BMR Magazine

Vol.:1, Issue-1, January-March 2022, ₹250

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COVER STORY Building Sustainable Architecture The Way Forward

INTERVIEWS Prof. Meenakshi Dhote

HOD-Environment & Planning, SPA, Delhi

Pranesh Chhibber

Country Director, Canadian Wood India

Satish Shah, Chaitrak Shah & Taral Shah

Group Directors, Shivalik Group, Ahmedabad

Shekhar Chandra Sati

President-Sales & Marketing, Greenpanel Inds. Ltd.

Ashish Bhasin

MD, Marmo Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Home of Retreat - Principal Designer Amit Porwal Timber Rhyme - Ar. Prerna & Badrinath Kaleru

The Shaded House - Ar. Prashant Parmar Petcart Nest - Ar. Faisal Vohra & Shamila Meeran

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EDITORIAL

CO-FOUNDER’S NOTE

'WE HOPE YOU WIN' Dear Readers, Greetings from BMR Team!

Since last two years, we are living in the world of uncertainties.

Things are not really in our favour. But still we just wanted to tell you that 'we hope you win'. Scratch that. We are confident that you will win. Be an encourager. We need more people to breathe hope in this world. We need more bucket fillers. We need more people saying: Keep going, someone believes in you.

An year is not enough to succeed for a new media house. But your trust and good wishes have helped us carve our niche in the industry and we are growing with every passing second.

Your trust has given wings to our passion.

It is with profound pleasure, humility and anticipation that we celebrate the launch of the 'Inaugural Issue' of Building Material Reporter (BMR) print version. We at BMR would like to extend a very warm welcome to our readers. We also take this as an opportunity to thank our contributors and anonymous reviewers, all of whom have volunteered to make it a success.

Building Material Reporter — E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G of [ABCD] Architecture | Building | Construction | Design — is your one-stop guide and knowledge platform for the architecture, design, and building industry.

BMR is committed to work from ground-zero to publishing reports based on all in-depth research and case studies. BMR is steadily becoming India's fastest-growing industry content

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platform relating to architecture and design from tier-2 and -3 cities which matter the most because these cities are going to be the main contributors to “GROWTH OF OUR BHARAT”.

Our painstakingly sourced projects, product features, articles, interviews, and opinions are presented to showcase the real essence of the industry. Cover story on 'Sustainability in Architecture & Design' is the perfect benchmark to establish the true spirit of architectural design, while topics including 'Many Milestone Projects' and MII materials highlights Made in India quotient.

Once again we welcome you to Building Material Reporter – your very own publication!

We hope to hear from you soon, and we welcome your feedback!

Help us add more value to our work. Do share your suggestions or concerns: press@buildingmaterialreporter.com Thank you. We hope you will find BMR informative.

Sandeep Lathwal CO-FOUNDER, Building Material Reporter

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Volume-01 | Issue-01 | January-March 2022 | ₹250

CONTENTS

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN 08 Home of Retreat 14 Timber Rhyme 16 The Shaded House

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Total Page : 80

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COVER STORY 20-38 Building Sustainable Architecture The way forward

40 INTERVIEWS

40 Prof. Meenakshi Dhote HOD-Environment & Planning, SPA 42 Pranesh Chhibber Country Head, Canadian Wood India 56 Satish Shah, Chitrak S. Shah & Taral S. Shah Group Directors, Shivalik Group 58 Shekhar Chandra Sati, President, Greenpanel Industries Ltd. 60 Ashish Bhashin MD, Marmo Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

62 MADE IN INDIA

62 Everest Industries Ltd. 64 RAK Ceramics India Pvt. Ltd. 66 CERA Sanitaryware Ltd. 67 Classic Marble Company Pvt. Ltd. 68 Duroply Industries Ltd.

44 INTERIORS 44 Little Acre - Boasting Interiors 46 Lofy - Complete Interior Solutions Under One Roof 52 Hut House with Sufi Feel

70 EVENTS

70 Waterproofing - Shimla Knowledge Series 72 Delhi Witnesses 1st Architect Summit

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Home of Retreat

Principal Designer Amit Porwal presents an evocative home nestled in nature that exudes equal parts of modern luxury.

J

ust over a few hours outside Mumbai city is this second home, lying in the lap of true luxury with complete accessibility to nature.

This 7,000 sq. ft. modern luxury second home creates restorative and soothing atmosphere with meticulous attention to quality and detail.

The design is truly an ode to understated elegance that is achieved by blending the most minimal form of textures, materials, bespoke wallpapers. This space is minimalistic and clutter-free, curated to reflect panache and stylish luxury with stunning expanse.

Bosting of large double windows, high ceilings, neutral toned walls, wooden architraves and

functionality are in their fullest for this second home design. While stepping in, one can feel the openness and the scale of the space with ample natural light through the large window and glass facades.

This 3-floors villa comprises a living room, dining area, with a beautiful continued glass roof indoor swimming pool, patio, chef’s kitchen, 4 main bedrooms, 1 kids’ room, game zone, home theatre, spa with Jacuzzi and a utility and staff quarters. All areas are tech enabled with mood controls depending on the time of the day.

The use of full-size tiles throughout the house to bring the large opulence scale intact & the use of wooden flooring in some areas offer the warmth in the entire house complimenting the textured tile.

Interestingly, the swimming pool area planned outdoor, eventually turned out to be indoor with a glass-roof along with the air conditioning & sound system, which connects with the living area giving it an outstanding experience.

The spacious double height living room that can be mentioned as level 1 has been subtly divided into six areas - formal sitting, dining area, the pool area, two bedrooms and kitchen. Despite being a multi-functional space, each corner assumes a unique identity.

An enthralling feature of this structure is the textured walls that create drama yet keeping

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Amit Porwal

Principal Designer IPIPL (Icon Projects Inspace Pvt. Ltd.)

For us, designing a space is just more with creating memories that lasts forever.

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

the flooring space subtle. The minimalistic furniture makes the space clutter-free but extremely cosy serving both the purposes of having open spaces available and being super snug and homey at the same time allowing people to relax and lounge around for hours.

Adding more is the furniture’s tan and pastel tones that highlight quirky pieces of art chosen for different rooms to make them more fun and exciting.

The bedrooms on the level 2 exudes a feeling of cool and cozy affect with blue colour bed, connecting to the muted mocha walls and grey toned soft curtains. The bedroom having a hollow ceiling gives the entire space a cheerful atmosphere adding up with mood light chandelier, along with the green planter giving it a vibe of freshness. Another bedroom is designed in very softer muted warmth tones pleasing the eyes and giving the space smooth look.

Creating an uncanny depth are a blend of harmonious colour tones, materials and textures in use. This second home is truly spelling the language of leisure and laughter.

Adding pops of colours and exquisite play space in kids’ bedroom is just amusing.

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

The home theatre provides the ultimate experience of relaxation, entertainment and an amazing movie watching experience with the plush and lavish recliners. The home theater has a deep hallow ceiling giving it a gorgeous tiny led lights that are so pleasing to the eyes.

The main objective with second homes is to get creative within the present framework, use the huge structures to maintain open spaces and also add entertaining social spaces for leisure, designing them using natural to be warm, lavish elements and amusing. It’s all about maintaining the scale, look and functionality without breaking the aesthetics.

Amit Porwal, Principal Designer, mentioned, “Clients invest in second homes which are huge, close to nature and facilitate as a getaway. They want the house to be luxurious & comfortable to have friends and family over but at the same time easy to maintain and with cost-effective interiors as it is utilised occasionally. As an Interior Designer, our objective is to provide a low cost and maintenance solution to build a plush, recreational getaway.”

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Timber Rhyme

The project hopes to create an opportunity to re-imagine the craft of the traditional curves as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the next generation of torchbearers of intricate carvings.

D

ue to shift in time and new engineered materials, the dialogue between a carpenter and a product has perished. The design

by Ar. Badrinath Kaleru and Ar. Prerna Kaleru explored conventional limitations of the materials sold by the client, veneers and plywood, and its protagonist role in a conversation that has existed in the ancient past. The key idea is a byproduct of this concern, an elemental ribbon that can be the subject of a conversation while being a facilitator of the same, a converse.

Ar. Badrinath Kaleru Studio Ardete

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‘Timber Rhyme’ occupies the first storey of a retail shop in a market complex, Chandigarh.

Out of a thin, workable skin of plywood 61 linear feet, ranging in width from 9 inches to 8 feet, the challenge for Studio Ardete was to invite a walk through the existing 71’ by 18’ linear block as one enters from the rear end.

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In design, a single window that frames outside triggering an innate attraction to prospect and sitting space that plays on one’s inclination to take refuge. Both placed opposite to ingress initiates a desire to walk. Represented through the ribbon that pours itself into space, ‘variety in a unified continuum’ nourishes the concept.

As the ribbon gets developed, the site was converted into a spatial matrix by selecting a series of spatial coordinates joined together to formulate doubly curved solids. This facilitates segmentation of the space, where the eye meets varying focal points, each at a different elevation than previous.

The ribbon is envisioned to blur the boundaries between the static, the movable

and the art in and on these components of the built space. The role of static elements like partition screens is obfuscated with that of movable furniture.

Propounding as a functional art space, a series of ‘wooden ribbons’ twist and turn to form the display shelves, sitting spaces, meeting tables and other design elements, each flowing into the other. This transcends the interior into an Art-landscape.

These ‘elastic geometries’ were realized to be almost self-supporting, threaded from the ceiling using black metal bars. For additional support, translucent acrylic supports were given where the ribbon would be subject to the heavy load.

The ribbon is manifested as a framework of plywood ribs that were digitally fabricated. To interpolate the doubly curved geometries, these were subdivided into a network of plywood ribs in x and y directions, interlocking at 6 inches intervals thereby forming a waffle structure that served as the main framework giving the final shape.

To form the structure, individual components were cut from 19mm thick plywood ribs besides 3mm thick flexi-ply and 1.5 mm thick paper veneer was used to extract a thin, workable skin of plywood 61 linear feet, ranging in width from 9 inches to 8 feet.

The end detail lies in the finishing of the ribs where carpentry skill meets technology.

Each flexi-ply joint was filled with wood filler and sanded as required. It is through this last stage of processing that the carpenter takes ownership of technology and uses his experience and ‘tell-tale knowledge’ for a finished structure. Lastly, he pastes strips of paper veneer perpendicular to the curvature of the structure, blurring different components of the whole.

The light oak veneer was chosen for its soft grain, drawing attention to other materials while acting as background noise to put materials against each other. This evolved the other half of the name as ‘rhyme’, an uncertain noise and whispering in ears, subconsciously picked up by the soul but almost always unaware by the mind.

Ar. Prerna Kaleru Studio Ardete

This amalgamation of technology for cost, time and ease of making with an advantage of old

Specifications

Project Name: Timber Rhyme Architecture Firm: Studio Ardete Gross Built Area: 134 SQM Location: Chandigarh (India) Lead Architects: Ar. Badrinath Kaleru and Ar. Prerna Kaleru Design Team: Badrinath Kaleru, Prerna Kaleru, Nisha Singh Sarao, Palak Puri, Abhimanue Sharma Client: Bansal Ply Chandigarh Photocredits: Ar. Purnesh Dev Nikhanj Consultants: Electrical Lighting - The Luminars

craft is a win-win situation for all stakeholders of the project. The retail shop becomes a setting befitting for a dialogue between the carpenter, the end-user and the retailer, deepening social engagement.

