Sustainable Cladding Elements

View of the hospital from across the road

Gorakhpur demands passive cooling for buildings to have comforting indoor environments. Hence, the hospital has a perforated façade that allows good air circulation through organized façade openings. The façade also provides necessary shading by creating a patterned entry for light.

The access to fresh air and diffused sunlight through the perforated screen is considered to be helpful in the healing process. For a developing city such as Gorakhpur, the building design is exemplary for budget planning and execution. The employment of local workers and craftsmanship contributed to the design motto of achieving simplicity with modernity.

The modern perforated façade has been designed in square geometry. The square openings on the façade are placed in varying sizes to create an interesting pattern of design. The arrangement of the openings is such that it creates an illusion of more floors than there exist in reality. This provides an element of surprise making the building an architectural attraction of the city. The façade panels are prefabricated micro stainless steel jali and aluminum composite panels with MS framing.

The architecture of the hospital building significantly contributes to its exclusiveness. This unique façade design shuns the traditional notion that hospital buildings are designed with monotony. Instead, planning such façades help enhance the functioning of the hospital by contributing to energy efficiency and optimization. This hospital design is a milestone project for the city of Gorakhpur which can encourage future buildings in the area to adopt contextual designing with a modern expression.

ASHLESHA KALE

Principal Architect and Director, Ingrain Architects & Urban Designers

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ashlesha Kale is the Principal Architect and Director at Ingrain Architects & Urban Designers. Ingrain is an architecture and urban design firm based out of Mumbai led by Ashlesha Kale, Ashwini Bhonsale, Abhay Bhonsale and Kiran Bhonsale. Kiran and Abhay have been working on projects of varying scales based on sustainable low carbon developmental models. They have more than two decades of experience, working on various types of projects such as mass housing, master planning for integrated townships, ITES and IT SEZs, amusement and hospitality destinations, mixed-use redevelopments, public and academic institutions, retail developments and corporate buildings and more. Ashlesha is an architect and urban designer who has been working on a large number of urban rejuvenation and tourismrelated projects across India.

Sustainable Cladding Elements

According to a study done by Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, currently, buildings account for more than one-quarter of the total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). If we are to mitigate the effects of having more buildings on the environment, green construction is the answer and material selection plays a major role here.

Cladding is an element that is generally reserved for the last during the material selection process. We forget that it’s the first line of defence of a structure. New-age materials are fast replacing the conventional masonry-based cladding. But some of these materials are so ubiquitous that there is a dearth of freshness in the buildings we see daily.

DOUBLE SKIN FAÇADE SUN SHADING SYSTEM:

The double-skin facade is a system of a building consisting of two skins placed in such a way that air flows in the intermediate cavity. The ventilation of the cavity can be natural. Apart from the type of ventilation inside the cavity, the origin and destination of the air can differ depending mostly on climatic conditions and the use and the location of the building and the HVAC strategy.

The cavity between the two skins may be either naturally or mechanically ventilated. In cold climates, the solar gain within the cavity may be circulated to the occupied space to offset heating requirements, while in hot climates

Sails in white - Sattva Galleria Bangalore

the cavity may be vented out of the building to mitigate solar gain and decrease the cooling load. In each case, the assumption is that a higher insulation value may be achieved by using this glazing configuration over a conventional glazing configuration. Recent studies showed that the energy performance of a building connected to a double-skin facade can be improved both in the cold and the warm seasons and in cold and warm climates by optimising the ventilation strategy of the façade.

SUSTAINABILITY

There is no doubt that sustainability has become the buzzword for any building’s façade system. To influence this trend, a rain screen façade system improves building protection by enhancing the functionality of the façade with respect to heat and noise reduction and better weather protection. We can increase the thermal efficiency of the building with an effective design. A well-designed façade reduces the thermal bridges, condensation of water vapour, protects the building and increases

sustainability. Tropical climate can sometimes be uncomfortable and therefore it is important to use the right façade system for optimizing temperature levels inside a building. The primary objective is to keep the heat at bay. The revolutionary rear ventilated façade system maintains a gap between the building envelope and cladding, and between cladding elements. This ensures there is a sufficient flow of air behind the cladding. In other words, when the building gets heated, the hot air between the cladding and building envelope rises to the top and escapes, and cold air from the bottom flows in to occupy its space. This way there is continuous air movement and the building can sustain a comfortable temperature. It helps in reducing power consumption air circulation and improves the thermal comfort of the occupants.

This unique and innovative façade system is a sustainable model and is compliant with green building technologies.

