of the most important criteria are: ∙ Unlimited manufacturing options in any shape and size in terms of width & height (for small or large spans). ∙ Vast possibilities of surface treatment as for example powder-coating (all RAL Durable & Ultra Durable colours), anodizing (with special effects such as satin, gloss, mat & various combinations), or wood imitation painting), ∙ High durability with minimum maintenance requirements. ∙ Environmentally friendly – 100 per cent recyclable materials ∙ Robust and rigid frames without the need for additional steel reinforcement. ∙ Design freedom with infinite creative combinations of aluminium and glass.

WFM: Please brief on the key factors escalating the performance of façades?

HV: The most crucial performances for façades are the following: air permeability, water tightness, wind load resistance, thermal performance (Uf), sound reduction level, fire safety, anti-vandal, & bullet proofing.

WFM: According to you, what is the latest technology in curtain wall systems?

HV: Curtain wall systems can nowadays have “smart” functions, especially thanks to IoT (Internet of Things) technologies. Through advanced electronic systems, special sensors can be built into the curtain wall system, giving the ability to the curtain wall system to “feel” what is happening at the external or internal environment of the building and react to it.

Automated actions can adjust ventilation, detect smoke presence and block it, regulate light transmittance or shading. All of these actions can be controlled effectively by special integrated building management systems (IBMS). BIPVs (Building-Integrated Photovoltaics)on façades can be used to generate notable amounts

Poland, Lodz – Philharmonic Hall – SMARTIA M50: Structural glazed façade, excellent thermal insulation & high water tightness

of electrical power, giving to the building a considerable energy autonomy. Generally, smart and environmentally friendly technologies which contribute to building energy efficiency will be definitely the future of curtain wall systems.

WFM: Please brief on thermal performance of curtain wall systems?

HV: One of the most important technical characteristics of curtain wall systems is the thermal insulation performance, following the trend of the lowest possible Uf value. It is very important when designing a curtain wall system to achieve high energy efficiency, without compromising on other performance characteristics. Moreover, through special software that calculates U-values and simulates façades and glazing (e.g. surface size, radiation), it is possible to create curtain wall systems that fully comply with the European and other international norms, by predicting accurately temperature, moisture and condensation levels.

Also, new hi-tech materials like aerogels, can be used as infills for high thermal insulation and fire resistance.

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Technology has Enabled Easier Analysis of Façade Performance weather out or noise out? Or to be a safety barrier? Should it allow view from out to in or vice-versa? Should it be a fire barrier? The answer could be all or a combination thereof.

WFM: Please brief on the key factors considered to enhance performance of façades?

Nitin Bhatia, CMD & Principal Consultant, FACET Façade Consultancy WFM: How do you decide upon the “type of façade system” for your project?

Nitin Bhatia (NB): A façade is the principal front of a building visible to the outsider.

It is a set of things that come together and form the “whole front / elevation” of a building. It is the coming together of profiles, infill panel, accessories, the method by which they are combined or joined, fabrication to facilitate implementation of façade design principles such as rain screen, pressure equalisation, drainage, and system ventilation etc.

In order to decide the type of façade system that should be used on a project, one would need to determine the functionality; to keep

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NB: Design is perhaps the most important factor that determines how a façade system performs. Unlike popular belief, design is not just structural adequacy of various members, but includes joinery, incorporation of design principles such as pressure equalisation, rain screen, glazing cavity drainage, ventilation, etc.Other than design, key criteria that enhance performance are materials and a stringent QA / QC protocol.

WFM: According to you, what is the latest technology in curtain wall systems?

NB: The evolution of computational technology has had an enormous influence in evolution of façade technologies. Adaptation of complex and organic geometry as a result is a lot easier today than it was in the yesteryears simply because of the ease of

Worldmark, Gurgaon

Day & Night view of the Smart city Project at Kochi by FACET Façade Consultancy

drawing and analysing what you want to achieve.

This technology has also enabled easier analysis of performance of systems and therefore optimisation of form and material, and reduced reliance on development of life size samples and mock ups. Other technologies that are evolving are BIPV (building integrated photovoltaic), interactive media screens having glass infills, etc.

WFM: Which is better – installation from the Interior or exterior?

NB: We firmly believe that the easier it is to do things, the better they get done. Therefore, whatever can be installed from the inside of a building will be a lot easier and better done than installation from a scaffold or cradle.

WFM: What are the most common factors responsible for the failure of curtain wall systems?

NB: Failure is perspective. Conventionally, only structural failure is referred to as failure of the curtain wall. However, failure is wider than what is conventionally believed. Any factor that affects

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human comfort adversely should be referred to as a failure. A very common example of design failure is vibration / shaking of large shop front glass panels when pressed, at most retail spaces. Another one is allowance of excessive light through glass that causes glare resulting in squinting.

Most often failures happen due to an incorrect design approach where critical though soft factors, are neglected, poor QA / QC during fabrication and assembly and even poorer installation. In the recent past, we have also investigated several structural failures which occurred due to inadequate or inappropriate design review, as well as non-compliance to general good practices of installation.

Climate Responsive Design is the Key The look and feel of façade -aesthetics - has a very important role to pay.

Visual identity of the structure is decided by the façade. Façade is the face of a building. So the decision on façade is a collative, collaborative integrated decision.

WFM: What are the factors which you consider while designing curtain wall system for a building?

Ar Sandeep Shikre, SSA Architects, Mumbai

WFM: How do you decide upon the type of façade for your project?

Ar Sandeep Shikre (SS): The decision on the design of the façade depends on the size of the building, complexity of the project and also on type and functionality of the project. Another important aspect is the micro climate response. Façade is to provide a shelter for all the built forms for a habitable use. So the location of the project has a great influence.

The climatic condition of the location and lux level also have influence on the design of the façade.

To summarise, the factors which normally influence the decision of the type of façade are use of the building, shape and form of the building, and micro climatic response.

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SS: One needs to be very careful while designing the curtain wall with respect to the direction of sun. Hence we can conclude that, the microclimate response, orientation of the building, size, shape and height of the building, and most importantly, the use of the building influence the design of curtain wall system.

WFM: How to decide on single curtain wall and double skin curtain wall?

SS: Double skin curtain walls are very expensive. They are recommended for complex buildings or high intense buildings. It is like the cavity walls in olden times, seen in Taj Mahal and Hawa Mahal. The same philosophy is applied in modern construction where you have two schemes of glass.

The external layer of glass reduces heat penetration. Cavity between two layers of glass acts as insulation.Heat trapped between the two layers is evacuated through mechanical means.

Institute of Management studies, , Mumbai

ACP is not as durable as glass. The colour fades over a period of time and lifespan is less. If it is not of good quality, it discolours. In rainy seasons or when it is exposed to rains for a long time, it gets water marks.

It is not a robust material as glass. We prefer going for a solid metal sheet rather than ACP. Zinc or other alloys or stone/ terracotta claddings or laminates are more robust.

Corporate HQ for Mudra DDB , Mumbai

Sometimes, motorised panels are installed between the layers so that they move according to the sun path, which will ensure that no unwanted heat is precipitated inside the building. This system is more suitable for tall buildings. As you go higher, the lux level increases and there should be better strategies to insulate the building. Otherwise, for a low-rise building, single skin curtain wall with DGU panels are good enough. The DGU panel has two glasses with a cavity. Generally, the glasses used are high performance glasses with low-e coating or a double/triple silver coating. This coating allows the glass to enhance its shading coefficient, U value, and performance.

WFM: Glass is the most common infill material used in curtain wall systems. What are the other cladding materials which can be used? What is the criteria for selection of cladding material including glass?

SS: It is important to know the properties of glass before working with it. Glass is the most preferred material because of its transparency, strength, availability of colours and graphics which can be imposed on it, etc. It is a plane material and hence can be used against stone or any other cladding. It occupies less space, thus increasing the carpet area.

But the material could be ACP, solid metal sheets, honeycomb panels, laminates, clay tiles, vitrified tiles, zinc or stainless-steel cladding (Petronas towers), lightweight stone cladding or vitrified tiles. The architect’s design will define the transparent and opaque areas as per need.

WFM: Please brief on the key factors escalating the performance of façades?

SS: Through computer simulation, we can actually put the building on a plot with similar weather chart and test for various aspects. We can exactly see the behaviour of the building in various seasons, and can actually do the sunpath analysis, etc. We can test with various envelope strategies and arrive at the optimal design. The façade model can be tested on energy simulation model, sun path analysis and then, check the performance of the materials available like U value of glass which will cut down the heat gain. Performance of a façade is measurable and it is available to every architect/ developer to understand much before he commits for any particular façade design.

Analysing the life and fire safety of the building is another important aspect. Through the computer simulated analysis of designs, we can escalate performance of a building. One should not over design too to reach the optimal level.

WFM: According to you, what is the latest technology in curtain wall systems?

SS: Latest technology is unitised system. Leather cuts in fabrication, highly sophisticated Aluminium extrusions are few state-of-the-art technologies available. Creative media walls is a revolutionary idea.

Here, the façade speaks with the people, like the Kohinoor towers façade which communicates.Then there are motorised façades with automatic sensors.

They create intelligent façades through computer automation. We also have façades with photovoltaic cells to generate energy.

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Green Talk

Shaping the Future for Tomorrow’s Wellbeing About the Author:

R Subramanian, Managing Director - Glass and Solutions, Saint-Gobain India Pvt Ltd-Glass Business

R Subramanian graduated from IIT-Delhi and went on to obtain his Management degree from IIM Bangalore. At both of these elite academic institutions, he was awarded the gold medals for his meritorious performance. With a varied and enriched experience in brand and sales management spanning across sectors, he joined SaintGobain in the year 2000. The glass business of Saint-Gobain achieved in a short time, quality, technical and market leadership position - thanks to the brand building efforts pioneered by R Subramanian. With rich experience of over 15 years in the glass industry, R Subramanian now is the Managing Director- Glass and Solutions, Saint-Gobain India Pvt Ltd-Glass Business.

Mahatma Gandhi once famously remarked, ‘Mother Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed’.

Do you know that at the rate of destruction that we are in today, there won’t be any trees left for Koala bears to cling on, no forest for elephants to graze, no ice caps for polar bears to stretch, and the penguins and seals would go homeless. Yes, such is the damage we are causing the earth!

consumption, and higher usage of natural resources.

While such high growth rates are good for the Indian economy’s health, one should also be concerned about the impact on the environment. The situation can become alarming in the future and the need

At our rate of consumption, several natural resources are fast depleting. We see states already fighting for water. Trains with water had to be sent to Latur in Maharashtra to provide some relief for the drought affected. The fragile ecological balance is being abused.

Modernization of living spaces coupled with growing demand for office spaces, due to the steep growth in service industry has led to increase in energy

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SMS Siemag, Gurgaon

Ansal Esencia, Gurgaon

of the hour is to consider and adopt innovative technologies to minimise energy consumption and preserve natural resources. If this isn’t thought through well, the world that our children would see won’t be the same as the one we saw.

Now, let’s not brood over spilt milk. Let us start looking at the glass as half full. There’s still time on our hands to make a clear difference!

Studies have clearly established that buildings today are an important area of energy consumption in India. It is also well established that with our pace of development, they are going to consume even more energy in the India of tomorrow. For example, studies have shown that if one were to estimate the inventory of buildings in India in 2030, the majority of them will be buildings which are yet to be built!

Seen in that context, energy efficiency in buildings becomes an even more pressing agenda.

Buildings consume energy differently based on their purpose. However across different kinds of buildings the main elements of building energy consumption remain the same - air-conditioning and artificial lighting.

Let’s ask ourselves a question. What if we could play a small role in saving the earth? Wouldn’t we like to become Captain Planet? All it takes is a simple change. There is a window of opportunity out there and it lies in our windows and facades.

