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Discrete Dimension Enough of the looking outwards for inspiration, it’s time to look within and see what could be hidden unexplored from the view so far. It’s time to broaden our horizons! No more can we let our designs be limited to what is in trend or just follow the west blindly.
Photo: Piero Mancheni Product displayed: Natuzzi leather sofa, Milan
Creativity is seeking pure forms but with a scientific twist, as seen at Interzum this year, be it wood that bends, natural fungi infested designs, almost invisible fittings, light emitting wood, and more. Old materials are being revisited and explored in new ways. Indian participation has increased in most of the design led foreign exhibitions. We found distributors and importers queuing up to meet material manufacturers. While this is positive for business, yet I would like to take your attention to another dimension.
We are all part of the Architecture & Design fraternity of India. Each one of us is responsible for how India would develop in this arena. While it is absolutely fine to bring new materials & innovations from other parts of the world, it is equally important to check the ground beneath us. We are a creative & prosperous country with rich art & heritage. While we feel enlightened to see the innovations in materials & designs globally, it is equally important to explore options and create new ideas with the already available materials in our country. I would urge the big & capable Distributors and Showrooms of India to pursue, display & create space for India’s locally made products. Indian designers should spend more time in global environment to learn how to make quality products, rather than just checking trends. Imagine a situation wherein we are moving around the world for checking different innovations and sourcing of products, while at the same time, the world is visiting our country and importing a vast variety of architectural & interior products made by us or sold through us. As long as it will be one sided, we will not be able to touch the realm of perfection as a Design fraternity. Perform or perish is the mantra. The devastations caused in the recent earthquakes in Nepal ask the question again, ‘Are we safe from natural disasters and calamities?’ The hud hud cyclone in Vizag questions the kind of materials used and quality of construction in high risk zones like these. We covered a special feature on this. Our architect featured this month is none other than Ar. Manit Rastogi, a person who has been known for his uncompromising attitude towards sustainability. ‘Fresh air, clean water, walking without the threat of being run over and killed - are the basic rights my city should give, without which there is no notion of even a city let alone a Smart city,” says Manit. These aside, check out this month’s Surfaces Reporter Rising Star - Ar. Shweta Balasubarmoni from Hyderabad. Keep reading Surfaces!
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 10
Vol. 5 Issue-2 AUGUST 2015
press@surfaces.in
10 - Editorial 16-18 Content in visuals 28- Readers’ comments ceo & editor
vertica dvivedi
vertica@surfaces.in material stories & market analysis pragath bureau chief madhurima chowdhury madhu@surfaces.in editorial support rajiv parashar, info@surfaces.in sr. feature writer komal gupta design eyeq advt vikas saini content communication press@surfaces.in
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encyclopedias, industry experts, Surfaces and other designs from Interzum 2015, roof, disasterresistant structures, consultmcg, prnewswire, facilitiesnet, rogersroofing, general news websites for updates; wikipedia, various blogs, research, some images from web, interviews, all for the sake of disipating information. Editorial & correspondence, f-1118, chittaranjan park, new delhi-110019 email: vertica@surfaces.in, printed at Karan Printers F-29/2 Phase II Okhla New Delhi-110020 and published from f-1118, chittaranjan park, new delhi-19 by pragath dvivedi on behalf of bigsea marcom (i) pvt. ltd. we accept unsolicted material but do not take the responsibility for the authenticity of the same. the views expressed in the columns of surfaces reporter are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher & they accept no responsibility for them. we ensure that colour is matching but take no responsibility for complete matching. final decisions should not be done about colour without seeing real product/sample. every design showcased is not about what is available in india-it may as well be for inspiration. no part of this magazine including advertisements design, prepared by us or through us should be copied, reproduced or transmitted by anyone without prior written permission of the publisher. the magazine is not responsible for the opinions & ideas presented on the following pages. all disputes regarding this magazine will be settled in delhi (india) jurisdiction only.
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Must Read
An interview with Ar. Manit Rastogi • The knowledge system created by Morphogenesis to bridge the gap between academic know-how & on-the-job experience. • How well-groomed & ready are our architecture students?
Roofing • Latest materials for roofing. • Beautiful & innovative roofs across the world.
Earhquake • However horrific it may sound, Surfaces Reporter has compiled an article to take you to the positive developments.
CONTENT SUBMISSION Submit content at PRESS@SURFACES.in
CONTENT Showcase 25-78
Material Market 79-106 79 10 on 10 with Dr. Shailesh Kr. Agarwal, Executive Director, Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council
31 Surfaces Reporter’s exclusive coverage- Interzum 2015, 34 Indian brands spotted at Interzum, 35 Best of Greenlam Laminates @Interzum 2015, 38 Interesting world of 3D Printing, 40 Interzum awards Best of the best- Radiant by Alpi S.p.A, 41 No scratch Nano-material- Fenix NTM by Arpa, 42 Foam of wood by Holzforschung, 43 Moving furniture intelligentlyOctoflex by Octo Actuators, 44 Organoid Acoustic panels made from hay!, 45 Invisible Connector- Lamello & The super- flexible mattress - Biaxial, 46 MineralVeneer substitute for plastic surface by richter akustik & Just like moving in air- Air Motion by Shock Metal 49 High Product Quality AwardWood that resists flame- Becker Incender Plus, 50 The Flexible WoodPly Project, 52 Soft Pebble by DesleeClama & CLEAF - light-weight green wood, 53 ChiselledTM by Formica Group & Cork by ATM GmbH, 54 InLine S by Hettich & Decorative paper composite panels by Takumi, 55 G-Effect non-PVC film by Toppan & HOX by Woodbox, 56 No tool system & Nova Pro Scala by Grass, 57 Melitex by Innortex & Neelsen Sol2- no fingerprint furniture, 58 Plan.a Handle Doors & Pulse Fusion for Strong Bedding, 59 Novoryt Forte- Magical Filler for wood defects & Pianovo- Lackmatt Mix & Match by Niemann, 60 Stepwood by Franz Kolar & Meandra by Pfleiderere, 61 Roto by Effegi Brevetti & Spalted Beech veneer by Mehling & Wiesmann, 62 Zero Edge by Niemann & BOXMAX- uniqueb storage for kitchen, 63 Tip on Blumotion by Blum & Twist by Bachmann, 64 Bark Light by Leucht Natur, 65 Intriguing Surfaces @Interzum, 66 Konold, R. ulrich veneer, Egger & Decolan, 67 R. Ulrich, H.Schubert,
A straight-forward interaction to know the development we are making in the alternate building material sector.
82 Frontrunner- Golden Locks Vikalp Gupta, Director talks about Big size designer handles.
84 Roofing- Materials, Design and Innovation A comprehensive story on Roofing materials, different designs and innovations happening along with Industry output & unique roofing projects across the world.
96 Disaster Management- Are we safe? In the afternath of Nepal tragedy, SURFACES REPORTER talked to people who are researching and creating buildings that are safer to live. An exclusive report.
104 Kitchen Korner- Envisaging Kitchens of 2021 by IKEA How are we going to behave in the most functional & interactive part of our house; a research and concepts developed by IKEA with IDEO and students of Lund and Eindhoven universities.
Worx 107-124
107 Wonder Worx- Ar. Manit Rastogi, Founder Partner, Morphogensis, Delhi
BauschLinnemann & Konrad Hornschuch, 68 VD Werkstätten, Homapal, Decospan & Imi-beton, 69 Auberdem, Europlac & Koch Furniere, 70 Decor Paper Design by Schattdecor, 71 Designer Furnishing surfaces by Impress Decor, 73 Engineered Floors by Mikasa, 74 DuPontTM Corian®- Solid Surface that has changed the way facades were perceived, 76 Synchronised Laminates from Amulya Mica
In a candid interaction, Ar. Manit Rastogi shared Indian defination of sustainable architecture and more...
120 Rising Star- Ar. Shweta Balasubramoni, Vistaar Associates, Hyderabad
FACES FINDER
107 Ar. Manit Rastogi
79 Dr. Shailesh Kr. Agarwal
Morphogenesis, New Delhi
Executive Director, Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council
99 Dr. Pankaj Agarwal
Professor at the Department of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
99 Amit Goyal
Assistant Professor, NITTTR, Chandigarh
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 14
102 RK Arora
Managing Director, Supertech, Delhi
120 Ar. Shweta Balasubramoni Vistaar Associates, Hyderabad
100 Sohan Hatangadi
Environmentalist and member of Indian National Trust For Art And Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
“And More Inside”
CONTENT in Visual- I Best Material & Surfaces Exclusively Picked from Interzum 2015
40 Translucent wood
65 44 Acoustic panel from hay!
60
Stepwood that 50 wood can be bent!
66 43
Furniture with Intelligence
3D Surfaces
67
Bark Light AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 16
64
BENGALURU 09, 10, 11 - OCT, 2015 STALL NO. : E 7 (HALL No. 3) MUMBAI 29, 30, 31 - OCT & 01 NOV, 2015 STALL NO. : H 3A (HALL No. 6)
DELHI 17, 18, 19, 20 - DEC 2015 STALL NO. : D 30 (HALL No. 12)
CONTENT in Visual- II
107
Special rendezvous with Ar. Manit Rastogi Founding Partner, Morphogenesis, Delhi
84
99
Special Story on Roofing
Designing Safe Structures
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 18
Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur
What a city learnt from HudHud cyclone 100
Star 120 Rising Vistaar Associates, Hyderabad
Concrete Tiles
Elabana
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Clay Tiles
Coppo Domus
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Bulletin
StoneCycling
converting demolition waste into stones
O
ne of the major environment concerns of today is the waste generated out of construction and demolition. This waste is a health hazard which is why constant efforts are being made to reuse and recycle such waste. One such effort is StoneCycling, blocks created out of industrial and demolition waste which can be effectively used into surface materials and tiles. For his graduation project Tom van Soest - Co-founder of the company & at that time, a student of Design Academy, Eindhoven, Netherland, focused on circular transformation of the building sector. In Eindhoven, many buildings were left behind empty. Lack of users, bad quality of the buildings and perhaps a belief in the ever-growing real estate market created a situation of buildings becoming obsolete and therefore demolished. Debates about how to go about this development were held everywhere, also at the Design Academy. For Tom, the solution was clear: perhaps the buildings are waste, but if you find value in the materials they are made of, the situation will change drastically. This led to the birth of StoneCycling in 2012. StoneCycling found a way to use demolition and industrial waste as raw materials for creating products with higher value. Soest developed a method to pulverise waste building materials from building sites – ranging from bricks to concrete to glass – to create a new type of stone that can be turned into products like surface materials and tiles. According to the manufacturers, these WasteBasedBricks, available in various sizes, can be used for facades, interior and exterior. They are now working on the first projects in the Netherlands and UK.
Stonecycling Team with Tom van Soest (m), Ward Massa, Marketing (l) & Jasper Brommet, Sales(r).
Mushroom™- Made of 100% waste material.
Salami™- Made of 60% waste material.
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 24
Bulletin
Entries called for CP Kukreja Awards for Design Excellence 2015 CP Kukreja Architects (CPKA) is one of the major architecture & Design firms of India. An initiative of the firm, CP Kukreja Awards for Design Excellence 2015 is a prestigious design competition award conducted by Foundation for Design Excellence in collaboration with Festival of Architecture and Interior Designing (FOAID) 2015. The award is a significant attempt in encouraging the role of Youth in imagining future of the built environment.
more sustainable and livable urban environments. The entries can focus on Public Art, Interior Design, Urban Design, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Conservation and Public Health Engineering and is open to all undergraduate students of the above-said disciplines who are either studying in South Asia or are of South Asian nationality studying in any institution abroad, both the above cases leading to a professional degree in the concerned discipline.
According to the architecture firm, with urban challenges like pollution, lack of civic awareness, depleting natural resources and urban waste generation on the rise, it is time that a serious thought is given to the future health of our cities. Based on any of the above said challenges, the competition invites entries that provide smart, ecology–efficient and economic solutions that can ensure a healthy development for our cities for coming generations. The designs can vary from Ideas or Concepts to Design Models which can be devised as solutions for a particular urban issue. The solution can even be an artistic model that can act as an ensemble for spreading awareness or educating people the ill-effects of unsustainable methods of development as well as the methods of creating
The registrations are held open since May 07, 2015 and will continue till August 17, 2015. The result will be declared on September 10, 2015 with award ceremony be held on September 25, 2015. The winner of the competition will get a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000 along with an opportunity for internship or work experience at CP Kukreja Architects or any renowned artist in South Asia (preferential considerations applicable). Also, 10 selected entries will be declared as Special Mentions and will be duly published in website of FOAID and CPKA, as well as other websites or magazines of leading publications in South Asia. The Registration and submission ID is cpkawards2015@gmail.com. For more info log on to www.facebook.com/cpkukrejaawards2015
Travel to know World Architecture World architecture travel (WAT) a unique travel portal by Ar. Brijesh Shaijal that explores architecture & culture. The initiative is supported by The World Architecture Festival (WAF), the annual festival and awards ceremony for the architecture industry dedicated to celebrating and sharing architectural excellence from across the globe. WAT reaches out to individuals with a passion for architecture, urban design and culture. Travels to areas of modern architecture, unexplored places are organised with a team of experienced architects, historians and academicians by WAT. The initiative is supported by WAF and has inked a strategic brand alliance to offer a host of benefits to architectural travellers. Ar. Shaijal, says, "I am passionate about both, architecture and travel. My quest for anything new and different has taken me to more than 40 countries but what really becomes a part of me is what each city has to offer me – the warmth, kindness and love. For me learning is a never ending process and the best teaching comes from travelling."
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 26
The upcoming travel destinations for WAT are: Japan, Singapore andVietnam. The travel will offer diverse, unique, modern and historical experiences in Japan. It will stop towards the end of the journey to SINGAPORE for the WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL – 2015. Post WAF another trip to the astonishingly exotic country of Vietnam will be held.
readers comments The comments given here are picked from Surfaces Reporter’s social media page...
You guys are just getting better with each passing day! Ar. Lalita Tharani, Co-Founder, Collaborative Architecture, Mumbai
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Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (extra-ordinarily good). Naresh Sharma, New Delhi
I am really happy that I could be a part of one of the issues of Surfaces Reporter. Kripa Sam Varghese, NOAHS Arch, Ernakulam
Surfaces Reporter is surely moving in the right effort gives good result! direction. Classy in thoughts, action and design! Great Mahesh Kumar Punkhai, Mumbai Rajiv Mehta, Founder & CEO, Karigar Interiors
Irregular Delivery of the magazine. Hamza Limdiwala, Dahod, Gujarat
Surfaces Reporter is getting better with every issue! Renu Misra, MD, Grohe India
(We are thankful for your opinion that gave us an opportunity to quickly look over the system and make the necessary corrections. Surfaces Reporter welcomes such complaints. We request our subscribers to please feel free to post any such complaints at office@surfaces.in. Be assured about immediate action!. - Admin, Surfaces Reporter.)
Surfaces Reporter July 2015 had an Astonishing Cover! Ines Silva, Covet Lounge, Barcelona
Surfaces Reporter Magazine brings the matchless content every time with each issue that no other magazine does in this segment! Girish Miglani, New Delhi
Stupenda Superficia! (‘Stunning Surface’.) Sergio Sacchetti
Every edition of Surfaces is very informative.
Mahesh Talreja, Mumbai
Thank you all for your valuable comments! Write your opinion to us at- press@surfaces.in You surely inspire us!!! august 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 28
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Interesting insights from INTERZUM 2015
The success of recently concluded Interzum 2015, can be gauged from the fact that more than 57,500 industry visitors from 143 countries visited the furniture and technology extraveganza. With 1,561 exhibitors from 57 countries, the fair received 41,000 visitors from abroad, an increase of 17 percent from last year. The market leaders in the respective industry alongside many small and medium-sized companies have registered in all of the trade fair's segments, from function & components with covers, built-in furniture parts, glass and light to Materials & Nature with woodbased materials, veneers, natural materials, decorative surfaces and laminates as well as Textile & Machinery with upholstery and covering materials, leather and more. Visitors from India also increased considerably almost 34 percent from last year showing Indian's increasing interest in global trends. Some of the trends witnessed at Interzum 2015: Customization: Across-the-board diversity, even production runs of one! New, bold combinations, original ideas, colour trends of the future, decor concepts, designs, patterns. Big emphasis on design expertise despite principally technological functions. Conservative use of materials: From the screw to the lightweight panel, from leather cutting to intelligent foam materials/foams inspired by nature, with internal cavities but stable nevertheless. Resource conservation: Technical refinement of materials as well as of manufacturing and recycling processes. Demographic change/Mobility: Sit-to-stand assists, castors, fittings to facilitate the easy disassembly and transportation of sofas, simple usability and a focus on comfort. Connectivity: Apps, Bluetooth and WiFi for lighting control, locks on furniture and adjusting height levels. Plus an ever increasing diversity of software for customised ordering, e.g. levels of mattress firmness. Technologies of the future: 3D-printing, a technology currently making inroads into many areas of production, design in particular. SURFACES REPORTER presents to you an exclusive run down of INTERZUM 2015 with a comprehensive coverage of the Interzum awards.
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 31
Winners of Interzum awards - Intelligent material & design
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 32
Interzum Visitors
MD of Stylam Industries Limited Jagdish Gupta (R) along with Directors, Manit Gupta, Manav Gupta (L & centre)
S. P. Bhasin, President, Marketing and Corporate Strategy, Associate DĂŠcor Limited
Rakesh Agarwal, MD, Purbanchal Laminates Pvt. Ltd.
Vishal Dokania, (L) Director, and Janak Vyas from Durian Laminates along with dealers from Russia.
Manish Maheshwari (L) & Prashant Maheshwari (R), Directors of Ventura International along with Bharat Sheth (C), veneer expert from Mumbai
(L) Ramesh Patel from Stellar, Hyderabad; Suveneer Mumbai’s Mr. Vipul and Hitesh Patel from Pune
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 34
Keyur Gajjar, Rushil Thakkar and Jikesh Thakkar from Vir Laminates at Interzum 2015.
Best of Surfaces
Best of Greenlam laminates
@Interzum 2015
Greenlam Industries, one of the leading laminate and plywood brand of the country showcased its’ premium category at Interzum, world’s leading fair for furniture and interior décor held at Cologne, Germany. They created an interesting and interactive, 120 square metre experiential zone - Greenlam Deli and showcased Decorative Laminates, Specialty Laminates & Allied products like Compact Laminates, Façade Cladding etc. With over 57,500 visitors from 143 countries Greenlam’s Deli concept evinced a lot of interest and intrigue from audiences. The concept was keeping in
mind the assortment of laminations available in the Greenlam portfolio that would be suitable to cater to different taste buds. Amongst the 1561 exhibitors from 57 countries Greenlam was the largest Indian exhibitor. Speaking about the exhibit, Parul Mittal- Director Marketing & Design, Greenlam said, “Platforms such as Interzum offer an opportunity to showcase our best and take Indian trends to the world. It also gives us a chance to share best practices with some of the world’s leading players in the home and interior sector.”
