(2015 November) Architect & Interiors India

Total number of pages 92

Inspiration and insight for architects and interior designers

Volume 7 | Issue 8 | November 2015 | `50

Published by ITP Publishing India

Tall buildings

Doors & windows

Vertical challenges

Open to technology

POWERED BY

POP

GOES THE EASEL

SODABOTTLEOPENERWALA, AN ODE TO THE IRANI CAFÉ CULTURE OF YORE, ADDS FIZZ TO THE RESTAURANT SCENE IN INDIA WITH QUIRKY GRAPHICS AND DESIGN ELEMENTS

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FOCUS TALL BUILDINGS

POWERED BY

AIM FOR THE SKY

HIGH-RISES, AN INEVITABLE REALITY IN URBANSCAPES, THRIVE ON TECHNOLOGY WHILE STRIVING TO BE GREEN

BY CAROL FERRAO

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1. High-rises depend on lightweight materials like glass and aluminium.

igh-rise buildings are becoming a common sight within urban spaces in India. Not surprisingly, we rank 17th in the world and 10th in Asia for the number of 150+m tall buildings, with 10 under-construction buildings expected to go above 300m. Building vertically has, both, advantages and challenges. Advocates of tall structures often emphasise the sustainable nature of these buildings and illustrate how ‘building tall’ will free up more space. Aesthetically, these structures stand testimony to innovative façade technologies and have become modern landmarks in our cities.

What is most impressive about high-rises is the level of sophistication required to construct and sustain such engineering marvels. Kedar Joshi, CMO, Ahuja Constructions, points out, “High-rise buildings are constructed with advanced construction techniques and high quality materials; with tests and comprehensive results obtained on various aspects.

The buildings owe their structural excellence to high-grade concrete, high-quality reinforcement steel along with the latest technology. The building’s basic design is thoroughly checked, wherein the wind direction, heat, rain and earth movement are analysed. Depending on the design and the nature of the project, various safety measures are incorporated into the high-rise structures.”

HIGHER REACH 2. Reza Kabul, director, ARK – Reza Kabul Architects.

3. Harjith D Bubber, MD & CEO, Rivali Park, CCI Projects.

If there is one technology that contributes directly and significantly to the success of tall structures, it is elevator technology. Harjith D Bubber, MD & CEO, Rivali Park, CCI Projects, reckons, “The basic fact is that the invention of elevators gave birth to tall buildings. Since the past 160 years,

ARCHITECT and INTERIORS INDIA | NOVEMBER 2015 | www.architectandinteriorsindia.com

there have been tremendous changes and innovations, which are shaping the way tall buildings are designed. Of course, elevators are not the only factors – but, yes, they have made a major contribution.”

Tall buildings require efficient vertical transportation systems. Advancements in elevator technology enable us to design taller energy-efficient structures. Talking about his upcoming project in Sri Lanka, architect Reza Kabul, director of ARK – Reza Kabul Architects, explains, “Altitude, our upcoming 363m-tall mixed-use high-rise in Colombo, has a total of 50 elevators catering to the different spaces and users. Varying in speeds from 4m/s to 8m/s, the elevators are designed with destination control systems for effective traffic movement. Two double-decker elevators serve to connect the 360-degree observatory at 350m to the entry levels at the base of the structure. Incorporating this technology enables us to cater to a higher number of people travelling to and fro, without additional burden on the structure of the tower.”

Elaborating on other recent advancements in this field, Kabul mentions that Alternating Current (AC) and gearless motors, regenerative drives, machine-room-less technology, and traffic management software can yield significant savings in the overall operating costs of the building. “Even the conventional steel belts have been replaced by composite materials, which are more tensile, durable and result in reduced loss of energy,” he adds.

With skyscrapers becoming more ambitious, the very technology that enables them can also restrict the ‘bigger dreams’. For an elevator to cover a distance of 500m, the weight of the steel ropes itself becomes so significant that additional ropes are needed to carry the ropes. Because of such upper limits, most supertall high-rises tend to have

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future, wherein it will be possible to travel up to 1,000m – twice as high as what’s possible today.

“The elevator sector has experienced many recent innovations that are having, and will have, a remarkable impact on tall buildings,” explains Dario Trabucco, research manager, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

Pointing out to other impressive innovations, Trabucco mentions, “The ‘Individualisation and access control system’ presented by Schindler aims at reducing the average number of stops in an elevator, thus resulting in quicker elevator rides and shorter waiting times (thus, less elevators in buildings).