Urmi Estate, Mumbai

Not just opening our windows or glazing the facade will make earth greener and cleaner; but opting for an energy efficient glass for our windows and facades can help seize this opportunity.

Sample this, Do you, at your home or work, pull down curtains in the morning to escape sun’s heat and switch on lights and air-conditioning to keep comfort?

If yes, aren’t you wasting precious electricity, when natural air and light are available in abundance? And, remember, burning coal that adds to the carbon footprint is what produces electricity. So is it not a deal to be green and save you from huge power bills?

The solution lies in choosing the right glass. Normal clear glass in windows or facades allows sunlight with heat. It heats up spaces, making you pull down curtains, which in turn makes the environs dark even during the day. You light your space up with electricity and pay for it. With technology today in glass making, glasses are being manufactured to cut the heat out and allow only light in.

Doesn’t that sound a double delight? Now, how would one get this performance from glass? The energy efficient properties get accorded to glass by a process known as Offline Coating.

Offline Coated Glass is essentially ordinary float glass with precious metal oxides or nitrides and in some cases pure metals themselves, fused onto the surface of the glass. This coating imparts energy

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efficient properties to the product, giving it visual appeal, while providing functional benefits like solar control and glare reduction. Coated glass is carefully designed to reflect a very low percentage of light, and offers maximum transparency and optical clarity, allowing optimum view through the glass at all times.

The metal oxides/nitrides/metals are fused onto the surface of the glass by a distinct manufacturing process known as Magnetron Process.

Magnetron Process (Off-line) The manufacture of this type of glass involves the deposition of metal particles on the glass surface by magnetically enhanced cathodic or magnetron sputtering under vacuum conditions. As this glass is coated off the Glass manufacturing line, it is known in common parlance as an Offline Coating Process.

Magnetron Sputtering - The Mechanism Magnetron sputtering is a plasma coating process whereby sputtering material is ejected due to bombardment of ions on to the target surface.

Motilal Oswal Tower, Mumbai

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The vacuum chamber of the coating machine is filled with an inert gas, such as argon. By applying a high voltage, a glow discharge is created, resulting in acceleration of ions to the target surface and a plasma coating. The argon-ions then eject sputtering materials from the target surface (sputtering), resulting in a sputtered coating layer on the base glass.

This glass is manufactured to meet the most exacting standards in order to deliver a high performance coating with ease in processing.

What’s more, the range of these energy efficient glasses is specifically designed to suit India’s hot and humid climate. These glasses come with various permutations of light transmission and heat insulation. One can choose from a wide range and add a dash of colour to windows or facades, as these glasses come under various houses of colour too. Today, one can choose a glass from this range that can let in about 60 per cent of light but only 20per cent of heat as against a conventional glass that lets in an equal amount of light and heat.

The future, one can safely say is, made of Offline Coatings thanks to their energy efficient features as

Sky Vista, Pune

well as the multi functionality features they impart to basic float glass.

Though the technology in glass making in India, is keeping pace with the global scenario with timely investments, all isn’t rosy on the industry front though. As capacities keep building up significantly, one hopes the market too keeps pace. Back home, the Indian market is yet to keep up to the pace of usage of high energy efficient glass largely due to absence of mandate to use such products. BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency), IGBC (Indian Green Building Council),Griha and now USGBC (US Green Building Council) are catalysing the efforts to dot the Indian skyscape with energy efficient glazing products that significantly contribute to green architecture.

Whatever is being done today in India in the green buildings front, is largely due to voluntary efforts by the stakeholders.

Advanced countries like Dubai, have made it mandatory for all new buildings to go green in a bid to reduce their Carbon Emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. By the same time, Singapore vouches to be much greener than today when 80 per cent of its buildings will be certified green. In the US, the state of California is leading the way with the California Green Building Code, or CALGreen, for implementing mandatory green building measures that apply to all newly constructed buildings or structures.

The Government of India under the aegis of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (Ministry of Power) has taken the initiative to bring in the Energy Conservation

Energy Efficient Glass from Saint-Gobain Glass with sputtered coating layer is manufactured by Saint-Gobain in India. The Saint-Gobain Magnetron Coater plant based out of the World Glass Complex, Sriperumbudur manufactures these energy efficient glasses and has a present capacity to manufacture 44Mn Sqft of energy efficient glass per year, significantly larger than the Indian market requirements. A good part of this capacity is already exported to the entire Africa, Middle-East and ASEAN markets as the domestic consumption is still very nascent.

There are many aspects of the Vacuum magnetron process used in Saint-Gobain which are of proprietary nature championed by inhouse R&D and protected by exclusive patents. The Saint-Gobain Research India (SGRI) which is the R&D vertical of Saint-Gobain in India develops solutions uniquely designed for the Indian Market.

This is an area where cutting edge technology is at work in the areas of R&D and blueprinted by the state of the art manufacturing

by Saint-Gobain.

Saint-Gobain announced in early January 2016, additional investments of Rs. 1000 Crores over the next two years taking the cumulative investment in the World Glass complex, Sriperumbudur to over Rs.3000 Crores. These investments will add significant manufacturing capacity and capabilities to the World Glass Complex. Significant among them is the investment in the 2nd line of a Magnetron Coater Plant. With the new investment coming Saint-Gobain will very soon have a combined capacity to manufacture 144 million sqft of High-Performance, High-Selective, Energy-Efficient Glass that can cater to markets spanning entire Africa, Middle-East, ASEAN and Oceania region. The Work in Progress Magnetron Coater will focus on producing large span/ jumbo sizes of energy efficient glass that are a perfect fit for the skyline designs for the export markets.

World Glass Complex, Sriperumbudur

Magnetron Coater Plant, World Glass Complex

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CEPT University in Ahmedabad & the Structural Glazing Research & Testing Lab (SGRT) at IIT Madras. These resources test glass for energy performance and structural performance. With the coming up of GSI’s Product Performance Certification Procedure, which uses these Labs as independent third party testing centres, another milestone has been achieved in the capability building.

Prestige Polygon, Chennai

Building Code (ECBC). The purpose of this code is to provide minimum requirements for the energy efficient design and construction of the buildings. ECBC is currently a guideline and not yet a mandatory code. The glass manufacturers have invested hugely in terms of creating capacity for making high performance glass which is compliant with the ECBC requirements. Indeed today the Indian glass industry can manufacture all kinds of energy performance glasses in India – there is no need to import.

The time is thus right for making ECBC mandatory.

There is wide domestic availability of products, there is common understanding of standards and there is infrastructure to test the products against these standards. What is needed now is to develop compliance procedures, lay down the checks and balances in the system and invest in further scaling up the footprint of the testing and certification system. This should be priority number 1 for the Government of India to achieve greater energy efficiency in buildings.

One should also not forget the residential buildings and the smaller commercial buildings which don’t fall within the ambit of ECBC. These need to be covered through the Windows Rating Program. A lot of work has already been done in this area, the different stakeholders are widely in agreement and it is now time to initiate codes on this front.

Further, the glass processors have invested widely in manufacturing lines for making Insulated Glazing Units, thereby leading to further strengthening of the domestic industry’s ability to cater to demand for high performance glazing. These investments are yet to see scaling up to reach full capacity due to lower domestic consumption.

Codes are important. Equally important is awareness building and capability creation in the form of a wide spectrum of trained experts who can implement these codes. This is an area where good work has been done by BEE. More needs to be done. Commitment of adequate resources on this front is essential.

Several stakeholders from the glass & glazing industry came together and formed the not-forprofit Glazing Society of India (GSI) which has been working steadily in the areas of Standardization, Testing and Product Performance Certification.

In the past few years, GSI has been able to collaboratively create two world class resources – the Building Energy Performance Lab (BEPL) at

India needs to make giant strides at the policy and also at the implementation fronts in making green buildings a much larger reality sooner than later and not risk, being left behind in contributing to a greener planet.

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The glass is still half full and the clock’s ticking! We need to act fast, lest it will become empty soon.

Special Feature

Natural Light & Transparency in Building Design About the Author:

Sharanjit Singh Founder Chairman GSC Glass Ltd.

Sharanjit Singh is the Founder Chairman of GSC Glass Ltd., a technology driven company, leader and pioneer in glass processing.

GSC has many firsts to its credit including the first architectural tempering, laminating, ceramic fritting, hardware, processing machines etc. It is also the first company to design and supply glass with design, systems and solutions for many European airports and rail stations, where quality and safety requirements are very high. He is an accomplished engineer and a third generation glass-man and regarded as one of the most knowledgeable person on glass in India. He has conducted many seminars and training workshops and has also written and compiled ‘Architectural glass guide’ for Federation of Safety Glass (FOSG), which is a comprehensive and complete book on the subject.

His writings & presentations are well known for their simplified and easy to understand approach even on the complex matters.

All of us want to live, work, play, shop and relax in natural light and stay connected to the surroundings spaces and views. Natural Light is healthy and gives us a sense of wellbeing and comfort. People working in Natural Light are more productive and are also more positive due to mental and visual stimulation as proven in many studies worldwide. Medically too, it has been proven that patients recover faster and feel less pain needing lesser analgesics, when recovering or recuperating in natural light conditions in comparison to artificially lit areas.

Natural light in a building will depend upon several factors and a good building design should result in most part of the building as well-lit and the design should also address the energy transfer. We can call a building or a particular area in a building as well-lit or sufficiently lit if there is a reasonably uniform spread of illumination of 200 to 800 Lux. Areas with illumination below 100 Lux, will be dimly lit or dark areas and areas with illumination

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above 1200 Lux will be over lit or too bright resulting in glare. (See Fig.1.‘Lux’ and ‘Lumens’) Transparency: The main or fundamental use of glass is for harnessing natural light and for

Fig.1: 1 Lux is the illumination on a surface of 1 Sq m by 1 candle, placed at 1m from such surface

fading of curtains, upholstery and other interiors.

This is easily addressed by using a laminated glass, as PVB in laminated glass filters 99 percent of the incident UV Light. The portion of visible light is 4445 percent which we want to harness, but it brings along with it 52-53 percent of shortwave infra-red which is not visible but is the heat portion of the radiation of direct sun. (See Fig. 2 & 3)

Fig.2: Explains the Percentage of Light & Heat portion of the solar energy; Fig.3: Band of wavelengths for different types of radiations or rays.

visibility through the glass. The designers select glass, also for its superior aesthetics but its main function is not to ‘look at’ but to ‘look through’.

Transparency in our case, can be defined as visibility or the view through the glass and the resultant feeling of connection to the outside view. Transparency is often perceived to be same as visible light transmission or VLT. Transparency is actually a factor as to how truly or naturally you see the outside view for its actual colour and natural feel. Ideally you should not see glass, but see the view through the glass. A glass with a low VLT can also be more transparent than a glass with higher VLT, if it is neutral in colour and has a lower internal reflection. Transparency or the visibility through the glass will enhance the feeling of space and of wellbeing and openness. All paths of natural light transmission into a building may not necessarily be transparent. These could be translucent, obscure, ornamental, decorated, etc.

Windows or ventilators above eye level as well as skylights will be path of light alone and not transparency.

Source of Natural Light: Sun is the source of natural light and the solar flux or radiation, which is actually reaching us, is distributed into 3 main parts.

Ultra violet or UV light is only 2-3 percent which causes a burning sensation and is responsible for

Illumination Levels and Brightness: The vision through the glass is a resultant of the illumination levels outside and inside coupled with a few other parameters. Let us assume a dark glass of very low VLT of say 5 or 10 percent, in a window of the room and the room is dark inside, and outside is a normal sunny day. You will be able to see the outside view quite clearly from the room but you cannot see the inside of the room from outside.

During night, the problem is reversed as there is more illumination inside and outside being dark; we are not able to see through the glass. Internal reflection adds to this problem. Transparency is a problem from the side with more illumination e.g. from outside during the day and from inside during the night. The illumination due to direct bright sun is around 90,000 Lux and in some areas, even up to 113,000 Lux. Compare this to a comfortable illumination of 500 Lux inside a well-lit office.