Enthusiatic Greenlam Team at Interzum 2015 along with Directors Saurabh Mittal & Parul Mittal (extreme right).
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 35
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interesting world of 3D printing Innovation of interior presented various concepts and vast array of products made with 3D Printing and technology. Visitors were delighted to see the variety of materials and structures done in 3D as shown by experts in the field. About 70 exhibits were displayed at the Piazza. 3D printing is the new design wave where using additive process, live objects are created from a digital file by laying down successive layers of material until the entire object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object. The virtual design is made in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) file using a 3D modeling program (for the creation of a totally new object) or with the use of a 3D scanner (to copy an existing object). A 3D scanner makes a 3D digital copy of an object. Recently, many IT companies like Microsoft (Kinect) and Google enabled their hardware to perform 3d scanning. Prices of 3d scanners range from very expensive professional industrial devices to 30 USD DIY devices anyone can make at home. Now from small objects to whole buildings are being visualized using 3D printer and the time will soon come when we will see it happening. Till then, a glimpse of what 3D Printing has made during Interzum.
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 38
of best best The INTERZUM Award, which was organised by Koelnmesse in cooperation with Red Dot for the 8th time, recognizes innovative products that marry functionality with unparalleled quality. This year, the jury of experts assessed 269 products from 21 countries. 59 products were ultimately awarded a title, with nine receiving the “Best of the best” award for excellent design achievements that set new standards in their field. The jury for the interzum award included Mårten Claesson, Architect and Designer, Claesson Koivisto Rune, Sweden; Martin Ballendat, Designer, Design Ballendat, Germany & Austria; Birgit Schwarzkopf, Interior Designer, Schwarzkopf Innenarchitektur, Germany; Dick Spierenburg, Designer Spierenburg studio, The Netherlands & Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, Founder and CEO of Red Dot, Germany.
Radiant:
Wood that lets light to pass through! Radiant is an innovative composite veneer which is laced with transparent polycarbonate lines allowing light to pass through. This type of production process makes the wood translucent and thus produces interesting effects in the field of interior design. Radiant can be produced from a large range of ALPIlignum veneers; furthermore, the number and interval of the lines can be individually determined. Product- Radiant by ALPI S.p.A., Italy Contact- www.alpi.it
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 40
Best of Surfaces Fenix NTM:
'No' scratch Nano-Tech Material FENIX NTM is an innovative nanotech material for interior design with an extremely matt, silky surface combined with a high degree of functionality. Nanotechnology is involved in the manufacture using next-generation resins. This technology makes the surface resistant to scratching or finger marks and allows micro-scratches to be corrected thermally. Its surface properties make it a high performance material which is versatile in use. Product- FENIX NTM by Arpa Industriale S.p.A., Italy Contact- arpa@arpaindustriale.com
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 41
SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
Foam of wood Most insulating materials are made of petrochemical plastics, hence aren’t very climate-friendly. However, this wood foam combines the material properties of oil-based hard foams with high environmental compatibility. The foam material is based on pure wood and does not require raw petrochemical additives, since the wood itself provides the structural component (Cellulose) as well as the setting property. The wood foam can be used as base for light building materials and later be recycled without problem. Product- Wood Foam by Fraunhofer-Institut für Holzforschung WKI, Germany Contact- www.wki.fraunhofer.de AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 42
Best of Surfaces
Octoflex:
Moving furniture intelligently Octoflex is a central drive unit with flexible power transmission elements (Flex Connect) which can transfer the adjusting forces at various positions when moving a furniture unit. The unusually strong Octoflex concept places the power via variably adjustable levers to the precise position where it is needed and converts it efficiently and quietly into an adjusting movement of the furniture. Product- Octoflex ‘The ulta flat IntelliDrive’ by OCTO Actuators GmbH, Germany www.octo-actuators.de
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 43
SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
Organoid:
Acoustic panels made from hay!
For these acoustic elements, Organoid surfaces are used. These are surfaces of natural materials such as fragrant mountain hay, lavender stems or jasmine blossoms which also act as sound absorbers according to the Helmholtz principle. The desired acoustic performance can be realised with the corresponding absorber, depending on the slit and borehole of the support material. Product- Image Obsorber Organoid accoustic panels, Austria Contact- info@organoids.at
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 44
Best of Surfaces
Invisible connector Divario P-18 is a self-tightening, invisible connector for insertion and is equally suitable for highly mechanised production with CNC technology as it is with manual production. It offers the possibility of sliding in panel shelving or a partition into a previously assembled unit. Divario P-18 tensions the components when inserted and thus assures stability and cleanly finished joints. Product- Divario P -18 by Lamello AG, Switzerland Contact- info@lamello.com
The super-flexible mattress-Biaxial Biaxial is a collection of knitted mattress fabrics which follow the flexibility of the mattress core and are thus very suitable for particularly ergonomic mattress concepts. The fabrics feature a high level of point elasticity and can be stretched up to 50 per cent in all directions. Biaxial is furthermore pressure resistant, so that the fabric always finds its way back to its original shape, even after years of usage. www.desleeclama.com
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 45
SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
Self- Cleaning:
Substitute for plastic surface MineralVeneer is a homogeneous mineral surface, 0.9 mm thick and developed as a substitute for plastic surfaces. The cement-bound mineral fibre surface is vapour-permeable and in exposure to light is self-cleaning by photo catalysis. Scratches on the water-resistant surface can be easily removed by repair work. The mineral layer can be processed with woodworking machines. Product- MineralVeneer by Richter akustik & design, Germany Contact- info@richter-akustik-design.de
Sliding system:
Just like moving in air
The Air Motion smooth-running sliding systems present a new generation with improved properties on the basis of classical telescopic rail profiles running on ball bearings. They offer quiet operation and high resilience, a pleasant feel and long life. The Air Motion ball bearings can be individually configured as required, enhanced with powder coated surface or with locking and damping systems. Product- Air Motion Ball bearing slide by Schock Metal, Germany info@schock-metall.de
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 46
Best Best ofof Surfaces Surfaces
highproduct quality Other than the Nine ‘Best of the Best’, the Jury granted award for special design achievements in form and function to 50 entries. Due to space constraint, SURFACES REPORTER cannot show every winner, yet we have picked the most notable among them in no particular order.
wood that resists flames!
Becker Incendur Plus is a flame-resistant moulded wood from which bowls, seats and backrests for rail vehicles as well as luggage racks and interior design panels can be manufactured. The stable, light and haptically pleasing material conforms to DIN EN 45545-2 fire protection standards as well as all demands for danger class HL 2 and installation in rail traffic as in the object. Before processing, the beech wood or other decorative veneers are made flame-proof in a special process and then powerfully pressed with glue so that they can be fully further processed, stained and painted. Product- Becker Incendur Plus by Becker Brakel, Germany Contact- info@becker-kg.de
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 49
SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
The Fl
w e l b i ex
Wood is considered as a rigid material; hard to bend. However, PLY PROJECT, Germany has created FLEX, an innovative construction panel which is simple and particularly flexible to process. The individual panels are manufactured from precisely cut plywood and foam layers and bonded together in such a way that they do not have a rigid, but rather receive a slightly springy structure, meaning they are eminently suitable for use in furniture design and in interior concepts. The result is a flat, resilient surface which provides not only an aesthetic and organically natural appearance but also achieves a reassessment of plywood. FLEX Screen is lightweight, self-supported, and easily transported. The flexible panel is simply detached and rolled up, depending on the events. With the installed joint system, you can connect as many panels. Comes in the varied height of 1600, 1700 and 1900 cm with 900 cm width and 19mm thickness, the screen is used as room divider for use in restaurants or workspaces. Material- Wood & Veneer- European Oak, Canadian Maple, American Cherry & Walnet; Foam in black, white and grey. info@plyproject.com
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d o o
Best of Surfaces
Precisely cut plywood and foam layers are bonded together in such a way that the panels thus created do not have a rigid, but a slightly springy structure. With the installed joint system, you can connect as many panels as you want.
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SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
Soft Pebble:
3D Pebble wall fabric “Soft Pebble” from the DC Metamorphosis series is an innovative wall system of fabric material. Its doublesided knitted upholstery is characterised by a calming 3D design with pebbles, alluding to Zen gardens, standing for strength and durability. Thanks to its elasticity, the DC Metamorphosis blends effortlessly in every form and without a seam, a stitch or a fold. The stylish fabric is available in various colours and is easy to work with. The walls are covered in no time and the fabric can be taken down just as quickly and used again. Product- Soft Pebble by DesleeClama, Belgium www.desleeclama.com
Cleaf:
Light-Weight Green Wood Engineered Strand Board is a modified OSB (Oriented Strand Board) coated with melamine. With a weight of 500 kg/m3, it weighs on average 25 per cent less than the usual chipboard and also possesses good mechanical properties. It is completely formaldehyde-free, water-repelling, FSC certified and is 100 per cent made, from environmentally compatible and rapidly renewable sources such as poplars, whose life cycle is less than ten years, in Italy. It is suitable for all CLEAF decors and structures. Product- (ESB) Engineered Strand Board by CLEAF S.p.A., Italy info@cleaf.it
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Best of Surfaces
Chiselled
TM
Innovative Wood laminates ChiselledTM is a specific surface which was developed exclusively for the Formica Ligna速 collection. This innovative and sustainable true wood laminate series is manufactured from rapidly regenerating soft woods, whereby the trunks are thinly sliced and cut to laminate sheets. For ChiselledTM the traditional technique of chiselling is adopted by means of the latest CNC milling technology, forming a contemporary styling, which produces finely embossed and irregular, wide strips resulting in stylish aesthetics with universal application. Product- Chiselled by Formica Group, UK www.formica.com TM
Cork:
Green leather! The new cork collection follows the trend of sustainability and makes use of the advantages of this renewable raw material which, apart from its versatile adaptability, is light, robust, water-resistant and flameretarding. Even in the models with prints such as patterns of exotic animals the cork structure remains identifiable and thus imparts on it an impression of its origin. The material which has been tested specifically for wear, assures the exceptional suitability of the collection, for instance, as upholstery material. Product- Cork Artificial Leather by ATN GmbH, Germany info@atn-vinyl.com
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SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
InLine S:
Open doors from any position! InLine S is a concealed, flush-mounted fitting for sliding doors for use with handleless cabinet fronts in living rooms and offices. Its particular feature is that it enables sliding doors to be opened from any position, whereby both doors slide to an equal extent. InLine S thus provides an impressive furniture experience, even in small format cabinets such as sideboards, wall cupboards or floor cabinets and achieves a clear, purist appearance. Due to its modular construction, SlideLine S can also close off several cabinet elements or front drawers noiselessly and gently. Product- InLine S by Hettich, Germany www.hettich.com
Decorative paper composite panel by TAKUMI Madoca IP-KG-06 is part of the design panel collection JAPANEL. The transparent plastic sheets have a fixed imbedded inlay of delicate, translucent Japanese paper. Due to the crystal clear plastic, the Japanese paper appears even lighter yet is simultaneously so solid that it can be processed with the conventional tools and technologies of plastic applications. Due to the low flammability of the sheet material, the Madoca IP-KG-06 Japanese paper decor panels can be used for such applications as hotels and yachts as well as in offices and department stores. Contact- info@japanel.de
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Best of Surfaces
G-Effect nonPVC film by TOPPAN G-Effect PREMIUM is a specially developed composite product of barrier film and embossed paper with a thickness of 110 nm. Not only does it look like real wood but it feels like one too. It can be easily applied to any base material and offers technical solutions for uses where high demands are made on the material, for example dampness and wear. The deep embossing gives the decorative surface a natural feel and can cover up uneven or faulty areas of the background. G-Effect PREMIUM is ideal for furniture, interior doors and many different surfaces. Contact- www.toppan-cosmo.jp
HOX:
Hybrid drawer system by Woodbox The HOX drawer system is characterised by a clear formal language and a great variety of differentiation possibilities. All interior surfaces of a drawer can be produced with one unified material and thus generate a harmonious overall appearance. According to application, wood, veneer, HPL, felt, leather or linoleum are suitable for lining the complete interior surfaces. Apart from this a number of material options are available also for the exterior surfaces. All variants are thereby installed with the same invisible fittings for uniform drawers and fronts. Contact- vertrieb@woodbox.at
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SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
No Tool System No Tool System is a well considered connecting system which can be used for almost all shelves and cabinets in the living area, but also in department stores and warehouses. It follows the basic principle of saving and protecting natural resources to a large extent, offers great flexibility and facilitates simple assembly which can be achieved not only without tools and screws, but also without previous knowledge. The usual rows of holes in cabinet side panels are replaced by aluminium rails on which the shelves, cabinet doors and drawers are installed at 16 mm intervals. Contact- hh@notoolsystem.com
Nova Pro Scala:
Double wall drawer system by GRASS
The Nova Pro Scala double-wall drawer system features highest quality, excellent running properties and the slightest pull-out effort. The modular complete system uses the Nova Pro guide technology, offering a harmonious, coordinated range of products. From the drawer solution via a railing variant, a high drawer side of 186 mm up to a large format version in glass, Nova Pro Scala offers many novel designs and differentiating options Contact- info@grass.eu.
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Best of Surfaces
MELITEX:
Felt & Foam Accoustic MELITEX is a combination of felt and foam and is used in the form of noise-suppressing panels for furniture and buildings. The technical properties of the homogeneous material are high resilience, low mass density and pressure resistance, so that it is unyielding. It furthermore provides acoustic and thermal comfort and does not contain any volatile organic compounds. Product- Melitex by Innortex, France contact@innortex.fr
Neelsen Sol2:
Anti- fingerprint furniture
Neelsen Sol2 is a free-standing furniture which catches the eye not only because of its bright colours in neonmagenta paint, but also due to its clear, minimalist design. Softly rounded edges characterise its carcase as well as the fitted fronts, whereby the haptic is supermatt and also possesses anti-fingerprint properties. The user thereby leaves no disturbing traces after opening and closing. Neelsen Sol2 thus displays long lasting high quality. Product- Neelsen Sol2 by Neelsen GmbH, Germany info@neelsen-gmbh.de.
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SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
Plan.a Handle Doors Plan.a Handle is a special door with aluminium profile which possesses, apart from its high aesthetic quality, also outstanding functional properties: it is very robust, non-deformable and durable. It is also waterproof and capable of customisation and 40 per cent lighter than a door with laminate facing. Plan.a Handle offers many applications, retaining its flatness even when in large format and under critical conditions. Contact- info@scilm.it
Pulse Fusion for strong bedding Pulse Fusion is a technology that allows Latexco to fuse its Pulse latex foam with any other technical foam or materials, such as gel, without using traditional glue or other manipulations. The key to the Pulse Fusion approach is Latexco’s patented SonoCore manufacturing process that is based on endogenous vulcanisation, from inside to outside, with high-frequency waves. By combining this process with the fine-tuned formulation of Pulse latex foam, strong, durable bedding solutions can be manufactured that provide sleepers with tailor-made comfort levels. The Pulse Fusion products will thus meet the growing trend of composite sleeping solutions. Contact- info@latexco.com
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Best of Surfaces
Novoryt Forte:
Magical filler for wood defects! Novoryt Forte “New Formulation� is a fast hardening thermoplastic filler developed for filling knots, cracks and other wood defects in furniture and veneered real wood floors. It contains neither poisonous substances nor solvents, is odourless and economical to process and adheres even on thin layer bases. The filled surface does not fade, even after long periods and can be coated with oil or varnish. Novoryt Forte is available as granules which are heated with a melting device and filled into the defective surfaces. Product- Novoryt Forte by Novoryt AG, Switzerland info@novoryt.ch
Pianovo- Lackmatt Mix & Match:
Super-Matt Finish
Pianovo-Lackmatt Mix & Match is an extremely matt finish, similar to varnish, with which every melamine coated surface can be enhanced. Its gloss level is almost zero which means the structure and forms of furniture are emphasised without any distracting reflections. The surface is also abrasion resistant. In interaction with further surface variants, according to the principle of Mix & Match, various structures of the same colour can be combined and a merge of colour or decor be created. In suitable wood reproduction the impression is given, visually as well as haptically, of a real, freshly cut and oiled wood surface. Product- Pianovo-Lackmatt Mix & Match by Karl W. Niemann GmbH & Co, Germany info@niemann-moebelteile.de
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SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
Stepwood®:
3D Acoustic Wood panels with Boreholes The Stepwood® Acoustic design panel consists of offset solid wooden slats which produce a particular 3D appearance, and due to boreholes it achieves an optimal acoustic solution. The acoustic values are already enhanced by the stepped form of the surface and the boreholes arranged throughout the entire surface create the conditions for good sound absorption, tested by the TÜV. The panels – an innovative synthesis of design, nature and function – are available in various types of wood, surfaces and boreholes. Product- Stepwood® Acoustic design panel by Franz Kolar, Austria Contact- office@kolar.at
Surface with bends & curves Getting its name from Meander which means bends and curves that run through a landscape, Meandra is a surface with tangible depth and an effective finishing technology for direct faced panels and HPL. The surface texture manages to combine the contoured look of the wood with a silky, tangible touch. The collection consists of modern wood reproductions and plain colours to perfectly show off the imperfect yet perfect texture. Product- Meandra by Pfleiderere, UK Contact- info@pfleiderer.co.uk
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Best of Surfaces
ROTO:
Invisible furniture fittings ROTO is mounted by inserting it into a hole practised in the base or top, and is completely invisible. It is provided with an integrated bush, to be inserted directly into a hole drilled on the side of the cabinet, with an easy and quick assembling process. The required tool is a 4 mm Allen key: with the first quarter of turning of the key, the integrated bush expands, with the second quarter of turning it retracts. ROTO can be used for base and top with a minimum thickness of 16 mm. Product- ROTO by Effegi Brevetti Srl, Italy Contact- info@effegibrevetti.com
Spalted Beech:
Fungi can be beautiful! Veneers of the spalted beech are produced from woods which have been previously implanted with various fungi. Colour changes in the wood are thus achieved and produced in an environmentally friendly manner. The result is structurally strong woods with marble effect which not only produce a lively contrast to other materials, but also merge nature with the latest technologies in a skilful way. Product- Spalted Beech by Mehling & Wiesmann, Germany Contact- info@mehling-wiesmann.de
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SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
Zero Joint Glass Zero edge is a technology for producing a zero-joint look. For this, an edge is inserted retrospectively under the layer material of a laminate sheet, so that from a front view the impression is given of a perfect zero joint. Various edging materials which partially contrast in colour with the surface further highlight the effect of the top surface. Zero edge can be manufactured in high gloss, satinised or engraved glass optic, whereby diverse other surface materials such as laminate, which is through-coloured, or solid aluminium can be used. Product- Zero Edge by Niemann, Germany In-house design Nils Neite info@niemann-moebelteile.de
BOXMAX-Unique storage for kitchen BOXMAX is a drawer system which can be easily and quickly integrated. The individual compartments are inserted transversely or lengthwise without the necessity of filling the drawer completely. The slender frames – in this case of Wenge wood – are laid on the previously inserted linoleum mat. Useful as well as practical elements, for example U-profiles complete the kitchen drawer and convert it into a frequently used, attractive storage space. The steel elements are powder finished in the matching colour of the drawer casing. Product- BOXMAX by cap., Germany Contact- feedback@cap-direct.de
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Best of Surfaces
Soul of Handle-less Furniture For convenient opening of handle-less fronts, the novel motion technology TIP-ON BLUMOTION combines two functions: easy opening with a touch (TIP-ON) and dampened, gentle closing (BLUMOTION) with a slight push. For modern design ideas and handleless fronts TIP-ON BLUMOTION presents the ideal mechanical solution and, thanks to the minimum front gap of only 2.5 mm, is suitable for use in the kitchen as well as the entire living area. Product- TIP-ON BLUMOTION, BLUM, Austria www.blum.com
Socket unit with a TWIST TWIST is a socket unit with power supply and data connections for office, kitchen or living room. The connections are accessed by twisting the cover disc and offer convenient power supply and data feed. After use, the disc is twisted again so that the connections underneath disappear and are protected. Thanks to its compact construction and low installation depth, TWIST can be integrated in a space-saving way, is simple and quick to install and is available in stainless steel or chromium look as well as painted finish. Product- Twist by Bachmann, Germany Contact- info@bachmann.com
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SURFACES REPORTER’S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE
Pascal Poschenrieder(Development) & Matthias Stölzle (Sales & Marketing), Leucht Natur
Green Product Award
Bark Light Cortex is the Latin word for tree bark – the inspiration for the design of this model. The free-floating wooden shade is full of light, creating a warm atmosphere that leaves no-one cold and which can even become quite addictive. To ensure sufficient illumination of the room nevertheless, the shade, measuring around a metre in length, reflects part of the brightness onto the wall and so provides indirect lighting. At the customer’s request, a remote control offers convenient use, switching the light on and off and adjusting the colour of the light and its brightness via Bluetooth.The Brand has over 20 different hand-picked woods available to choose from, guaranteeing the perfect integration of Cortex model in your interior design concept. The Cortex light bagged the Green Product Award Selection 2015 at Interzum 2015. www.leuchtnatur.de
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Intriguing Surfaces @Interzum The world of surfaces is vast; every material has its own charm and innovation possibilities in order to transform it into a beautiful surface. During the fair, SURFACES REPORTER witnessed some really interesting surfaces created out of various materials that are presented here.