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Specifications

Project Name: The Shaded House Architecture Firm: Shayona Consultant Principal & Founder: Ar. Prashant Parmar Completion Year: 2021 Gross Built Area: 5200 sq. ft.

Picture Credit: INCLINED STUDIO Design Team: Ar. Harikrushna Pattani, Ar. Hemang Mistry, Ar. Ashish Rathod, Ms. Pooja Solanki & Ar. Vasavi Mehta

THE SHADED HOUSE:

A Powerplay of Nature & Royalness Designed in a modified, mid-century modern style, this architecture in Ahmedabad has distinct elements that infuse a sense of drama into every space.

A

multitude of massive frames at various levels, spacious semi-covered green terraces at all floor levels getting animated with the play of light as it permeates through the geometrically patterned MS trellis at the top of the largest frame and a unique experience of varying volumes right from the entry. All this sums up very briefly the spatial experience of ‘The Shaded House’ by Ar. Prashant Parmar.

Ar. Prashant Parmar Shayona Consultant

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Before Shayona Consultant, the client had put a requirement of a 4BHK bungalow, along with

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a garden space that permits interaction with nature through the air, natural light, and even rainfall. The 45’ x 90’ site was surrounded by 2-4 stores building on three sides in the Paldi area of Ahmedabad city. The sole permissible frontage - the only means for natural light, aeration, and establishing visual connections with nature and outdoors was merely 27’. Both these factors were challenging for the architect.

The facade is expressive, creating a self-shading structure. The elevated gardens on the southeast are created out of grey cubes-cladded with

wooden figured MCM cladding material, while the walls look astonishing with brick cladding.

A simple white frame as a base element is stretched up to the highest level placing a striking MS screen on the top of it that helps to cut out harsh sunlight entering into the interior spaces by creating a magical play of light and shadow.

The layout of the house is uncomplicated and flows naturally from common to private activities.

Entry veranda gives a feel of the volumetric difference of triple height to double height.

Vestibule gives the impression of an open-plan layout allowing for a seamless transition from one space to another. With the intention of allowing an influx of natural light, large windows have been installed throughout the house.

The bright & airy living room exudes a sense of refined taste with its plush with sunlight seeping in through the tall windows connects the front garden, which acts as a source of light and ventilation for the ground floor.

Allowing common activities on three sides, the family room acts as a cozy entertainment room. The dining, connected with the puja room on the northeast side, acts as a central core with a triple-height space.

Looking at the ground floor, the space is minimal, but there’s no visible design void. The staircase and lift act as a vertical transition to all floors. The first-floor passage leads to three bedrooms and overlooks the dining and puja. The interiors follow a subtle colour scheme, highlighting the luxurious Italian marble flooring, rich materials, and exquisite décor details. The second level encompasses the entertainment room and a huge-shaded terrace garden to the south-east façade elevates in the front, visually connecting all three levels.

The screening in the ceiling brings a sense of ornamentation to the house and consolidates the architectural language of the facade as the focal point of the project. It provides shelter from the sun and creates different light patterns throughout the day. In a nutshell, The Shaded House stays true to its name and allows people within the house to experience cohesive, dynamic, and regal spaces that deepen a connection with nature.

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Petcart Nest - India’s First,

Only Eco-Friendly Pet Resort Nestled amidst acres of lush greenery at Sarjapur in Bengaluru, the resort leverages the natural land contours and has an ecologically responsible approach.

and as many comfortably sized kennels as possible; all in a shoe-string budget!

Ar. Faisal Vohra

Partner F+S Designs

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T

The design intention was to leverage the natural land contours and have an ecologically responsible approach. Besides reviving the dried pond and retaining all trees, natural materials were employed to create built forms that would compliment and integrate the surroundings. To keep intact the natural vistas of the surroundings, the reception building is made on the lowest tier, while the pet boarding area and the main lawn are placed on the tier, 15-ft above it.

he two-acre plot lay amidst open fields and mango orchards. Naturally contoured, the plot in three tiers allows the entire landmass to be elevated as compared to the surrounding area. At the lowest level of the site was a 15-ft deep dried pond which was to be revived. The estate has been designed retaining the two large trees on the second tier of land.

The colour palette was kept neutral and earthy to blend with the surroundings. The reception This project has no precedent in India. At F+S building is made of a framed metal structure Designs, Ar. Faisal Vohra & Ar. Shamila Meeran with bamboo stalks and metal jaali work on the weren’t having any set brief. The clients were rear wall, which over time will be covered by looking forward to a grooming center, a chat beautiful creepers that have been planted for room to do live videos between dogs and their that purpose. The east facade of the structure owners, a pet clinic, lawns for training and consists of bamboo stalks side by side vertically, play areas, a large pool, an office, kitchens (for and the composition is completed with an humans and animals), and helpers’ quarters, abstract placement of long vertical windows.

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Specifications

Architects: Faisal Vohra & Shamila Meeran Photographer/Photographs courtesy: Ricken Desai Design Team: Anvitha Yeturu, Puneet Kumar, Shrusshti Gadepalli, Yasser Hussain, Mohammed Jaleel Landscape Architect: The Pinewood Studio Landscape Contractor: Gamlaa Landscapes Structure, Plumbing and Electricals: ValueB Infra Respecting the environment formed the basis of our design process. Animal excreta are collected separately in a bio-gas chamber; mesh building envelopes reduce heat entrapment and thus the need for electrically assisted air-conditioning. And rainwater harvesting pits recharge the water table and also help in keeping the pond on-site full. The plan is to invest in solar voltaic cells to taper the dependence on the grid and produce electricity locally.

The comfort of the four-legged guests was paramount and the resort was carefully designed to allow this. The structures are

Ar. Shamila Meeran Partner F+S Designs

naturally lit, ventilated, and roofed with PUF panels to ensure a cool environment. The pet-boarding building has multi-level sloping roofs that help in allowing the hot air to escape easily, and at the same time, ensure uniform brightness through the day. Large windows on all sides reduce dependence on artificial lighting.

The bamboo material remains sturdy yet keeps the pets from getting injured even if they bite into it. The elaborate plumbing system designed in the kennel area allows all the 70 kennels to be washed and kept tidy since traps have been provided in each of them. The doorways and corridors are more than 6-feet wide to allow humans and dogs to walk alongside.

The pool has been designed in a way that dogs of different sizes can enjoy a swim. Its depth increases gradually from one foot to four, through a series of four-foot-wide onefoot-high steps. The water outlets in the pool have been made in such a way that there are multiple traps for fur so that it doesn’t find its way back into the water circulation system and clog the filtration units.

The outdoors boasting a beautiful lush green environment, designed by Pinewood Studio, includes a variety of play areas such as lawns, stepping stones, mounds, and sandpits for expending animal exuberance, and re-using multiple items of textural variety like tires, poles, and tunnels to make things exciting for the pets.

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COVER STORY

BBuilding uilding SSustainable ustainable AArchitecture rchitec ture

TThe he W ay FForward orward Way The need of the hour is to adopt a sustainable approach towards building products/materials wherein specifiers including architects & interior designers have to delve the way forward.

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S

ustainability was never a more imperative aspect of our growing built environment. As climate change becomes an increasingly pressing concern, sustainability has been becoming an integral part of the contemporary as well as futuristic architectural design. No wonder the need to address the climate crisis is well established enforcing the need to create buildings that offer minimal environmental impact and maximum human comfort.

Sustainability is meant to address issues attached to the environmental and social impacts of the building/ architecture by utilising design methods, materials, energy and development spaces that aren’t detrimental to the surrounding ecosystem or communities.

The aim is to ensure that the actions taken today don’t have negative consequences for future generations and comply with the principles of social, economic and ecological sustainability.

With all this in mind, BMR Team marches out, interacts with specifiers as well as building material manufacturers to know their concerns towards facilitating lower energy consumption, lesser material utilisation and reduced carbon emissions, ultimately resulting in improved quality of life for the occupants.

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COVER STORY

Interestingly, there are professionals in this industry who claim to carry this sense since long while the aspect was yet to get percolated among the environmentalists and other industry stakeholders. “For sustainability, I always say, is not something which has landed on us recently. It’s something that we have grown up with. Since childhood, we have been taught concepts like reuse and recycle. It’s kind of imbibed in our culture and now, what we are doing is only taking this concept forward through our profession by applying them into our works,” asserts Ar. Sonali Bhagwati, President, Design Plus Architecture Pvt. Ltd. While speaking to BMR Team, she insists that earning LEED points for a building was never the motto of her design. “Talking of earning LEED points for a building is useless.

Instead, our aim should be like abiding good engineering practices, good design practices along with approaching low level of energy usage with the aim to follow basic principles of sustainability.” She expresses her deep concerns about sustainability, when she highlights, “In 1998-2000, we did a building for Adobe Systems. It was their headquarters

For sustainability, I always say, is not something which has landed on us recently. It’s something that we have grown up with.

Since childhood, we have been taught concepts like reuse and recycle. It’s kind of imbibed in our culture and now, what we are doing is only taking this concept forward through our profession by applying them into our works. wherein we just followed good logical design and good engineering practices. That’s it. 10 years later, they benched in and got LEED Gold award. This shows that we already are practicing sustainability. So, the concept is to do, not to talk.”

Notably, buildings can achieve LEED certification in five primary areas - energy use, including energy efficient lighting and HVAC systems; location of the building

Ar. Sonali Bhagwati,

President, Design Plus Architecture Pvt. Ltd.

and sustainability of the immediate environment, indoor air quality and use of daylight to reduce lighting costs. In short, LEED focuses on green construction and green design of a building, but the certification does not have a rating after the project is complete. It’s possible that the tenants of a LEED-certified building are using more energy or water than tenants in other buildings, despite design efforts to reduce usage.

Adobe Corporate Building Noida, Uttar Pradesh Designed by: Ar. Sonali Bhagwati

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Wockhardt Global School Aurangabad, Maharashtra Designed by: Ar. Qutub Mandviwala

Ar. Qutub Mandviwala Principal Architect, MQA

“Sustainability is something that we need to work around on day to day basis without which it won’t be possible to attain. So, everything that we do, right from planning to executing, we need to keep in mind that how nature can be incorporated in the building,” says Ar. Qutub Mandviwala, Principal Architect, MQA. He further adds that while planning, the need is to bring in good engineering & design practices keeping in view the direction of the houses, wind

direction and maximum sunlight to enable the project to start saving energy right from the planning stage of the building.

To further elaborate the concept, he refers to one of his projects, Wockhardt Global School in Aurangabad (Maharashtra), which is designed on a land parcel of 30 acres. According to him, this school gives a holistic approach towards learning with each learning area being surrounded by nature. “The landscaping of the site creates a cool and pleasing micro climate which is a pleasant contrast to the hot and

Wockhardt Global School

dry climate of Aurangabad. The vision of the school is to create a nurturing environment for the migratory birds which are attracted by this region. This would enrich the regional biodiversity but also foster a child’s curiosity and respect for the natural world. From an interactive e-library to state of the art sports areas; this project has been designed not only for education but for the overall development of the growing mind,” asserts Mandviwala.