This is a big contrast, but we generally do not practically see, realize or visualize this extremely big illumination difference. (See Fig. 4)

Fig. 4: We need a very small part of the total illumination of the sun.

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Pic 1: Night view of the garden from the room with inside lights OFF and garden lights ON.

Pic 2: Effect of internal reflection in the room with both inside & outside lights ON.

It is the Human eye, which is one of the most wonderful creations of God and is the best camera ever made. It auto adjusts the light intensity and focus. This enables us to see near and far and also adjust to the brightness or darkness over a wide range of illuminations. Just as in photography, we are able to appreciate the dark areas, only in comparison to the brightest portion in the picture.

We realize this phenomenon more clearly, when we suddenly step out of a dark area to a bright area, or vice versa, as coming out of a theatre or going in or when we drive through a tunnel. It takes us a few seconds to adjust to the light conditions.

rendering index. Yet some usages prefer an extra clear glass as it does not have this green effect, though it is a bit more expensive. There are anti reflective coatings also possible which make the glass almost totally invisible and highly transparent.

It is used very selectively due to its very high cost.

Tints and Coatings: Shading is achieved by the tint of the glass and the coatings on it. Darker glasses will have a better shading (lower shading co-efficient). This colour of glass and coating, may also affect the colour of the transmitted light and it may not show the natural colour of the objects and landscapes outside. The ability of a glass to show the true or natural colours is measured by ‘colour rendering index’. Visually, the combined effect of colour and coating on the appearance of glass is quite different when seen from outside and inside as these are two distinct faces of the same glass.

One should choose neutral colours with good colour rendering index to enhance the transparency from inside. Normal float glass has a small greenish tinge which is generally not seen to cause any problem or issue as it has a very good colour

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Reflections: Normal clear float glass, including extra clear float glass, reflects 8 percent from inside as well as outside and it is 16 percent for DGU. The reflections are prominent from the side of higher illumination. During the day, we will notice reflection when viewing the glass from outside but will not notice any reflection from inside.

Internal reflections will be seen during the night when inside has more illumination and will not be prominent from outside. Buildings used during night should prefer glasses with lower internal reflection and also the appearance of glass from inside should be less metallic and the quality and colour of reflected light should not be too coloured.

It is advisable to have a mock-up and examine it during day and also at night to know what to expect. (See Pic. 1 & 2) Need: For any efficient design in relation to energy, the starting or fundamental point has to be a reasonable evaluation of the requirement of natural light. In factories or workshops, light is more important to enable us to see the objects, equipments or machines, that we are working on

and the things around us. The need to view through the light source may not be of much importance.

This natural light can be sourced from elevated windows or skylights or a combination of both. In offices however, the view through or transparency is preferred through the windows or the vision area of the glass façade. Most of the modern residential buildings with good outside view, would demand a greater transparency and also to address glare and heat. They prefer a clear glass without any tint or reflection and also want to address the heat transfer. This is a substantial challenge to the overall design of the building in general and glazing aspect in particular. The challenge is even greater for shopping areas, which demand a greater transparency or visibility from outside to inside.

Harnessing Natural Light: We can harness the natural light more effectively with a good building design, plan and orientation with relation to the sun trajectory. Depth of the building or ‘floor plate depth’ plays an important role as the deeper areas will be comparatively darker than the areas near to the window or glazing (see Fig. 5 & 6). A good ‘Floor Plate Geometry’ like Courtyard Plan, Atrium Plan and Finger Plans are some good examples to

Fig. 7: Shows a courtyard plan with ample source of light from multiple directions; Fig. 8: Explains the finger plate plan as quite useful for harnessing natural light.

harness the natural light effectively and efficiently (see Fig. 7 & 8). We should try to harness the natural light from all possible direction (see Fig. 9 & 10). We should harness more light from the sides, which remain under shade and not subjected to direct sun. It is advisable to glaze these areas more generously and use glass of higher VLT like a clear DGU. Windows or glazing subjected to direct sun should be shaded as discussed in the following paragraphs.

Heat: Natural light will also bring heat with it.

Though our current subject is natural light, we will have to discuss the simple fundamental facts about heat transfer. Heat enters the building due to two different sources, both of distinctly different characteristics. First is the energy transfer due to the difference in temperature outside and inside and is known as Thermal Transfer. The second is due to the direct incidence of Sun and is known as Solar Transfer. Heat from these two sources can enter through three different methods or vehicles which are by way of Conduction, Convection and Radiation.

Fig. 5 & 6: Shows the light distribution from a single side glazing, for a depth of 9 Meters and 15 Meters

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Thermal Transfer: The heat transfer due to the temperature differences is by way of conduction and is easily addressed by increasing the insulation

will heat up that object or surface and then this hot surface or object will start to radiate the heat in the form of Longwave IR. Longwave IR radiation is absorbed or blocked by DGU or other insulating mediums. The result is that the Shortwave IR comes in and heats up the interiors and cannot go out. This becomes a heat trap and we face a greenhouse effect (See Fig. 11), if we do not address this most important issue. All forms of secondary heat radiations as emitted by flames, appliances, vehicles, factories, furnaces and even human bodies are also in the form of ‘Far’ or ‘Longwave’ IR radiations.

Fig. 9 & 10: Shows the light distribution using an atrium plan and skylight, respectively

or lowering the U-Value which is energy transfer in Watts per Sqm of glazed area, per degree Kelvin difference of temperature outside and inside.

Normal float glass has a U-Value of 5.7 W/Sqm k which is reduced to 2.8 by using a Double glazed unit of glass or DGU with 12mm air gap or cavity.

This is a reasonable level of insulation or comfort for most purposes and is effective if the window or the glazing is in shade and not subjected to direct sun.

U-Value can be further improved (lowered), by using Low-E glass, increasing the air gap, filling the cavity with Argon instead of air, using warm edge spacer instead of normal aluminium spacers etc. There is not much challenge to achieving a good U-Value.

The real challenge is heat gain from solar transfer.

Solar Transfer: The energy transfer due to direct incidence of Sun is known as ‘solar transfer’ and it comes in the form of Near or Shortwave Infrared (IR) rays which have a very deep penetration capability and will always penetrate along with the light transmitted through the glass in general and clear DGU in particular. There is not much we can do to separate or filter this shortwave IR from the visible light. Any attempt to block or screen this will also screen a good part of the visible light. When shortwave IR is incident on any surface or object, it

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Shading: The simple and direct answer to this problem is external shading. To the extent feasible, we should try to design the buildings using the right orientation, Geometry and Floor plate plan to harness the natural light while avoiding the direct solar flux. Then we look into the possibilities and options to provide for external shading. In the Courtyard, Atrium or Finger Plan, we should try to take advantage of shading from one portion of building to another.

Static External Shading Options: Unfortunately there are not many options for external shading and most solutions do not fit in the designer’s plan for aesthetics, or economics of space, or FAR restrictions. Most often, this leads to a compromise on external shading and also to the comfort of users or occupant. The options for solar shading depend on the type and usage of the building. Traditional projections or chajjas or

Fig. 11: Shortwave IR of the sun enters the room and heats up the interiors. Heated interiors emit Longwave IR and heat gets trapped.

balconies, Trees, Plants and creepers, static louvers whether horizontal or vertical, are some of the options. A well shaded building is shown at the end of this paper (see Pic. 7). Wherever these non-glass shading options are not possible or do not fit into the plan, design or aesthetics, we have to use the outer glass in the DGU to provide shading. Such glasses are usually coloured and/or also coated with special spectrally selective metallic coatings.

Shading with such glasses is most common for offices and commercial spaces. Glass shading can be further supplemented with any feature wall or another skin or by Ceramic frit printing on outer glass itself. The printing can be a uniform pattern or graded pattern to leave the vision area as clearer with the top band and bottom bands as densely printed. White or bright colours will obstruct the vision whereas black and dark grey will allow more see through. Shading by glass will also shade the light (Not necessarily transparency) and here comes the question of how much light we need and the need to have the right balance. All static options will come with some amount of compromise during the day and night and also during the summers and winters. The Sun is dynamic and so the right solutions should ideally be dynamic as well.

Dynamic Shading or Solar Screening Options: Traditionally, shading in summer was obtained from manually rolled mats made from thin slices of bamboo, cane or wood. Newer options are

retractable awnings and shades but these are not neat solutions and do interfere with the aesthetics.

Yet newer options are louvers which can rotate or fold. These can be vertical or horizontal, in glass or in aluminium. (See Pic. 3)

Fig. 12: Screens direct sun during the summer days and ventilate during the night to cool the mass of the building.

Fig. 13: Allows sun to come in and warm up interiors during the winter day and creates another layer of insulation to stop heat from going out at night.

External roller blinds are an excellent option and they come with different colours and light transmissions to suit the preference of transparency. They are designed to meet the desired wind load conditions and they can perform perfectly during the day and night and also during the summer and winter seasons as illustrated in Fig. 12 & 13. They fit neatly on to the regular windows, new or old and are visible only minimally when retracted (see Pic. 4, 5 & 6).

Pic 3: Shading with vertical louvers of ceramic printed glass.

Louvers are rotatable electronically for solar screening and optimize daylight.

Blinds encapsulated in DGU can also be considered though more expensive and comparatively less

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Pic 4, 5 & 6: External roller blinds allowing different levels of solar shading, lighting and transparency.

efficient on energy. They are difficult to service in case of faults as all moving parts are encapsulated and sealed hermetically. It is an excellent option for hospitals as they can be kept clinically clean.

Conventional curtains, blinds or other options are exposed and can be the potential sources of contamination.

Electro chromic glass in the outer pane of DGU is a futuristic option. On application of a small voltage of up to 5 volts, it changes the VLT from a high of 65 percent to a low of 15 percent and alters the shading as required. It can be programmed to follow the external light conditions using light sensors and applying the voltage as per shading needs. Since there are no moving parts, the functioning is almost trouble free. Currently it is used in some of the newer aircrafts like Dreamliner and is also used in a few buildings, but the technology is patented and is still at a nascent stage and we need to wait till it becomes more affordable as the current costs are prohibitive.

Pic 7: A well shaded building

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Skylights in Atriums: Should never use double glazing or Low-E glasses and should rather try to reflect, by using solar reflective coatings and use partial ceramic fritting for solar screening.

It is a good idea to use controlled ventilation at the top as the hot air will travel up and form a hot air attic and help address thermal transfer by conduction. When the hot air pocket on top becomes too hot, we should release the hot air partially to draw the fresh air from below and also take advantage of the residual cooling from the walls and glazing, exposed to the core of the atrium. One can derive an inspiration from the old or ancient structures with high ceilings and domes and using small ventilator at top causing natural ventilation.

Internal Shading: Curtains or blinds are extensively and most commonly used for internal shading. While they do provide a feeling of temporary relief to the glare and heat of the sun, they fail to stop the heat which enters in the form of shortwave IR and heats up the interiors. They create a temporary buffer or a heat pocket in the air space between the glass and the curtain which helps the insulation marginally. Roman or horizontal blinds are more useful in comparison to curtains as they allow for the vision while cutting down the glare when drawn partially. The energy that comes in has to be mitigated either by air-conditioning or by ventilation as internal shading devices do not address the penetration of shortwave IR from the direct sun and external shading is the only answer.

Industry Speaks

Staying Committed to Quality & Excellent Value Tall buildings will always need to make a bold statement on the surrounding environment. The use of fully glazed façades is common for iconic tall buildings in cities across the world for both its appealing aesthetic and demonstration of engineering possibilities. As the world becomes ever more energy and environmentally conscious, so too is façade design for tall buildings. However, there are significant design challenges associated with the use of a fully glazed façade that can have an impact on the buildings energy consumption as well as the building’s construction and operational costs.