In hot climates the cavity may be vented out of the building to mitigate solar gain and decrease the cooling load

UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLINESS

Environment friendly is a subjective term that encompasses the entire product life cycle. The ma-

terial should be from sustainable sources and should not have any adverse effects on the environment due to the mining of its raw materials. It should not release harmful gases during its use and at the end of its useful period, it should be disposable without any harmful or long-lasting effects on the environment. The products (like those of Fundermax) are derived from paper, which is taken from sustainably managed forests that are FSC or PEFC certified. There are no harmful VOCs that are released from the panels during their use, thus making them perfect for use as interiors also. Proper choice of reflectance properties also ensures that the heat-island effect is mitigated in the areas surrounding the building. It is a minimum maintenance Another view of La Midas Wellness Centre, Gurugram, Haryana © NOUGHTS AND CROSSES LLP 049 material and hence requires less water for cleaning. This reduces the strain on water bodies around us. BESIDES OFFERING PROTECTION, WHAT ARE THE OTHER BENEFITS/ADVANTAGES OF CLADDING? It helps in improving the thermal comfort of the occupants by ensuring continuous air movement in the gap between the building envelope and wall. In the rear ventilated exterior cladding system, there is a sufficient flow of air behind the cladding.

Functional cladding protects the building from rain and avoids seepage of water into the building walls. When rainwater seeps in through the gaps between cladding elements, the constant flow of air behind the cladding helps in the quick drying of the water before it reaches the building envelope.

Rear-ventilated facades are amongst the most popular facade systems today. In addition to their functional safety, architects chiefly value the design possibilities provided by the use of rear-ventilated facades. The design can be individually harmonised with the characteristics of the building. Material combinations of various other cladding materials can also be easily implemented with rear-ventilated façade systems. Other technological advantages of rear-ventilated facade systems include the structural division of insulation and weather protection materials. These systems are thus less susceptible to damage than other facade systems. In addition,

Fins as shading devise – an effective method at Arogya Bhavan

fire, noise and lightning protection requirements can be implemented easily and creatively.

ADVANTAGES OF RAIN SCREEN FACADES:

l Ventilated rain screen facades provide lasting protection against

Liberating fins - NITTE Meenakshi School of Arch, Bangalore

the condensation of water and rain. l In terms of building physics, the ventilated rain screen facades are a tried-and-tested type of construction for ensuring a pleasing indoor climate. l Ventilated rain screen facades result in a considerable reduction in energy costs for heating and air-conditioning.

Ventilated rain screen facades are extremely robust, have a long useful life, require no maintenance and, in economic terms, are an extremely advantageous solution for increasing the value of a building.

CONCLUSION

Façade materials and systems are expected to carry out a number of functions and perform in a variety of ways, such as structural integrity, durability, weather- resistance, acoustic insulation, thermal insulation, safety and security barriers, and more. A thorough assessment of the durability of the new materials proposed needs to be done to ensure that the materials used do not compromise the performance requirements of the building.

ASHWANI KHANNA

AVP Marketing, Fundermax India Pvt. Ltd

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and brought up in ‘city beautiful’ (Chandigarh) well known for its architecture and design by famous French architect ‘Le Corbusier’, Ashwani Khanna is a graduate in Computer Application and Masters in Business administration. Having over 16 years of experience handling multifarious responsibilities with some big names in the construction material industry such as Saint Gobain and Armstrong, Ashwani is now heading the marketing division at Fundermax. He has gained success in managing the key accounts, handling the channel sales, developing emerging markets and driving the academy for Fundermax. He is the winner of the prestigious ‘Fundermax person of the year award’ in 2017. Khanna’s success mantra is ‘Sharpen the saw’ and he constantly sharpens his leadership acumen with pieces of training at the best of institutes like Harvard, IIMA, ISB to name a few.

CASE STUDY

ORBIT IT TOWER, MOHALI

CREATIVE CONSORTIUM has designed Orbit IT tower in Mohali

An eminent architectural firm, CREATIVE CONSORTIUM has designed Orbit IT tower in Mohali, for their client, a distinguished developer, P.S. Grewal, director Orbit Pvt Ltd. A design innovation of a young acclaimed architect – Ar. Mohita (Garg) Vashisht, Partner & Design Head, CREATIVE CONSORTIUM, is a stage set to become a precedent for futuristic urban built forms.

The building has a striking dynamic & rhythmic façade. But the design is not just superficial. In fact, the striking form is actually a product of functionality i.e. ‘the form as ever has followed the function’. This case study dwells deep into the ORBIT building design approach and the role played by Fundermax panels in delivering a futuristic iconic urban form. (ORBIT Pvt Ltd), with a prominent niche in the industry, is an environmentally conscious real estate brand and wanted a futuristic prototype for a sustainable & adaptable built form, which breaks free from the typical matchbox approach and

DESIGN CONCEPT

The developer, P.S. Grewal

Environmentally-conscious design of the project stands Iconic to attract premium Informational technology companies. Ar. Mohita, with her versatile design knowledge & experience, could bring in a fresh breeze of design innovation which really impressed the client.

Ar. Mohita draws her inspiration from complex natural systems and she thinks that the built environment has to be designed on lines of natural systems – one’s which are diverse, complex, dynamic, multi-layered & multifunctional.