Thyssenkrupp is now presenting the Multi system, which allows elevators to travel also horizontally and diagonally thanks to a linear induction motor. The advantage is that more than one car can run into a shaft.”

NEW-AGE BUILDING BLOCKS

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4. The 42-storey Transcon Triumph by ARK was awarded the ‘Best Residential High Rise Development - India’ at the Asia Pacific 2015 Awards.

5. ARK’s Altitude in Sri Lanka is a 383m-high iconic structure dedicated to the winners of 1996 World Cup.

changeover floors, where passengers board another set of elevators to access the higher floors. However, the upcoming The Kingdom Tower, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is expected to herald a new era in elevator technology. To-be-home to the world’s tallest lift at 660m height, it will also boast of the world’s fastest double-decker (with one passenger car attached on top of the other) travelling at 10m/sec.

This remarkable feat has been made possible by elevator giant Kone, with its latest innovation called Ultrarope – a material composed of carbon-fibre covered in a frictionproof coating. Released after nine years of rigorous testing, this new material weighs a seventh of the steel cables and it makes lifts of up to 1km (0.6 miles) in height a lot easier to build. It’s lightweight feature also makes it more energy efficient with twice the life span. It is less sensitive to building sway and can save up to 15% in energy consumption. Proud of its innovation, Kone believes this is the material of the

ARCHITECT and INTERIORS INDIA | NOVEMBER 2015 | www.architectandinteriorsindia.com

Just as the challenges related to vertical transportation are being mitigated with modern innovations, new lightweight construction materials are also aiding the quest to building tall. Gaurav Sanghavi, MD of Pentaspace, points out, “The use of carbon fibre, aluminium, glass and designed concrete are paving the way for high-rise buildings.” Concrete continues to be a favourite and go-to material in tall building construction, with lightweight aggregates and composite construction (concrete + large steel profile embedded in the concrete) refining this traditional building method. Trabucco adds, “Composite construction is now a very promising technology for very tall buildings. Also, damping systems are developing quickly, to respond to increased comfort requirements and to cope with buildings that are getting more and more slender.”

Glass, another lightweight material with aesthetic advantages, is also a popular choice of material in this arena.

Kabul reiterates, “The use of glass in architectural façades is a preferred option, as it reduces the weight on the foundation – making the building lighter as compared to constructing walls. There are variants available, which are sustainable and offer high insulation, heat and sound resistance, as well as reduce the amount and intensity of glare on the surrounding buildings. For Altitude, the structure is designed as an all reinforced concrete structure with high-grade concrete in combination with high-grade steel, glass, and aluminium – all key materials in tall building construction.”

Another preference is for technology and materials that speed up construction and allow for a more organised methodology. Bubber elaborates, “The innovation in the form work technology – like Mivan, jump forms shuttering, slip form, table form, etc. – have improved not only on time fac-

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6. The Kingdom Tower, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will be home to the world’s tallest lift at 660m height.

7. Dario Trabucco, research manager, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 8&9. Kone’s Ultrarope is less sensitive to building sway and can save up to 15% in energy consumption.

tor, but also on the quality of construction. The use of precast panels expedites the process of construction.”

Recognising Mivan technology as an excellent replacement for the conventional technology, Hiral Sheth, directorMarketing & Sales, Sheth Creators, mentions, “It has marked advantages of quality, time and requirement of skilled resources, as the structure is generally designed as load-bearing walls and slabs, and the whole assembly is shuttered and poured monolithically – giving a very distinctive advantage in terms of structural stability, both on lateral movements, seismic forces and effect of wind forces on high-rise building. Mivan technology is currently utilised in three of our projects Auris Serenity, Vasant Oasis and Beaupride.”

THE GREEN PROMISE For skyscrapers to call themselves sustainable might seem a tall order – atleast for some of us – but its proponents are striving to reduce the negative impacts of building such structures. Today, tall buildings are being packed with as many Green features as possible. Whether it is pre-fab technology that eliminates debris, Green materials, energy saving equipment, or even facilities such as rainwater harvesting and solar panels; the tall brigade is embracing as many sustainable elements as possible. “An effective architectural design is one that minimises the negative environmental

ARCHITECT and INTERIORS INDIA | NOVEMBER 2015 | www.architectandinteriorsindia.com

impact with the efficient and moderate use of resources, energy, as well as space,” defines Kabul.