Milind Malve, Managing Director, Alumayer India Pvt. Ltd.

Window & Façade Magazine (WFM): Please shed some light on the emergence of Alumayer Group? How did it become one of the premium façade companies in India?

Milind Malve (MM): The Alumayer Group is an Israel-based company.

It was founded in 1964 by the Klinger family. With their high design standards and quality, they climbed to the top in that part of the world very quickly. In 1998, Alumayer India Private Limited was established. But they initially ran into some trouble with their operations here.

I had heard about them as I used to import high performance

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Alumayer India is a leading construction company in the field of design, supply and installation of facade glazing systems. They provide a first-rate product in addition to a superior customer experience by maintaining complete control of the end product, from pre-construction to installation. Window & Façade Magazine (WFM) got an opportunity to have an interesting chat with Mr. Milind Malve, Managing Director, Alumayer India. Here is the excerpt from the interview.

glass then. It seemed to me that the company had immense opportunity here as our city’s skyline was beginning to change with bolder building designs.

Being well-versed with Indian business ways, I thought that I could make a difference to their business. We had extensive talks and after purchasing a major stake, I took over as the MD of Alumayer India.

Right from the beginning, it was ensured that the Group’s high design standards and quality consciousness was imbibed in its Indian ethos. Since we offered complete solutions that were not just technically sound but at par with international standards and

Trump Tower, Mumbai

Motison Tower, Jaipur

Reliance Centre, Mumbai

technologically advanced, we soon were handling prestigious projects.

business in 2005. Tall buildings - I have always loved them and today, I fashion them.

In every project, we focussed on high customer satisfaction – we went the extra mile for our clients. ‘Client first’ was and still is our mantra.

WFM: Could you please tell me about the company’s different portfolio of products?

Steadily and surely, our commitment has been rewarded. We have raised the bar of quality, delivery and customer delight and cemented our place in the industry. In the past 10 to 12 years, we have completed nearly 85 projects. Today, we are executing the facade of the tallest residential building in the world. I am proud that we are the preferred vendor for most of our clients who themselves are the largest players in the Indian construction industry today.

WFM: How did you foray in to this industry?

What is your background?

MM: I am a commerce graduate. That is my educational background. But I have always had this strange fascination with large scale, massive structures like the Eiffel Tower, an engineering marvel that was built in just two years. And incidentally, I was involved in glass imports.

You know what they say about the Universe conspiring. Sometimes, it feels like that. Because, through my glass trading I knew about Alumayer.

And one thing led to another, and I took over as the Managing Director to look after their Indian

MM: We are focussed on providing innovative solutions for energy-efficient, safe and secure facades for infrastructural, commercial and residential structures. Our portfolio is comprehensive with entire building envelopes including skylights, structural glass systems, windows and doors, unitized façade systems, railings, ceilings, etc. We have designed and installed a vast range of curtain walls and are capable of providing customized flexible designs which can be built rapidly and economically.

Our expertise in access equipment for high-rise buildings including electric suspended platforms, powered lifts, mobile scaffoldings, hoist facilities, mast climbers, etc., which help in advanced, rapid, flexible and importantly safe installation of facades and fenestrations is renowned.

WFM: Do you help your clients in choosing the facade materials?

MM: Of course we do. Getting involved in the project right from the conceptualisation helps us provide our clients with the best solutions. As we work in close tandem with the architects, it also helps in the holistic designing of the project.

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However, sometimes we are called in towards the end of the project. Even then we suggest suitable facade materials that fit in the client’s budget.

As specialists in the implementation of international standards in extensive production volumes, we are capable of executing any required task, while fulfilling both strict customer demands and requirements of special climatic conditions. We also provide our customers with technical service support and a comprehensive guarantee.

WFM: Talking about your premium products, are all your systems designed in-house?

MM: Most of our systems are designed in-house in Israel as well as in India. Since the responsibility lies with us, we try using our own products as far as possible to ensure that the quality standards are maintained. If required, we also use systems from international systems suppliers. We are capable of executing any required task according to a customer’s demands, in any climatic conditions under strict quality control in accordance with the latest international standard requirements.

The company’s goal is to meet high quality requirements for its supplied products.

WFM: How do you ensure the quality of your products are up to the mark?

MM: Alumayer is a 52 year old company. The company’s management is committed to foster

World Crest, Mumbai

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innovation, quality and accountability at all levels. We have our own R & D department working relentlessly to find innovative solutions to meet the design needs of the experimentative and brave architects of today.

Our R & D department works in close connection with our partners from all over the world.

Our Quality Assurance Laboratory is equipped with modern testing equipment such as colour spectroscope to check chemical composition of the aluminium alloy, tensile testing machines, electronic gauge for checking thickness of the layer and various types of gauges and measuring instruments which facilitate quality assurance right from the raw materials stage through various stages of production and finally packing.

Sometimes we source materials from other suppliers. Our suppliers are important players in maintaining the quality concept. We work together to develop their ability so they can meet the standards prescribed and followed by Alumayer.

WFM: Now you have become one of the top players in the industry. What specific measures you took to prove your mettle?

MM: There are no shortcuts to success. It’s only through hard work and perseverance that we have achieved whatever we have. We do not have any rivalry in this market and we have very clean records from all our clients. The quality of our products and service are at the heart of our

Sunshine Towers, Mumbai

over 1400 in number, are trapezoidal in shape and unique. For the first time in Indian façade industry, telescopic brackets that can be adjusted in any of the three dimensions have been used.

ATC Tower, Mumbai

success. The value we bring for our clients is really the measure of our success. It’s ‘value engineering’ - that our products should offer the best aesthetic, energy-efficient and commercial value has always driven us to push our own boundaries. In fact, most of our clients are repeat clients. And every happy client gets us more clients too.

We have worked and worked to build our reputation and now, we work to maintain it.

WFM: What are your USPs? MM: One would be our design and technical strength. We have a very strong team in India and Israel with people who are qualified, capable and experienced to successfully handle the hardest of technical challenges. As our skyline is soaring, we are tested by challenges that really keep the excitement alive.

The ATC Tower at the Mumbai Aiport was one such challenging project. As the building is asymmetrical and crown of the building is in the form of a sharp obtuse angle, the degree of each mullion is different. Pre-fabricated MS mullions, 15 meters long, weighing about 530 Kgs were installed at 80 meters from the ground level with remote controlled motorized lifting equipment. Because of timelines, we worked with 3D drawings to order the glass panels before the installation of the grid.

Now, each panel is a 60mm triple laminated DGU glass, and weighs about 650 KGs. And all of these,

Because the glazing location is at a sharp, inclined angle and impossible to access with available equipment, special lifting and installing equipment was designed and developed to lift the glass panels called Pantograph. The length of the pantograph is 15.5 meters having the load bearing capacity of 2 ton.

Just this one project talks volumes about our design and technical strength because we solved every complexity.

Our other advantage would be our facility.

We probably have the best and most wellequipped facility in the country for execution of the most challenging façade projects. It is also the biggest and most advanced manufacturing facility.

And last but not the least, we have handled various kinds of projects. Our experience just cannot be outdone. Our team’s project management skills have been honed through extensive hours of work and we are capable of executing

World One, Mumbai

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any project perfectly at any stage, whether it is during conceptualizing, planning, executing, controlling, or merely closing the project.

WFM: Please tell us more about your manufacturing facility at Navi Mumbai?

MM: Our manufacturing facility is located at Panvel near Mumbai. It is placed at the heart of an industrial area and many of the topmost marquees in the Indian industry, including Reliance Petro Chemicals, Cipla, Bombay Dyeing, Castrol, etc. are situated in our factory vicinity.

It is a spacious facility spread over 9 acres with 2 lakh sq. ft built-up area. We have 5 lines of conveyors, the best and the most advanced CNC machinery. Currently, our production can reach up to200 panels/day. The factory also boasts of the best in-house testing facility rig to test all our systems.

Our engineers, supervisors, sub-contractors and factory staff are trained regularly so that they are upto-date with the latest technologies and materials.

WFM: Many new materials like Copper and Zinc are used for cladding in buildings? Do you manufacture such cladding materials too?

MM: Yes, we do cladding with all the latest materials like zinc, copper, etc too. But these are not much in demand. Most of our projects are done using glass or solid aluminium.

Alumayer’s manufacturing facility at Panvel near Mumbai

effective solutions; both in terms of design and cost; through newer materials and processes.

Innovation is our focus anyway and we are using today’s fast-paced tech advancements to arrive at some seriously fabulous products.

We are also planning to bring all our own line of products under one roof. Everything you need for glazing would be available here. Furthermore, we are also looking at improving our export share.

WFM: How are you planning to enhance your leadership position?

MM: We have a three-pronged approach: improve value offering through excellence in innovation and design with a 100% commitment to quality and ontime delivery.

WFM: Who are your major clients?

MM: Many corporate houses and developers like Lodha, Reliance, Orbit, L&T are our clients.

Currently, we are doing a high-rise residential tower in Mumbai called World One Tier 2. Other on-going projects for Lodha are the Trump Tower, World Crest and New Cuffe Parade.

WFM: What are your future plans?

MM: Continuous improvement is our growth philosophy. Hence, we are looking for better,

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WFM: Considering façade and window sector, what kind of changes have you observed in the market in the past 10 years?

MM: In the past 10 years, the real-estate market has been going through a challenging period.

However, this has brought with it a lot of positives.

Vertical expansion has become the norm. The emphasis on green, energy-efficient buildings has increased. International level solutions with new materials and systems, higher luxury standards have entered our market and made this one of the most demanding markets in the world.

Project Watch

Green Design Solutions Infosys Software Development Park About the Architect: Architect KP Nagaraj is Associate Vice President with Infosys Ltd. He is a graduate from the College of Architecture, Goa and is one of the extraordinary minds behind the super-efficient sustainable buildings at Infosys. One of his most challenging and extremely well-executed designs include the Kanteerava indoor stadium in Bangalore which envisaged his most favoured designs for large span shell structures. He has worked with renowned global architects, including Nikken Sekkei Japan and RSP Singapore.

Ar. K.P. Nagaraj, Associate Vice President, Infosys Ltd.

The Employee Care Centre building at Infosys Hyderabad was built to function as a training and recreation facility for its employees. The design philosophy was that it should look like a luxurious 5 star hotel, something very different from the prevailing software MNC campuses in India.

The building was positioned at one end of the Infosys Hyderabad Campus which acted as a vantage point and enabled architect KP Nagaraj to flaunt the building as the jewel of Infosys Hyderabad campus. That was one of the reasons for the huge entrance arch in the building, which gave

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Infosys Employee Care Centre, Hyderabad

the look of a grand inviting opening, something reminiscent of historical Indian palaces.

Another important design aspect was to orient the building in a direction that exploited the best of the region’s weather patterns. The longer façade of the building was positioned along the north-south direction and the shorter façade face

was positioned along the eastwest direction. This restricted the direct sunlight only to the shorter side which would keep the building relatively cool in the hot Hyderabad climate.

The Challenge The humongous size of the building was a challenge to

The warm and earthy beige colored panels from the FunderMax premium exterior range gave prominence to the building

design and execute. Moreover, the contractors involved in setting up the building were not up to the mark, felt Nagaraj.

“Implementing a unique design is like doing a major surgery.

You may have the best of tools, knowledge and facilities available, but if you do not have the right support team to use them, the surgery could be fatal. Actual implementation of the design into reality is overlooked in India which often leads to disappointments for the architects.”

The Execution FunderMax’s Compact Laminate Panels used for the façade highlighted the vibrancy and uniqueness of the building.

They were installed according to the latest European rain screen installation standards.

FunderMax’s trained and highly skilled installation team ensured a complete professional job without any issues to help bring out that uniqueness which the architect wanted.

∙ Sustainability: Considerable reduction of temperature inside the building because of the ventilation gap between the panel and the building.