The Wockhardt Global School was highly commended by the World Architecture Fest in 2017 in the Schools Category. It also earned the International Architecture Award by the Chicago Athenaeum – The European Centre in 2018. Public/Institutional Project winner (Architecture) Award by Architects and Interiors of India in 2019 and it is the only Indian Schools to be listed under the 16 most beautiful Schools in the world by WAF and Business Insider.

Talking about sustainability, Amit Porwal, Principal Designer, IPIPL (Icon Projects Inspace Pvt. Ltd.) opines that it’s all about luxury in the suit. “It’s about how we see the perspective of human life and nature corresponding and being responsible for each other rather than the materials we use in the architecture or interior design. Apparently, it all comes from the gene and it should be very pure and honest.”

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COVER STORY

important but the design which eventually saves lot of money throughout its lifecycle.

Considering all that, we adopted such kind of things in our projects and work consciously.”

“We have recently completed a marble showroom where due to space constraints, accommodating number of varieties and stocks of stones was the real challenge. After leaving the needful margin on all sides, the available area was only 4,000 Sq. Ft. which led us with no option but to go vertical up to third floor,” he explains.

Exposed concrete is the core material used majorly in the construction of this store.

Ar. Dipen Gada The main façade, facing North, enables the Principal Architect, Dipen Gada & Associates architect to play with glass opening being covered with the stone screen which is kinetic “Sustainable design is the ideology in our in nature and fulfils multiple technical aspects. overall design journey,” claims Ar. Dipen Gada, Numerous textures are created automatically Principal Architect, Dipen Gada & Associates. by the wind, in turn, offering an interesting “I always believe that design should be a sciography and control the light as required on passion. We design in a way that it should save each floor. lots of energy. And right from the inception of the project, the material, the overall Side façade of the building, cladded with space planning, and the climatology should plain and textured red Agra stone strips give a work really well. Here, the money is not very volumetric stone block and looks like floating

Baba Marbles Bill, Gujarat Design by Ar. Dipen Gada

on the terrace garden from first floor onwards.

Two offsets and the building blocks are the result of cross front adding to the dynamic look of the building.

“In all, we have tried using all the locally available basic materials as much as possible in their original forms - right from concrete to kota to red Agra stone. We have tried respecting the purest form of architecture where we get the maximum natural light from each floor with adequate cut outs being given in the floor plates. Based on the concept of green architecture, the building has been made using locally sourced materials while solar panels fulfil the energy needs of the building,” elaborates Gada.

Italian marble stock occupies the ground and first floor. Second floor used to display the variety of tiles which is a new vertical for the owner. One half the third floor showcases marble articles while the other is terrace area used for laying solar panels, fulfilling energy need of entire building. The basement, actually a parking space is also wisely used for display of various Indian Stones with various finishes on the wall.

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COVER STORY

Ar. Madhup Mazumder, Principal, Landscape Architect, Design Accord Consultants (DAC), is of the view that sustainability has got various facets. One of the most and strongest facets is the architecture being the Green in true sense when you are routed to the mother earth and working with plant, soil and earth.

“As a practicing landscape architect, we are committed to bringing and developing sustainable landscape for which there are various ways. In the commercial world, however, we do not always land up doing it but wherever the opportunity comes in, we try to do biofilic designs where the green is embedded into and outside of the project.”

Biophilic design is a concept used within the building industry to increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions. “In our upcoming projects, along with the materials which are good, timeless and are connected to earth, we want to introduce a small forest within the

Sustainability in Building Materials

Ar. Madhup Mazumder

Principal, Landscape Architect, Design Accord Consultants

available setting which can improve the micro environment of the place,” he shares.

DAC’s Brookfield Commercial Campus N2 in Noida is planned to provide a grand water plaza at the centre of the campus.

This landscape will act as a green oasis for bringing microclimate comfort to the campus commons.

Brookfield Commercial Campus N2 Noida, Uttar Pradesh Landscape Design by Ar. Madhup Mazumder

Sustainability in building materials and their impact on building design & architecture are the concerns of building construction industry since long and have been addressed simultaneously. When it comes to architecture, sustainable building design and construction is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally friendly, responsible and resource efficient throughout the lifecycle of a building right from selecting the site to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and finally, deconstruction.

Following the drive, sustainable considerations such as energy efficiency and water management are now regulated under national and state building codes, allowing today’s architects to conserve resources and materials and construct dwellings that work with their natural surroundings rather than against them. In all, constructing a sustainable building means using appropriate materials thereby transferring part of the responsibilities over the brands too so as to contribute in this move to serve the prime beneficiary i.e. humanity.

In our endeavour to explore the innovations and transformations in the building material industry, we at BMR contacted quite a few building products manufacturers and suppliers to know what they have in their respective kitties for now. Have they developed anything innovative to keep up pace with the visible change in demand?

This is considering the fact that pattern and behaviour of the world has got a fillip in the post pandemic era wherein along with the customers, the specifiers are more inclined to play safe and pick up the materials which are long lasting and future-proof.

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www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

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COVER STORY

To this, most of the industry stakeholders agree and gave their consent that the pandemic and the follow-up lockdown has left a deep impact not only on human alone but on entire living creatures across the globe. It has forced us to think about our lifestyle, health and our living conditions. We believe that a more resilient economy depends on a shift to sustainable practices, and this also holds true for sustainable building materials. All this together has inevitably changed a lot about building products and workspaces. Specifiers, especially architects and interior designers have started considering sustainability in all the aspects possible of a construction story.

Underscoring the effects, Hardik Panchal, Director, Hardy Smith India, shares, “Based on our total experience with sustainable building materials only since a decade, we have found a positive growth in the consumption pattern. Post Covid, the overall acceptability of our green and eco-friendly materials are seeing increase in demand.” He maintains that it was due to the pandemic that people have started shifting their residences to the outskirts to live at some isolated spaces with lesser crowd. “Such areas are being developed over farm lands.”

Hardik Panchal

Director, Hardy Smith India

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Agradeep Mondal

MD- India & South Asia, Interface Flor

“The companies working on carbon reduction and sustainability along with innovations to reduce the effect of manufacturing process on the environment are all being watched and asked for advices to build more ecofriendly buildings,” says Mondal adding that sustainability has now become a key point for any product to be selected which goes into the building for construction.

There are three parts of building industry which have adapted to sustainability as the new mantra - hospitality, healthcare and office spaces.

Pollution levels which have increased over the years have been major contributors in many viral outbreaks.

“There are three parts of building industry which have adapted to sustainability as the new mantra - hospitality, healthcare and office spaces. Pollution levels which have increased over the years have been major contributors in many viral outbreaks,” says Agradeep Mondal, Managing Director - India & South Asia, Interface Flor. He feels that carbon reduction plays an important role in reducing the pollution, and building industry is responsible for more than 40% of carbon emission. “To reduce the carbon footprint all the major players in building industry have now turned their attention toward sustainable products which have the least possible impact on the environment.”

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COVER STORY

Vamsi Gaddam, Joint MD, Visaka Industries Ltd. is of the opinion that our current practices are harmful and consumers today are recognising the importance of sustainable building products. Gaddam believes that deforestation, the prime fallout of using wood and plywood, is a serious cause of concern.

“The fragilities exposed by the pandemic have triggered large sections of consumers to look at sustainable practices that will both reduce the likelihood of future shocks and improve our resilience to those shocks when they do occur, whether from disease or environmental degradation,” he says.

Dr. h. c. Mario Schmidt, Managing Director, Lingel Windows & Doors Technologies Pvt. Ltd. believes that the concept of sustainability was always there but now people have become more aware and know the importance of it.

“Post Covid, many are still adapting to the new normal and now know, how and what

Vamsi Gaddam

Joint MD, Visaka Industries Ltd.

they buy can affect their way of life. UPVC is a sustainable product causing less harm to nature and the environment. We at Lingel are constantly making our customers aware and run campaigns that will not just educate them but also encourage them to do the same.”

Dr. h. c. Mario Schmidt

MD, Lingel Windows & Doors Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

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Satinder Chawla

Founder & MD, Span Floors

Reinstating this, Satinder Chawla, Founder & MD, Span Floors, opines that people now are willing to look at this vital aspect of building and construction materials. “We have learnt through experiences ¬that how sudden changes in nature can disrupt normal life and seem to be paying more attention to the fact that if we do not care about our planet now, it will be too late tomorrow. And choosing products which have been manufactured sustainably is part of that,” he explains.

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COVER STORY

Subir Palit

Country Head, GreenPly Industries

To which Subir Palit, Country Head, GreenPly Industries rightly admits, “The pandemic has amplified the need to focus on sustainable approach for the future. In the last few years, we have seen many industries/brands becoming more environment-friendly thereby increasing their focus on sustainability. Furthermore, the lockdown and increased in-home consumption forced people to become more environmentally

conscious. As a result, they got inclined towards products with health and environmental benefits.”

Ashwani Khanna, AVP Marketing & HR, Fundermax India, when sharing his thoughts on how the pandemic has affected the workspaces, says, “The impact of pandemic is not limited to the people’s lifestyle in-house only as some industry forums indicate

Ashwani Khanna

AVP Marketing & HR, Fundermax India

return of partition systems instead of open format offices due to the prevailing Covid restrictions.” Considering this, he insists that sustainability has emerged as an important criterion for choosing building materials, especially in recent times. “Façades with anti-microbial surfaces that are easy to clean is gradually becoming a mandate in the market.”

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Legacy of excellence

KITCHEN HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THE TASTE OF THE PEOPLE, WHO LIVE THERE IN.

AICA LAMINATES INDIA PVT. LTD. Head Office: Jet Air House, 4th Floor, 13 Community Centre, Yusuf Sarai, New Delhi-110 049 Tel: (011) 26562430/31, E-mail: sunmica@aicaindia.in, Web: www.aicasunmica.com

COVER STORY

Highlighting the importance of sustainability, Abhishek Saraf, Jt. Managing Director, Square Foot-Classic Floorings & Interiors Pvt. Ltd., says that in today’s world, the importance of sustainable materials plays a crucial role in the making of any project. “The approach balances the social, economic and environmental aspect of any project with no adverse or less effect on the environment when used. The sustainability in building products leads to far less water wastage, less toxic waste, less energy consumption and least impact on the planet,” he elaborates.

Abhishek Saraf

Jt. MD, Square Foot-Classic Floorings & Interiors Pvt. Ltd.,

Gaddam (Visaka Industries) asserts that there is a definite correlation between The pandemic has brought in a remarkable shift human health and the built environment. in the perception of the people impacting their “The pandemic has precipitated the impacts purchasing behaviour. They have become more of climate change and pollution on human health. We have noticed the change in cautious before opting anything considering the fact that the pandemic has not announced consumers’ thinking process ultimately complete departure from the universe but has impacting the buying behaviour. Consumers been making its presence felt with intermittent have started considering various sustainable options in building materials. They are now knocks at the doorsteps. While the world had evaluating options like fibre cement boards seen the devastating second wave in the (instead of wood, plywood, and gypsum), the form of Delta variant, fear of the third wave in Omicron is revolving around. All these together use of bamboo, etc. But we also feel that it will take time for the changes to become have drastically changed people’s purchasing the new norms and for the overall building pattern. construction material to benefit.”