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Surfaces Reporter
Konold
R. ULRICH
wood with a 3D effect
Colours of Hardwood
A three-dimensional wooden surface derived from solid wood or from layering panels of varying strengths, as hand-crafted as possible and always customized to the requirements. The differences in colour and structure testify to the authenticity of the material. info@konold.com
One of the most luminous color schemes found in real hard-woods, paired with a sleek design. This streamlined grain lends elegance to straight surfaces and can be used in all sorts of furniture, for use in exterior and interior spaces. www.ulrich-veneers.com
EGGER
Plaster effect
With ST16 Stucco, a new surface texture in a plaster effect, is available as a laminate and as part of the worktop range. india@egger.com
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Decolan
Charm of antique wood
The surface was spotted at Decolan Surfaces during Interzum 2015 . info@decolan.ch
Best of Surfaces
R. ULRICH
Leopard touch on surface
One look at this surface & you are immediately drawn to touch it. The texture is immediately remiscent of a leopard’s skin, on one hand, and a lunar landscape on the other. www.ulrich-veneers.com
BauschLinnemann
Unlimited surface possibilities
TECOSMART is an self-adhesive foil with a paper-based decorative surface which can be easily applied to a surface by hand. It contains air-channel technolog. Depending to the substrate TECOSMART can be removed at any time without leaving any residues. Unlimited designs can be achieved with it. info@us.bauschlinnemann.com
H. SCHUBERT
Acoustic meets iron
This microperforated MDF board is a highly effective sound absorber; > 50,000 holes/m2, hardly visible, very good alpha w values over the entire frequency range. info@imi-beton.com
Konrad Hornschuch
Film that creates 3D effect
The designer film from the d-c-fix velvet edition is a combination of the houndstooth motif with jazzy colors. The multi-layer design creates a unique 3D-look. The velour surface makes the design an experience for the senses. www.hornschuch.com AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 67
Surfaces Reporter
VD Werkstätten
Homapal
Carved veneer
The diamond Surface
Limed Oak Matt Short Carved – Laminate with reconstituted veneer surface in an authentic carved look. Traditional craftsmanship meets modern production methods and results in an optical and haptic highlight. info@homapal.de
Diamant – Unequal triangles, linked up-apparently arbitrary and neutral in direction create a perfect match of light and shadow. The high exactitude of the structure emphasizes this effect. info@vd-works.de
Decospan
The OAK MAGIC
The “Querkus” – range is Decospan’s answer to the contemporary interior design trends in Northern Europe. Oak is a key factor in this and can be used in various options as a sustainable product. www.decospan.com AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 68
Imi- Beton
Old Timber imitation
Imi-altholz – composite materials with fire protection class B1. No cleaning, cutting or trimming of thickness. Available in 6 different wood design, an immediate processing of the insect-free boards is possible. info@imi-beton.com
Best of Surfaces
auberdem
The black effect
Black CDF material combined with a white high-glass laminate finish. The CNC-milled surface structure can be individually customized in accordance with your wishes. www.ausserdem.solutions
Europlac
Wood-like MDF
Rustics Basis Oak beams 0.9mm colour silver, abrasive brushed, filled and UV-oiled. Made from solid Oak beams, completely coloured, assemled in plank-style. info@europlac.com
auberdem
3D Effect on Oak panel
Each structure adds elegance to the 3-layer, CNC-milled oak panel. The individual design of each surface guarantees perfectly positioned edges without waste of material. www.ausserdem.solutions
Koch Furniere
Innovations with Burl Veneer
Originated from Europe, America, Asia, the MDF backed panels are used for interior woodwork, innovative furniture manufacturing, car interiors. info@koch-furniere.de
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Surfaces Reporter
Decor paper design by Schattdecor
2012 stonewashed Schattdecor is one of the global market leaders in printed decor paper. During Interzum, it has launched many beautiful designs two of which are showcased here. Its beautiful collections find use in the kitchen, furniture and laminate flooring industry. Contact- www.schattdecor.de 234 Phoenix
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Best of Surfaces- Decor Paper Contact- info@impress.biz
Vallee Oak
Kalmar Pear
ARDOUX
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Surfaces Flooring
Engineered floors by Mikasa
Category of Product: Wooden Flooring (Engineered)- Brand- Mikasa
USP of Product: • Made/Make in India: Mikasa is the 1st Indian Global
Brand of Engineered Wood Floors produced by Greenlam Industries Ltd.
• Engineered for Stability: The 3 Layered construction make the product stable and fit to use overcoming the vegaries of wood.
• Ease of Installation: The pre finished planks and the
unique glue less technology, PlankLOC, helps to get the floors installed almost instantly. No more mess, debris and waiting endlessly for the lacquer to dry.
• Environment Friendly: Various finishes like brushing,
staining etc. give Mikasa floors an interesting look to the exclusively selected natural woods and veneers from across the globe. No wood which is illegally felled is ever used by Mikasa. Not just that the all the adhesives and coatings used
to manufacture the product are water based and do not contribute any VOC’s.
• Long Life: Every Mikasa creation comes with a warranty of upto 30 Years. In case you ever need, they are present here in India to fully support the products.
• Largest Collection: Mikasa offers more than 100
products and countless ways to beautify the floors in various sizes and thicknesses. This is the largest ever collection of Engineered wooden floor being offered in Indian market.
• Variety of Wood Species: All woods from Ash to Oak to
Walnut, are enhanced with latest available technology without compromising the inherent richness and warmth of nature.
• Availability: With an extensive distribution network and presence across all major towns in India, Mikasa is always within reach.
Contact- 011 42791399 | www.mikasafloors.com | info@mikasafloors.com
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Surfaces Reporter
DuPont™ Corian - Solid Surface that has changed the way facades were conceived Solid surface is a material known for its seamless application. However, one of the major drawbacks of the substance is that people still feel that it’s a product majorly for the interior use. Defying the popular notion, DuPontTM has developed beautiful façades using its pioneer material Corian®. The material that also began its journey as an elegant, high-performance alternative to conventional surfaces in the home, is now inspiring architects and designers to discover a multitude of other applications, both functional and decorative. So let’s have a look at some of the great designs achieved with DuPontTM Corian®.
The Diamond-shaped facade Project- Warsaw Klif Shopping Center, Poland Designed by Grupa 5 Architekci, the completed project of the facade - whose shape recalls diamonds - was selected in a closed competition organised by the owner of the shopping centre.About 1700 square meters of DuPont™ Corian have been used for the ventilated facade of the building.Arrangement and distribution of panels refers to the shape of diamonds which will be underlined by illuminated glass panels scattered throughout the facade. The key task was to make specially designed tables and mould cavities so it is easy to cut and get the panels ready to be installed on the facade. Properly prepared mould cavities allowed to keep repeatability of linear and angular sizes for each format. Each two triangles were cut from the 1300 x 3658mm panel except the quoin where the sizes were different and accustomed to the angle of the building.
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Solid Surfaces
The 'Seamless' facade Project- Seeko'o Hotel, Bordeaux, France Seeko'o means "iceberg" or "glacier" in Inuit. The sleek, icy white facade of the hotel creates an iceberg effect with no visible fixing in the facade. Architect Jean-Christophe Masnada, of the Atelier d'architecture King Kong used a hidden fixing device created for use with DuPont™ Corian that involves a metal insert with a screw thread that is embedded into the material. A hook is screwed into this and then clips itself onto the secondary framework at every 30 cm. Therefore, a special laying methodology, taking into account all the types of glazed frames found in the facade, was implemented and thus the seamless facade was created.
A FUTURISTIC FACADE Project- Trifolium @ Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Sydney, Australia Australian architects AR-MA chose a winning combination of robot-aided production and the seamless solid surface Corian to form the winning entry for the second year of the Fugitive Structures competition run by the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation. Fusing hundreds of exterior Corian® panels with black mirrors using a series of intricate components, Trifolium is a weatherproof, futuristic pavilion at the foundation's gallery in Sydney. Trifolium, named after its threepronged design, creates a canopy that can be used as a meeting place, an auditorium or a stage for events. The outside of the structure is made from 152 Corian panels, with each one fixed to a corresponding piece of curved black mirror-polished stainless steel using 452 unique steel brackets. The effect is an intricate web-like joining that distorts your view, depending on the angle you view the structure from.
The Solid Surface 'Sunscreen' Project- Communities of the municipalities of Lacq, Mourenx, France For the extension project of the communities of the municipalities of Lacq (Mourenx, France), the architect Gilles Bouchez has developed a sunscreen system made in DuPont™ Corian , in order to adjust the thermal storage of a glass facade facing south.Two different heights of panels (3 meters x 2 meters wide x 12 mm thick) were processed to cover a facade of 40 meters long and 6 meters high, with a total area of 251 square meters of Corian
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Surface s Showcase
Synchronised Laminates from Amulya Mica
Laminates in Sync with Nature
We love natural! Who doesn’t like a beautiful natural wood look for his/her homes, offices or even commercial places? But the sad truth is, natural is limited and available in lesser quantities with fewer designs with other limitations of environmental sustainability, higher costs and maintenance requirements. Always thought if you could get a laminate that not only looks like a natural veneer but also feels like one? Your wait ends here! Known for its excellent design sensibilities and knack for bringing the best of Surface product to the fore for design lovers across India, Amulya Mica has recently launched first-of-its-kind product range of Synchronised Laminates. These synchronised designs are the most Premium, latest and the best you can buy in Laminates. Synchronised Laminates have grain and textures that truly match with natural wood textures thus rendering a timeless elegance and sophisticated touch & feel. What is distinctively special about these laminates is that you can actually feel the exact texture of the natural wood grain which lends a unique character to each and every design.
Product code- 3058 Exotic Elm
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Why is Synchronised Laminate Unique? Like all laminates, Synchronised Laminate is also made with a laminate press plate. Yet, Synchronised Laminates are unique because of the way in which the indented texture of the laminate is synchronised with the decor paper. Thanks to the innovative technology used, these premium Laminate press plates are able to match the texture with the pattern of each individual laminate with perfect precision.
Why should you buy Synchronised Laminate? Synchro is definitely a niche product, so anyone looking for a cheap wood replica in Laminates should shy away from Synchro. Amulya Mica brings to you Nature like designs in Laminates, with the best of features & properties that technology can ever provide in terms of look, longevity and maintanence. It is designed for people who want quality and efficiency, Amulya Synchronised laminates will perfectly sync with your ideas, designs and decor, like no other surface.
Surfaces Reporter
Code- 3080 Exotic Natural Wood
Code- 3077 Exotic Grey Wood
Advantages of Using Synchronised Laminate Synchronised Laminates have grain and textures that truly match with natural wood thus rendering a timeless elegance and sophisticated touch & feel. Anyone who is looking for the best in laminates with the most natural look, should opt for Synchronised Laminates.
1. Amulya Synchronised Laminates gives the real feeling of natural wood even with look and touch just like wood veneer 2. It has low maintenance as compared to natural veneer 3. It saves the environment as it fulfils the real look of natural veneers 4. Long life as it is made with imported decorative paper in India’s best laminate press 5. It is highly resistant against burns and stains 6. It is a perfect replacement of natural veneer as it gives the same look and feel as natural veneer.
Properties: Application Possibilities – Anywhere regular laminates can be used Thickness – 1.25mm Size – 2440mm x 1220mm For more info, contact- 02836-231468, 09825231737; info@amulyamica.com
Code- 3078 Exotic Light Wood
Code- 3079 Exotic Coffee Wood
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Surfaces 10 on 10 The Building Materials And Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) was established in July 1990 under the aegis of the erstwhile Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India in order to bridge the gap between research and development and large scale application of new building material technologies. With the promotion of alternate building materials, the Council also strives to package proven innovative technologies for the benefit of entrepreneurs interested in setting up manufacturing units in tiny, small, medium and large scale sectors. With the noble aim, come unfathomable difficulties. The council, despite being the frontrunner in developing and promoting alternate construction material and technologies, is hitting roadblock since people are not yet ready to see beyond the traditional mode of construction practices. A number of materials promoted by the council are great; the only part where they are lacking is awareness. To bridge the gap, SURFACES REPORTER talked to Dr. Shailesh Kr. Agarwal, Executive Director, Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) India and tried to understand what are these technologies and how can we change our future.
with
10-on-10 DR. Shailesh Kr. Agarwal Executive Director, Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council, India “We should have an ‘Out-of-the box’ approach to create 60 million houses by 2022.”
1
Do you think the goal with which the BMTPC was set up 25 years back, has been fulfilled to an extent?
Working on the concept of ‘Lab to Land’, BMTPC promotes the use of alternate building materials and construction technologies in Housing construction. Working as a technology transfer council, we shift the technologies and materials developed for housing construction in the laboratories to the field level application. Whenever something is transferred from lab to field, a lot of considerations are involved, i.e., standardization of the material/ technology, codification, mechanization, capacity building, skill development, and most importantly creating a business preposition. All these tasks are undertaken by BMTPC. BMTPC, with the help of its network of research institutions of India, conducts regular training workshops not only for the professional but also for the small scale artisans, masons who are the actual ground workers in order to make them acquaint with new materials/ technologies. We conduct seminars, conferences and meetings for state governments, builders, architects etc. to make them aware about
alternate building materials and technologies. We also publish guideline and manuals on how to design; codes that help in creating buildings with alternate materials and technologies. This has been the journey of BMTPC of last 25 years and I would say, we have achieved success to a certain extent.
2
Please name some materials/ technologies promoted by BMTPC?
First and foremost, BMTPC promotes Sustainable Development which means making use of technologies and materials which are environmentfriendly. The council’s major focus is on the use of local materials and the resultant technologies. BMTPC also promotes the materials created out of waste products like Fly Ash bricks. Instead of traditional bricks created with fertile soil and fired in a kiln, these fly ash bricks are created out of ash residue from thermal plant and can be easily created on site with easy-to-handle equipments like a vibrating table. By the use of such materials, you not only save on major costs but also reduce the impact on environment. Today, the demand for housing is continuously increasing, significantly affecting the demand for building materials. With such pace, a time will come when we will be left with no resource. Therefore, most of these technologies are based on renewable resources. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 79
Surfaces 10 on 10
Bamboo corrugated sheets (l) for roofing; Wood composite (Upper right) and Hollow bricks created out of Flyash promoted by BMTPC.
In construction and building materials, synergy between local knowledge and current technology is the need of the hour. Today our laboratories are creating door shutters even concrete out of Fly Ash. It can also be added to the Cement upto 30% and the resultant product works as good as any regular cement. Hollow bricks are also an interesting concept where instead of being solid, the core of the brick has been hollowed out. While it doesn’t affect the strength of the structure, it provides additional thermal insulation and saves cost in terms of materials, natural resources, transportation and man power. We are producing materials and technologies that are the replacement of Burnt- Clay bricks. BMTPC is also promoting Pre-fab technologies where panels are created with a variety of materials in factory instead of traditional brick and mortar structures and can be affixed in situ. We have identified 8-10 such technologies one of which, GFRG (Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum) is based on waste material. We are trying to mainstream these technologies not only for faster construction but also for the sake of saving environment. All technologies promoted by BMTPC, save cost of construction by 10-15%. Additionally, they are also cost effective, means, during the life span of the building, the maintenance cost is also saved. For roofs also, instead of classical RCC slabs, our laboratories have developed revolutionary products like Precaset RC Planks and Joist System, Filler Slab and Ferrocement Roofing Channels that not only saves transportation cost but also manpower and other costs. We are also promoting wood composites; instead of using traditional teak and sesame wood, we are encouraging people to use wood composites like rubber wood, poplar wood and other soft wood that in combination with thermoplastic and thermosetting resins and adhesives can be used for the production of door shutters. In North- East, due to abundance of Bamboo, BMTPC is promoting housing construction with bamboo. We have also created Bamboo matt corrugated sheets in our laboratories, an alternate to the traditional RCC and CGI sheets or metal sheets in roofing. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 80
3
With the ever escalating costs of materials, do you think that the dream of Housing for all by 2022 would be fulfilled?