This allowed for continuous movement of air which in turn reduced air conditioning load. ∙ Radiant cooling system: The air conditioning load was further reduced because of the radiant cooling system incorporated in the building. This involved circulating cool running water through a piping system in thermal contact with the building surface. ∙ Luxurious look: The warm and earthy beige coloured panels from the FunderMax premium exterior range gave prominence to the building and made it stand out in the green landscape.

The Result The building was awarded with LEED India Platinum rating by

the Indian Green Building Council for its sustainability features.

Architect Nagaraj believes that Indian architecture has embodied green building principles since long. With the looming energy crisis and consequent focus on green building solutions, the old green practices are getting renewed interest once again.

The proof of a job well done is when the customer calls back for more. FunderMax has continued the partnership with Infosys and will setup similar rear ventilated systems in their campuses in Trivandrum, Pune and Bangalore.

QUICK FACTS Project: Infosys Employee Care Centre Location: Hyderabad Client: Infosys Architect: KP Ngaraj (Inhouse) Materials used for facade & fenestration: FunderMax 0079 decor Commencement Date: 2014 Completion Date: 2015 Area: 9500 Sq m

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Diamond Sponsors

Supporters

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Organized by

Member of

For participation in IDF Oman, please contact: Mr. Adil Osman, Project Director +968 94041717 | media@alnimrexpo.com

www.idfoman.com

Project Watch

Form, Function & Finesse Bajaj Bhavan, Lucknow About the Author:

Jitendra Kushwaha, Partner, Ganpati Innovation

The site for the project Bajaj Bhavan is located in the heart of the vibrant city of Lucknow, The city of Nawabs. The infrastructure of the city is developing at a great pace and it is now home to many eyecatching architecture.

Curtain Wall System The building consists of two type of double glazed soft-coat high performance glass: 1. 6-15-6 IGU: 6mm tempered glass + 15mm air gap with Argon gas + 6mm tempered glass (Coating on face 3).

2. 6-15-6 IGU: 6mm tempered glass (with design ceramic

Jitendra Kushwaha is one of the specialist innovators with over 14 years of experience in construction of building envelopes. He has worked extensively on high value projects in the arena of glass faรงades.

He started working from the scrap and today he is known for the quality of his work. He has handled projects for leading names in Indian real estate industry, and continues to enjoy the trust and appreciation with projects that set pioneering benchmarks in architectural design.

Jitendra is an innovator and notable entrepreneur. His creative mind is constantly in the process of exploring new thoughts and ideas, drawing inspiration from the ordinary to create something extraordinary.

frit on face 2) + 15mm air gap with Argon gas + 6mm tempered glass (Coating on face 3).

The glass is fixed using aluminium extruded profiles with pressure plate and cover plate. The faรงade of Bajaj Bhavan is designed according to wind pressure analysis reports.

Characteristics of Glass The chosen glass is the most advanced way to achieve that delicate balance between the outdoors and the indoors, aesthetics and economics, function and finesse.

Developed to suit the unique climatic conditions of the

The Bajaj Bhavan, Lucknow

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Ceramic fritted glass on the facade

Indian subcontinent, the glass meets the needs of the Indian consumers who traditionally require more cooling than heating and want to prevent solar radiation from coming in.

It is the perfect amalgamation of energy efficiency and optimum day-lighting, where architects can actualize a state of mind that captures intelligence in every sense – architectural sense, aesthetic sense, economic sense, energy efficiency sense and environment sense.

The glass is designed to deliver superior performance that allows a higher standard of green architecture by allowing optimum

The vertical sunscreen fabricated using Aluminium Composite Panels

light to pass through windows/ facade while absorbing and reflecting away a large degree of the near range Infrared heat.

It also helps in keeping indoor spaces brighter and cooler.

Characteristics of Ceramic Printed Glass Ceramic frit design and percentage coverage affects the light transmission and solar heat gain of glass. Light frit colours and certain pattern designs can cause enhanced brightness when viewed from indoors under certain daylight and background sky conditions, while dark frit colours will tend to reduce glare.

Benefits of Ceramic Printed Glass Combining silk-screened glass with clear, tinted, low-E, or reflective glass, can control light transmittance, reduce solar heat gain and enhance aesthetic and performance characteristics.

Vertical Sunscreen

Combining silk-screened glass with clear, tinted, Low-E, or reflective glass, can control light transmittance

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The sunscreen is fabricated using Aluminium Composite Panels

(ACP) wrapped over MS tubular frame as per the pattern provided by the architect. The ACP used is 3 Coat and 3 Bake KYNAR 500 Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coated (coating thickness 32 to 35 microns), corrosion resistant, unbreakable and machinable. It is environment friendly, provides excellent sound and thermal insulation and is resistant to abrasion. The sunscreen also adds to the beauty of the building with the pattern based on modern architecture.

Benefits Of Sunscreen External shade is simply the most natural way to cool a room within a building, by reducing the buildings exposure to heat gain from the unrelenting bake of the sun.

QUICK FACTS Project Name: Bajaj Bhavan Location: Lucknow, U.P. Client: Bajaj Group Architect: The Phogat Associates Materials used for facade & fenestration: Double Glazed Glass, Aluminium Extruded Profiles, MS Tubes, Aluminium Composite Panel.

Commencement Date: July 2014 Completion Date: January 2015 Area: 2,960 Sq m

Project Watch

Marvel Edge The Shape of the Future About the Architect:

Ar. Hans Brouwer Founder HB Design Pvt. Ltd.

Hans Brouwer was born in Hong Kong, and studied architecture in Switzerland and at the University of Southern California. His formative career was spent with the internationally renowned architect Sir Norman Foster, latterly as a project director. Over a period of eight years, he was involved with and responsible for a number of world-class buildings. Hans founded HB Design in Hong Kong in 1995 following his return to Asia. He re-located the office to Singapore in 1998 and regional offices were established in Phuket in 2003 and in Bangkok in 2007. Hans has worked on a wide variety of award-winning projects and serves as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the National University of Singapore. He has been a keynote speaker at industry conferences and had numerous articles published. Hans is a Registered Architect in Singapore and provides the design lead for HB Design.

In a world where nine to five, monotony, drudgery and boredom reside in the same cubicle, comes a revolution to the workplace.

One that is innovative in design, imagination and size. It goes by the name of Marvel Edge located at Viman Nagar, the heart of Pune.

This state-of-the-art infrastructure is a testament to modern and distinctive commercial structures.

Spread over one million square feet, Marvel Edge boasts of environmentally sustainable designs, with a profusion of greenery, luxury, quality and technology. Amenities like maximized natural lighting, breakout spaces, inclusiveness of complex

Fig.1: Completed Phase of the project

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and advanced security systems are part and parcel of the experience sunscreening. The building has a three-layered façade consisting of a double-glazed curtain wall, private terraces and sunscreening.

Intelligent Design Divided into 4 wings, Marvel Edge is a combination of graceful lines, dramatic spaces, exceptional architecture with intelligent planning and maximum flexibility. The 4 cores have been constructed in such a manner that they provide the widest range of tenancy opportunities. A tenant can occupy a

maximum of 1lakh sq ft both vertically as well as horizontally. What’s more each floor has 3 elevators, a service elevator and washrooms shared by 3 or 4 offices. Two galleries, intersecting the building, overlook the internal courtyard. Several meeting pods are also contained within the two structures.

Integrated Sustainability Marvel Edge has been pre-certified LEED Platinum. From the outset ecological strategies have been set to achieve the highest industry benchmarks. Physical greening take a more than

ME energy (elec) consumption breakdown HVAC Chiller 12% HVAC Pump 4%

Domestic hot water 3% Lifts 5%

Rain Screen

Electrical Equipment Appliances 19%

Total ventilation (except CP) 15%

Curtain Wall

Total lighting (except CP) 17%

Car park ventilation 19% Car park lighting 6%

Rain Screen

Marvel Edge fabric and internal heat gains for design day (8th May) LEED (ASHRAE) BASELINE DESIGN

Terrace and balustrade (behind)

500

Curtain Wall

300 100 900

General Lighting Computer + Equip Occupancy Solar Gains Exterior Glazing Walls Floors (int) Partitions (int) Outside air load

700 500 300 100 .100 .300 .500

Terrace and balustrade (behind)

Time of day (hour)

Fig.2: Typical external facade build-up

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Fig.3: Internal view of the gallery

decorative role in the design. A large natural park has been retained and made publicly accessible.

Extensive landscaping marks the ground plane and large multi-storey sky gardens penetrate the building façade. The roof level has been reduced to 50 per cent of the footprint – the remainder given over to roof terraces, pools and extensive landscaping.

The two galleries are naturally ventilated spaces extending from the ground floor lobby, up 40m, to the top floor at roof level. Large 1.2m deep louvers control natural lighting and keep out the monsoon rains when they occur. Bridge links connect the four cores of each gallery, incorporating suspended meeting pods for the benefit of the tenants.

The main building façade was carefully engineered by the architects, HB Design, in conjunction with an experienced team of environmental engineers from Meinhardt in Melbourne. The design evolved into a layered façade with 3 different environmental zones.

The main thermal envelope of the building is a unitized, double-glazed curtain wall. This system also features a low-E coating on the inside of the outermost glass pane. The glass has been

Fig.4: View of the internal courtyard

deliberately kept as clear as possible in order not to distort the natural lighting coming in.

The second environmental zone are a series of double-height terraces giving most of the offices the unusual opportunity to step outside of the air-conditioned office. These terraces, beyond providing a valuable asset to the tenants, also provides critical shading from the high sun, reducing heat gain through insolation.

The final layer is a solar screen suspended in front of all office spaces. This layer further reduces insolation by screening out 40 per cent of all light and also reduces the glare factor, making computer screen working possible with minimal need for the usual roller-blinds dropped inside the office.

The design of this screen wall went through many iterations, guided at times by performance issues and, at other times, by value engineering.

The final solution was as elegant as it was costeffective. The most important factor to keeping costs down was to limit the amount of metal required to create the screen. This was done in two stages. The first was to increase the utility of the metal sheet by expanding it rather than

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punching out the 60 per cent free area, which results in a 4-fold increase in material efficiency.

The second stage was to corrugate the metal sheets, which allowed them to be reduced from approximately 1.5mm to 0.8mm, another 2-fold increase of efficiency.

The Shape of the Future

Fig.5: Meeting Pods in gallery

Marvel Edge promises to not only become a landmark in Pune, but also be one of the few landmarks that are recognised because of its environment friendly and cost effective design.

Because once you take the seamlessness in design and the minimised ecological footprint into consideration, there exists a natural hideaway in the most perfect corporate destination. You might call it trendsetting or futuristic.

QUICK FACTS Project: Marvel Edge Location: Pune, India Client: Marvel Realtors Architect: HB Design Pte Ltd Other Consultants: Structural Design: Design Werkz Engineering Pvt Ltd Landscape Design: Shma Co., Ltd Façade Consultant: Meinhardt Façade Technology India Pvt Ltd Interior Design: Creative Affairs Lighting Design: Matteo Messervy Co., Ltd Local Architect: DSP Design Associates Pvt Ltd / Marvel Design Main Con: Marvel Realtors M&E: Neilsoft Ltd / Marvel MEP QS: Marvel SCM Materials: • Reinforced concrete structure • Unitized double glazed curtain wall (low-E) • Galvanised mild steel secondary support structure • Zinc-titanium rain screen (expanded & corrugated with 60% free area) Commencement Date: 2011 Completion Date: Phase 1 in 2015 (successive Phases over the succeeding 2 years) Area: approximately 100, 000 Sq m GFA (including below grade parking areas)

Fig.6: Typical terrace

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Face to Face

Balancing Form & Function Architect Anupam De is the Founder and Principal Architect Anupam De & Associates (ADA). It is an architectural practice that aims to sculpt aesthetic and functionally superior environments. After having being associated with one of India’s largest firms for nearly 14 years, Anupam De started ADA in December 2007. The Mumbai-based firm has grown quickly in this short span, and has an impressive portfolio of work and clientele to its credit. Their commitment to providing world-class design has been enriched with national and international awards.