DESIGN CHALLENGES & APPROACH

The design was very challenging given that the site was linear rectangular block 83’-6”x215’ with the front of 83’-6”. Therefore, the main challenge was how to have formed in a linear volumetric box. The functional aspect of the building was the most important starting point. Integration of a. Design grid; b. planning grid; and c. vehicular grid, was lopped in to maximise the design adaptability, flexibility & efficiency. Integration mimics natural systems i.e., can be defined as interdependence and inter-exchange of the above three grids. a. Design grid: It follows the building footprint which is 50’x 175’. A grid of 50’x 25’ is followed.

The design grid aimed to come out with a column-free internal layout plan for IT flexibility & adaptability. b. Planning grid: It is a grid that maximises utilization and flexibility for all types of IT office requirements (i.e., for functional aspect) such as open office, workstations, cabins etc. The basic module for the

workstation is 5 feet X 5 feet and that for the cabin is a 10’ wide grid. Ideally, a grid size with a multiple of 5 works very well.

Hence 50’x25’ grid provides the required fluidity to all sorts of IT planning. c. Vehicular grid: 50’x 25’ grid works well for parking planning in the basement as well as stilt parking. 25’ grid accommodates 3 bays of car parking spaces.

QUICK FACTS: Project: Orbit IT Park Location: Mohali Client: Orbit Apartments Architect: Ar. Mohita Vashisht Garg Other Consultants: Kazmi Enterprises

Materials used for facade & fenestration:

Fundermax Max Exterior décor 0085

Commencement Date:

Jan 2018 Completion Date: Dec 2020

Orbit IT tower in Mohali has striking dynamic & rhythmic façades

This integration of various dimensions (grids) imitates a natural analogy behaving as a constantly dynamic system that is in constant flux with its demands.

CLIMATIC RESPONSIVENESS & SUSTAINABILITY

This functionally dynamic volume is also climatically responsive and for that, the west façade is enclosed with a multi-layered & multi-functional façade. The façade elements – glazing, Funder max solid panels, aluminium louvres work together to reduce the heat gain of the building while maintaining the natural daylight and outdoor views. Various simulation models were studied and hence the final form in its present shape was evolved.

Application of the principle of modulation, standardisation, repetition and pre-fabrication of façade modules allows for a reduction in material wastage while promoting time & cost efficiency. Façade consultant, Kazmi, Kazmi enterprise, plays a key role in delivering the intended look.

AESTHETICAL FREEDOM

Though the form has evolved from the function i.e. functional aspect is a predominant factor, the form behaves with ‘Free-will’ as opposed to the ‘deterministic’ approach and is allowed freedom at instances to break free from structure to evolve and express liberally. The rhythmic, fluid, floating facades create the perfect balance and movement which enthral its audiences. It spreads the feeling of freedom and expression.

SPLENDID STRUCTURAL SYSTEM The structural design was equally challenging for such a freeflowing structure. If one looks carefully at the front elevation, two massive volumes are projecting out unsupported/cantilevered. One is a three-storey high office block, which projects out (almost like floating in the air) symbolic of grandeur and the same is balanced by a 25’x25’ wide cantilevered R.C.C. & smart glass

The rhythmic, fluid, floating facades create the perfect balance and movement

Multi-Layered & Multi -Functional FaÇades

pergola, again three-storey high and free-floating.

ROLE OF MATERIALS

Fundermax being a versatile product played a key role in this architecturally remarkable project, by providing the required flexibility for creating rhythmic structures without adding any undesirable dead weight. It also encases the structural systems that support the floating masses creating for its viewers the true illusion of rhythm and fluidity. Fundermax provides benefits of value for money and ease of work.

CONCLUSION

It is truly said that all creation in this world is first conceived in mind i.e. One’s imagination and in this case Ar. Mohita (Garg) Vashisht’s imagination and evolved through the design process. It is worth applauding that the final form looks exactly like the 3-d visualization that was once imaged by the architect. Orbit IT building is a striking example of good aesthetics, solid functionality and neat workmanship. The result is truly WOW!

AR. MOHITA (GARG) VASHISHT

Partner & Design Head, Creative Consortium

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

With masters in ‘Integrated Sustainable Design’ from National University of Singapore (NUS), and bachelors in architecture from Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA), Ar. Mohita (Garg) Vashisht is a highly motivated & ambitious architect with a versatile design knowledge and practical experience drawn from her contribution in various large scale architectural design and urban development projects over last 15 years. She was working as senior architect at M/S CREATIVE CONSORTIUM and under her design leadership, the firm has grown larger and won a number of awards. Her contribution to the organisation is to bring in new stream of design planning concepts which are rooted in sustainability, adaptability and bio-mimicry. Started in 1990, the firm is presently managed by two partners, Ar. Madhu Garg & Ar. Mohita (Garg) Vashisht (a mother – daughter duo). with over 50 plus employees, the firm is one of prominent architectural firm in northern region.