Undoubtedly, the cost of construction today is very high due to the escalating cost of traditional building materials. BMTPC vouch for replacing the traditional building materials ‘partially’ with the alternate building materials and technologies and reducing the cost by 10-15%. Also when the factory made components are used, quickness becomes the game changer. The project which would otherwise be completed in 24 months, can be done in six months or less. Through technology submission which is part and parcel of Housing for all by 2022, BMTPC will mainstream the use of alternate materials and technologies to the states. Every new change has to face a bit of reluctance in its initial stage. Since these materials and technologies are new, there is a lack of awareness among people and even the state governments are also not confident enough to use them in projects. Once they are convinced, there would be no looking back. Our aim through technology submission is to convince the state governments to 100% replace the conventional materials with our alternate materials.
4
While promoting local materials like Bamboo, the council also encourages new technologies like Pre fab. How do you strike the balance?
In 1990, when BMTPC was started off, things were very different. At that time, we were focussed on promoting local materials. Now, the situation has changed. India is a big country where housing requirement varies from place-to-place. While you may require low rises in Delhi, in Mumbai, the focus is on High rises. Hence, the technological requirement also changes. Therefore, we are focussing on local materials as well as all kinds of technologies depending upon the requirement of any particular region.
Surfaces Reporter
5
How do you think the awareness can be increased among the architects so that they would get to know the materials/technologies developed by agencies like BMTPC? Walking on the concept of ‘Seeing is believing’, BMTPC organizes demonstration of the technologies and materials through its own funds at various places. During the construction of demonstration units, people are also trained to use these alternate materials and technologies. Also, we do a lot of activities like capacity building, training programmes, architecture/ builders’ meet, display of the products, sansatization programme to make the concerned parties aware about these technologies and the various aspects related to it like costing. The process is done on a regular basis continuously since every new idea needs a constant reminder. Many states and civic agencies like DDA have come forward and have started using these technologies.
6
What is the role of BMTPC in creating norms for earthquake resistant structures?
Playing a pro-active active role in the area of disaster mitigation and management, BMTPC brought out first ever Vulnerability Atlas of India (1996 & 2006), Landslide Hazard Zonation Altas of India, Guidelines for Improving Earthquakes, Wind/Cyclone and Flood (1997 & 2010) prone Housing Construction and other promotional literature. And now we are in the process of creating Vulnerability Atlas for NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), the only agency in India that codifies rules for disaster management. Let me inform you, India has very powerful codes that, if followed properly, can create really strong earthquake or any disaster resistant structures. Being an Earthquake engineer myself, I request and guide people to visit those codes at least once to understand the materials, designs, construction practices required to be followed to get a beautiful disaster-resistant design.
7
But how many of us are actually following these codes?
India is a democratic country and here we cannot force anyone to follow. These codes described for building construction are voluntary in nature, meaning, they can only be recommended but not mandated. Moreover, we think about present and seldom pay heed to future. The return period of these codes is very wide, 50 maybe 100 years. For a layman, this aspect doesn’t count. Therefore, the attitude has to change. Government has created security codes and bye laws; everything is available for us to read and understand with specialists who are ready to help. Ultimately, it all depends upon people’s intelligence and conscience to or not to follow. We all know that wearing belt while driving is a safety precaution, yet, we wear only where it is mandatory rather than voluntary thinking about our own safety. During the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, the supposedly engineered buildings meant to save, fell on the ground, shaking the country and kicking off a number of capacity building and sensitization programme to create structures that can withstand such destruction. This tells HOW VULNERABLE WE WERE AND STILL ARE!
8
Things that will change the face of Indian construction industry?
All building materials which will have less dependence on natural resources, water, less energy intensive and will least impact the environment, will change the face of Indian construction industry.
A number of materials and technologies available today fit the criteria. One is Geopolymer concrete, a concrete used without cement which is one of the most energy intensive materials (Portland cement production accounts for about 7% of total CO2 emissions). Concrete being one of the most ubiquities construction materials, if replaced, would surely be a revolution. Then there is a growing trend of Nanomaterials. The research laboratories are also working on Bio concrete, a concrete that can breathe or heal itself with the help of bacteria! As Concrete is brittle in nature, steel is used to strengthen the structure. But now experiments are being done on using alternate materials including Bamboo fiber, Glass fiber & Carbon fiber instead of steel. A lot of materials can be developed out of agriculture waste like coconut shells. 3D Printing is also an interesting phenomenon where a whole building can be printed from the machine. Real Time monitoring of construction process is also reducing the room for waste materials. In Housing for All 2022, we have to construct 20 million houses only for urban areas. If we include rural areas, than the total number of housing demand comes around 60 million which means constructing 2.5 million houses a year or 10,000 house per day! Can you imagine the task in front of us? It leaves us with no option but to opt for an ‘outof-the-box’ approach, faster construction technologies that ensure quick and quality construction. Factory-based construction is the need of the hour, which not only reduces the amount of work on site, but also uses fewer resources and decreases the construction demolition and carbon footprint on environment.
9
What is your Advice to young architects and designers?
The young generation needs to understand its responsibility. Rather than taking the text-book approach, start experimenting. Look for alternate materials, designs and technologies which affect the environment positively. Also, while looking for new technologies, a reminiscence of past is also important. You have to study the structures created by our ancestors making best use of locally available materials with so less technology. Synergy between local knowledge and current technology is the need of the hour. You have to be flexible enough to adopt the best of those skills into your work and amalgamate it with the current technology to create structures that live and breathe. You should also promote the use of alternate energy sources.
10
What is your advice for a ‘Material’ magazine like Surfaces Reporter?
A magazine like yours should be knowledge-sharing platform. You should hold regular programmes for architects/designers/ builders etc. to make them aware about the latest alternate materials and technologies. The process should be a continuous one so that regularly, people will be updated about the latest happening in the building material industry. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 81
Surfaces Frontrunner
FRONT RUNNER - Golden Locks
Designing Handles that entice to touch “Handle is the first and only physical contact that you make when you visit a place.”
Vikalp Gupta, Director, Golden Locks, Golden Industries Pvt. Ltd.
It is said that the beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. While we used to consider Door Handles more of a functional product, Golden Locks crafted the same into something exquisite, transforming it into an unforgettable memory of a place. The brand is known for its beautifully designed Door handles and range of hardware making them an integral part of decor. 2015 marks the brand’s 25 anniversary; on the occasion, SURFACES REPORTER met Vikalp Gupta, Director, Golden Locks who described what makes them the Frontrunner in business.
Golden locks has a beginning like any other lock brand but today you are known for exquisite hardware? Tell us the story behind it? Golden lock was founded by my father Krishan Gupta in 1991. It was the first brand to introduce Pin- tumbler Mortise locks with Italian collaboration in India. Then in the coming year, we introduced Lifestyle modern designer Door Handles with Rosette & Escutcheons which were highly appreciated by architects, interior designers, builders & professionals. Later, we introduced Glass hardware & Architectural fittings. Today, Golden Locks is the only company in India that can provide all glass fittings not only in Stainless steel finish but in 18 different finishes, including 24 carat Gold plating, Black Patina, Silver Plating etc. Architects & designers are flexibly using such fittings in Hotels, Showrooms, Malls & Villas. After pioneering various finishes in fittings and handles, we launched high-end, hand carved door handles & pull handles in big sizes, an import substitute. The size of Pull handle can go up to 84 inches. They are available in almost every colours that you can imagine, i.e., from 24 carat gold plated, to rose gold, chrome and much more. We are also specialized in customized application. Our entire fleet of product has turned us into the.‘CustomizedHardware Company’.
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 82
Why did you choose to focus on Door Handles, an object not even considered to be a part of decor sometime back? The importance of a Door Handle lies in the fact that, Handle is the first and only physical contact that you make when you visit a place. While your feet may touch the floor, the body may touch the seat, but the hands touch the handle. Earlier, there was little attention given to handles. The concept is now changing with people judging the interior of any place looking at the exterior where a door handle plays a pivotal role. We were the first luxury brand to enter in classic Door handles category and created well crafted designs to enhance the beauty of the exterior & interior. Most of the designs are still created by my father Mr. Gupta. His designs take inspirations from everything in the surrounding. Even the logo of the company created by him, resembles the European style pillar, an inspiration he took during one of his journeys.
Your logo is hand crafted metal? What does it signify? The logo of Golden Locks says ‘The Manor’, Hand crafted metal. Through this, we have attempted to fuse metal and luxury together. We are shifting from a hardcore hardware company to a
Surfaces Reporter
Since these handles are created out of metal, the doors have to be equally compatible. Usually, for a 30 inches handle to be used, the door should be at least 8-10 ft in height.
metal designer company by launching products which are not only exquisitely designed in metals, but are equally compatible with contemporary technologies. After door handles, soon we are launching, an exquisite range of Chandeliers, Vases and Artefacts in brass, bronze & hand cut Italian Crystals imported from our different Italian partners. As a tradition of our company, these products will be produced, first time in India & will be import substitute. The luxury will be hand chiselled out of exquisite materials by master craftsman’s, trained by Italians.
The next in line will be bronze faucets followed by balustrades. In the long run, we are striving to become a one-stop-shop for any kind of metal design where any idea can be turned into reality.
How a customer can decide which handle is perfect for his door? It’s a very important question since more than once, we have seen customers getting interested in one of our designs without paying heed to their actual requirements. Since these handles are created out of metal, the doors have to be equally compatible. Usually, for a 30 inches handle to be used, the door should be at least 8-10 ft in height. But a customer who is walking in our store may or may not know about it. Therefore,
we also provide valuable advice to the buyers (architects, designers and end users) about which product they should opt for.
Please share your future plans with us? Golden Locks has also come up with its e-commerce website in order to facilitate the products’ reach to maximum audience. This has eased up the transaction, since the person doesn’t necessarily need to go to shop and wait for a design if it is not available with the dealer. We have been simultaneously working on our distribution network through-out India. Since it’s an exclusive luxury product that requires a person to actually feel its worth before buying, we are focussing on those dealers with proper retail understanding,. We are also working on the concept of Design Lounge, a place where different components of our entire range would be displayed in the most extensive manner. It signifies that while buying a chandelier, for instance, a customer can choose the crystals or play with the shapes to get a completely customized & exclusive chandelier.
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 83
ROOFING Lightweight roof- Polycarbonate sheet by Tuflite.
Tegosolar Tegola Canadese roof with solar panels.
When Sol Hurok quoted, ‘Sky’s the limit if you have a roof over your head,’ little did he realize the extent to which roofs would go vertical, almost touching the sky, and today’s modern techniques for roofing solutions. Since time unknown, Roof is being associated with having a shelter and an address. An integral part of a building, it skips our notice unless, it is either unique or eye-catching and/or the times while witnessing some troubles like seepage, breakage etc. A roof is much more than what we perceive. It is a system created out of many components including material, structure, design, technology, waterproofing etc. Another in-thing today is green roofing. The roof dons many hats, a building’s first line of defense against natural hazards such as wind, rain, fire, hail, ice, snow, and heat while on the other hand it acts as insulator and if designed
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 84
Materials, Technology, Design & innovation
Clay roof- Monier Plana Roofing Shingles
Onduline lightweight Bituminous roofing shingles
well can also participate in lowering the energy consumption of the building. The role given to roof is not an easy one to carry out, making it also the most vulnerable part of a structure. Every day it is exposed to weather and other elements that cause decay and deterioration, increases the risk of damage to the roof itself and the elements below it. SURFACES REPORTER’s idea behind writing an article on Roofing is to knock the roofing industry to bring forth the latest happenings, materials and roofing styles in vogue today and most importantly the challenges and opportunities. It is an open platform for brands to place their USP’s and inform about the latest know-how for specifiers and buyers. Please write to us with your opinion at komal@surfaces.in
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 85
In Focus- Roofing Roofing- an industry outlook
B
efore delving deep into the subject, let’s look at few statistics. According to the World Roofing Market Report, world demand for roofing materials is forecasted to grow by 3.7 percent annually through 2016 to 11.8 billion square meters, a substantial acceleration from the slow growth of the market during the 2006-2011 period. According to report, while China might be the frontrunner, strong growth is also expected from developing economies like India. As per Census 2011, traditional roofing materials account for close to 40% across housing scenario in India. This majorly includes rural landscapes that primarily used to have thatch roof or asbestos roof (after finding it carcinogen, the material has been banned in most countries. However in India, you can still find its traces in many roofing and construction related materials). Indian roofing market was estimated at INR 345 billion in 2013-14. Of the total market, RCC accounted for a major share of around 56% followed by metal roofs and fiber cement sheets.
Warehousing is a leading demand driver for roofing products in India. Industry sources estimate demand for warehousing to grow at an annual rate of around 9% over the next five years. Growing number of factories, poultry farms, architectural buildings, cold storages and development of special economic zones are other key demand drivers for roofing market with focus on thermal insulation and energy conservation. “Indian Roofing markets have been predominantly using traditional products like Concrete, Brick works, Earthen tiles etc. Over the last 10 years, a big revolution has come into the roofing markets pertaining to Industrial roofing, Infrastructure segment of roofing (Like cities, stations, airports, ports etc). There has been a change from using traditional materials to use Steel (Precoated), Aluminium & Galvanished roofing making the entire structure of the buildings lighter. Unfortunately, this has not transpired into residences as still the traditional materials are being used which pushes the architects / clients to make a stronger structure eventually increasing the cost of the project. Daylighting and use of natural energy has come into the Indian roofing markets only in the last decade. Unfortunately, there is no legislation from the Government of India about the same. Therefore in a very few areas across the country, daylight panels have started being used in polycarbonate / Fiber glass to cover 3-4 % of the roof area to bring in Natural light,” comments Mukesh Shah, Managing Director, Tuflite Polymers Limited. “Roofing market is witnessing healthy growth on the backdrop of consistent development in infrastructure and rising disposable income both in urban as well as rural areas. There are over 300 mn houses in India, signifying the vast roofing opportunity in the country. Although rural regions account for a higher number of houses in India, the roofing solutions opted by them are generally cheaper than their urban counterparts. Concrete, asbestos, metal and galvanized iron roofing have witnessed a steady rise over a period of time. RCC is widely used in India owing to its cost effectiveness and versatility. Green roofs are in demand along with metal roofs with solar panels for Special Economic Zones. They provide roofing opportunities throughout the country,” comments Sameer Deshpandey, Country Manager, Onduline.
The importance of Roofing! The famous phrase ‘Roti, Kapda or Makan’ holds good even today. The primary purpose of a house is still protection from rain, heat and wind. Roofing is the first and final part that protects that building from rainwater, heat and wind. “The importance of the roof is as much AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 86
Indian roofing market was estimated at INR 345 billion in 2013-14. Of the total market RCC accounted for a major share of around 56%.
as the building itself,” says Manish Garg, President and CEO, Steel Building Solutions, Everest Industries Limited, while speaking about the importance of roofing in India. The International Building Code (IBC), which sets safety standards for commercial buildings, requires that roofs ‘serve to protect the building.’ Having a roof that ‘protects the building’ starts with design, materials selection, and installation at the time a facility is built or remodeled - events that occur infrequently and may be outside the scope of most businesses’ ongoing activity. But it also includes a regular program of inspection, maintenance, and repair - activities that should be part of your operational planning in order to prolong the useful life of your roof and make sure it does its job in protection from weather damage.
Materials for Roofing Weather conditions are the first determinant that dictates the type of roofing materials. The roofs could be flat RCC, metal sheets, aluminium sheets, cement sheets , shingles, clay tiles, or any other type of local materials looking at Indian weather and the way we construct the buildings. Fortunately for India, most of the roofing materials work out well. This can be proved with the fact that different types of products are making the entry in this market and surviving. Other than the weather, it is the segment which determines demands of roofing material. For instance, Metal roof and plastic fiber roof are more common in shopping malls and retail outlets and Pre-painted galvanized metal sheets are desired in addition to basic RCC slab in the healthcare sector, according to Sameer Deshpandey of Onduline India. Urban consumers are gradually shifting from conventional roofing system to high quality, more technically advanced roofing systems based on their purchasing capacity. Increasing concern for the environment aids in demand for sustainable and energy efficient roofing products. The difference between Residential and Commercial roofs is mostly of size of the structure it is overheading; a commercial roof typically is low sloped, or entirely flat. Flat roofs need more routine inspections & maintenance. In residential, you can have a lot many options for roofing style. For instance, in builder developments, you will find mostly flat roofs which are sometimes aesthetically enhanced using slope design covering some space or not. For single units or villas, you can opt for any style of roofing, i.e., tiles, slates, shingles, concrete etc. The design of a typical commercial roof has a few important factors to consider including the large area that needs to be covered, the weight of the equipments and the potential load of the weather. On the other hand, residential homes have lesser concern regarding these structural factors.