The architect goes on to note that the recent phenomenon of vertical mixed-use developments presents itself with potential and advantage over the typical single-use structures, making them the next step for sprawling urban cities. “Instead of spreading horizontally, vertical mixed-use developments make efficient use of existing and available landmass,” he adds. “One of the main advantages of vertical transportation is that it drastically decreases the time taken from point A to point B. This directly results in lower fuel consumption and pollution levels, and decrease in the burden on public infrastructure. The landmass that is made available on account of vertically stacking the users can be utilised for green open spaces.”

Trabucco, on the other hand, admits that tall buildings address the call to sustainability partially – mainly by reducing the use of land and compacting services in dense areas of cities, thus decreasing transportation needs. “They are not addressing the topic comprehensively because they are not designed considering the whole life cycle of the building, but just its occupancy phase. Tall buildings need to integrate sustainable materials (wood, maybe?) and need to facilitate their adaptability first, but also their ultimate dismantling and recycling of the materials,” he states.

Pentaspace’s Sanghavi concurs that while building tall is the logical way forward in these times of rapid urbanisation, “sustainability at the human level is still not addressed sufficiently.” However, there is no denying that sustainability is being achieved at different levels through materials, energy savings, alternative resources; and that extensive research is being pursued in all departments of high-rise building.

In order to embrace sustainability more boldly, tall buildings have also been incorporating the use and generation of renewable energy into the design. Solar panels and even wind turbines are showcased as the project’s USP. The question the architecture community has been asking is, how practical and truly beneficial is this addition. Bubber admits, “It is holistic and depends on the way it is thought about in terms of usage. No doubt, many developments have done it just for sake of it.”

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MAKING OF A HIGH-RISE Atlus is an upcoming 53-storey residential project in Worli

by Ahuja Constructions, and designed by Palmer & Turner Architects, Singapore. In order to mitigate the impact of wind pressures that exist at higher altitudes, a wind tunnel test was conducted by UK-based BMT Fluid Mechanics and its findings were applied to reinforce the structure. Along with this, appropriate steps were taken to make the building earthquake resistant as well. Since the elevators used by the residents open directly into the living room, besides being operated only by biometric access, Ahuja Constructions has also introduced a feature that allows one to lock the elevator doors from inside the house as well. This feature of internal locking of a lift door has been specially commissioned to Mitsubishi and is the first of its kind in India.

For fire safety, a smoke detector has been installed at each level of the habitable and amenities floors. There is also a heat detector at the basement ground floor and podium levels for the various building service areas. In addition to this, there is a gas detector in the kitchen/pantry. Once triggered, it will automatically activate the fire alarm system, which in turn would control the functioning of various other systems such as the Air Handling Units. The Treated Fresh Air of the affected zones or apartments will be shut off and the fire pumps (sprinklers of common areas/hydrants as applicable) of the affected zone will be activated. Lift-well pressurisation fans will be turned on to prevent the smoke from accumulating, and a homing device will take the lift to the nearest floor. Various other lift operations would be controlled from the fire alarm system panel and the service elevators will act as fire operation elevators.

A PA system will be activated informing individuals about the details of the fire and provide instructions as to how to get to the nearest refuge areas. On the exterior of the building, there is also a provision for an external fire protection with yard hydrants on the ground floor.

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10. Private elevators at Atlus,

by Ahuja Constructions, will feature one-of-its-kind internal locking.

11. Kedar Joshi, CMO, Ahuja Constructions.

12. High-rises are designed as mixed-use developments – like the Twin Towers in Kandivli by Pentaspace.

Experts opine that such solutions can provide extremely limited percentage of the required energy for a tall building.

The alternative, according to Trabucco, is to invest the same amount of money to create a photovoltaic array in a more suitable location (“with the right angle, with no shadows, in a place with a clearer sky with less dust/pollution”). He recommends, “It would result in a much higher production of electricity. The same applies to wind turbines. Combine heat and power cells instead, for it seems to be an effective solution for an efficient use of energy.”

The infrastructure of a high-rise is aiming to be self-sufficient in terms of its basic energy requirements. In the future, tall structures hope to be capable of generating additional units, and this advantage can be passed on to the smaller establishments in the vicinity or to the grid itself.

“The idea behind using alternate energy sources in Altitude (the ARK project in Colombo, Sri Lanka) is to make the project self-sustainable. Wind turbines have been incorporated in the higher handle levels of the structure, with the shape of the structure acting as a natural wind catchment area. The glass dome that houses the indoor cricket academy has photovoltaic cells which also generate electricity,” explains Kabul, “The multi-storey parking façade and natural atmospheric pressure are to be used to lower the temperature of the water for the air-conditioning plant, instead of using large fans.”