Ar. Anupam De Founder & Principal Architect, Anupam De & Associates (ADA)

Anupam De, who has successfully executed many skyscrapers in India, including the iconic Indiabulls Cenre in Mumbai, talks elaborately on his firm’s achievements, latest projects, and about his concepts on façade designs and green buildings in his candid conversation with WFM.

WFM: Please tell us about your practice?

Anupam De (AD): Architect Anupam De & Associates (ADA) is an architectural practice aiming to contribute in sculpting an environment that is both, aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well as functional to the core. Founded in December 2007, our firm is young but possesses valuable and credible experience. Our office, based in Mumbai, provide architectural services for all segments of building along with urban planning.

WFM: Brief us about your approach to your projects.

AD: As a practice, our approach to architecture can be summed up by the key words - passion, influence, inspiration, fascination, integration, motivation, opportunity and achievement. Our work has always been defined by our willingness to challenge stereotypical responses or conventional solutions.

Indiabulls One O9 - Gurgaon

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WFM: How would you describe your signature style?

AD: There is no specific style one adopts, as each project is different in its own way, be it in the user’s perspective or in the urban context. Our philosophy is to take on each project as a unique challenge, and approach it like a work of art. We shape it to be unique, with creative solutions that preserve and celebrate its individuality, without sacrificing the balance of form and function.

WFM: We’re in the era of the ‘iconic buildings’.

How do you feel about this trend? How do you work in a system like this and continue to create thoughtful, meaningful architecture?

AD: More often than not, “iconic” buildings are unique in form or super tall buildings, which create a statement. Invariably these buildings push the boundaries of structural design, façade design etc.

It is important to understand the costs, challenges to do such structures before one jumps in to do the same. One has seen, on several occasions that after having set out to do an “iconic” building, one has to cut back and dilute the initial concept due to various reasons.

One Indiabulls Center, Lower Parel, Mumbai

of Mumbai. The project with its dynamic form and architecture integrates function and design to create a landmark commercial development housing the top MNC’s and Indian corporates.

The complex is a sustainable design, which tries to conserve energy and other natural resources.

One Indiabulls Centre is a “LEED Gold” Certified Building. OIBC also was voted the “Best Commercial Property” by CNBC Awaaz Crisil Credai Real Estate Awards, in 2009.

It is important to understand the brief, context, surroundings, costs etc. and also keep in mind the end user before proposing an “iconic building”.

As an architect one needs to educate the client, if required, before embarking on or proposing such a design.

WFM: Please tell us about few of your important projects like Indiabulls Centre?

AD: All the projects are important to us as we put in equal amount of personal attention along with our passion for design that enables unique solutions.

One Indiabulls Centre is a dramatic complex currently comprising of two towers, located strategically in Mumbai’s emerging Central Business District of Lower Parel. It is one of the first projects to be built on the Mill lands

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One Indiabulls Center with its dynamic form & architecture

Indiabulls Finance Centre stands on the site of former Elphinstone Mills on a plot area of 7.8 acres.

The project spreads across the site, comprising of three tall towers positioned in a hierarchy ranging from lower to higher as the complex progresses eastwards from the Western entry. The elevation appears as aesthetically appealing composition of varied height towers with triple height terraces forming an interesting assembly. The triple height terraces act as breather in a city that is distant from green spaces. The positive & negative spaces that get created in the façade not only facilitate effective workspace, but also adapts to the need for flexibility in the office space. Various entry-exit points are planned in a systematic manner to ease traffic circulation throughout. Triple height atriums form the entrance lobbies to the office buildings are accessed through landscapes drive-ways & interesting pathways. IFC embodies various facets of sustainable design by being mindful of energy conservation and efficiency maximization. IFC is a “LEED Gold” certified building.

Sky is a luxury residential tower of 48 floors. The tower has a varied mix of apartment sizes from 3 bedroom units to 6 bedroom duplex apartments.

The first apartment level begins on the 16th floor thereby providing good views to all the residential units. The lower floors consist of a grand 4-floor high entrance lobby, parking levels and a club level on the 13th floor. The club level has a fitness center, landscaped gardens and an infinity edge pool with sea views on the horizon. The residential units on the lower levels have large double height landscaped terraces, which will create a unique environment.

On the upper floors all the apartments are planned with the living rooms projecting and having 3 sides glazing to offer panoramic views of the city.

Indiabulls One 09 is a mixed-use complex, situated in Sector 109 Gurgaon. It is spread across 6 acres on Dwarka Expressway just 15 mins drive from IGI Airport (Delhi). The complex consists of high street retail, commercial offices and service apartments. The retail component encompasses three levels of boutiques, charming cafes/ restaurants and a multiplex which are amidst lush landscape and fountains, promoting a tranquil Zen like atmosphere. The commercial component is an office tower which offers varying sizes of units giving full flexibility to the end user. Independent drop offs and circulation are carefully planned for the separate users.

WFM: What kind of projects do you enjoy doing the most? Which project has given you the most satisfaction thus far?

AD: Any project that poses a unique challenge is enjoyable. Usually all urban/city projects provide for this in some way or the other. Looking at each project individually and getting the best possible design solution is always rewarding. It is difficult to pin point one, however One Indiabulls Center, Marathon Futurex, BLU have been up there.

WFM: According to you, what is a Green building? What do you feel is the greatest challenge when it comes to designing for environmental sustainability?

Indiabulls Finance Center, Elphinstone, Mumbai

AD: The ideal Green building would allow you to preserve most of the natural environment of the

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Singapore is beginning to usher in a change with its vertical greening of buildings, to bring some respite in the urban jungle.

WFM: Please tell us about designs for façade and fenestration and how important is it considering the ‘workability’ of buildings?

SKY, Lower Parel, Mumbai

given site while still being able to create a structure for a particular purpose.

However, in the urban context it is reduced to the reality of how much lesser damage the building in question does to the environment, than an ordinary building. The biggest challenge is trying to break the concrete jungle that our cities have turned into.

Lack of green spaces needs to be overcome with some innovative urban planning.

AD: Based on the nature of the building, its design objectives and the end user, one needs to design the appropriate fenestration and façade for the building. Besides the habitable spaces, it is important to factor in treatment of service areas, parking and public areas. At the street level how they blend with the landscape is also of prime importance.

While the awareness of fenestration / façade and its opportunities is quickly growing, equal emphasis needs to be put on serviceability of the same. Often one spends a lot on façade but proper BMU/cleaning systems are lacking, which lead to issues in due course.

WFM: Which architects from the past and present you admire the most?

AD: Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, Mies van der Rohe to name a few from the past. Their works were way ahead of the times and continue to inspire generations of architects.

The works of Calatrava, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and many others in recent times have been inspiring.

WFM:Do you think there is an increasingly ‘globalized approach’ to architecture?

AD: Yes. It is the age of the global citizen and the boundaries are fast diminishing. The aspirations of them do influence architecture a great deal.

WFM: What are some of the opportunities and challenges your office faces now?

SKY, Lower Parel, Mumbai

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AD: Today the biggest challenges, especially in large projects, are the myriad of approvals,

Private Villas-Palihill, Bandra, Mumbai

Silver Lake Villas, Alibaug

efficiency in design/cost and timely project completion. These are the main issues facing the construction/real estate industry and in turn the architectural fraternity.

It also is an opportunity for us to strike the right balance and thereby create a niche for yourself in the industry.

WFM: What advice would you give to young architects?

AD: More often than not, younger architects have around the same number of jobs jumped as their years of experience. This trend is very disturbing.

They need to carefully select the firm of their liking and stick around long enough to go through full project cycles. Only when you do that can you learn, improve upon and better yourself. There are no short cuts and only hard work will pay in the long run. While hard work cannot guarantee success, every successful architect for sure has put in years of hard work.

Indiabulls Corporate House-Gurgaon

Einstein once remarked, “Success is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration�.

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Case Studies

BLU Estate & Club

BLU, Worli, Mumbai

BLU Estate & Club is envisaged as an exclusive residential development in the heart of Mumbai, spread over 10 acres of natural expanse. This is to be a flagship development of Indiabulls which endeavours to create a landmark in residential living. In the dense concrete jungle of Mumbai, Blu is intended to introduce a rare concept in lavish living; a serene oasis of declutter.

The design of BLU Estate & Club responds to its fantastic location and scale. Four residential towers that are iconic in form are uniquely complimented with amenities and facilities affiliated to the highest level of luxury. The towers are located to optimize views of the sea and the race-course. All towers were planned taking into consideration optimization

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of day-light; the full glass faรงade allows maximum natural light into all apartments. The central core with perimeter columns and flat slab construction allows for flexibility in layouts and apartment sizing.

Faรงade All four towers in BLU have a fully unitized glazing system with high performance glass. The glass for BLU has been customized keeping the performance values and aesthetic requirements in mind. This custom glass (with laminated IGU panels) is designed and developed by M/s Saint Gobain for the first time in India. The corners with curved DGU panels are special highlights for the apartments giving a panoramic view.

The towers in BLU have a fully unitized glazing system with high performance glass

The track based BMU systems have been designed for cleaning and maintenance of each tower. Services floors have removable performance based louvered panels for access of equipment during maintenance, if required.

with expanded metal mesh to filter the light and allow for ventilation. Tower C has suspended canopies for drop off with inclined glazing and columns so that people can freely walk under the cantilevered podium.

The inviting entrance lobbies for each of the towers are double height and with clear glass.

The façade system is point fixed with large glass panels, to allow for the interior to blend with the surrounding landscape.

The canopy for Tower D is specially designed wherein the canopy forms an integral part of the unitized system. The parabolic geometry with its inclined face forms a dramatic entrance.

The canopy for tower A and B are designed using perforated metal mesh below the glass so as to filter the natural light. The podiums are cladded

The façade system is point fixed with large glass panels

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BLU Dome This structure is a unique amenity built, surrounded by the manicured lawns. The transparent parabolic vault created around the landscape is a standalone glass and steel ribbed structure for events, banqueting, etc. Its spatial beauty is enhanced by a customized installation of a blown glass chandelier, by famed artist ‘Dale Chihuly’ The steel framing was considered to conceptualize the contemporary and slender look of the multipurpose hall. The use of steel as a structural frame helped the design to achieve a large column free space, transparency and enhanced its iconic shape. The parabolic vault is created with a crucified connection details of ribs and purlins to meet the desired form. Considering the point fixed glass fixture evolved the geometric

The geometric joinery wire frame of the vault

joinery wireframe.Motorised curtains are raised during the day to cut glare and heat while they drop down to view the night sky.

The Ribs are the primary structural members built up with steel plates of grade: 250 MPa. Each of the ribs are laser cut and welded at factory with sleeve joints using the pre-fabrication techniques.

Circular hollow sections of dia150mm are used as secondary ties prefabricated and site assembled with crucified connection ends. The use of ties (CHS) preserve the shape of the parabolic vault.

Prior to installation all steel sections are pretreated with abrasive blast cleaning methods and coated with layers of high performance, corrosion protection paints. Final finish is achieved with polyurethane paints (PU) with the desired quality.

The entire steel structure has been hoisted at site with modern installation methods to support external glass skin followed by customized stainless steel (SS) fixtures.

This structure is complete and is currently being used as a marketing lounge for the project.