Surfaces Reporter
History of Roofing tiles in India
Ashok Ninan
GM - Sales & Marketing, Monier Roofing Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore www.monier.in
“In 2007, Extrusion technology was introduced to manufacture tiles. This technology resulted in stronger roof tiles with a better finish, grip and thereby increasing the roof ’s performance.� Clay Roofing tiles became a prime material used for roofing in India from around 1865. Production of clay roofing tiles was started in Mangalore by Christian missionaries from Germany. Hence the tiles of this pattern were known as Mangalore pattern tiles or MP tiles in India. This tile pattern was originally invented in France and is known as Marseille tiles across the world. The tiles manufactured by missionaries have been found to be of immense use to the public and the Government, and the latter, as a mark of its appreciation, issued order to their Public Works Department to use tiles made by missionaries for all public buildings. Till the year 1960, tile industry was concentrated in a few areas like Mangalore in Karnataka and some cities in north Kerala like Calicut, and Trichur. Gradually, tile units started getting established in other parts of India. The most important centres were Morbi (Gujarat), Godavari, Samalkot, Hyderabad, Jagganpet (A.P), Kundapur, Mysore and Bangalore (Karnataka). By around 1995, there were more than 400 tiles factories in Kerala and around 75 tiles factories in Mangalore alone. Apart from Mangalore pattern tiles (which were available in many sizes), other patters and decorative tiles like Taylor tiles started getting very popular. However the next decade and more, proved to be bad for the Indian clay tile industry. The restriction of mining of clay, non-availability of wood as a fuel, rising costs of labor in these parts of India, etc. led to closure of many clay manufacturing units. As a result the Indian customer started looking for better and durable roofing tiles for their houses. In the year 2003, Pre-colored cement roof tiles were introduced in India by Lafarge Roofing (part of the Lafarge group), a multinational company from Europe and the largest producer of roof tiles in the world. These highly durable roof tiles were stronger than an average
MP tile and absorbed very less water during rains preventing the growth of moss on their surface, a phenomenon usually seen on clay tiles after rains. Durable and long lasting pigments used for coloring the surface of these tiles meant that no painting was required at job sites, saving both money and time during installation of these tiles. In 2007, the manufacturing technology was upgraded from the most common press technology to Extrusion technology. This technology was introduced in India for the first time to make roof tiles. This technology resulted in stronger roof tiles with a better finish. In addition the detailing of the underside of these tiles resulted in an improvement of the grip these tiles had on a roof and improved the performance of the roof like making the roofs water tight, reflecting heat, skylight, and avoiding cement mortar for fixing of ridges. Due to restructuring, the company was divested in 2008 and was renamed worldwide as Monier Roofing. Monier continued in the path of innovation and introduced Flat profile roof tiles in India in 2011, again a first in Indian roof tile market. This tile enhances the look of a house having a contemporary design and became an instant hit among the architectural community. Monier continues to bring new and interesting profiles for the deserving Indian customer and has recently launched a traditional design of high quality clay roof tiles called the Roman and flat clay roof tiles Plana from its manufacturing facilities in Europe. Though many options are now available for the Indian customer to cover the roof of their houses, Indian made or imported; expensive, affordable or cheap; a customer understands the efficiency brought by a good quality, strong and durable roof tiles. Hence the demand for roof tiles, clay tiles or cement would always remain in the Indian market.
AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 87
In Focus- Roofing
Some of the preferred materials for Roofing in India RCC sheets- Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) is the preferred choice of roofing solution for the buildings in the urban areas accounting for around 53% of the total roofing demand. A Reinforced Concrete Slab is today one of the most common roofing style in India. Corrugated RCC Slabs whose thickness ranges from 10 to 50 centimetres are most often used for the construction of Flat roofing. Being resistant to rotting, insect damage, strong and can be casted to any design or texture, they are most preferred in all kind of structures be it commercial or residential. They can be precast and factory made, hence offer advantage in terms of quicker construction. However, due to heaviness it imparts in the overall structural load of the building, the focus is now shifting and people are looking for alternate roofing materials. Still, according to World Roofing Market Report, demand for concrete roofing tiles will show strong growth in the period ending 2016, particularly in the developing Asia/Pacific region, where concrete tiles account for the largest share of roofing demand.
Shingles- Shingles are popular roofing materials that are majorly used in slope roofing. The concept of shingles (Asphalt, Fiberglass, Slate, Cement, Wood, Concrete) have come from the USA and in India, it is still not very popular. Due to the increase in the number of gated communities with villas and bungalows and resorts, the market potential for shingles in the country is expected to increase. Shingles are of various types, the most common among all are Bituminous Shingles (made with fiberglass and impregnated with asphalt), Tile & Cement shingle, Slate shingle and Rubber shingle. However worldwide, Bituminous products will post the fastest growth through 2016, primarily due to the heavy usage of asphalt shingles in the rebounding US market. The major advantage of roofing shingles is the aesthetics. Among all, wood is one of the most aesthetically appealing shingle but its susceptibility to moisture and high cost makes it a difficult choice. Asphalt shingles and rubber shingles are less expensive of all and hence are popular choices. You can choose from single-thickness asphalt shingles and thick laminated shingles. Laminated asphalt shingles last longer and have an attractive, textured appearance. “While fixing the Roofing Shingles, one has to follow the exact installation guidelines provided by the manufacturer to avoid any kind of leakage, seepage or flying of Shingles due to wind pressure,” cautions Hemant Pillai, Country Manager- India Tegola Canadese S.p.A.
“The most common roofing materials today is Galvalume colour coated metal roofs followed by RCC where the top of the roof has to be flat and slope is not required. All sloping roofs essentially are metal roofs these days.” - Manish Garg President and CEO, Steel Building Solutions, Everest Industries Limited
sources. They are also prone to rusting due to moisture which is why Galvalume metal sheets are used. Also, if not done by the right experts, there are chances that the sheets are not properly attached leaving room for moisture to trickle down or more damage in case of thunderstorm. Some types of metal roofing available today are Steel, Aluminum, copper, and Zinc and Galvalume (Galvalume is a very special alloy of 55% Al & 43% Zinc) sheets. Now-a-days, there are pre colour coated sheets available that can enhance the aesthetics of the building to a greater extent.
Polycarbonate Roofing- Known as plastic or light-
weight roofing, Polycarbonate sheet is a versatile, tough material. In the changing environmental, technical, mechanical, commercial and domestic scenarios. polycarbonate sheet is being used for a variety of applications. The main advantage of polycarbonate over other type of plastic, glass and other material is unbeatable strength combined with lightweight and easy handling. It is transparent so can ensure light transmission in the building. Due to its aesthetics and flexibility of working with any kind of structure including flat, semi circular, curved or slope, it is a popular roofing style for shopping malls, retail stores, commercial complexes etc.
Metal Roofing- While earlier considered mundane for its
However, the use of such roofing in residential is very limited. These roofs are also highly priced, not very resistant to scratching, highly sensitive to abrasive cleaners, alkaline cleaning products and solvents. The manufacturing process for polycarbonate panels is not very environmentally friendly and costly. All these factors limit its growth. Now uPVC is also being used as light-weight roofing material.
Metal roofing can either be corrugated or Standing seam. In standing seam, the seam of the interlocking metal panels is raised above the surface and fastened to the roof to allow the water to run off rather than seep between the panels. Corrugated metal roofing consists of interlocking rippled metal sheets that are fastened directly to the roof sheathing. The resulting roof system is extremely durable and lightweight and is capable of lasting up to 50 years. The downside of metal roofing is that it is susceptible to denting from hail and other
“Polycarbonate & uPVC being very light weight roofing materials, need a light steel structure as compared to any other traditional materials or use of Steel / aluminium in the Roof. The basic needs of a structure to be designed needs to take care of Wind speeds / structurally stability and sufficient supports as per defined norms for Polycarbonate & uPVC which enables a water tight Fixing of the Roofing sheets using lowest amount of Steel in the structure. Spans need to be decided as per the Polymer (Polycarbonate / uPVC), the thickness of the sheet, etc. Basically, as the sheets are very light, a robust Structure as per the norms of the Polycarbonate / uPVC manufacturer are to be adhered to. In regards to the skill levels, there are sufficient skilled personnel in India who find use of such sheets far more easier to fix and are able to lay roofs in 30% of the time as compared to any traditional material,” says Mukesh Shah, Managing Director, Tuflite Polymers Limited.
industrial looks, metal roofing today, is one of the most popular means of roofing style all over the world. It is long-lasting, lightweight, and easy to install. It is fire resistant and requires virtually no maintenance. Due to resistance to sunlight and heat, the metal roof is also instrumental in maintaining the inside temperature keeping the interior of the building cool and reducing the electricity load. The metal panels can be installed over your existing roof.
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Surfaces Reporter Light-weight roofing shingles by Onduline
Sameer Deshpandey Country Manager, India Onduline in.onduline.com Onduline group is one of world’s largest manufacturers of light weight roofing systems from recycled materials.
“Onduline has now developed a Roof design App, which helps the customer to see the proof before they roof.” Tell us about the concept of lightweight roofing shingles. Onduline has been selling lightweight roofing materials for over 70 years. The main advantage of lightweight roofing tiles/sheets is that it reduces the structural cost of the building considerably. Because they are lightweight, you can transport more on a truck than with metal tiles, thereby saving on the cost of transportation. And unlike fiber cement, clay and concrete tiles, ONDULINE® solutions are shock-resistant – ideal for bumpy roads. Another benefit is that it is easier to handle.
While fixing up the roof tiles, what are the precautions that need to be taken? Safety should be your number-one priority while working on the roofs. It’s imperative that you take the proper precautions in order to avoid accidents. Another
main point to be taken into account while installation is that the frame on which the roof is installed is as per the guidelines. Also, use the approved accessories to finish the roof. It is important to use the proper installation and repair materials for specific roof types. Failure to do so can lead to expensive roof damage.
What are the popular materials that are used for insulation purpose and why? How much insulation a building should have depends on its design, climate, energy costs, budget, and personal preference. Regional climates make for different requirements. Aluminum foils are a very common insulation material in India. Fiberglass is an excellent non-flammable insulation material, with R-values ranging from R-2.9 to R-3.8 per inch. There are also a variety of roof panels available in the market now. To perform successfully, insulation has to become an integral part of the roof assembly and must function in concert with the membrane and the structural deck.
Roofing and Insulation For a roof to perform successfully, insulation has to become an integral part of the system. Wise insulation choices result in successful roof systems that perform over the long term, while poor choices can be detrimental to roof performance. While selecting the roof insulation, major considerations to be made include building's thermal needs, satisfy applicable energy
codes etc. A variety of rigid insulation types are available today, including wood fiber, perlite, polyisocyanurate, expanded or extruded polystyrene, cellular glass, and gypsum board. ‘INSULATION IN ROOFING & FACADE’ is a very special & interesting subject which SURFACES REPORTER will be covering thoroughly in one of the coming issues.
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In Focus- Roofing Hemant Pillai Country Manager-India Tegola Canadese S.p.A
www.tegolacanadese.com Tegola Canadese S.p.A is an arm of the IWIS group, Italy, specialised in the manufacturing and trading of Bituminous shingles with granule, metal finish and photovoltaic tiles.
Tell us about your laminated roofing shingles. Tegola Canadese produces a wide range of bituminous shingles: • PRESTIGE with finishing in metal foil, copper or pre-painted aluminium, for very prestigious projects • MASTER COPPO, patent pending, laminated in double layers with a special 3D effect and nuances of colors gives on the roof the distinctive 3D aesthetic effect of traditional clay tile roofs but with all the benefits of TegolaCanadese roofs.
• • •
MASTER, laminated in double layers with finishing in basalt-colored granules. TEGOSOLAR, with photovoltaic cells, for the production of energy from removable energy sources. PREMIUM, with basalt colored granules, in 5 shapes and 40 colors. We also offer a complete range of solutions for any kind of roofs.
Split House in Norway is a design by JVA Architect. Partly hidden in ground, the roof of the building is covered with green plants so much so that it becomes an integral part of the surrounding.
Designing the alternate roofs Gone are the days when roof were meant solely for having a good time in winters or to enjoy a cool evening breeze. Roofs today are much more. From Green roofs to solar roofs, the roofs are participating not only to reduce the HVAC requirement and thus energy consumption but also in energy generation. With the help of Rooftop solar panels, we have roofs that not only fulfill the electricity requirement of the building but also send the extra power to the grid thereby actually helping the community at large. In fact, some of the state governments have already initiated the plan for converting the Rooftop of city buildings to generate power through solar panels. “Now-a-days, roof has become a technological place; besides protecting from rain, it gives energy efficiency to the building and it’s the best place to produce photovoltaic energy,” says Hemant Pillai, Country ManagerIndia, Tegola Canadese S.p.A. SURFACES REPORTER has done a comprehensive article on the same in the September 2014 issue. To order a copy, write to us at press@surfaces.in. Radhika Khosla, Fellow, Center for Policy Research, has shared useful information about Green Roofing. According to her, a roof ’s reflectivity is a key determinant of the surface temperature that the roof reaches and of how much heat gets passed through to the living space in the building interior. For the same amount of sunlight hitting a roof surface, a black roof can reach a high temperature of 80 degrees C (170 degreesF), and reflects only 5 percent of the incoming sunlight. A white roof, on the other hand, can reflect 80 percent of the incoming sunlight and reaches a much lower temperature of 44 degrees C (111 degreesF). The temperature of the roof can have dramatic influence over the interior living conditions of a building, particularly of the topmost floor. Modifying roof properties to make ‘cool roofs’ - such as increasing reflectivity - can lower roof surface temperatures and thus represents a hugely beneficial opportunity for the mitigation of heat islands in cities and consequential negative health and energy impacts. Delhi’s governing bodies are in the process of promoting cool roofs, starting with installing such cool roofs on Delhi government buildings. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 90
A white roof can reflect upto 80 percent of the incoming sunlight and reaches a much lower temperature of 44 degrees which very well reduces the interior temperature of the building. The concept of Green Roof is also very interesting where with help of plants and alternate design techniques, Roofs can be made such that can reflect the sunlight insulating the building and reducing the power consumption. Having plants, shrubs or grass correctly planted on roof surfaces provid thermal insulation to the building interior, increases the roof ’s reflectivity, and increases cooling of the roof surface because of the evaporation of water from the vegetation’s soil (known as ‘evaporative cooling’). “Benefits of green roofs cover a large spectrum, including: preventing storm water runoff, creating an urban wildlife habitat, improved health from visual contact with vegetation, increased employee satisfaction, reduced stress, increased community space and overall improved livability of cities,” she further added. “With the current emphasis on energy and sustainability, the roofing industry has continued to innovate to provide excellent protection for today’s buildings. The industry is well responding to evolving energy-saving initiatives. The concepts of green roofs and solar roofs are getting more and more popular. With consumers being more demanding, it is very important that companies be innovative and come up with novel products. It is not just the products, I must say, it is all about creating a new buying experience,” says, Sameer Deshpandey, Country Manager, Onduline.
Surfaces Reporter “For next 10 years, I see all roofers with ample amount of work.” How is the Roofing market performing in India?
Dharmendra Dhari Business Head, Blooms India Incorporation (Distributor Monier & Onduline) www.bloomsindia.net Blooms India Incorporation is a young and energetic enterprise with business interest in energy efficient, recyclable & green building materials used for building exterior i.e. façade, floors, roofing and windows.
The Indian roofing market has witnessed a sustainable growth and is preparing for next generation projects. You will find slant roof in almost every project in South India and hill stations of other part of India. If you see any building, you will observe the roof quite prominently and may be before façade. So designers are looking for roofing materials having appealing aesthetics, functionality and durability. Roof should always be in contrast to other material used in façade. Light weight roofing is more in demand because it saves on main structure cost.
How to select the Right material for roof? Selecting right roofing material for both residential and commercial projects is really a challenging job for designers and clients. Roofing materials for both commercial and residential roofs vary in cost, life expectancy, and the appropriate application for the product. There are various products for residential
and commercial buildings. In residences, concrete or clay tile, light weight bituminous tiles and shingles are in demand. Commercial buildings usually use metal and polycarbonate sheets. Most used system for slant roof are RCC slab and Fibre cement sheets (asbestos). Apart from roofing sheets and tiles, roofing system components like radiant barrier, accessories and gutter system is also in demand.
What are the factors determining the growth of the roofing sector of the country? India should soon witness, under normal and stable economic situation, a potential growth in the roofing sector. The new industrial sheds, warehouse construction, airports, railway station and infrastructure projects in mining, ports etc., will give major boost to roofing sector in India. Apart from this, the trend of high-end residential projects like villa, penthouse and duplex concept is also increasing with slant roof as only possibility giving thrust to new innovative architectural solutions having beauty with functionality.
What are the myths related to roofing in India?
Mukesh Shah Managing Director, Tuflite Polymers Limited www.tuflite.com
Tuflite polymers manufacture Polycarbonate, PMMA ( Acrylic) and PVC sheets catering to roofing industry for more than a decade.
Indian Roofing Contractors, Architects & Clients have still lived with a myth that roofing needs to be in RCC and then clad with other materials which completely shut off light and it can only be allowed through windows. The nature of Indian mentality is to use the strongest known traditional material like Concrete, forgetting the fact that it is actually increasing the costs and gives way to seepage of water which further involves additional costs in terms of water proofing/ tar painting on the roof also to reduce heat. Most traditional materials by themselves are large conductors of heat and this further passes onto the interiors of the Home/ industrial building.
How have polycarbonate sheets/UPVC sheets fared as roofing material? In the last decade, Polycarbonate has now become the material of choice for Daylighting and has been well accepted in the market. However, the awareness is limited and clients are still unaware that Polycarbonate is the strongest Known Polymer in the world offering High Transparency, which when further coated with special pigments, allows to customize heat transmissions/ light transmission and give a long life to the user. The awareness needs to be spread to use the right kind of Polycarbonate. People in the last few years, have started the use of Polycarbonate sheets in its crudest form, reducing the quality as well as removing the price coating of UV coextrusion which protects the Polycarbonate sheets for extended years of life. Since there are no standards, clients use Polycarbonate day lighting sheets as per their needs without understanding several factors like the amount of day light is required inside the building, external weather conditions, etc. Globally, now in most countries (including 3rd world countries), the governments have started putting in legislations to use 15% of
the Roof area with Polycarbonates and reducing the use of Artificial light (eventually Energy) and offered Carbon credits to clients. This is one form of renewable energy and Government needs to push a lot in order to legalize these norms and leave it in the hands of the Architects who must sign off on a drawing only if the norms are met. In areas where Complete opaque roofs are required, uPVC has started playing a vital role in Indian markets in the last few years. In place of Steel / galvanised roofing, many customers have started choosing uPVC as a preferred choice as it offers Non corrosive roofs and with the right combination of materials with use of ASA and other key elements, offering warranty periods upto 20 years. Still educations and marketing is required to spread the use of uPVC and other materials to replace Steel/ Galvanised and aluminium roofs so that use of steel in the structure can be reduced. Major uPVC users have been industrial buildings developed for Steel companies/ Pharma units/ Coastline factories which primary require Non corrosive roofs for use of Chemicals in their factory.
We have heard that the performance of polycarbonate sheets/UPVC sheet majorly depends upon the thickness. Is it true? The use of Polycarbonate is not dependent on its thickness. The thickness is dependent on the application but choosing the right Polycarbonate material is key. For example: •
Basic day lighting in Industrial Building - Use of Corrugated Polycarbonate sheets from thickness of one mm-2mm is sufficient.
•
Basic day Lighting in industrial Buildings with Interior Energy saving - Use of especially made Polycarbonate sheets with extra Coatings will use thickness from 6mm-20mm. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 91
In Focus- Roofing
SOME INNOVATIVE ROOFING PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD
A roof open to THE sky Korean architecture firm IROJE KHM Architects is the brains behind this cool cutout house design in South Korea. A bird's eye view reveals the complexity of this urban house plan, which is focused around a peaceful, private central garden that offers a view of nature, only to be seen by residents and their guests. The multi peaked roof is opened up to reveal two level of beautifully landscaped gardens, with glass interior walls overlooking this space around.