The Purchase Behaviour

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People have become more cautious about their health & well-being, and want to live in buildings that address these concerns. As a result, the wood panel industry has been experiencing a shift from unbranded to branded products. This has made the organised players invest more into R&D so as to incorporate innovations in their offerings to suite consumers’ tastes. ~ Subir Palitt

Country Head, GreenPly Industries

Saraf (Square Foot) does notice a clear swing in buyer’s purchase behaviour. “Customers have become more mindful in selecting the materials.

In commercial projects, buyers are shortlisting products/materials which are durable and environmentally friendly. Corporates prefer products which require less usage of water and chemicals or any harsh cleanser which may damage the product quality. At Square Foot, we’ve redesigned the products to be more bio-based and recyclable, i.e., they are easier to disassemble and reuse materials if need be,” he avers.

“Ever since the concept of sustainability has become better ingrained, consumers have been proactively seeking products that fit the bill. Home-owners are opting for ecofriendly, green products. While tiles remain an economic option for a lot of surface applications, customers are choosing marble as the most sustainable product in flooring and wall cladding applications for its long lasting feature without compromising on the quality,” says Amit Shah, Managing Director, Classic Marble Company Pvt. Ltd.. Shah highlights that the spike in number of people investing in weekend or holiday homes has opened up a large segment of second home buyers.

Panchal (Hardy Smith) also marks this transition when he brings in the example of Ahmedabad city where weekend homes schemes are rapidly flourishing with good bookings. “People are migrating to this weekend home and they are making them their permanent residencies. All such places are demanding termite- and water-proof materials that are sustainable and WPC is the one. With all these, we can say sustainable building products have seen a positive growth post Covid.”

Palit (GreenPly) points out that the change in the buying pattern has benefited both consumers as well as manufacturers. “Given the pandemic and its aftershocks, the appeal of green structure has increased for both the occupants - residentials as well as workspaces.

Amit Shah

Managing Director, Classic Marble Company

“People have become more cautious about their health & well-being, and want to live in buildings that address these concerns. As a result, the wood panel industry has been experiencing a shift from unbranded to branded products. This has made the organised players invest more into R&D so as to incorporate innovations in their offerings to suite consumers’ tastes.”

Chawla (Span Floor) advocates the biggest change has come into the luxury space. “People are investing much more in their homes and more so on natural products. Be it a better interior design, creation of a working space at home, moving to and building more spacious and larger spaces or utilising otherwise neglected spaces such as terraces and front gardens, it is a solid trend that is underway. We have observed a big shift towards engineered real wood floors over laminate floors and similarly on real wood facades over say synthetic wood like claddings,” he underscores adding that the idea of going back to nature seems to have caught on.

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COVER STORY

What’s in the Kitty?

Almost all the brands are taking note of these concerns and are busy creating strategies to develop products/materials which are sustainable and are in line with the customers’ contemporary tastes. The pandemic has increased consumer awareness and commitment to buying sustainable building products/materials. This reinforces the need for companies to increase their commitments towards responsible business practices and migrate to sustainable solutions to contribute to a circular economy.

According to Palit, GreenPly has always been in the forefront driving product innovation.

“Keeping in mind the changing consumer demands, we introduced the zero emission plywood (E-0) and blockboards ensuring to meet global standards with approvals from CARB (California Air Resources Board) first time in the industry before pandemic hit us. Since then, we have expanded the zero emission norms across the Green portfolio of plywood & blockboards.

With consumer focus towards healthy way of living, the offtake has been good. We are enhancing our capacity to meet the growing demand in the plywood segment.”

According to Saraf (Square Foot) buyers today are looking for recycled carpets or carpets which are recyclable, like carpets made from recycled water bottles, or recycled synthetic fibers, and much more. “We are creating environmentally friendly engineered woods and carpets which have less impact on the environment and bringing more value to the brand. We promote the concept of ‘Buy Back Carpet’ program wherein we dispose old wornout carpets in an eco-friendly way. We also provide the video of the entire process along with a certificate to the buyer,” explains Saraf adding that at Squarefoot, the most sellable

carpet flooring includes Essence Structure & Maze in Carpet Category, Eco Fit Floors.”

Panchal (Hardy Smith) too observes rapid increase in sale-purchase of properties post Covid despite increase in prices. “This is because all our materials are eco-friendly, green and sustainable and meant for farm houses and weekend homes. Architects and builders got busy with many projects in hands and we are receiving good business volumes from them. People are also becoming more hygiene sensitive and they try to use more such materials,” he says sharing that ready to hang WPC Doors with Poly-veneer with Solid Door frames are the latest additions in the company’s builder products portfolio for faster installations.

Interface Flor takes forward another aspect of sustainability when Mondal highlights that Interface being polyester-based and one of the strong players for reducing carbon footprint has managed to pass on the motto while providing a better living environment to future generation as well. “In the mean time, we have been working round the clock on improvising our cost by offering better products at a little lower price,” he suggests insisting that all Interface products are carbon neutral and soon these would carbon negative. “Some of our newly launched

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products are Open Air, NY+LON Streets, Works Eon, Ice Breaker, Look Both Ways, and Chroma Base. Our Embodied Beauty collection is carbon negative.”

Schmidt (Lingel Window) figures out a different angle. “Work from home is the new normal during and after the pandemic and so many customers realised the importance of sound insulated, strong, safe and aesthetically appealing windows and doors.

Our System windows with ‘appropriate glass specifications’ are always sound insulated, but when security was becoming a concern, we, along with slim collection, introduced our security windows solutions that is the Lingel Panzer Glazing and Lingel Safety Box, which are perfect combination of glazing and hardware.

We have introduced a new collection of doors where the door design can be customised to the interiors of the home.”

Visaka boasts of its Vnext fibre cement boards, which aim at offering turnkey solutions for a wide range of building requirements ranging from prefabricated buildings to interior furniture needs. Gaddam claims that Visaka has enhanced its material usage efficiency by increasing the use of fly ash in its production

of Vnext boards thereby saving around 5,00,000 tress from being cut and blocking 1,00,000 tons of CO2 emissions till now. “Looking at the demand, market sentiment and consumer preferences, we at Visaka have augmented our capacity and are soon going to launch a Greenfield manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu to cater to the rapidly increasing demand in India,” he shares.

Khanna (Fundermax) informs that rear ventilated façade system using Max Exterior panels as a standard will continue to be a preferred alternative because of its natural ventilation property, one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection and/or airborne microbes. Additionally, Max Latosystem is a louver (sun-shading) system that supports natural ventilation. “Our rain screen façade system provides thermal efficiency by reducing the thermal bridges and condensation of water vapour to further protect the building.

The Rivetless soffit system - FS01 is a seamless installation method for ceilings and soffits.

Fundermax Compact Interior is suitable for use in restrooms. And we follow the best Price Volatility surface manufacturing technology to get anti-microbial properties in these panels, thus Amidst all the factors impacting the behavioural making them apt in current times.” change in the buying pattern, price volatility can’t be ignored. Panchal mentions that retail business is suffered because of price volatility and changed payment practices. “In some instances, stockists were holding themselves for putting bulk orders, while raw material payment cycle has affected the entire credit system. But businesses have kept running with multiple lot buying practices, instead of single bulk buying.

Although prices escalated quite a bit, demand of material sees a hike too in our case.”

Going forward, Khanna makes a note of rising costs. “Price of building materials have increased up to 25% in past few months. Furthermore, the increasing freight and fuel prices have also added to the overall spend for future buyers.

Despite such challenges, the real estate market

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COVER STORY

is positively growing. Most Indians living in metro cities invest in real estate during the last quarter i.e., the festive season. Supporting government initiatives like interest subsidies & affordable housing loans are also encouraging the prospective buyers.”

He insists that on the business front, Fundermax operated on the concept of ‘Lean Management’ to keep costs under control. “We invested on ensuring the availability of material to maintain turnaround time of all ongoing and upcoming projects. Digitally, we built our ecosystem to connect with our stakeholders internally and externally in a robust manner. Some of the important elements include digital platforms for virtual meetings, and a seamless website to enable smooth customer journey.”

Chawla too agrees that rising demand has brought a big rise in prices. “The price rise has also been due to supply chain disruptions.

At Span Floors, we tried to minimise this by averaging out our costs and keep the rise at

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the minimum possible. Additionally, looking at the trend towards natural and sustainable materials, we have increased our stocks of high quality engineered wood floors, outdoor wood decks and facades all sourced from sustainable sources with 3rd party certifications like FSC, PEFC etc. All our products are sustainable and have least impact on indoor air quality.”

Conclusion

Sustainable building complements the basics of building design considerations of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Other terms include green building, high performance building, or sustainable or green construction with which we are well aware of. Now that sustainability is part and parcel of modern He further adds that with people paying life and is the key element to just about every much more attention to their health, Span industry – none more so than construction, Floors has increased its efforts to educate it’s important to consider the impact of our the public on the use of chemicals in building actions on the planet both, individually and products. “We share with them how some of as a collective. This is because the need is to these chemicals, particularly, when used to secure our planet for future generations and reduce the price of the product, can be like the responsibility lies on all of us to assure a trap to lure customers. By looking at the that only sustainable resources are used at sample, an end user can not gauge the effect the best eco-friendly and long lasting way. some of these chemicals can have on the indoor air quality once they start emitting post installation. Architects and end users can ask for certifications like Green Guard etc and look at the rating to know where the product stands.”

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INTERVIEW

What Goes In Ensuring A Sustainable Township!

How important is sustainability as a factor when it comes to planning a town?

Sustainability is very important when it comes to planning a town; however, it needs to be understood with respect to the current population and profile/characteristics of the town. The physiographic setting – location in hills, deserts, coasts, islands, plateau, plains and its natural endowments indicate whether climate, slopes, salinity of soil, disaster vulnerability etc., would always need to be addressed. The functional characteristics – market town, administrative headquarter, institutional town, industrial townships, etc. will largely determine the infrastructural status, condition of buildings, transportation demands. The cultural resources both – tangible and intangible that the local people identify themselves and at times are the very reason for the existence and sustenance of the town.

We should know what is sustaining the town without detrimental impacts. For example, the historic core of Jaipur over the ages has been deteriorating with respect to infrastructure, building condition in certain areas but it is the export business which is sustaining the area.

Residential areas are giving way to commercial usage, largely offices. However, wherever She has been the member of Delhi State Environmental Appraisal Committee as household industries are there water pollution well as of Delhi Biodiversity Foundation under DDA. Some of her projects include EIA due to dyeing etc. is observed.