BLU Dome - The transparent parabolic vault

QUICK FACTS Project: BLU – Estate and club Location: Worli, Mumbai Client: M/s. IndiabullsInfraestate Architect: Anupam De & Associates Design Team: Anupam De, KaustubhTembe, Parag Savla Structural consultant: Thornton Tomasetti Façade consultant: BES Landscape consultant: Belt Collins Materials used for Façade & fenestration: Unitised Curtain Wall, Point fixed glazing, Solid Aluminium cladding, Expanded metal mesh Commencement Date: 2013 Status: Under construction Area: 2 Million Sqft

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Marathon Futurex Marathon Futurex, a financialcum-IT Centre in the country’s financial capital, is designed to be at par with similar global developments. Spread over sprawling four acre plot, Marathon Futurex is a unique project expected to witness a total development of 1.6 million lakh sq. ft. in phased manner, to cater the need of generationnext office spaces in city’s fastest emerging commercial hub, Lower Parel in Mumbai.

Marathon Futurex, with its unique design, construction, energy efficiency, water efficiency and building management system, is all set

Marathon Futurex

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to offer an experience of the world-renowned trade centers.

It has been designed with the best practices of sustainable architecture and is Pre Certified “LEED – Gold”, Core and Shell.

Marathon Futurex is designed in such a way that its surfaces are shaded from the sun. Its characteristic shape - broad at the top and slimmer towards the bottom - makes selfshading possible. The 15 strategically placed sky gardens act as heat barriers, shade the floors below and cool the building and it’s surrounding.

Also, the vertical fins deflect the sunrays and cast a vertical shadow on the building. Even the balconies are designed to contribute to the building’s self-shading feature. Each of the building’s first 13 floors covers an area of approximately 60,000 Sqft from the 14th floor upwards, the area about 30,000 Sqft per floor. Large floor plates with flexibility of breaking into smaller spaces allows for the varied demand in office spaces.

The building also has several amenities to cater to the large work force that will occupy the same. There are 30 high-speed elevators; a car parking that can accommodate over 1,000 cars, a large triple height lobby, and over 15 sky gardens.

Day view of the project - rendering

Design Aesthetics The design maximizes the towers presence on the street with its vertical layers symbolizing folded palms pointing towards the sky.

These splayed vertical layers divulge beyond a point while rising up to the sky; maximizing its views of the sea and urbanscape. The design includes multiple terrace/sky gardens a concept promoting the need for green spaces in a city devoid of them, besides creating a better working environment.

Post-modern design and use of steel as a construction technology

Customized glass manufactured by Shanghai Pilkington, based on the aesthetic and performance requirements

The various components of the project are outwardly expressed with the use of transparent/ fluid materials like glass, which opens out the elevations presenting the inner working of the facility to the outside. The form helps dissolve and break down the mass, playing with a composition of positive and negative readings in balance with the interspersed voids, within the solid mass.

performance requirements, manufactured a customized glass especially for this project, which later on became their standard product globally.

This high performance glass is used in Insulated glass panels for energy efficiency.

Construction Technology Marathon Futurex is a pioneer in its exploration of alternative post-modern design and use of steel as a construction technology. The building has been constructed using the formwork’ technology of Sten (Spain) and Peri (Germany). The building has a composite structure using steel floor beams and structural steel plate sections for composite slabs for speedy and cost-effective construction of the building. This steel structure has enabled 16 m spans in the office floor plate besides allowing for increased construction pace.

Façade Perhaps for the first time in India, Shanghai Pilkington, based on the aesthetic and

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A jagged glass box, with point fixed glazing, forms a feature entry for the pedestrians. The first phase of the project is complete and operational, while the second phase is under construction.

QUICK FACTS Project: Marathon Futurex Location: Lower Parel, Mumbai Client: M/s Marathon Realty Pvt. Ltd. Architect: Anupam De & Associates Design Team: Anupam De, Vivek Vaish Structural Consultant: Sterling Engg. Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd Green Building Consultant: Ernst & Young, Mumbai Façade Consultant: Meinhardt Materials used for façade & fenestration: Unitised curtain wall, Solid Aluminium Cladding, Extruded Aluminium Fins, Point Fixed Glazing Commencement Date: 2010 Completion Date: Phase I – Completed, Phase II – under construction Area: 1.6 Million Sqft

Post Event

Shaping a Smarter and Safer Tomorrow in Façade Design & Engineering Zak World of Façades 2nd September, 2016, Hyatt Regency, New Delhi The 22nd edition of Zak World of Façades 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 which defines the significance of a building and also plays many critical roles related to overall functioning and energy performance of a building. The Zak World of Façades is the largest conference series on façade 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

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technological solutions in façade industry. The conference was well attended and the delegates included representatives from architects, builders, façade consultants, contractors and other members from the façade & fenestration fraternity. The conference was a four-session full day programme and each session revolved round different themes.

The event saw many prominent experts from India and abroad as speakers, sharing their expertise and experience in creating smarter buildings with enhanced performance. Various aspects including design parameters, building type, material

presentation by Architects Britta and Amit Gupta, Partners, Studio Symbiosis on “Performative Aesthetics”. They presented their unique projects, including the Punjab Keasari Head Office design, explaining how the design of facades can optimise the performance of a built form integrating various elements of building as one design language.

A section of 400 delegates

components, assemblage, maintenance, were discussed animatedly.

The Event Convenor & Host, Amit Malhotra, Leader, McCoy Group, gave an overview to the large audience. Welcome Address was given by Syed Zakir Ahmed, CMD, Zak Group.

The first session started with Sourabh Kankar, Regional Manager - Architectural, Modiguard, presenting on “Principles of Glass Selection for Façades”. He explained how to build an efficient façade, choosing the right traits. He spoke about solar spectrum Vis-a -Vis performance and design, Sunguard applications and tools and calculators for glass selection. Next to present was Dr. Prashanth Reddy, Managing Director & CEO, FunderMax who enlightened upon on use of High Pressure Laminates (HPL) as an effective façade material. He explained the benefits, aesthetics & functionality and various applications of HPL as cladding, louver, etc. The first session ended with an informative and remarkable

The Event Convenor Host, Amit Malhotra, Leader, McCoy Group

Sourabh Kankar, Regional Manager - Architectural, Modiguard

After a light high tea, the audience readily gathered again to hear Praveen Chaubey, Project Manager, Priedemann, on ‘Façades for Future’. He spoke on new design trends, sustainable facade execution process and new technologies for better performance of buildings. This was followed by a presentation on Façade Detailing for Low Energy Consumption

by Stephen Tanno, Director Pre-Construction Services, Schüco International. He elaborated on the importance and significance of fine detailing and detailed on how robust detailing prevents energy loss through air infiltration and heat transfer. Next came the interesting keynote presentation by renowned architect Dongmin Shim, who is the Design Principal at Singapore based WOW Architects|Warner Wong Design. He mesmerised the audience showcasing his fascinating projects, explaining how vertical landscapes can be integrated into facades. He also elaborated on various ways to add symbolic visual elements into facades.

The first group discussion at the conference on ‘Façade Trends and Regulations for Public Spaces and Mixed Use Development’ was moderated by KR Suresh, Regional Director, Axis Façades. The panellists were, Harsh Murti (Wave Infratech), Naveen Khanna (VP - Projects, Brookfield India Office Parks), Ashish Kapoor (Sales Director, Schüco

Dr. Prashanth Reddy, Managing Director _ CEO, FunderMax

Britta Gupta, Partner, Studio Symbiosis

Praveen Chaubey, Project Manager, Priedemann

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Stephen Tanno, Director PreConstruction Services, Schüco International

Dongmin Shim, Design Principal, WOW Architects, Singapore

India); Eshan Hemrajani (Director, Glass Wall Systems), Mitu Mathur (Director, Gian P Mathur & Associates Pvt. Ltd.) and Ar. Rajesh Dongre (Partner, ABRD Architects). The panellists, some of the most sought after names in their respective fields, deftly steered the discussion that revolved around façade performance objectives for high end residential and cluster housing, engineered system windows and balustrades, differentiating the façade lines for different usage in same building, safety regulations and adherence to the same, and ventilated façades & rainscreen cladding. The second session concluded with the animated discussions on safety regulations and adherence to the guidelines.

The conference adjourned for the networking lunch. After the sumptuous meal, the delegates flooded the exhibit area.

KR Suresh, Regional Director, Axis Façades

Tanuj Sharma (Manager - Railing Façade, Kinlong India

Session 3 opened with an interesting presentation by Tanuj Sharma (Manager Railing & Façade, Kinlong India) on “Choice of façade hardware”. He elucidated on the need for choosing Technically Strong & Aesthetically good hardware. He also spoke about new railing systems, hardware accessories and other new launches.

The second presentation in Session 3 was by the stalwart of glass Industry, Sharanjit Singh, Chairman, GSC Glass on “Evaluating Natural Light & Transparency Needs for Optimal Design”. He elaborated on glass selection to mitigate heat while retaining the advantage of natural light. He also discussed the factors to be considered for estimation of reflection and shading which would enhance human comfort and wellness.

Panel discussion 1 - Harsh Murti (Wave Infratech), Naveen Khanna (VP - Projects, Brookfield India Office Parks), Ashish Kapoor (Sales Director, Schüco India); Eshan Hemrajani (Director, Glass Wall Systems), Mitu Mathur (Director, Gian P Mathur & Associates Pvt. Ltd.) and Ar. Rajesh Dongre (Partner, ABRD Architects)

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Sharanjit Singh, Chairman, GSC Glass

Jothi Ramalingam (Director, Winwall Technologies)

Jothi Ramalingam (Director, Winwall Technologies) spoke about ‘On-Site Testing of Façades’, explaining the need for on-site testing and why should it be done by a third party agency who has got expertise.

This was followed by a presentation on “Myths about Stainless Steel Railings & Fittings” by Rajan Aggarwal, Vice President Projects, Ozone Overseas. He explained the need for checking structural safety in modular railings, choosing the right grade of stainless steel for hardware for various purposes, and the correct technique and installation examples with project case studies. The last presentation in Session 3 was by Kapil Chikodi, Head - Business Development, Glass Wall Systems on LED Integrated Façades. He enlightened the audience with his speech on latest technology of integrating LEDs into curtain wall system. The case study of façade lighting employed in Kohinoor

Rajan Aggarwal, Vice President Projects, Ozone Overseas

Kapil Chikodi, Head - Business Development, Glass Wall Systems

Square, Mumbai & Mondeal Square, Ahmedabad were very inspiring.

The concluding panel discussion was moderated

by Praveen Chaubey, Project Manager, Priedemann. The panel comprised of some of the stalwarts from Indian construction industry - Mayank Bhatnagar (Vice President, Bharati Realty), Amit Gupta (Partner, Studio Symbiosis), Anil Misra (General Manager - Projects, Max Estates), Niraj Borikar (Head Sales, FunderMax India)and Kapil Handa (Principal, Studio DRA).

The discussion was on Façade Engineering for Higher ROI. The thrilling discussion pointed out on few constraints like stringent budget allocation for the construction of façade since it always falls in the tail end of construction and how the time constraints affects the quality of construction

Panel discussion 2 - Praveen Chaubey (Project Manager, Priedemann), Mayank Bhatnagar (Vice President, Bharati Realty), Amit Gupta (Partner, Studio Symbiosis), Anil Misra (General Manager - Projects, Max Estates), Niraj Borikar (Head Sales, FunderMax India) and Kapil Handa (Principal, Studio DRA)

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Display of products by many brands including Schüco, Glass Wall Systems, Modiguard, Kinlong, Fundermax, Siderise, McCoy Soudal, Alstone, Ozone and GSC Railings which attracted the delegates.

of facades. The panel stressed on the need to understand how the Form and design of the façade is important for optimal performance of the building which weighs more in terms of ROI. The panel also discussed on new facade technologies and their commercial edge over conventional ones. This panel discussion was an eye opener for the industry as it emphasized on the changes that need to be done in budget allocation – right from the process of selection of material to engaging an expert façade consultant and executing the construction of façade, sticking to the original design, bearing in mind both aesthetic and functional aspects.