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Project- Ga On Jai, South Korea Type of roof- Metal roof (Zinc plates); slanted roof Architects: IROJE KHM Architects Area: 329.0 sqm Exterior finishing : Black Zinc plate, white stucco, exposed concrete
Surfaces Reporter
A roof that can be closed in 5 minUTES!
Redevelopment and completion of the 7,500-seat Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Park, Australia features a new state-of-theart retractable roof. The $366 million retractable roof completely closes in under five minutes. Designed by Australia’s NH Architecture, the stadium comprises a series of vibrant “Copper Penny” Colourbond Metallic steel gable roofs, detailed with a Lysaght Klip-Lok 700 profile.
Project- Margret Court Arena, Stadium, Australia Type of roofColourbond Metallic steel gable roofs
Roof imitating the Alps The lightweight tent construction of the Stadium imitating the Alps range was designed for Munich Olympics, 1972 by German architect Günther Behnisch and engineer Frei Otto and was considered revolutionary for its time. The Tent-like roof design consisting of translucent acrylic glass covers the 78,000 m2 of the Munich, Olympic Park, using steel masts.
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In Focus- Roofing
Product- Everest Primasteel Roof Project- Kaveri Hire Purchase & Deposits Pvt. Ltd. Beawer, Rajasthan
New-age Roofing solutions by Everest USP of Everest Primasteel Roof 99 4 times more tough than average roofs. 99 Great aesthetics through long-lasting attractive colours. 99 High Tensile Strength and Highest Section Modulus with double-ribbed profile of 550 MPa strength, which allows higher spacing of purlins to save steel. 99 Corrosion Resistant through primer coating on the top. 99 Premium quality Galvalume with Superior ER-32-251 Profile.
99 Lightweight and Portable for easy transportation and quick installation. 99 Weather Resistant. 99 Less Heat Transfer with high reflective value coatings to increase thermal efficiency. 99 High Design Flexibility - from large sprung curves to rolled bullnose shapes. 99 Fire and Spark Resistant.
99 Leak Proof because of Anti-Capillary Groove and Return Lap.
99 Adaptable to different environments with coatings and fixings equipped for harshest industrial and marine locations.
99 High Load Bearing with two stiffening ribs between the pitch.
99 15-year Warranty.
Everest, one of the oldest roofing brands of the country has done 1 billion sq mt of roofing till date. One of its most notable product is Everest Primasteel Roofs. These premium sheets are manufactured with high precision roll forming and component forming machines and are available in Galvalume [Bare ( 0.47 mm TCT) & Coloured (0.50 mm TCT)] Steel.
The project is the first of its-kind pre engineered steel structure done in India by Everest. The 1,25000 sq ft project not only saved the customer's time but since most of the work was done off site, a huge imapct on environment was also saved. Along with other Everest product, Primasteel roof was used here that gave a distinctive edge to the building.
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Surfaces Reporter “The metal roof sheets do not have to be 3 mt. They can be tailor-made to any dimension.”
Manish Garg, President and CEO, Steel Building Solutions, Everest Industries Limited www.everestind.com
Being one of the oldest brands, Everest’s roofing solutions include, Fiber Cement roofing, Everest Hi-Tech, Everest Rooflight & Dura Steel Roofing.
What is the most popular roofing type in India today?
What are the innovations happening in metal roofs?
The most common roofing materials that is emerging for commercial, residential, and industrial sector today is Galvalume colour coated metal roofs where the type of top coating would be dictated by the location such as proximity from the sea! The buildings near the sea would have to use Primasteel PVDF coated steel roofs for better durability while the areas away from sea, would be using SMP coated roofs. The other most common type of roof particularly for residential and commercial is RCC where the top of the roof has to be flat and slope is not required. All sloping roofs essentially are metal roofs these days. Some areas where there is a compatibility issue of metal and acidic fumes etc., cement sheets are still used.
Metal roofing is the biggest innovation today along with the new fixing techniques. Other than that, some of the innovations are: •
The roof sheets do not have to be 3 mt. They can be tailor-made to any dimension.
•
Old J hook and leaking roofs are a thing of past with the advent of self drilling screws.
•
The roof exterior does not have to a boring grey (as black and white movies). These now comes in East Man colours!
•
The durability is as good as the building itself which does not require replacement for almost a lifetime.
Five Major Roofing Myths Myth #1 Metal roofing increases the chance of a lightning strike.
No. While it is true that metal conducts electricity, lighting is not attracted to it. Lightning naturally hits the most elevated objects like trees, antennas, towers and power poles. Metal roofs are non-combustible and are actually considered safer than other roof types.
formation. Paint is also applied over this coating to further enhance its aesthetics and resilience. Check with your local contractor for good coating options.
Myth #4 Asphalt shingles deteriorate upon installation of radiant barriers.
Radiant barrier, also known as reflective insulation, is a type of insulation that is applied under the roof deck. A certain test facilitated by the Florida Solar Energy Center shows that roof shingle temperatures do increase when radiant barriers are installed. While the color of asphalt shingles change because of the temperature increase, there is no direct proof that their performance also gets affected.
Myth #2 Green roofs look very appealing but can cause leakage and structural damage.
Not exactly. Leaking and structural damage can happen to ANY roof type and is caused by various issues like incorrect installation, old age, natural calamities and others. There’s no direct evidence to show that green roofs are more vulnerable to leaking. In fact, some even say that they last longer due to its waterproof membrane, which provides protection against UV rays.
Myth #3 Metal roofs rust.
Myth #5 High pressure washing won’t cut through roof materials like wood and asphalt shingles.
Wrong. High pressure washing can actually harm your roof and shorten its life span. Too much pressure forces water under your shingles and behind your siding, which can result in mold and mildew growth.
Do not generalize all metal materials. Metal roofing nowa-days is built to stand the test of time. Some steel metal roofs contain “metallic coating” that is made of zinc or a combination of zinc and aluminum, preventing rust
Roofing- future prospects If the experts are to be believed, the future of Roofing industry in India looks very promising owing to more development in real estate sector and builders & architects looking for innovative roofing solutions. Re-roofing and renovations would also offer great opportunities for people to rectify the earlier roofs and include some trendy and highly functional solutions for existing buildings. Many experts have also viewed that other than the urban segment, rural pocket would be from where the maximum demand traction for roofing industry would come. But there is a catch.
Manish Garg, President and CEO, Steel Building Solutions, Everest Industries Limited says, “Roofing market is growing but the concession is that it must get as the product of basic need or let me say essential commodity is lacking. The lack of willpower of roofing companies to invest in new technologies is also holding back its growth. There is also a need of a uniform code for all types of roofing sheets.” Despite that, Dharmendra Dhari, Business Head, Blooms India Incorporation concludes with a big hope, "For next 10 years, I see all roofers with ample amount of work."
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Are we
safe?
From natural disasters & calamities When it comes to Natural disasters, and our country’s resources & capabilities to tackle the situations, the answer expected is the unarguable ‘NO’ - both for the condition of our present infrastructure to witstand such incidents, as well as the means for damage control, in the case of a calamity. In the twentieth century, earthquakes alone have accounted for around 1.5 million casualties and huge economic losses exceeding one trillion US dollars. In spite of being in the realm of technology, hi-tech gadgets, accurate prediction of such calamities is close to impossible. However, unlike a lot many news making rounds about the unpreparedness of our country and the possible heart wreckening outcomes that may result, SURFACES REPORTER wants to take you through certain lessons that we should learn from the past, to help us prepare better for the future. We would also like to take you through some developments & recent experiments by IIT for ensuring Earthquake safe buildings. If as a platform, we are able to bring together positive happenings that can lead to positive development, we will be rest assured that our purpose is being met.
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Earthquake devastated Nepal
Surfaces Reporter
Earthquake Never Kills, It's the Construction... Two earthquakes, on 25 April and 12 May 2015, killed more than 8,700 people in Nepal, triggered landslides and destroyed half a million homes, leaving thousands without shelter just weeks ahead of monsoon rains. Nepal which is also a home to some of the most beautiful and important heritage monuments that serve country’s major source of income through tourism also suffered huge damage. According to the officials at Nepal's Department of Archaeology, around 12bn Nepali rupees ($117m) will be required to rebuild the country's damaged monuments, and that completing the reconstruction might take as long as five years. The proximity to the Himalayan Region has put the Indian sub-continent at a major risk. The quake that shook the breath out of Nepal and equally sent tremors to the neighbouring countries of India & Pakistan, is a major example on how unprepared we are for such quakes. The tremors, God forbid, if would have happened in or close to a metro city like Delhi or Mumbai, would have been approximately ten times or more catastrophic. Capital and surrounding regions are particularly vulnerable to major earthquake as they are situated on top or very near to many active seismic fault lines - the Sohna fault
line, Delhi-Haridwar ridge zone, Mahendragarh fault line, Moradabad fault line and Rajasthan boundary fault line. It’s not the earthquake that kills but the unsafe and haphazard construction that led to wide scale destruction of lives and wealth. Experts reported that about 80% of the city buildings in Delhi-NCR are structurally unsafe and should an earthquake of about 6 on the Richter scale strike, nearly three-fourth of the region is likely to be destroyed. Unauthorised structures and areas around the Yamuna floodbanks are the most vulnerable but other areas are equally unsafe due to lack of proper planning. The National Building Code of 2005 is hardly followed during construction and most mid-rise structures have weak foundations and poor load bearing capacities. According to Geographical statistics, close to 54% of India’s total land is earthquake prone. A number of major Indian cities come under seismic activity zones IV and V, implying that they are highly susceptible to devastating earthquakes. Northern India, in particular, has multiple cities coming under these zones. The most earthquake-prone city in India is Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram which falls in Zone 5, with Sikkim's Gangtok a close second.
How to make Buildings ductile for Good Seismic Performance? A study authored by C.V.R Murty for IIT Kanpur and sponsored by Building Trade and Promotion Council (BMTPC) helps in understanding the role of ductility in building performance. Construction Materials In India, most non-urban buildings are made in masonry. In the plains, masonry is generally made of burnt clay bricks, cement mortar and mud mortar (in some hilly areas). Concrete is another popular construction material. In general, both masonry and concrete are brittle, and fail suddenly. Steel is used in masonry and concrete buildings as reinforcement bars of diameter ranging from 6mm to 40mm. Reinforcing steel can carry both tensile and compressive loads. Moreover, steel is a ductile material. This important property of ductility enables steel bars to undergo large elongation before breaking. Concrete is used in buildings along with steel reinforcement bars. This composite material is called reinforced cement concrete or simply reinforced concrete (RC). The amount and location of steel in a member should be such that the failure of the member is by steel reaching its strength in tension before concrete reaches its strength in compression. This type of failure is ductile failure, and hence is preferred over a failure where concrete fails first in compression. Therefore, contrary to common thinking, providing too much steel in RC buildings can be harmful even!!
Earthquake-Resistant Design of Buildings Buildings should be designed like the ductile chain. For example, consider the common urban residential apartment construction the multi-storey building made of reinforced concrete. It consists of horizontal and vertical members, namely beams and columns. The seismic inertia forces generated at its floor levels are transferred
through the various beams and columns to the ground. The correct building components need to be made ductile. The failure of a column can affect the stability of the whole building, but the failure of a beam causes localized effect. Therefore, it is better to make beams to be the ductile weak links than columns. This method of designing RC buildings is called the strong-column weak-beam design method. Special design provisions are required to help designers improve the ductility of the structure. Such provisions are usually put together in the form of a special seismic design code, e.g., IS:139201993 for RC structures. These codes also ensure that adequate ductility is provided in the members where damage is expected.
Quality Control in Construction The capacity design concept in earthquake resistant design of buildings will fail if the strengths of the brittle links fall below their minimum assured values. The strength of brittle construction materials, like masonry and concrete, is highly sensitive to the quality of construction materials, workmanship, supervision, and construction methods. Similarly, special care is needed in construction to ensure that the elements meant to be ductile are indeed provided with features that give adequate ductility. Thus, strict adherence to prescribed standards of construction materials and construction processes is essential in assuring an earthquakeresistant building. Regular testing of construction materials at qualified laboratories (at site or away), periodic training of workmen at professional training houses, and on-site evaluation of the technical work are elements of good quality control. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 97
Disaster Management
Learnings from Japan to change our existing construction ways
An isolator is a horizontally sliding rubber-made device- between foundation and building. When an earthquake occurs, the isolator slides to minimize the shock to the building above.
Many things can be learnt from Japan. The tiny country has seen its fair share of disaster from dual nuclear attacks to Tsunami. However, the major and most recurring calamity that struck the country almost through-out the year is the earthquakes of varied intensity caused by sitting atop the Pacific Ring of Fire. Among the deadliest earthquakes that have caused massive destruction across the world, many are recorded in Japan only. So it’s inevitable that Japan being one of the most efficient working economies tried hard to create massive structure defying the natural destruction. Since the devastating Kobe temblor in 1995, Japan has become a world leader in engineering new structures and retrofitting old ones to withstand violent shaking. Strong Japanese building codes specify rules for short, medium and tall buildings. New buildings shorter than three stories are required to have reinforced walls and foundation slabs of minimum thickness. Mid-rise buildings, those up to 100 feet, require much more-intensive engineering and are often fitted with huge rubber or fluidfilled shock absorbers which in the case of tremors slide side to side, quickly dissipating lateral motion and turning it into heat. Designs for high-rise structures often employ innovative earthquake-resistant designs that undergo rigorous review by the country's top structural engineers. Other shorter and mid-rise buildings rest on Teflon-coated Pegs embedded in the foundation. The weight of the structure anchors the building on the pegs, but when the ground shifts, the entire building slides over the smooth surfaces. This technique is one of many "base isolation" methods that decouple buildings from the ground beneath, rendering them subtly floating structures. Stringent guidelines and past learning have helped the nation to stand against the continuing danger of earthquakes. It is to be noted that while most high rises fall in the time of earthquake, the violent shaking never ever destroyed the ‘Five-Story Pegodas’, the traditional sacred places of Japan. The secret lies in their traditional structures and use of ‘Wood’ which certainly kept the massive quakes at bay. Being in a seismic zone with high probability of recurring earthquakes, India definitely needs more stringent measures and actions to be taken, as a long term and continuous process. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 98
The tiny country Japan has seen many devastations over the years; the most recurring come from the earthquakes. However, learning from the past experineces, Japanese buildings use construction technologies that can withstand such disasters.
Many things need to be changed/implemented in India, including:
Building codes are flouted – Following building codes and regulations can go a long way in making buildings more resilient, said Prof. Roger Bilman, University of Colorado, US. He also pointed the worst fears that an earthquake of the same magnitude that struck Nepal could have a far more devastating effect in India. Quality of Materials ignored – Builders often try to
go for cheaper materials and ignore the quality of materials to be used as per BIS standards. Also, once the project has been approved and the builder completes the building, there are no means where development bodies can check how a building is constructed and the quality of materials used. Buyers often have no option but to believe when builders claim their development to be earthquake friendly.
Efforts by Government to make India disaster-resistant The National Disaster Management authority has issued specific guidelines for ‘Seismic Retrofitting of Deficient Buildings and Structures’. But unfortunately, most builders have turned a blind eye towards such guidelines. In 2007, the NDMA conducted three mega drills in north India and the North-east from 2012-2014 in an effort to develop a contemporary intensity map as well as inform and educate people about the ravages of earthquakes. It also made mandatory for all the new constructions in Mumbai and New Delhi to abide by the earthquake resistant designs. The RBI had also issued orders to all the banks, asking them to deny infrastructure loans to any building which is not abiding by the earthquake resistant structures’ guidelines. But unfortunately, these norms are flouted more often than not. In December 2014, the Supreme Court directed the central Government to ensure that all the upcoming infrastructures in the country display their ‘earthquake resistant category’ and define the implications of their category, as per the Government’s definitions. Even after the apex court’s judgement, majority of the new buildings have been overlooking these norms.
Surfaces Reporter
An earthquake resistant design with used rubber tyres The proposed construction is based on interlocking of pre-cast slotted concrete blocks with the help of low yield strength visco-elastic energy dissipation links. These blocks are cast in concrete and links are prepared by pieces of used rubber laminated by very thin steel plates. Model With Precast Lintel Beams
Amit Goyal Assistant Professor, NITTTR, Chandigarh
Dr. Pankaj Agarwal Professor at the Department of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
A new block masonry construction technique for earthquake resistant housing is being proposed which is based on energy dissipation through damping. The energy dissipation is provided in the form of effective damping in the structure through the low yield strength visco-elastic link element as well as friction. The construction is based on interlocking of pre-cast slotted concrete blocks with the help of low yield strength visco-elastic energy dissipation links. These blocks are cast in concrete and links are prepared by pieces of used rubber laminated by very thin steel plates. These links not only restrict the movement of each concrete block in all possible directions but also dissipate the energy through yielding under extreme earthquake loading conditions. The load capacity of these links is kept lower than that of the concrete blocks so that under strong earthquake shaking, the energy is dissipated through friction between concrete blocks and the deformation of links takes place without damaging the concrete blocks.
The construction process The construction of inter-linked block masonry system with viscoelastic energy dissipator links is quite simple and easy to apply in field. The different concrete blocks are prepared in the form of stretchers, corner and half blocks of size 150mmx 230 x 300mm, 150mmx 230 x 380mm, 150mmx 230 x 150mm respectively to form any types (L/C/T/ +) of joints. The weight and volume of one stretcher block replace approximately conventional six bricks of first class. Two slots
on the upper and lower horizontal bedding surface and one slot of half thickness on each side of block are provided. Visco-elastic links are prepared by using the used or discarded rubber tyres since it has numerous inherent desirable properties. The used rubber tyres have excellent tear, shear, tensile and fatigue capacity in addition to thermal resistance. These tyres are also reinforced with very thin wires which produce the desirable stiffness and damping that may be helpful in reducing/ or preventing any residual deformations in the structure or even in block itself. These used/discarded tyres are very low in cost and easily available in the market since it is difficult to re-use them further for any other commercial purpose. These links are prepared by cutting of tyres in specified dimensions and laminated with thin steel plate with the help suitable adhesive under a normal pressure.