Prof. Meenakshi Dhote has over three decades of teaching, research and professional experience in the field of environmental planning with special interest in biodiversity of urbanized ecosystems. Currently, she is heading the Department of Environmental Planning at SPA Delhi and is also Coordinator of Environmental Information Center on Human Settlements supported by MoEFCC.

of Mayur Vihar District Center, Regional Environmental Assessment of IWDP, Zonal Master Plan for Mt. Abu Eco-Sensitive Zone, Sustainable Development of Andmaan Sustainable development is a multidimensional entity and we must identify what aspects and Nicobar Islands, Vision Document for Taj Trapezium Zone, etc. specific to a particular town within the SDG framework of targets need to be taken forward In our efforts to explore what all goes in planning a sustainable town or township, to protect the natural resources, ensure gainful we at BMR contacted Prof. Dhote for her valuable insights, to which she responded employment, reduce vulnerability, and afford a good quality of life. in detail. Here are the excerpts of what she shared with us:

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What features does a sustainable town or township promote?

Sustainable towns and townships promote protection of natural resources such as water, biodiversity, fertile land; protection of cultural resources – tangible and intangible, equitable and efficient infrastructure; waste minimisation, pollution control, participation of the residents in decision making, equity and prosperity – gainful employment across all sections of society, safety and security across all age groups.

As a strategist, which all factors pertaining to sustainability do you keep in mind while planning a town?

As a strategist, the first and foremost thing is to analyse the trends of growth of the town to

identify what will help the town in achieving sustainability (or addressing the SDG goals) and what aspects of the town are undermining it. Whether it is infrastructure, employment, control of pollution needs to be understood at the right scale and intensity to promote those aspects which will lead the town towards sustainability and control those that are stopping it.

How many town/townships have you planned till date and how many of them are completely sustainable?

I have been involved as part of the team in the planning of Dwarka sub-city in NCT Delhi and Mount Abu Hill town in Rajasthan. Many of the parameters of participation of people, natural resource conservation, protection of

cultural resources, equitable distribution of infrastructure, etc. were built into the planning process. No overall ranking with respect to SDG has been undertaken so far but needs to be undertaken at certain time intervals, say five years or so to know how sustainable these towns are.

What challenges do you foresee in implementing your ideas for developing a sustainable township? And what steps are you taking to combat those challenges?

The biggest challenge is generating awareness of the crucial role of a planner in ensuring sustainable development. The profession makes the planners deal with multifaceted parameters - technical, social, physical, aesthetics etc. Multidisciplinary team with qualified planner is the need of the time for ensuring holistic and sustainable development. Personally, as an academician, I ensure that the training of planners with respect to concepts, methodologies to achieve sustainable development is done, to help them in their practice.

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INTERVIEW

Wood-

The Fad Is Catching On Canadian Wood, also known as Forestry Innovation Consulting India Pvt. Ltd. (FII India) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) Canada; a crown agency of the government of British Columbia (B.C.), the westernmost province of Canada.

The office is also supported by the Canadian federal government through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

FII India’s brand Canadian Wood was established in 2013 to promote B.C., Canada as a global supplier of quality, environmentally responsible wood products from sustainably managed forests.

FII India’s team creates awareness about B.C. wood products through seminars, exhibitions, networking events and media channels under the Canadian Wood name. Its team of wood experts assists leading manufacturers, builders/developers, architects and interior designers in identifying the right species and appropriate grades of Canadian wood for their projects.

Apart from that FII India’s business development team also supports Indian wood importers by identifying and connecting them with the B.C. lumber companies for a steady supply of Canadian wood species.

BMR Editorial Team got hold with Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, Canadian Wood India, to know the sustainability quotient and why one should make use of Canadian Wood as building material. Following are the responses we received through online interaction:

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Pranesh Chhibber

Country Director, Canadian Wood India

How sustainable is wood when compared with the latest building materials?

Wood being a natural building material reduces the carbon footprint of the built environment as compared to concrete and other manmade materials.

Forests are renewable - reforestation and sustainable forestry ensures that forests last forever. Similarly, building with wood and use of wood products over carbon-intensive materials and maximising their reuse and recycling is a smart solution. Having said that the world will do well to ensure responsible consumption by using only legally harvested wood from certified and sustainably managed forests. Through stringent regulations, continuous reforestation and science-based practices, Canada’s forest industry works hard to ensure that its forests flourish and remain healthy forever. Just to give you an idea Canada’s province of British Columbia which is responsible for half of its wood exports, has roughly the same area of forested land as it did before European settlement.

In which all applications are Canadian wood being used?

Canadian wood has five distinct wood species to offer which amongst them are good for a large variety of applications including making of furniture, door/windows, interior panelling and exterior cladding, gazebos/pergolas, saunas and decking besides structural applications such as building country

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homes, farmhouses, resorts, and so on in India.

Building with wood is very popular in the western world and in many countries in Asia, however, it lost out to other materials and methods of construction in India over time for some reasons. The interest is slowly rekindling in India and many fine examples of resorts and residences made using Canadian wood have come up in the last couple of years. The fad is catching on but building with wood is still in its nascent stage in India and will gain momentum with developing of local skills and expertise of building with wood in India.

Where does Canadian Wood stand in the Indian building products/real estate market for now?

Well, we are inching closer towards our first decade in India, in reality we’ve just completed 7 years. Wood working industry and the wood trade in India today know Canadian wood well including the export oriented manufacturing hubs in India. We’ve also done well to make the in Indian market well aware of Canada as a long term sustainable source of legally harvested certified wood besides educating the target audience about Canadian wood species and

their properties, there by fuel its demand amongst architects, developers, contractors, manufacturers and timber traders. Today Canadian wood species are stocked and sold by over 41 stockists in 23 cities across India. A lot has been achieved and a lot needs to be done.

dump of information is also available on our website for our audience to access at the convenience.

How are you promoting Canadian wood and its synergy with human health, the environment, and the economy?

We reach out through one-on-one contacts, seminars, webinars, workshops and sharing of knowledge and best practices. Alongside traditional goods like cabinets, furniture and prefabricated building elements, B.C.’s value-added manufacturers make a variety of mass timber and next-generation lumber products such as Glulam and CLT. In addition to wood products, B.C. is also home to leading architects, engineers and consultants who support and drive the innovative use of wood in buildings and infrastructure; as a result, their services too are in demand worldwide.

We connect the target audience in India with them to hire expertise on fee to pay basis, besides handholding locally.

By building on our successes in market development and business development initiatives and activities, we intend to expand our efforts and activities to more number of prospects in more geographies creating awareness, spreading the education, handholding through technical support while conducting product trials and after. Besides we also educate the users and the market about certification and sustainability and Canada’s commitment to it including benefits of wood in our messaging to the target audience, through one-on-one contacts and via seminars/webinars etc. We also reach out to our target audience through paid and earned media both in print and online. A huge

How are you approaching architects and specifiers in this regard?

Where do you see Canadian wood as a sustainable building material in 5 years from now?

As I said earlier, building with wood is in its nascent stage in India, there is a huge challenge of knowledge and availability of local expertise in building with wood.

There are not many players who can do a whole project completely in wood on their own. However having said that, there is tremendous interest being evinced by HNIs, architects and developers in this direction and we are doing our best to respond.

Five years from now I see a lot more local expertise available with many knowledgeable professionals fully capable of building a wooden house or a resort by themselves, thus giving a huge boost to building with wood in India. In addition to creating awareness, we will ensure that Canadian wood is well accepted as a sustainable building material through our educational seminars and training workshops.

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INTERIORS

Little Acre:

Boasting Interiors

A hospitality project by Poonam Sethi, amidst the pandemic, brings forth new facet of sustainability, although forced.

Interior Designer Poonam Sethi runs a design firm, Interior Facts in Panipat. Quite recently, she has completed a hospitality project, Little Acre. It’s a small property measuring 25’ X 70’ comprises five floors for the commercial purpose, which includes two banquet halls, a cafe, a restaurant, and a few sets of rooms.

Completed during the pandemic, the design team came across inescapable challenges, still created outstanding piece of interiors using locally sourced vernacular materials. Some of their wonderworks are here:

Poonam Sethi

Principal Designer, Interior Facts

Wall Shelving Novels The old novel concept is the heart of the cafe. It took a great deal to keep fixing many a times until so many novels nailed on the wall.

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The Rustic Looking Cafe The cafe sporting distracted wooden furniture resting upon proper clay tiles in rustic and grey finish to produce a dark ambience. The list of wanderlust with mesh on the side wall adds an extraordinary detail for guests.

Wallpaper@Entry This Wallpaper by Sabyasachi is fixed on the wall at the entrance of Embrace, the banquet hall on the first floor of Little Acre.

The Dining Restaurant The fine dining restaurant sporting blue & pink colour combination under neon light producing perfect ambiance of a candlelight dinner or a dim lighting atmosphere for guests spending quality time in the restaurant.

Super Lit Banquet For creating lightening impact, the chandeliers in the ceiling have been customised in triangular shape, which happen to be the main attraction of this super lighted area.

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INTERIORS

Lofy – Complete Interior Solutions Under One Roof

Lofy Home Interior Solution, an offshoot of Shivalik Group, is a forward integration of its core business i.e., real estate.

Spread across 6500 sq. ft., the flagship Experience Centre in Ahmedabad is aimed at providing customised interiors and plumbing as an added feature to its residential property buyers concerning a rising resistance to allowing any unknown persons or carpenters inside the house in the post pandemic era. Adding more to the call is the growing trend towards furnished house purchases.

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Using mirrors in strategic and creative ways can help making the space feel bigger and brighter. Decorating with mirrors over a cabinetry or a console table can really open up a small living room visually.

Some stylish showpieces like a Buddha, Ganesha or a saint in living room placed just above the console table can not only make eyes pop out but also give mental peace and a sacred atmosphere. When buying these showpieces, choose colours that are contrasting to the colours of the couch or wall.

Even though the bedroom is a private space that will be seen by far fewer people than living room or kitchen, it should be an equally stylish sanctuary. Whether it’s a traditional design or an exotic retreat, there are endless decorating ideas to create the room. Picking a strict colour palette keeps things cohesive. A chandelier suspended above the designer seating arrangements comprising a collection of sofas beside the master bed, some well-placed art, bold wallpaper, or even a classy coat of paint can make a space stand out.

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INTERIORS

Surrounded by stylish wooden chairs grouped with a larger dining table is making the space apt for more informal meeting. Adding more hue to the scene is the grey kitchen counter reflecting yellow backdrop alongside a wall painted in pitch colour. These together make the space suitable for a variety of activities including socialising and entertaining apart from cooking and eating.

Displaying modern artefacts in the living room with perfection requires proper care and thought. Placing a modern artefact at the centre of the antique looking stylish table can immediately give out positive vibes and a feeling of warmth.

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Old-styled a dining table made of dark-wood and a selection of bentwood chairs with rattan seats provides a perfect blend of modern styling with mid-century fashion for having lunch/ dinner with a feel of luxury, while the graphic on the adjacent wall gives an extension to the space.