ARCHITECT and INTERIORS INDIA | NOVEMBER 2015 | www.architectandinteriorsindia.com

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TOP 10 UNDER-CONSTRUCTION TALL BUILDINGS 1 World One 2017 442m Mumbai 2 Three Sixty West Tower B 2017 361m Mumbai 3 Orchid Crown Tower A 2016 337m Mumbai 4 Orchid Crown Tower B 2016 337m Mumbai 5 Palais Royale 320m Mumbai 6 Omkar 1973 Worli Tower B 2017 320m Mumbai 7 Lokhandwala Minerva 2016 307m Mumbai 8 Brys Buzz 2017 300m Greater Noida 9 Supernova Spira 2017 300m Noida 10 Omkar 1973 Worli Tower A 2017 300m Mumbai Information: courtesy www.regions.ctbuh.org/india

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13. Rivali Park uses 30% less water through high-tech plumbing fixtures, apart from VOC-free non-toxic paints, adhesives and sealants.

14. Gaurav Sanghavi, MD, Pentaspace.

15. Hiral Sheth, directorMarketing & Sales, Sheth Creators.

16. Mivan technology is being used to build Aurus Serenity by Sheth Creators.

Despite all the great promise tall buildings seem to offer, one of its greatest inhibitors in the country is believed to be the legislative norms. Sanghavi mentions, “The norms are still not effective. They are unable to keep pace with the market demand and trends. Speedy approval through required committees is still a challenge.” A lack of concise guidelines and adequate understating of high-rise construction among the hierarchy is, on one hand, affecting holistic tall constructions and, on the other, creating haphazard construction practices.

Home to eight of the ten upcoming (under-construction) 300+m tall buildings in the country, Mumbai has to deal with the lack of proper supporting infrastructure and the need for sensitivity to its heritage precincts. Not long ago, the High Court stalled a high-rise project near the Khotachiwadi heritage precinct – citing issues with fire safety, stating that the construction could not proceed until a 30ft-wide road was available (as opposed to the current road width of 10ft). The realtors, of course, considered this requirement unnecessary and inhibiting to further development in the area. According to them, the project was equipped with sufficient modern fire-fighting solutions.

ARCHITECT and INTERIORS INDIA | NOVEMBER 2015 | www.architectandinteriorsindia.com

“There is a lot of inconsistency and uncertainty in the current legislative norms that eventually slow down tall building construction,” states Kabul, who has over the years successfully built many high-rises in the country.

“For instance, there is a lot of back and forth in the height restrictions set by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

At times, a building in close proximity to the airport receives a clearance for 150m, but one that is in some area further away doesn’t.”

The architect known for his tall buildings adds, “Another factor that slows down the clearance process is the committee appointed for high-rises. It is a futile process of going through the entire clearance process with a review committee that has no final authority. You go to the committee, they disagree with your design, and you go back to the drawing board to re-work the design. In several cases, the process of changing one element results in a change in the overall structure and design of the building. The whole process is a sheer waste of time, energy and resources.” Instead, Kabul suggests that there should be guidelines and mandatory minimum requirements, collectively laid down, so that it allows you to design and puts everyone at par.

Amidst all these local challenges and hostility, India will soon see some impressive tall buildings in its major cities.

Expected to be completed in the next two years, these tall structures have a lot of expectations to fulfill and their success could pave the way for more innovations in the field.

When asked which three tall structures the community of developers and architects are most looking forward to, Bubber mentions, “Personally, it would be World 1-Lodha — the way the final product looks will be more crucial; Imperial 3 by SD Corporation; and the proposed tall tower in GIFT City, Ahmedabad.”

For Trabucco, it’s not the actual buildings that he is looking forward to – but certain inventions in tall construction.

He explains, “One of the buildings I would like to see in the near future would be a timber tall building. It would be a building where wood is used to substitute a part of the usual non-renewable materials like concrete, steel, aluminium and plasterboard. Timber actually represents a percentage close to 0% in tall buildings. Even a partial change or replacement of other materials with wood, let’s say 10-20%, would define (to my eyes) a timber tall building.

“The next invention would be a Life-Cycle tall building – a building that is designed considering its entire life cycle, from the production of its materials to its demolition and recycling of those materials.” Let’s hope that happens. A&I