Test Parameters The performance of inter-linked block masonry system is tested under a series of strong simulated earthquake shakes on a 3.5 m x 3.5 m, bi-axial, servo-controlled Shake Table Facility at Department of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. These tests are performed on a full-scale single story inter-linked block masonry model with visco-elastic link elements. The plan size of the models is 2260mm x 2260mm and height 1800mm with wall thickness of 230mm constructed on a steel base plate which is connected to the shaking platform with bolts. The roof of the model consists of a reinforced concrete slab of a thickness 100 mm. The model is tested under the simulated motion corresponds to the strongest earthquake motion expected in the most severe seismic zone V (effective peak ground acceleration of 0.36 g) as per Indian Seismic Code.
Result The tested system withstands this severe shaking without any distress and is found to be in a fit state for immediate occupation even after the test. The concept of block masonry with visco-elastic link is successful since the energy is completely released through friction between the blocks and yielding of links at the bottom portion of the model and the top of the model remains intact and not a single block is displaced from its original position. Construction blocks
Seismic Performance of Inter-linked Block Masonry System with Viscoelastic Link Elements 1. Amit Goyal and 2. Dr. Pankaj Agarwal 1. Research Scholar, Department of Earthquake Engineering, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee - 247667 (India) 2. Professor, Department of Earthquake Engineering, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee - 247667 (India) AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 99
Disaster Management
Are we designing and building resilient cities? LESSONS FROM HUD HUD... An interesting and inspiring story of Hud Hud cyclone and what Vizag learnt from it by Sohan Hatangadi- Environmentalist and member of Indian National Trust For Art And Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Sohan Hatangadi (63) is a a freelance technical consultant. He advises in the fields of technical training, technical writing and process standardization. He engages regularly with Vizag city administration and non-governmental agencies on issues concerning environment, heritage protection and tourism. Sohan Hatangadi writes in the local newspapers and also puts forth his views on his own blog. Vizag city on the east coast of India has the dubious distinction of being struck by a super cyclone in October, 2014. The strange thing is that no one really took this storm warning seriously. Many assumed that Hudhud would just be another storm – a huff and a puff and then it would all be hunky dory. But this monster storm hit Vizag hard and sent it back to the dark ages. It also showed how unprepared Vizag’s infrastructure and buildings were when it came to a genuinely mean, mother of a storm. As Vizag lay battered and bruised for weeks afterwards, it was time for introspection. Are we designing and building resilient cities? Can we survive the storms that will no doubt increase in frequency and ferocity? Are we designing for climate resiliency? Here are some thoughts on the construction and city aspects.
Dealing with wind and rain Buildings near the sea must now be designed for 200 kmph wind speeds. Make sure that large trees and electric poles and cables are not placed in a way that it will crash into the building in a storm. Every window & door must be water tight and have strong sunshades. The window and door frames must be firmly grouted to the wall and should not move when the winds get violent.
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Dealing with water Plastic overhead water tanks ten d to fly off in a storm along with the attached plastic piping, especially when they are empty. If you are expecting a storm keep all overhead tanks full. While placing the tanks near a windy coast it is a good idea to lash them down with cables. Always design your apartment block or home with a large sump tank. My friend has an independent home with a 20KL tank and he was the envy of the entire neighborhood because he never ran out of water after the storm. Don’t forget to make arrangements to draw water from the sump tank manually. A hand pump or an opening through which you can draw water with a bucket will come handy. In a nasty storm, most basement parking gets flooded. Prepare for emergencies by keeping diesel pump sets mounted on a 450 mm high foundation in the basement just in case you need to bail out the water from the cellar car park.
Dealing with electric power failure Bunks in the city cannot dispense fuel after a storm because incoming tankers cannot make it through the city roads to reach
Surfaces Reporter them. Most apartments have gen-sets but there is no arrangements to store reserve diesel. Make space to store around 200 liters of reserve diesel for running the generator for a few days.
Aluminium & glass You may love that modern glass and aluminium look but unless it is executed right, it’s asking for trouble. During Hudhud, some buildings with plenty of glass façade did weather the storm fairly well, without exception, they were structures built for high wind speeds and the execution was of the highest standards. However a large number of buildings that built with glass and aluminium without bothering about following proper specs suffered the consequences. SEVERAL GLASS WINDOWS SHATTERED AND ALUMINIUM PANELS WENT FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. When one cladding comes off, the wind pressure builds up behind it and every other panel tends to fly off as well. Moral of the story – don’t overdo the glass and aluminium, but if you must do so, ensure that they will survive a 250 KMPH wind speed.
Roofing As the wind blew through the city, THOUSANDS OF PRE-COATED ZINC/ALUMINIUM ALLOY COATED ROOFING SHEETS GOT RIPPED OFF THE ROOF FRAMEWORK AND FLEW AWA Y. Not only were the flying sheets a danger but they left most metal roofed buildings exposed. When the first flights started arriving after Hudhud, we greeted folk at the airport with a spot of dark humour “welcome to Vizag … where the sky is the limit”! That was because the entire airport had no roof! If indeed you use these sheets make sure that the sheets have thickness of more than 0.50 mm, are contoured to avoid catching the wind from below, and each one of them is fastened strongly with the metal framework on which they are fixed. You will have to use more self-tapping screws and longer screws as well.
Natural storm water drains Most coastal cities have treated their natural storm water canals as a dirty secret; they pass behind offices, apartments and factories quietly, choked with garbage, a place for dogs and pigs to roam freely. These canals are subject to encroachment and in places, are constricted to a few feet. But when a storm strikes and you get a deluge of water
During Hud Hud, in the buildings that were not built with requisite standards, several glass windows shattered and aluminium panels went flying through the air. When one cladding comes off, the wind pressure builds up behind it and every other panel tends to fly off as well. So don’t overdo the glass in buildings. coming down on the city, these canals which are clogged with plastic and debris, overflow and flood the entire city. City planners must take special care of the natural storm water canals in the city. The solution is to start treating these canals as a premium asset. Apartment homes and offices should overlook the canals. The canals must be lined with gently sloping sides with grass and trees, a paved walking path and then by a 15 meter wide road. If it is too late to do anything about the older parts of the city, let it be common city planning practice for the new parts of the city.
Underground movement Big storms tend to knock down electric poles and fill the streets with snaking wires. Like some giant spider has trapped the city in its web. To add to the mess, the cable TV wires also fill the streets effectively choking off traffic. City planners must work with the utility companies and cable companies to bury all electric cables underground. This will increase safety, cut down maintenance and help restore power quickly after a storm.
Ensure CRZ is not violated Finally don’t mess around with the Coastal Regulation Zone laws. Many industrialists and commercial builders love to creep up on the coast and if the city administration is weak, the coast will be full of violations. If you build too close to the tide, the next big storm which could come along even next week, will destroy the property. Finally… DON’T MESS WITH NATURE IF YOU DON’T WANT NATURE TO MESS WITH YOU. Vizag airport roof was gone with the wind Image credit: Sohan Hatangadi
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Disaster Management Good Heart School made with bamboo in Bali
A 7.5 earthquake in Limón, Costa Rica, in April 1991 destroyed homes built with concrete but all 20 of the more-flexible bamboo houses at the earthquake’s epicenter remained standing. Bamboo possesses excellent strength properties. Study shows that bamboo is as strong as wood and posseses high felxibility.
How IS SUPERTECH CONSTRUCTING SAFER buildings? Supertech Group is developing some of the tallest buildings of Noida like Supernova, North Eye etc. Apart from this, most of the residential projects the Group is developing, also fall within the category of high rise buildings. Since the NCR area falls in Seismic Zone 4, stringent safety standards prescribed in the National Building Code and incorporated in the Building Regulations of respective Development Authorities are taken care in the Building Plan.
RK Arora Managing Director, Supertech
In these buildings, the foundations designed are of Piled Raft Foundation on 200 ft. depth & 4.0 ft. Diameter, piles which are quite capable to take all types of loads/deflection in the event of earthquake. Combined pile-raft foundations can be a particularly effective form of foundation system for tall buildings because the raft is able to provide a reasonable measure of both stiffness and load resistance. Piled raft foundations utilize piled support for control of settlements with piles providing most of the stiffness at serviceability loads, and the raft element providing additional capacity at ultimate loading. We are using foreign technology by using friction dampers as per building requirement so that in case of earthquake, deflection shall be minimum. Further, these building are reinforced with huge quantities of steel and concrete under the expert supervision of internationally reputed Consultants in the respective fields, to ensure earthquake resistance, structural stability, bearing of wind force etc.
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New Technologies in construction Miwan Shuttering System - In construction, our Company is using aluminum formwork system developed by the Mivan Company Ltd. from Malaysia. It is a totally pre-engineered system wherein the complete methodology is planned to the finest details to ensure quality and consistent load distribution besides light weight and higher earthquake resistance. In this system the walls, columns and slab are casted in one continuous pour on concrete which makes the construction more sturdy and earthquake resistant. Jump Form Technology- Self-climbing jump form systems comprise the formwork and working platforms for fixing of the formwork, steel fixing and concreting. The formwork supports itself on the concrete cast earlier so does not rely on support or access from other parts of the building. Selfclimbing jump form does not require a crane as it climbs on rails up the building by means of hydraulic jacks. Highly engineered nature of jump form systems allows quick and precise adjustment of the formwork in all planes, allowing good quality construction leading to higher earthquake resistance and helps other parameters of safety in high rise buildings. The technology also ensures zero causality to the workers at site in the event of an earthquake.
Surfaces Reporter Lali Gurans orphanage and library in Kathmandu, a seismic proof self-sustainable orphanage and full public library designed by Hilary Sample and Michael Meredith, MOS Architects, New York
A half-constructed structure that withstood nepal earthquake The resilliant building though half built, stood upright during the recent Nepal Earthquake and now acting as a shelter for the 20-30 earthquake victims. Lali Gurans stands strategically in the centre of a green valley at the foot of the Himalayas. It is designed for multiple uses – as an orphanage, a public library and a seismically stable refuge area during earthquakes for the local rural community of over 40,000 residents. The latter two functions ensure that the orphanage is not an isolated institution but becomes a focal part of the community. In an under-served area lacking basic infrastructure, this structure uses low-technology renewable energy and material resources, thus significantly reducing operating costs. It also utilizes self-sustaining technologies to produce its own water and fuel. Additionally it includes vertical gardens and permaculture providing thermal insulation as well as food for cooking, equipping it to be selfsustained during an emergency.
What is the future we are moving towards? Currently India needs 25 million housing units and the demand will touch 38 million by 2030. Much of this demand is generated from the urban pockets; cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai are going to see the worst of this demand triggered by population migration. Keeping the same in view and in order to cut the Red Tapism, many city governments are bringing in moves to ease up the approval process and further encourage construction of more houses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already initiated the plan for Housing For ALL by 2022 along with construction of 100 Smart Cities. But what considerations are being taken care for making our cities liveable and more resilliant to such looming threats? SURFACES REPORTER is in touch with many experts including architects, designers, city planners, who though hailed the initiatives taken by City and Union Governments, however, posed equal concerns about the safety of the structures we are thus going to create and live in.
As a developing country with an even higher and immediate demand for housing, in order to make our structures, strong and resilliant, we cannot afford costly technologies. In this scenario, use of local materials like Bamboo can be taken into account for building construction. Factory-made construction is another option that can be seriously taken into consideration but while it requires more awareness, the quality of components should also be higher. The research by IIT Roorkee suggests an effcient and cost effective way to redesign our entire construction process. Similar studies and awarness about alternate materials and design technologies are required by the Government. However, only government can’t do everything; people have to play their part. We should be more aware about where we are living and how we are constructing. Because, at the end of the day, IT IS OUR LIFE THAT IS AT STAKE. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 103
KitchenKorner
Envisaging the
Kitchen 2025!
What do we know about our future? Very little. However, one thing is certain. The way we are exhausting the available resources, there is little doubt that soon, they are going to perish. Keeping the same thought in mind, IKEA, the global manufacturer of furniture and accessories has designed CONCEPT KITCHEN 2025, on ‘How we will forage, create and consume in our Homes’. A detailed description by SURFACES REPORTER . THE LOOK of our futurE kitchen It is an undeniable fact that kitchen is the heart of a home. It is the center of energy, activity, comfort and creativity. In the coming decade as our environments and habits change, the kitchen as we know it will evolve drastically. More people will move into cities, and our living spaces will become smaller. Natural resources will become more scarce, food more expensive, and waste an increasingly urgent issue. Near-instant grocery delivery will alter how we shop for and store food, and technology will be embedded in every part of our homes. Keeping the same in mind, IKEA, in collaboration with IDEO AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 104
London and a group of students from Lund and Eindhoven universities who explored the social, technological, and demographic forces that will impact how we behave around food in 2025 and thus designed CONCEPT KITCHEN 2025. The students spent months researching people’s attitudes and ideas about cooking and eating, and IDEO designers guided them as they built concept kitchen products. To bring these future concepts to the present day, IKEA asked IDEO to design and build a full-size concept kitchen for 250,000 visitors to test out at IKEA Temporary, a pop up that run alongside the last Salone Del Mobile in Milan and the six-month-long EXPO Milano.
Surfaces Reporter
At a loss for what to do with that leftover broccoli?
Just place it on the table, and a camera recognizes what it is and projects recipes, cooking instructions, and a timer directly onto the surface. Set the timer and the table suggests recipes that can be completed in the window you have. available. Creating various receipies with leftover food to reduce wastages
A design with Mind Crucial to the success of the project was preserving the tactile creative pleasure of the kitchen. Technology could easily make the space feel robotic and sterile, but this project was guided by the need to keep tech in the background. The Concept Kitchen 2025 doesn’t automate away personal choices, but rather facilitates mindfulness with embedded cues throughout the kitchen that subtly guide people toward being conscious of their actions and making informed decisions. In designing the prototypes, the following concepts emerged.
table suggests recipes that can be completed in the window you have available. The table is a nifty solution for a smaller urban dwelling because it’s multimodal: Hidden induction coils only heat the inside of pans, rather than the surface, so it’s adjustable for working, cooking, or eating. The Mindful Water System pushes us to be more conscious of our water consumption with a basin that pivots left and right. It must be tipped to one side to drain toxic, or “black” water, and the other for safe “grey” water, which can be filtered and used in a dishwasher or as nourishment for the cooking herbs that grow above the sink.
The Modern Pantry encourages us to have a closer relationship with what we eat by storing food in transparent individual containers on open shelves rather than hiding it at the back of a fridge. The design makes it easy to be inspired by what’s on-hand rather than going out to buy more, and it also saves energy: Induction-cooling technology embedded into the shelves responds to RFID stickers on the food’s packaging in order to keep the containers at just the right temperature.
The Thoughtful Disposal system is a response to the overuse of landfills, and reminds us of exactly what we’re throwing away. Users manually sort recycling from rubbish, and recyclables are then crushed, vacuum-packed, and labeled for pick-up, earning credits for the conscientious (and debits for the wasteful).
The Table For Living is designed to inspire people to be more creative with food and throw away less. At a loss for what to do with that leftover broccoli? Just place it on the table, and a camera recognizes what it is and projects recipes, cooking instructions, and a timer directly onto the surface. Set the timer for the amount of time you can spend preparing the meal, and the
explains that the Concept Kitchen 2025 is not really a functional kitchen, but rather “a tangible communication of what the behaviors of the future will be.” It’s just the start of IKEA’s journey toward understanding how those behaviors will shape the company’s future, and Dufresne says the findings will be carried forward into future product development.
Gerry Dufresne, Kitchen and Dining Range Manager, IKEA,
Pantry design with open shelves
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Ar. Manit Rastogi
MORPHOGENESIS, NEW DELHI Ar. Manit Rastogi and Ar. Sonali Rastogi are the Founding Partners of Morphogenesis, one of India’s leading, awardwinning Architecture and Urban Design practices. The practice has been ranked yet again, for the fourth time running, among the Top 100 Architectural Design Firms worldwide by Building Design Magazine, UK in WA100, 2015.
Habitats (ADaRSH), a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of GRIHA, India’s own Green rating system, Manit works closely with urban policymakers to voice and spearhead initiatives on environmental sensibility and social welfare. Being a part of many educational institutions, Manit always stresses on ‘Self-learning’ of the student of architecture rather than depending solely on schools. The Architects have recently been awarded Laureate of the SIA Getz Award (Singapore 2014) for Emergent Architecture in Asia.
A Fellow of the IIA (Indian Institute of Architects) and the RSA (Royal Society of Arts, UK), Manit is an Architect-cumteacher-cum-activist who is known for his uncompromising In a special rendezvous with SURFACES REPORTER , attitude towards sustainability that is not only evident in views but also in his works. A founder member of the Ar. Manit Rastogi shared his views on Indian architecture, best practices in his firm, smart & sustainable cities, and more. Association for Development and Research of Sustainable
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Wonder Worx Today, Morphogenesis is ranked among the top 100 architectural firms of the world. When was it started and what is the vision of the firm? When we started in 1996, the vision of the firm was clear; we didn’t want to brand our work behind any individual, rather the focus was on the Morphogenesis brand. For us, Morphogenesis essentially means ‘horizontal development of firm and responds to nature.’ In the last nineteen years, we have designed how a practice should be institutionalized and how it would be continued perpetually making it a learning laboratory for the people who come and work with us and through us. Our buildings are a by product of this process. This process has also ensured that the organisation is equitable while simultaneously creating a learning environment. We have pursued these simple ideas and have built up what we have today. Rather than being milestone-driven, our vision is more value driven.
“We learnt that understanding and disseminating of knowledge and wisdom cannot be done in a typical hierarchical structure.”
Other than designing beautiful buildings, you are also managing a big firm like Morphogenesis. Kindly share the challenges connected with doing justice to both.
You are a visiting faculty of a number of educational institutes. Do you think that students of architecture in India are going in the right direction?
Architecture is not just a Profession; it is a Way of Life! There is no clear
While it is difficult to say whether it is right or wrong, the study of architecture is certainly going in a different way. Today there are almost 350 architecture schools in India, most of which have come up within the last decade. With the limited number of resources, these schools are doing a good job. However, in today’s competitive environment good is not enough; it has to be great. Therefore, the students have to take it upon themselves to make sure that they are actually learning. Students are totally dependent upon the faculty to teach, whereas they should be engaged with the architecture at large by engaging with city, attending talks, lectures, conferences even those not organized by the schools to gain the practical knowledge of the subject. Rather than sitting and blaming the environment, they should start taking the initiative of their learning onto them. There are many architects in history, who in their lives, have never attended the architecture school but are still brilliant in their work. It’s only the matter of dedication which comes back to my earlier point that unlike other professions, ‘Architecture is the way of life.’
distinction between your living, working, enjoying, holidaying etc. It is a hobby that one pursues continuously. Unfortunately, the biggest challenge today is modern-day distinctions between all these activities which are preventing the architects from becoming what they should be. An architect takes almost 5-10 years of his working life to fully mature and understand the nuances of the profession. However, Morphogenesis as a firm has been successful in capturing that wisdom which we have gained over the years and making it available for all, by setting up right processes thereby compressing the learning period to a greater extent. This is one key area on which every firm should work on. Architecture is a vast discipline; from dealing in city’s master planning to a small product design, our area of working is broad. Similarly, we may be working on a high end villa and simultaneously designing a community based project. We deal with varied climates, cultures and typology, which means, we have to understand each and every business. Architecture is not an isolated profession; it is a profession where the more we understand about subjects like economics, sociology, psychology and geographies, the more informed we become, making the product even better.