Colourful sofa coupled with minimalistic couches make a striking material palette. A couple of mid-century modern stick-back chairs, a centre round table and a side table with glass top boasting a design statement seemingly influenced by both modernism and colonial style. The wooden floor matches the tone of interiors especially the angling walls hanging the artefacts and sceneries, while the cove lighting is only enhancing the beauty of the space. Overall, the vibrant colours of can break the monotony of boring interiors and turn heads by standing out.

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INTERIORS

Kids’ room can be made fun with multifunctional furniture like bunkbeds, play dens and colourful storage cabinets. It can also be spruced up with decor like rugs, carpets, cushions, curtains and stuffed toys. To make toddler’s room cozy, install dimmers so as to regulate the brightness. Don’t forget to add a comfortable mattress with lots of soft pillows and make sure the noise levels are low so they can get a restful sleep.

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INTERIORS

Hut House with Sufi Feel Completed in four months, the resort has been designed & developed with an objective to create a visible link between the two rigid boundaries i.e.; saintly feel and luxury.

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r. Bhuwan Chand Kapur has recently accomplished a project Dayal Bagh Ansal Cottage in Lucknow.

It’s a resort comprising a group of luxury cottages where his expertise was vital to produce a juxtaposition of the two ends of social structure – rural look with latest amenities. Incensed with nature, blending

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various features of wood – both internally as well as externally, the huts represent the amalgamation of a saint’s ambient with all the modern facilities.

Turning his client’s imagination into such a masterpiece with extensive use of wood, the design and layout of this resort successfully

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Ar. Bhuwan Chand Kapur Principal Designer, Utility

creates an environment that fosters the needed close connect without missing the nature.

Located on Amar Shaheed Path & LucknowSultanpur Highway, the structure exudes an energy that nurtures and rejuvenates the guests/inhabitants with renewed vigour.

The architect took extra care to establish the rural look using Sheesham wood while cladding the ceiling and interiors. He successfully integrated the modern household needs in a

hut house fulfilling the design objectivity.

The architect took extra care to establish the rural look using Sheesham wood while cladding the ceiling and interiors.

Wood when used extensively in building brings the rural touch along with a look resembling traditional old-fashioned dwelling sporting saintly meditative feel. But the option to extensively use wood isn’t economical especially with respect to sanctioned budget. Considering the factors like costs and availability, the team went for the cheap and best option - Sheesham wood, used in

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INTERIORS

ceiling for a raft hut finish in rustic surface feel. Complete furniture – each & every including bed, desk and wardrobe – have been made with Sheesham. To give more rural and warmth feeling, the hut got painted in terracotta mixed with hay to produce rural textured finish.

Painted with terracotta mixed with hay, the rugged natural appearance of the walls is only adding to the attributes of a cottage.

Ar. Kapur is one of the most prominent interior designers in and around the vicinity of Lucknow – the country’s cultural capital where people are fond of intricacies irrespective of The most significant feature of the resort is its the aspects of life. No wonder, Ar. Kapur got eco-friendly construction and sustainability. an inclination towards one such intricacy i.e.

With rustic floor tiles, the architect seemed interior design and dedicated all his life & conscious that the cottage must not appear energy to re-defining interiors. The journey as an alien element, rather, it had to be rooted started 28 years ago with the establishment in the soil, be a part of the surroundings and of his firm ‘Utility’ in 1993. Notably, he is also seem to grow out of it. Selection of matching a Vaastu consultant producing a blend of luxurious bath fittings, lighting, electrical creativity and uniqueness thereby exceeding equipment, etc. all the components contribute the expectations of his clients. towards creating a visual blending of the hut.

Specifications Project: Dayal Bagh Ansal Cottage Architect: Ar. Bhuwan Chand Kapur Location: Golf City Ansal, Lucknow Spread: Cottage Zone- 1500 sqft.

Lawn Area: Approx. 4 Acres Architecture Firm: Utility, Lucknow Interior Design: Ar. Bhuwan Chand Kapur

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INTERVIEW

Trust, Capability & Commitment Comprise Shivalik’s Core Values How long have you been into this realty business? How has been the journey so far?

We entered this domain 23 years back. Initially, we gave our projects many different names like Sanjay and Sachin Tower. But in 2001, we decided to move ahead with one name i.e. Shivalik for all our projects, and the first in this list was Shivalik Bungalow. The brand name helped us with unprecedented growth. Today, we have accomplished over 60 projects, 60% of which are commercials. All these years, we followed a prudent approach towards quality at every step of the process. For now, we usually have 10-12 projects in hand, covering 30-40 lakh sq. ft. of land in Ahmedabad at one point in time, as against 3-4 projects spread across 4-5 lakh sq. ft. of area in the beginning.

When did you move into residential?

L to R: Chitrak S. Shah, Satish Shah & Taral S. Shah - Group Directors, Shivalik Group

Established in the year 1998, this real estate company is the brainchild of an accomplished veteran of Ahmedabad stock market, Satish Shah, who along with his elder son Chitrak S. Shah kept the founding stone of a dream – ‘pioneering the skyline of the city’. In 2001, the realty major decided to pick Shivalik Developers - one name for all its projects. In 2011, younger son, Taral S. Shah joined the party to further strengthening the commitment to the business.

The father-sons trio has continuously been pushing the pursuit to build a legacy of timeless elegance, and steadily conquering the state of Gujarat on the face of luxurious residential & commercial spaces. Today, Shivalik Developers boasts of 65 landmark projects covering 10+ million sq. ft. and delivering over 6500 units under multiple joint ventures.

To delve deep into the success story of this realty giant, BMR’s Editorial Team landed in Ahmedabad, met the Group owners and learn what makes them leading developers of the region. Excerpts are here:

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The expansion was already there on card but we were lacking the strength. As we planned to extend the horizon and expand our reach, we needed more people. In 2011, my younger brother joined followed by my cousin. And then after few years, in 2015, we moved ahead to include residentials in our portfolio. Before that, we were mainly concentrating on commercials.

What made you stuck to the commercials for so long?

We stayed with commercials for their quick cash flow as against residential where decision process is comparatively lengthy because of the involvement of entire family.

Also, for commercials, we always kept our aspiration low as far as height of the building was concerned which led us to complete our projects faster than those of our competitors who were focusing on buildings with double the height. Furthermore, we didn’t want to invest in marketing and that made us choose road side sites/location for all our projects, which

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ultimately proved to be quick sellers because of their being remain visible. This led us to sell 80% of our projects at the time of launch.

What impact did the Pandemic bring?

Pandemic has drastically changed the panorama. Most people still prefer working from home instead of going to office. In today’s scenario, large offices aren’t demanded anymore. The approach has completely changed. Corporates are now looking for shared occupancy with co-working spaces in a comparatively larger but cost-effective setup.

Accordingly, developers divided the sites into smaller ones.

How has been your approach towards green building?

We preferred giving back to the earth and Shivalik Avenue, our green building project, is the first step in that direction. Although it took us long to convince our associates as well as customers about the benefits of green building, we succeeded in our efforts. Right now, we are adhering to Silver or Gold standard of IGBC for our buildings as for platinum, the maintenance is still very high and also the resources are not available to create such buildings in plenty.

Where do sustainability and energy efficiency stand in your projects?

Energy efficiency is very important when it comes to green building. We do have firm belief in landscaping, natural light and greenery. If we incorporate all these at the planning or design stage, many energy guzzlers like AC, fans or artificial lighting can be set aside. For instance, we try using maximum tarrace with solar panels or solar geysers in order to save on energy except few spaces open for social gathering. Thus, we are trying to balance all the requirements of the society as a whole.

How has been the trend in higher class of the society?

Premium apartments or luxury homes are the trends. Those living in Bungalow want to shift in premium apartment for obvious reasons like privacy and security. Earlier, the apartments were as extensive as 5000 sq. ft. which now has

gone up to 12,000 sq. ft. And this requirement will be there owing to not only the scarcity of land, but also for apparent reasons like security and loneliness. When they move into luxury homes, they build their own community and remain connected.

experiment new things in their respective projects, which is why culture of spending more is being created.

How do you see the prospects here in Ahemdabad? How affordable is the city?

Fly-ash blocks are better option for mass construction and to help avoid the destruction to the environment. It also helps avoid seepage problem. Our quality department looks after the training on brick/ block laying and application of mortars for better results.

Which are better - red bricks or fly-ash blocks?

Ahmadabad, having the needed connect with the capital city, the finance centre of the state is undoubtedly booming. Adding more to it is the state’s representation at the centre that too at the highest level i.e. PM and HM, which are bringing far more favour to the state and Why should someone buy from Shivalik? the city. Despite all these, Ahmedabad is still affordable when compared with city like Mumbai. In our projects, we try enhancing the presentation of common areas and keep the inside specifications basic giving occupants How has the purchase behaviour changed? a free hand for creating their interiors. This People want to spend more. They are travelling helps us to keep our cost much lower. Also, across the geographies. This is directly we have clients since our inception. Their beliefs in Shivalik made them to refer us to impacting their tastes and preferences. They their children. We can’t break their trust which started asking developers to incorporate the design elements or the amenities that they we have earned over these many years. Trust, observe in foreign countries. Meanwhile, capability and commitment are the core developers and architects are also trying to values of Shivalik Group.

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INTERVIEW

Greenpanel Industries

Aiming High with ‘Nayi Soch Nayi Disha’ Greenpanel Industries Ltd. (GIL) is India’s largest interior infrastructure company. Significantly, it enjoys 30% market share in the domestic MDF market in India. With strong retail network, 32 branches across the country, GIL has a formidable presence in over 300 cities covering 21 states.

The company boasts of its consortium of products for interior and exterior grade that include MDF, Club HDF, Pre-laminated MDF, Plywood, Flooring, Veneers & Doors. To know more on how the company has maintained its leadership, we at BMR caught up with Shekhar Chandra Sati, President – Sales & Marketing, Greenpanel Industries Ltd. Here are the edited excerpts: Which all factors do you consider while developing any product?

First, we identify the need and accordingly we design our products. For instance, the need of kitchens is different than that of wardrobe.

Similarly, the need in wet areas like bathroom & terrace is different. To address these different needs, we have divided our products into three different assortments – Interior grade, Exterior grade and Club HDF. How do specifiers help Greenpanel in this process?

for products with durability and functionality.

So, for them, we have developed Club HDF and Pre-laminated MDF. For instance, our recently developed MDF with Veneer is the interior grade product for bed, sofa, furniture, wardrobe, table chair, school chair, etc. Prepared in the factory with lot of improvisation, this product’s USP is its density which is around 700 kg per cubic meter. It is pre-treated product for termite, borer, and fungus. We also have pre-laminated MDF, which is ready to use product and help save not only money but a lot of time that otherwise would have gone into process.

The demand through architects and government departments always come with certain We are also in process of developing a specifications based on the requirements. As we kind of prototype where we would like to all know architects are quality conscious and ask develop products based on the feedback

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from architects or by turning their thoughts/ imagination into reality. In short, we want to have the product ready in our assortment before our customers even ask for i.e., a kind of futuristic approach towards developing the solution.

shoulder to honestly keep catering to the needs of our valuable clients with quality products.

For MDF, where do you see the potential coming from?

MDF is an advance product and is made for future.