The conference was complemented by display of products by many brands including Schüco, Glass Wall Systems, Modiguard, Kinlong, Fundermax, Siderise, McCoy Soudal, Alstone, Ozone and GSC Railings which attracted the delegates.

They displayed their newly launched products and demonstrated the latest in technologies.

This 22nd edition of Zak World of Façades was, by all accounts and measures, indeed a great success.

It was a significant day to remember as many key deliberations on critical subjects that have never been examined before in public were confidently addressed by one and all.

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Advertorial The Renaissance of The Rézo Building With its unusual facade the Rezo Office building in Paris features visual highlights that also say something significant about the architecture itself. The construction was completed by Laubeuf, a subsidiary of Eiffage Group.

The 55HX® aluminium used for facade panels was sourced from Aleris.

The neighbourhood of Saussure was rejuvenated by the addition of a bright and creative aluminium wall cladding to the Rézo offices which now stand out from the otherwise dull environment of heavily frequented railway land. This eye-catching building was designed by Anne Démians architects.

The architects developed a facade design that shows plain and ornate panels, or perforated panels with large cut-outs. In addition to the design aspect, this construction comes in extremely useful, too. Despite the large window areas, the curtain-like facade somewhat serves as a light shield which breaks the direct sunlight shining from outside and therefore prevents heat accumulation in the window area.

To achieve the rigidity necessary for static reasons, panels need to be at least 4 to 5 mm thick.

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The Rezo office building, Paris

While composite panels with a plastic core cannot guarantee the required rigidity long-term, the Aleris 55HX® alloy meets the demanding requirements of the architects just perfectly.

With thicknesses of 4 and 5 mm it provides the required rigidity; additionally, the material is durable, lightweight and shows excellent anodizing properties. Around 130 tons of Aleris 55HX® went into the facade of the Rézo Building that were supplied by Aleris Duffel in Belgium.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS: Project Details Rezo Office Building: France Client: SNEF - SODEARIF Facade Material: Aleris 55HX® aluminium Sheets In 4-5 mm thickness Architects: Architectures Anne Démians Location: Rue de Saussure, Paris, France Year Constructed: 2013 Area: 16 500 m2 Cost: 36.5 M euros

Alloy: Aluminum sheets 55HX® Dimensions:1350 x 3500 mm Product benefits: – Streak-free anodizing – Constant coloring (guaranteed color integrity) – Outstanding flatness – Very good shaping and folding properties – Weather, corrosion and UV resistant after anodizing – Robust and scratchproof Applications: Facades, paneling, ceilings, walls and Roofs.

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Product Renson Slidefix

A Fabric Sun Protection that Opens to the Side With the Slidefix, Renson provides a fabric sun protection solution for both sliding windows, large areas of permanent glass and corner sliding windows. This new type of fabric sun protection follows the sideways motion of a sliding glass door. It’s a motion that’s actually quite logical and, especially, very practical: in this manner, a sliding window also stays perfectly usable as a passageway even with sun protection installed.

When developing this Slidefix, close attention was paid to the invisible integration of the various elements. Both the cassette and the edge guides of the Slidefix are integrated discreetly into the façade. The cassette is recessed behind the hardware, while the certified ‘Connect&Go’ technology still makes it possible to install and uninstall the fabric tube and motor easily. The lower guide is installed in such a way that it fits in at floor level both inside and outside. This lower rail also includes an integrated water drainage system that can be removed easily for maintenance.

The end slat also disappears completely into the cassette when the fabric sun protection is completely opened. (In the closed position, it can also slide away invisibly into a special

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The new type of fabric sun protection follows the sideways motion of a sliding glass door

Slidefix from Renson opens to the Sides

profile mounted against the wall.)

In a double configuration, the Slidefix can be combined to a maximum of 8 m in width without annoying intermediate profiles. The cassette measures 150 mm x 110 mm

and can be finished – just as the guides and the end slat – in anodized or powder coated aluminum in all RAL colors.

Slidefix controls are electrical and they can be linked to various existing detectors or to a residential automation system.

Buzz Schueco Experience Center and Office, Powai, Mumbai Schueco India moved to its new ‘Experience Center cum Office’ in Powai, Mumbai in the month of August 2016.

The inauguration of the new facility was done by Sandeep Runwal (Runwal Group) and Boman Irani (Rustomjee) who congratulated Schueco team on this occasion and appreciated the wide range of products that are on display which makes for an easy reference to Schueco’s wide range of product solutions.

The experience center doubles up as the head office for Schueco India. A move to give the customers a more personalized touch and feel experience of Schueco products was the key motivation behind the new office. There are multiple products on display at the experience center including the newly launched Schueco FWS 35 PD facade to the DCS Door with biometric access control. Schueco Classic systems for ‘Lift and Slide’, ‘Panoramic Design Sliding System’, ‘Unitised Façade’, ‘Tilt/Turn Window’, ‘Tilt/ Slide PASK System’ along with the ‘TropTec sliding system’ and ‘Non-insulated door’ are also on display.

A guided tour of the experience center can be arranged post a telephonic appointment (+91 22 67868989) or by writing in at info@schueco.in. Address: Schueco India Private Limited, A 103, Delphi, Hiranandani Business Park, Powai, Mumbai – 400 076

Kalingastone Launches ‘Terra’ For Walls India’s leading brand for engineered stones, KalingaStone launched their latest marble product - Terra under its existing Petra series. It has been developed especially to quench the present limitations in wall cladding applications. The application areas can range from interior wall cladding to covering huge exterior walls.

Terra has an earthy appearance, is smooth in texture with a

uniform grainy surface pattern throughout its surface and is seamless in installation.

Depending on the taste of the occupant and the utility, the walls could adorn a host of relics to add a rustic aura to the space. Being an engineered marble, Terra does not break or chip easily, is scratch resistant and easy to clean.

Terra is available in standard dimensions of 304 X 125 cm and thicknesses of 12 mm, 16mm and 18 mm. The large

format of the stone allows designer professionals to create unique artistic combinations of small and big stones and trendy geometrical designs.

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Bajaj Windows joins hand with aluplast Bajaj Superpack Group signed joint venture with aluplast GmbH Germany, and launched high performance uPVC Windows system for the Indian Market. In an exclusive launch ceremony held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nagpur, Bajaj and aluplast GmbH Germany, announced their joint venture to bring Bajaj - aluplast highly efficient Upvc windows to the Indian Market. The ceremony was attended by Arun Sharma (MD- aluplast India), Cristian Feldmann (Marketing Head – aluplast, Asia), Patrick Seitz (Director& CEO – aluplast, Germany) and renowned architects and Interior Designers along with real estate developers. aluplast is a worldleader in high performance uPVC window systems.

Both the companies have a lot of similarity in values, quality and ethics said Patrick Seitz.

The plant is located in Nagpur, and equipped with state-ofthe-art German machines,

built under the supervision and guidance of aluplast technical team. Through this joint venture, customers will have unlimited access to the world-class systems and technology, The high-end systems like Lift & Slide doors, Tilt & Turn Windows will revolutionise the design patterns. Bajaj Windows is one of the most versatile company as far as the customisation is concerned. Bajaj has all the flexibility in design, hardware, surface finishes like wooden lamination and colour options

with a 10 year guarantee, Benefits includes energy efficiency and best sound Insulation and can be customise as per customers requirement said by Ashish Bajaj- Director of Bajaj Windows Private Limited.

Bajaj Windows is led by Nitin Patil (Director-Operations), Sooraj Handa (Director-Marketing), Gaurav Mothghare (ASM-Nagpur Region), Ravindra Verma (ASM - Pune Region), and Venugopal Reddy (ASM - Hyderabad Region).

Vadodara Windows wins FGI Awards for Excellence The Federation of Gujarat Industries presented the award ‘Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur’ to Rima Singh at 14th FGI Awards for Excellence.The award was conferred by the Honourable Defence Minister of India, Shri Manohar Parrikar, who was also the Chief Guest of the ceremony. The award is of the great significance to Vadodara Windows as Rima became the first entrepreneur in the uPVC Window & Door industry who has achieved this recognition.

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Sapa & Renson at Interieur 2016, Presents New Products ‘Minimalism’ and ‘design’; these are two terms that apply perfectly to both the new Artline sliding windows from Sapa and the Panovista Max corner sun protection fabric from Renson. Both the productswere presented as a total solution at Interieur 2016. The Biennale Interieur, known for its uncompromising international selection of contemporary design, has been a strong force in the field of design events since it took place for the first time in 1968.

Renson Panovista Max, a new type of fabric sun protection, is ideal for XL glass-on-glass corner windows and on sliding glass corner windows up to 6m width and 3,4m height at both sides, with a maximum surface of 30 sq m.With Panovista Max, no unattractive aluminium profiles or cables are visible at the corner. Patented technology ensures that both sides of the system are rolled up simultaneously and thus provide the desired

sun protection without sacrificing visibility to the outside. A zip connects both sides of fabric at the corner when letting the screen down. That’s how Panovista Max reaches the highest degree of wind resistance ‘3’ available: DIN-EN 1356.

Artline XL by Sapa elegantly brings the outside inside. Sapa Building System’s design slider is genuine art with a purpose. The nearly invisible frame width allows building interiors to be flooded with light. Artline XL combines elegant, slender and minimalistic design with cutting-edge technology, ensuring better insulation, security, durability and transparency. Glazed panels to the ceiling can be easily manoeuvred. It is the perfect profile for large glazed panels up to 3.5 m high and a maximum weight of 500 kg for each panel. Artline XL bridges the gap between quality and a maximum light ingress, between creative design and comfort and between functionality and aesthetics.

IIT - GSI Seminar on 'Design and Challenges in glass facades in buildings' at IIT Madras 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 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

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efficient design and building performance’ and ‘Code of practices and standards and testing’. The Seminar was intellectually stimulating and enriching and it ended with a positive and optimistic view.

www.loomclad.com

HIGH PERFORMANCE ALUMINIUM CLADDING designed for  Non-combustible  15 Year Non-Prorated Finish Warranty  No Maintenance  Won’t rot, warp, peel or fade  LEED Credits  Impervious to insects  Can be recycled or re-coated after the warranty period  As its Aluminium, it will always have a resale value which means its an investment with return unlike Wood and other options available.

The perfect solution for achieving all of the richness and beauty of wood without the maintenance.LoomCLAD is aluminum cladding available in a wide range of woodgrain and solid colour finishes. The wood grain and solid colours applied to LoomCLAD are warrantied for upto to 15 years, this gives our finishes superior resistance to weathering in the critical areas of color and gloss retention.

Email: info@loomcrafts.com Tel: +917838652327 / 7838652257 / 9871122239

www.brandstewardsmedia.com

Check “LG Hausys” on hardwares

LG uPVC Windows comes with LG Ha

LG uPVC Windows

comes with LG Hardware only

ardware only

Captivate your blissful moments with LG uPVC Windows

To be LG Hausys Authorised Fabricator/ Dealer, Contact: +91 99109 92888 LG Hausys India Pvt. Ltd. Delta Tower, 6th Floor, Plot No. 54, Sector – 44, Gurgaon 122001 • Ph: 124 4212590 • Email Id: lghsi@lghausys.com Check LG Hausys Authorised Fabricator list in our Website: www.lghausys.com/in

Ordinary doors for ordinary homes, Designer doors for designer homes.

Available in India.

INDIA

FRENCH ORIGINAL DESIGN

Revolutionary doors with extraordinary design

www.euradif.fr - india@euradif.fr - FRANCE

How to install an insert door panel ?

Very easy! Just imagine that instead of installing a double glazing in your profile, you insert a door panel!

Easy to cut, easy to install !

An easy-to-install innovative product, From 24 to 60 mm thick, Adaptable with all uPVC profiles in India, Termite resistant, Strong structure and glazings, Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) insulation, Double glazing with a laminated face Easy to cut as per your required size