For now, it is attracting the attention of many stakeholders who are engaged in wood-based industry. When compared with average global consumption, the shift over MDF is upto 85%, India stands at 5 to 6% only. This reflects that the potential is huge. So, even after two decades of setting up the plant in India, it still is a futuristic product which shows that the thought percolated in the mind of the company’s top management was much ahead of time.

How is Greenpanel faring in other product categories?

In plywood, we are consistently doing good. Our sales are intact and we are moving absolutely fine with our quality product. Greenpanel is a brand which has its own credibility and that brings along an unbeaten USP. A brand name means an image a legacy that takes decades to be created, and this gives a responsibility on our

we are in process of augmenting this capacity with some internal changes and expect to add about 35,000 cubic meter annually to take the current capacity to 5,75,000 cubic meter

by March 2022. For now, the market is going really well and if this continues for some more time, we may think of further expanding the capacity to feed the market.

In Veneer, we have been doing remarkable business. We are serving the customers well by meeting their demand. In Flooring, on an average, we are selling 5.5 lakh to 6 lakh sq. ft. every month. When it comes to value-wise, we are growing with a pace as high as 50% in the last What prospects do you foresee?

2-3 years. For now, our plants are fully occupied.

We are working full capacities in all our product Market is very bright with just 2-3 branded segments. We have good orders in pipeline. players and tens of other smaller ones. But as I said, since only 5% market has shifted on MDF What about your facility? What’s the current till date, 95% is open to be converted. So, the capacity? field is open for everyone to move in and create spaces for themselves depending upon their We use the latest technology and state-ofrespective capabilities. We are maintaining the-art facilities to make top-quality products a very strong presence with quality products like exterior- as well as interior-grade MDF. and continue winning the trust of our valuable Greenpanel is the largest producer of MDF not clients without fearing competition. only in the country, but also in Asia. We have German technology-based automated machinery What’s the vision behind Nayi Soch Nayi Disha? from Dieffenbacher, world’s leading machinery manufacturer, ensuring highest quality output ‘Nayi Soch Nayi Disha’ is a call for inclusive meeting all the set parameters/standard. growth of all our associates and channel partners along with that of the company.

As of now we have two plants one each in Under this move, we are trying to percolate a Rudrapur District of Uttarakhand and Chittoor belief that company can’t grow alone unless District of Andhra Pradesh with combined it’s associates and channel partners also. For annual capacity of 5,40,000 cubic meters. Our this, we are trying to improve ease of doing culture of innovation and investment in the business under which we are concentrating future reflects everything we do. Meanwhile, on how we can better serve our customers inclusive of our associates and channel partners by addressing their concerns. As a team leader, my responsibility is to ensure to meet their expectations.

How does the company contribute in driving sustainability?

Our culture of innovation and sustainability permeates everything we do. Greenpanel MDF is made with 100% renewable agro-forestry wood. For this, we are doing collaborative farming in various parts of the country. We want to improvise this by further penetrating in interiors and far flung areas, with an aim to educating, encouraging and inviting farmers.

We want them to know how beneficial this move would be.

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INTERVIEW

Service Oriented Approach Sets

Marmo Solutions Apart

Incorporated in the year 2013, New Delhi-based Marmo Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is the emerging supplier of a wide range of construction chemicals including adhesives, grouts, fillers, waterproofing solutions, sealers, shiners and cleaners. These products are widely appreciated among its valuable clientele for their stability, long shelf life, purity, accurate pH value and effectiveness. The company sources these products from trusted and reliable vendors. These products are precisely processed in sync with international quality norms using premium quality chemical compounds and innovative techniques.

To delve more into the strategies and vision, BMR Team met Ashish Bhasin, MD, Marmo Solutions Pvt. Ltd. He spoke at length about the inception of Marmo Solutions and how the brand gradually moved on to become the cynosure of the industry stakeholders. Edited excerpts of the conversation are here:

How did Marmo Solutions come into being?

After completing my studies, I took up jobs before deciding to give the entrepreneurship in me a fighting chance. It was then that I got engaged in marketing for a cosmetic brand in Karol Bagh one of my friends suggested me to take a chance in marketing of construction chemicals. No doubt it was a casual conversation, but I took that seriously, which ultimately led to the beginning of Marmo Solutions amidst new set of challenges in the NCR. What challenges did you come across?

With transparency and honesty as the cornerstones, I set my goal to move deep into

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the building materials sector. While exploring the possibilities, I found out that the sector then was experiencing silver lining through the emergence of new materials and technology.

Amidst these developments, the challenge for me was to educate and convince not only the end users but also the industry stakeholders who were not very much open to accept the product, called construction chemicals which was not manufactured locally.

How did you combat these challenges?

I took up the challenge to convince end-users and intermediaries about the quality of locally manufactured products, which were competing directly with imported products. For this, I

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We are also focusing on consolidation route for further expansion. As far as overseas market is concerned, we are exporting our products to Dubai, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

How is Brand Marmo faring in the Indian constructions chemical market?

worked closely with all the stakeholders while offering or providing solutions, ensuring quality, building trust, and the awaiting thriving market that we see today.

What impact did the lockdown bring to your business?

The typical Indian emotional connect with the stakeholders helped the business survive during those hard time. More than the pandemic, the enforced lockdown had put everything on a standstill. The entire service and supply chain cooperated to help business see through these extraordinary tough times.

What goes in developing a new product at Marmo?

Marmo’s products are designed or developed in close consultation with major consumers, the stone suppliers and fabricators. It takes long hours of consultations and cooperation between end users and a dedicated team of R&D experts. A big chunk of our products like adhesives and fillers are developed as per the specifications given by the users to serve their specific needs. Let me also take the opportunity to share that Marmo has developed a patented technology to harden soft marble and limestone, and one stop solution for maintenance of softer stones.

Let me tell you that our approach to solving application related problems of users has helped shape the business values and ethics of Marmo Solutions, rather than a sales centric approach. Nonetheless, we believe in providing application specific, customised solutions to meet individual demands, rather than relying on a dealer/distributor network.

Because of this strategy, Marmo has been able to win hearts, and hence, capture a slice of the market by focusing on tailor made solutions. People see Marmo as a service provider and not as a product supplier.

Which all regions - national & international does Marmo Solutions cater to?

Today, we have a strong market presence across the country. Based in the northern region, we are equally concern and catering to the needs of our clientele spread across the length & breadth of the country. In the meantime, we are also focusing on consolidation route for further expansion. As far as overseas market is concerned, we are exporting our products to Dubai, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

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MADE IN INDIA

W + Artewood Creating The WOW Factor The use of Artewood adds another dimension to the unconventional concept of the hotel, which has helped define its role as a trailblazer in the hospitality domain.

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W

Goa, India’s first flagship property of W Hotel Worldwide, part of Marriott International, located amidst the verdant jungle and the stunning coastline of Vagator Beach, offers breathtaking views of the Arabian sea. Spread across 25-acre, the 5-star hotel sports 160 stylish guestrooms where the iconic design balances traditional and contemporary elements to interweave luxury with sustainability.

Design Wilkes was the principal design firm.

The aim was to create W Goa’s melange of the rustic and the dramatic, which makes it the perfect project to use Artewood that combines high-end aesthetics with environment-friendly advantages, to create wow experiences with beauty and functionality. In short, the spaces of W are elevated with elegance and endurance.

Since the luxury destination is next to the sea, the design team was concerned about weather factors such as humidity, and needed materials

that were not just visually appealing but also highly durable. Thus, the new-age Artewood became the ideal choice across external and internal applications. Offering the luxurious look of wood with the strength of cement, Artewood was chosen for both its superior aesthetics and performance, to successfully fulfil the design intent of the project.

Designed to radiate the warmth of wood and reflect its truest textures, Artewood adds sophistication, style and opulence to the stunning design story of W. Right from external to internal applications, outdoor ceilings and eaves to courtyard cladding, banquet hall and restaurant ceilings, pillars and even signboards, Artewood’s natural wood finishes appropriately reflect the bohemian vibe of Goa. Everest Standard Boards have also been utilised for roof tile underlay and certain partition areas.

W Hotels Worldwide’s 50th property in the world, the much-awarded W Goa has been established as a trendsetter in design. W Goa captures the rich history of Goa as well as its cosmopolitan, multi-cultural vibe, injecting Vagator with the exuberant spirit uniquely known to W Hotels. Local elements of Goa are incorporated into the design of the hotel through installations and art such as old Portuguese-style heritage buildings, painted on Artewood backdrops, keeping it fresh and alive.

At Everest, everything stems from an ecofriendly, efficient and forward–thinking philosophy. Artewood, the compressed fibre cement-based cladding planks challenge the age-old use of natural wood thus protecting the environment. Not only are these materials much lighter and a lot more durable, they are pre-finished and easier to install, and thus reduce the construction period considerably.

All these products are green pro certified.

www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

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MADE IN INDIA

Redefining Outdoor Living With RAK Ceramics’ Aaron Collection Give your outdoor spaces a new look.

Sustainable & adoptable, Aaron Collection is ideal choice to design or revamp gardens, patios, terraces, driveways, parking areas or pool edges.

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ADVANTAGES: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Aesthetic Appeal: Special textured surface and tile design makes it highly appealing. It comes in different textures and designs.

Perfect Fit for Outdoor: Higher thickness of 15mm makes Aaron Collection ideal for application on any outdoor areas.

Long Lasting: a. Extremely high resistant to loads and traffic due to high Impact resistance. b. Higher wear and abrasion resistance c. Higher resistance to polluting chemicals Resistant to Colour Fading: Aaron Tiles do not lose its original colour and hue in direct sunlight.

Weather Resistant: Aaron collection is resistant to extreme weathering conditions.

Also, these are resistant to climatic shocks, does not suffer in extreme weather conditions such as high temperature variations, rains, etc.

Slip Resistance: For outdoor application, Aaron Collection meets the requirement of floors with higher slip resistance. Aaron Collection comes with R10 level of slip resistance.

Easy to Clean and Maintain: Aaron collection has better stain resistance.

www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

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MADE IN INDIA

CERA Unboxes Smiles With new range of incredible products for a beautiful living, the company intends to raise the smile quotient.

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ontinuing the philosophy of utmost care and precision, CERA – one of India’s leading bathroom solutions major ushered its latest product range by launching it under the theme – Unboxing Smiles. From superior design and aesthetics to awe-inspiring styles, futuristic products to the most competitive prices, Unboxing Smiles has everything covered.

The products are smartly segregated into different categories viz. Unboxing Style – which will redefine bathing experience, Unboxing Functionality – which lets the users experience never seen before purposefulness,

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Unboxing Modern Living – which offers classy & elegant designs along with premium pricing and maintenance and Unboxing Customers’ Expectations – which showcases irresistible & innovative designs to make the best use of space.

New products are a key growth driver for CERA. This is why the company continues to bolster its portfolio with newer products year after year to suit the changing needs of the market. Despite several hindrances in supply chain and logistics imposed due to Covid-19, CERA has been keeping pace with its turnover.

www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

With Latest Graphite Grey,

CMC Targets Minimalist Kitchens An engineered material, Graphite Grey Quartz slabs are extremely strong and hard, hygienic, non-porous, and popularly used in applications that demand durability with aesthetics.

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lassic Marble Company (CMC) has come up with KalingaStone quartz - Graphite Grey targeting specifically the kitchen area. The company says that it is a bespoke offering for minimalist kitchen designs. Recommended for counter-top applications, the Graphite Grey is a soothing grey quartz slab with clear, slender white veins running across its surface. Graphite Grey is a non-porous quartz slab with a low absorption rate making it immune to staining and is easy to maintain.

A combination of cutting-edge design and innovative technology, the quartz slab has been created for countertop and backsplash applications in modern kitchens. The subtle grey shade of the slab lends an eloquent effect rendering an uncluttered look and feel to the kitchen. According to the company,

KalingaStone Quartz is certified by NSF International as safe and secure surface for food handling.

Available in two sizes 315 X 145 cm / 325 X 165 cm with 20mm & 30mm thicknesses, the material is resistant to staining, scratching and wear & tear eliminating the need for any special maintenance. A fine-looking blend of décor and utility, the Graphite Grey quartz slab is an ideal choice in kitchen applications since it is resistant to heat and cold. The surfaces have perfect consistency in the shade, thickness and texture.

CMC is an environmentally conscious brand and ensures the use of healthier and nontoxic materials during manufacturing.

www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

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MADE IN INDIA

Transforming Plywood Industry The Book, Smart Plywood Buying Guide by India’s Leading Plywood Expert Akhilesh Chitlangia is the need of the hour.

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Akhilesh Chitlangia, India’s leading Plywood Expert and a 3rd generation promoter at Duroply Industries Ltd., joined the 60+ year old family legacy business in 2010 and has ever since been busy propagating the wonders of Plywood.

lywood is an integral part of our lives. Be it our homes, offices, or other community buildings, plywood plays a major role in the woodwork of any interior. And hence, one wrong decision in selection of plywood can lead to a major loss of money, time and, of course, peace of mind.

The Book with insightful details and in-depth knowledge is the eye-opener as not only it educates, but also guides readers/consumers to buy the right Plywood. Each one of needs this Book because we all buy Plywood at some point or the other, and this Book lets us into all the secrets that only insiders and experts know.

Regrettably, we often opt incorrectly, and the reason is ambiguity arising out of so much to choose from and little to go on. All that stops with the ‘Smart Plywood Buying Guide’ as this Book will guide you as your personal Plywood Expert and would help you choose the best.

Akhilesh has worked innovatively and relentlessly to successfully increase his company’s footprint in the market while simultaneously promoting Plywood in general.

He has made this his mission to educate people on choosing the right Plywood thereby ensuring that every home in India has quality woodwork.

Written by India’s leading Plywood Expert, this Book guarantees you saving not only tons of money and loads of precious time, but also a massive amount of hassle and rework and thus would keep you and your family smiling for generations to come.

Akhilesh is based out of New Delhi. When not working, he loves to travel, especially hiking and trekking. Music which helps him unwind is again his great love but comes after Plywood. An active member of the Rotary Club, he is involved in many community projects.

GRAB YOUR COPY FOR FREE

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www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

DURO: Looking Beyond the Ordinary With the launch of DURO PLUS, DURO Ply industries has come up with yet another innovative product that offers time saving, instalation-ready solutions to the interior design and construction industry.

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lywood manufacturing veteran, DURO Ply Industries Ltd.’s latest plywood solution DURO PLUS is first of its kind in India, which is uniquely sized plywood measuring 9 & 10 feet - the most used dimension in block boards and doors. This eliminates the need for resizing the plywood slab, thus making it the ideal choice for jointless applications. With this new launch, DURO has come up with a one-stop solution for all the associated industries and functionaries.

Akhilesh Chitlangia President, Duroply Industries Ltd.

In alignment with our mission, we will continue to invest in newer technologies that will enable us to further innovate and create sustainable as well as highutility products for all our clients and associated partners.

“DURO is committed to providing innovative solutions to all key stakeholders while strongly maintaining its forest-friendly stance. In alignment with our mission, we will continue to invest in newer technologies that will enable us to further innovate and create sustainable as well as high-utility products for all our clients and associated partners. Excellence runs in our veins,” says Akhilesh Chitlangia, the Company’s President, while sharing his views with BMR.

look which adds to the beauty of the design itself. The versatility of its application stands as a testament to the dexterity of DURO when it comes to plywood solutions.

Furthermore, DURO PLUS is fully compatible with decorative veneers that come in various hues. Having realised the needs of all stakeholders in this industry including architects, interior designers, trade partners, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), dealers and contractors, DURO moved quickly and conceptualised a product to address their commonest woes.

The DURO PLUS amalgamates various solutions into one high-utility product. It is convenient to use for construction purposes, significantly reduces the need for nails and glue, and most importantly minimises the wastage of material.

It enables architects to create a seamless indoor

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EVENTS

Waterproofing in Hilly Terrain Needs Immediate Attention Stakeholders from across the industries gathered under the banner of Knowledge Series to put forth waterproofing solutions in hilly areas.

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espite the fact that the architecture on hills are beautiful, attractive and soothing to eyes, challenges for architects and structural engineers for planning, design and construction of these buildings remain intact especially with respect to waterproofing. And the reasons are difficult terrain, steep gradient, adverse climatic conditions, rich flora and proneness to natural hazards, which together make the task tedious and demanding.

Taking note of these challenges, around 100s of industry stakeholders including architects, interior designers, structural engineers, and building material manufacturers/suppliers from across the country came together in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh to discuss waterproofing issues in hilly areas. While specifiers like architects and interior designers presented their research works addressing the issues, building products suppliers showcased latest products as well as technologies which have especially been developed for hilly areas.

Organised by BuildBuddy Inc, and co-hosted by the Indian Institute of Architects, Himachal Pradesh Chapter, the event marked the beginning of A Knowledge Series aimed at enhancing building protection in difficult terrains which pose greater challenges when it comes to planning, designing and executing waterproofed architectures. All the participants were equally excited to be a part of this oneof-its-kind event in the region, which turned out to be like a whistleblower. For taking notes on the proceedings, Building Material Reporter (BMR) was the media partner.

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The event entitled A Knowledge Series 2021 on Waterproofing Challenges in High Altitude Construction witnessed prominent specifiers including Ar. Nand Lal Chandel, Chairman, IIA HP Chapter; Ar. Sarojini Sharma, Jt. Secretary, IIA HP Chapter; Ar. Rajiv Sharma, Sr. Architect, HPPWD; Maruthu Pandi, Business Head, Pronil India; Ar. Ajay Sharma, Manager (Architecture), SJVN (CPSU); Sheetal Gulati, Civil Engineer; Bharat Bhushan Yadav, MD-Aptus Windows Pvt. Ltd.; Sunny Surlakar, Assess Build Chem Pvt. Ltd.; Aman Malik, Assoc. Director, SNP CONRepair Pvt. Ltd.; Dr. Satish Kumar Katwal, Head-School Of Architecture, Kangra; Kunjan Popat, Proprietor, Trifix Technologies Llp. and many more who marked their presence felt.

The event was sponsored by DryShield, Dry Thane, Pronil and Encraft, while BMR was the exclusive media partner. Expressing his gratitude to the organisers, Ar. Nand Lal Chandel, Chairman, IIA HP Chapter, said, “I am really thankful to the BuildBuddy for such an event for architects, interior designers

www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

and structural engineers with the aim to share & disseminate the knowledge and experiences with concerned government officials, private practitioners and suppliers who are working in the field in different zones and climatic conditions.”

Sandeep Chaudhry, Founder - SNP Group - Water & Construction Technologies, who took the responsibility to organise the event, said that such event was long overdue to exchange and disseminate the information and ideas related to issues like waterproofing in hilly areas. Thanking both the audiences and the participants, he said, “We will be doing more such sessions in Dharamshala as well as in Shimla in future.”

As the flag-bearer for the country’s building material industry, BMR always remains at the forefront and keeps striving to continuously bringing you the updates on any such development in the industry.

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN | PRODUCTS & MATERIALS | LIFESTYLE | REAL ESTATE

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Building Material Reporter is the one-stop-guide and knowledge platform for architecture, design, and building industry. Our painstakingly sourced projects,

Building Material Reporter is the one-stop-guide and knowledge platform for architecture, design, and building industry. Our

Building Material Reporter is the one-stopguide and knowledge platform for architecture, design, and building industry.

product features, articles,

Our painstakingly sourced projects, product

interviews and opinions are

features, articles, interviews and opinions

presented to showcase the real essence of the industry.

are presented to showcase the real essence of the industry.

painstakingly sourced projects, product features, articles, interviews and opinions are presented to showcase the real essence of the industry.

BUILDING MATERIAL REPORTER E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G “ABCD” Architecture | Building | Construction | Design

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Phone: +91 11 4909 1754 | Mob.: 08800620720 | Email: press@buildingmaterialreporter.com

EVENTS

DELHI WITNESSES FIRST

ARCHITECT SUMMIT POST COVID

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www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

Leading Architects & Interior Designers from across the North India made their presence felt – Reports BMR

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t was that special evening of Oct 2021, when over 75 Architects & Interior Designers got together in Rastro Architect Summit 2021 at Hotel City Park in New Delhi’s Pitampura. Organised by Rastro Gallery, it was first-of-its-kind gathering of specifiers after the pandemic broke out and lock down imposed in March 2020. The reunion was a must because you can’t hug a friend / colleague on any social media platform. Building Material Reporter (BMR) was the exclusive media partner for the event.

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Through this event, we tried reconnecting the cord which was seemingly broken due to pandemic.

We are happy that these people loved to come together and agreed to grace the occasion.

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www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

Vinod Aggarwal, MD, Rastro Gallery, Mangolpuri found the stage apt to mark the celebration of Deepawali as well. “Through this event, we tried reconnecting the cord which was seemingly broken due to pandemic. We are happy that these people loved to come together and agreed to grace the occasion,” he said. The event also witnessed the facilitation of memories followed by award ceremony recognising the works of specifiers.

According to Vinod Aggarwal, to call these guests under one roof and pay them the much needed gratitude was long overdue. “We deal in luxury products in bath fittings, sanitaryware and tiles, and have always offered the best quality products to specifiers. The core value of this gallery is to touch & feel experience.

The gallery also enables visitors to visualise the actual beauty after installation of these building products.”

Ar. Abhishek Aggarwal, Ar. Gagan Kathuria, Ar. Rakesh Alawadhi, Anupam Bajaj, Deepika Bajaj, Ar. Gagan, Ar. Avish Kathuria, Ar.Neeraj Dhingra, Ar. Satish Yadav, Ar. Hitesh Gupta, Ar. Rritu Singh, Ar. Parvesh jain, Ar.Rajmohan, Ritesh Chhabra , Ekta Sharma, Ishita Arya, Mayank Aishwal & and many more made their presence felt while sharing their valuable thoughts with Building Material Reporter on Changing Trends & Post Covid Scenario in the World of Architecture & Interior Design, during the Rastro Architect Summit 2021.

www.buildingmaterialreporter.com | January - March 2022

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