How did you master the process of learning? There is always a gap between academia and the profession with both having different pursuits. While the profession deals with the ground level realities but doesn’t have time for any research, the opposites are applicable for academia. The condition is true for all, irrespective of the geographical boundaries or profession. We learnt the understanding and disseminating of knowledge and wisdom cannot be done in a typical hierarchical structure. Instead, we need a network where every node is equitably competent to at least understand the basic concepts. In order to facilitate that, we have designed an in-house ‘Knowledge Management System’ which essentially captures all projects, designs etc. done till date and segregating it in what worked best and what didn’t. The software is accessible to all the people associated with the firm which makes disseminating knowledge easier. Secondly, here at Morphogenesis, everyone has their own project to work on while simultaneously being a part of a review team analysing someone else’s project. It not only teaches one to don various hats at one time but also let the person learn from both sides of the coin. We have designed more such systems that have helped accelerate the learning process at our firm. AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 108
How would you define ‘Indian architecture’ as it is perceived by the world today? In our practice, we follow a very simple ideology, SAIL which would explain the Indian architecture in four terms:
Sustainability- India has always been a sustainable country. The architecture of the country is exemplary in terms of sustainability. We have not learnt to be sustainable to save resources; historically, our architecture has been influenced by the lack of resources. Our ancestors have created buildings that work excellent within the limited resources. There is a lot to learn from them. Affordability- We are an extremely price and resources sensitive
environment. But affordability doesn’t mean that we have to deviate from achieving sustainability. We have always been surprised by the notion that, while making a green building is costlier, but you get ROI quickly. That’s not the Indian Brand of sustainability! In the Indian definition, a green building is a structure that is cheap to build, affordable to run and consumes fewer resources. For a country of our size and scale, we have done exemplary work in this regard.
Identity- While every region in this country is historically,
geographically, culturally, socially and linguistically different, the major cities are developing or have developed more or
Surfaces Reporter less on the similar identity. Fundamentally, the roots of humanity sit around identity.
Liveability- Historically, Indians live with the environment. We are very interactive with the environment. We don’t like to live in a centrally air conditioned building with constant temperature maintained all the time and disconnected from the surrounding weather. It leads to sustainability and humanity defined by our social system wherein we are surrounded by relations and not live in isolation which essentially defines the roots of Indian architecture.
While you spoke about connecting indoors and outdoors, do you think that despite of immense use of HVAC, lack of space, and little awareness, our cities can still be made liveable? If you see the pre-colonial cities of India like Indus valley civilization, and to some extent colonial cities as well including Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, there was an extreme thrust to pedestrianization majorly attributed to the lack of automobiles. The development of Delhi marked a significant shift towards automobiles. Then Chandigarh was developed which despite being a brilliant piece of architecture, was also dependant more on automobiles. In the last 60 years, this has been the model of the city followed everywhere. The only democratic place that we get in a city is the road; everywhere else is a boundary enclosing the spaces, be it residential, parks etc. If the only democratic space of the city is road which is most polluted, then who is going to be outdoors? We have lost our public domain. In the discussion for Smart Cities, we have said that we are not against the technology; we know that technology would make our city more efficient. But before making them efficient, we should make them liveable. One of the key purposes of the city is to attract great human capital. But rather than creating room for that capital, our cities are creating slums due to lack of affordability of living in the cities for these individuals. When we talk about our indoor-outdoor relationship, there is a problem that comes from a thinking which is automobile centric where town planners believe that they can design a city like a machine and people would follow. It cannot happen. Cities are more like Bazaars where people have the freedom to movement. We have to build our city with resilience to face threats like earthquakes. Here comes the role of technology which should help in build an environment which is conducive for human living. And we are a far cry from it. For a Smart City environment, I must have right to fresh air, clean water, walk without the threat of being run over and killed. My city should give me all these rights without which there is no notion of even a city let alone smart city. In the absence of all these rights, we are forced to live completely indoor.
Do you believe that our existing cities can be made smart and sustainable? Yes of course! But cities cannot be transformed overnight. However, the recent grants and decisions would surely sow the seed to at least initiate the change that will, with time, make a city smart. For instance, half of Delhi doesn’t have sewage lines and all the filth finds its way to the river. With the 100 crore grant, at least a process would be started where a complete research and policies
can be created and implemented to create sewage plan of the city. While our country doesn’t have the dearth of intelligence, the problem is the execution owing to the multiplicity of governance and authority. We need to create a long term plan of 100 years and then simultaneously break it into smaller plans of 50 years, 10 years, 5 years, one year, one month and one week and thus start executing. This would ensure that our existing cities would become smarter in the coming future.
Which are the cities you believe that our Government & planners should study before embarking on the Smart city journey? Barcelona owning to its transformation; Singapore, for changing its housing model from essentially being a slum habitat of 1950s and Chandigarh since we should also learn what worked and what didn’t. However, essentially we know everything; the only part where we lack is execution. We may call expert from around the world who will tell us exactly the same things over and again but the execution has to be done by us.
What is the message to the Government or policy makers? Though government is doing a great job, it needs to solicit more participation from the working professionals in the field. The partnership would be fundamental to do the job efficiently.
“In Architecture, there is no clear distinction between your living, working, enjoying, etc. It is a hobby that one pursues continuously. Unfortunately, the biggest challenge today is modern-day distinctions between all these activities which are preventing the architects from becoming what they should be. An architect takes almost 5-10 years of his working life to fully mature and understand the nuances of the profession. However, Morphogenesis as a firm has been successful in capturing that wisdom and making it available for all, by setting up right processes thereby compressing the learning period to a greater extent.” - Ar. Manit Rastogi
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Wonder Worx
The institute is 100% self sufficient in terms of captive power and water supply and promotes rain water harvesting and waste water re-cycling.
Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur
T
he Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur is a campus which by virtue of its design is geared towards creating an environmentally responsive passive habitat. The institute creates interactive spaces for a highly creative student body to work in multifunctional zones which blend the indoors with the outdoors seamlessly. The radical architecture of the institute emerges from a fusion of the rich traditional building knowledge bank and cutting edge contemporary architecture.
The institute is located in a typical hot, dry, desert type climate on the outskirts of Jaipur in the soulless Kukas industrial area, about 20 kilometers from the famous walled city. It ranks third in the top 10 fashion design institutes in India, and its design needed to represent the seriousness of its academic orientation through its formal geometry. Given the nature of an institution, budgetary constraints on the project necessitated the use of cost effective design solutions to keep within the price points set by the client and yet be able to achieve the desired functionality and effect. The adverse climate makes it a challenge to control the micro climate within the project thus incorporating various passive climate control methods becomes a necessity and also reduces the dependence on mechanical environmental control measures which are resource hungry. The architecture of the academy needed to be a confluence of modern adaptations of traditional Indo-Islamic AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 110
architectural elements and passive cooling strategies prevalent in the hot-dry desert climate of Rajasthan such as open courtyards, water body, a step-well or baoli and jaalis (perforated stone screen). All these elements have been derived from their historic usages, but will manifest themselves through the built form and become an intrinsic part of the daily life of the design student. The building is protected from the environment by a double skin which is derived from a traditional building element called the ‘Jaali’ which is prevalent in Rajasthani architecture. The double skin acts as a thermal buffer between the building and the surroundings. The density of the perforated outer skin has been derived using computational shadow analysis based on orientation of the façades. The outer skin sits 4 feet away from the building and reduces the direct heat gain through fenestrations, yet allowing for diffused daylight. The jaali thus, serves the function of 3 filters- air, light, and privacy. The scheme relies on self shading sliver courts to control the temperatures of internal spaces and open stepped wells while allowing for sufficient day lighting inside studios and class rooms. Programmatic requirements enabled the conception of a whole level of functions in the underbelly which would operate in a passive environment without the employment of any mechanical means of heating and cooling. The entire building is raised above the ground and a scooped out under belly forms a natural thermal sink which
Surfaces Reporter
Size- 2,15,278 Sqft
is cooled by water bodies through evaporative cooling. The water body which is fed by the recycled water from the sewage treatment plant helps in the creation of a microclimate through evaporative cooling. The under belly which is thermally banked on all sides serves as a large student recreation and exhibition zone and forms the anchor for the entire project. During the night when the desert temperature drops this floor slowly dissipates the heat to the surroundings keeping the area thermally comfortable. This time lag suits the staggered functioning of the institute. Passive environmental design helps achieve temperatures of about 27 degree Celsius inside the building even when the outside temperatures are at 47 degree Celsius. The materials used for construction are a mix of local stone, steel, glass, and concrete chosen keeping in mind the climatic needs of the region while retaining the progressive design intent. Energy efficiency is a prime concern and the institute is 100% self sufficient in terms of captive power and water supply and promotes rain water harvesting and waste water re-cycling through the use of a sewage treatment plant. Besides having become a very successful model for cost effective passive architecture in desert regions the design and facilities of the campus complement the ideology of the Pearl Academy of Fashion – a cutting edge design institute with a sustainable approach. The Pearl Academy of Fashion is an exemplar of an inclusive architecture which intends to accommodate all the heritage values while positioning it within the contemporary cultural and architectural paradigm.
“Town planners believe that they can design a city like a machine and people would follow. It cannot happen.� -Ar. Manit Rastogi
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Wonder Worx
The reception is the main highlight of the entire office space with an installation of a tank wall equipped with various Harley Davidson fuel tanks.
Harley Davidson Corporate Office, Gurgaon
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arley Davidson’s foray into the Indian market necessitated the establishment of a marked presence of the brand which would imbibe individuality and create an office that complements the altering Indian work culture. The preliminary objective was to create an indigenous space using traditional materials to customize and personalize the office in a way that it blends into the Indian context. The workplace was intended to be more than a corporate office; as a space that would provide for multiple space utilization for various activities such as events, workshops, and parties. A training centre for the maintenance of the Harley Davidson Bikes was to be included to integrate the adventurous ethic with the working environment. In order to create an interactive working atmosphere, the office space was conceived to be a single, unified, significant space with compact enclosures that would open up and transform into gathering spaces. The overall design intent has been kept minimalistic and contemporary, to focus on the blend of the brand identity and the
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work ethos. The reception is the main highlight of the entire office space with an installation of a tank wall equipped with various Harley Davidson fuel tanks, painted by special artists. To add an informal nature to the space, lounge seating is accommodated. In addition to this, a graphic wall with inscriptions of the notions and ideologies of biking and adventure run along the reception area and along the corridor. The wall has been fitted with black lacquer modules with bookshelves for the informal casual beat within the official environment, making it employee-friendly. A few Harley Davidson bikes are set up on display along the circulation space to complete the ambience to augment the office space with the notion of adventure. Perforated jaalis, a traditional Indian embellishment, derived from the abstraction of the Harley Davidson shield, are used to segregate the multiplicity of the nature of the office spaces and creating a transparent vista which also
Surfaces Reporter
Built up Area- 7,000 sq.ft Photo- Amit Pasricha
enables an open workspace where privacy is not a major concern. Most of the detailing in design, both minute and large, has been inspired from motorcycles and biking. The handles for the toilet doors are the actual handles of the Harley Davidson bikes, the table in the pantry space has a set of supports that resemble the side stands of a bike, and the rear view mirrors of a motorcycle are exploited for signage. Basic and simplistic materials such as cement board and textured granite are used in combination with the Harley Davidson colour palette (orange, black, and grey) to give a constant, singular, contemporary character to the office space. Overall, the office sets the atmosphere of a contemporary workplace that is unique in design and inimitable in expression while symbolizing the advent of innovation in corporate offices in India.
“Students are totally dependent upon the faculty to teach, whereas they should be engaged with the architecture at large by engaging with city, attending talks, lectures, conferences even those not organized by the schools to gain the practical knowledge of the subject.� -Ar. Manit Rastogi AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 113
Wonder Worx
N85 Residence, Delhi
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he house as a platform has been used to investigate two issues central to design today; the family as a social unit and the environment. The lifestyle of the Indian family has changed in the age of global travel and internet media with new spatial needs and notions of comfort. Often, local resources are at odds with shifts in lifestyle. The designers demonstrate that it is possible to meet challenges of lifestyle and the environment with creative panache. The house sets about to create its own terrain, a veritable oasis, within its inscribed territory. The forecourt is landscaped with gracious steps and pools. Crisp clear planes are articulated with materials: stone, wood, concrete which are simply striated or set in interlocking patterns. They come alive when light hits the different horizontal surfaces. Transparency is achieved not only by glass, but a combination of water, reflection, and modulated lighting. At night the house appears magical, glowing like a lantern and allowing glimpses of activity within. This residence multitasks as a house for three
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generations of a family and their many visitors, a busy workspace, and on occasion a cultural hub. The house can be identified by overlapping spatial categories split into three levels: the private domain of the nuclear family (bedrooms and breakfast room), the shared intergenerational spaces such as the family room, kitchen and dining areas, and the fluid public domain of the lobby and living spaces. The public domain is activated each time the house opens its doors for "Manthan," a cultural event that promotes an energetic exchange of ideas between various creative disciplines. One navigates the complex program of the house through a series of spatial episodes that are expressed via volumes. These episodes are distributed across the house, revealed at chosen moments: when descending steps cascade to subterranean offices or rooms and furniture framed by large picture windows. Moving through the house, it is immediately clear that the central space is the fulcrum of the project. The ceiling is dotted by circular skylights with an interior
Surfaces Reporter
Crisp clear planes are articulated with materials: stone, wood, concrete which are simply striated or set in interlocking patterns. They come alive when light hits the different horizontal surfaces.
garden below, a green sanctuary within the house. A lap pool fed by harvested rain water runs the length of the terrace on the second floor. Environmental design plays an integral role in achieving a network of green and open spaces. The house is imagined as a porous object whereby air movement and visual connectivity permeate into the built form. The planning, orientation, structure and materiality of the house respond to the essential passive energy efficient techniques suitable to the Delhi climate. It incorporates high thermal mass in the west, earth damping for the basement studios, landscape buffers on the south, and high performance surfaces on the east and a large cavity on the barrel roof as well as the lap pool which helps with heat absorption on the top terraces. The courtyard concept has been radically re-interpreted and along with landscape, earth, daylight simulators and carbon-dioxide sensors. There is an entire eco-system living and growing in the heart of the house.
“Fresh air, clean water, walking without the threat of being run over and killed - these are the basic rights my City should give, without which there is no notion of even a city, let alone smart city.� -Ar. Manit Rastogi
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Wonder Worx
Corporate Office for India Glycols, Noida
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other departments branching out. The design’s conceptual strength comes from the spatial organization which creates overlaps between the exterior and the interior and between the various programmatic requirements, hence creating a vibrant and creative work environment.
As is the nature of most custom designed corporate developments, the building had to exemplify the identity and corporate ideology of equity and transparency in the workplace as an integral part of the architectural vocabulary. Conceived as a solid perimeter scheme with a more fluid interior, the morphology blurs the interface between the inside and outside. The site surroundings and context along with an optimum enclosed square volume enabled a built form with minimum exposed surface area. The built form configured of 8m wide office bays optimizes the natural day lighting and helps to define the programmatic requirements of the office. A stacking system is used to generate a variety of open spaces; courtyards, verandahs, terraces, green roofs, etc. that help to structure the office spaces. A central spine traversing the built volume serves as the common activity zone, with
Energy consciousness dictates the internal spatial and programmatic composition through a series of open and semi-open spaces. Instead of an overlay of an environmental layer, passive design techniques are employed throughout the scheme and take into consideration the importance and relevance of energy conscious design within the modern work culture. Solar exclusion is achieved by means of a solid external perimeter, which only permits diffused daylight into the office environs. The reliance on artificial lighting is substantially reduced as courtyards are created to increase natural light levels on the floor plates. The courtyards help to keep the solar ingress out and control the temperatures of a multitude of spaces throughout the building while also allowing for sufficient day lighting into the workspaces. External spaces are tempered using courtyards and terrace gardens that facilitate thermal insulation. Shaded outer façade with air cavity construction, very small slit windows
he office design for the corporate office for India Glycols embodies the issues concerning the workplace today, and explores the paradigm of the office space as a social activity. Sited in a non-contextual suburban area of Delhi, the setting led to the development of an introverted scheme that would address environmental and socio-economic issues from first principles.
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Surfaces Reporter
Photographers: Andre J Fanthome | Edmund Sumner | Dave Ten Hoope Built-up Area 3,91,000 sq ft
on the outside, courtyards with microclimate controls (shading and mist gardens, water bodies and plantations) all aid in reducing the solar ingress. Green roofs and terrace gardens also provide a high level of thermal insulation. Water bodies aid in evaporative cooling thereby reducing dependence on artificial means of cooling and also create a microcosm of the civic environment rich with the potential for social transactions. The underlying principle was that ‘The work place should manifest itself as a more flexible and integral part of an employee’s life rather than a separate entity of specified hours of confinement.’ Rhythmic articulation of volumes and spaces generates a scheme that is a radical departure from the structured differentiated spaces of the traditional office and the monotony of the open plan halls that have dominated office planning. The IGL campus makes a cultural statement through the importance and relevance of energy conscious design within the contemporary Indian work culture paradigm.
“While making a green building is costlier, but you get ROI quickly. That’s not the Indian Brand of sustainability! In the Indian definition, a green building is a structure that is cheap to build, affordable to run and consumes fewer resources.” -Ar. Manit Rastogi
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Wonder Worx
Marble Arch, Chandigarh
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arble Arch is a housing development located in Chandigarh on a 5.4 acre site along the periphery of the city. The project’s objective is to develop a new prototype for housing in Chandigarh as an entity to address issues of livability, spatial configuration, environmental and social issues, while shifting away from the archetypal morphology of high specification residential modules and equipment crammed into an undersized apartment.
The clients brief called for the generation of maximum built-up area for residential accommodation within the imposed controls and yet construct a favorable communal environment. The spatial planning is generated by creating a pedestrian field for the apartments in the centre of the site by isolating all vehicular movement to the periphery. The pedestrian field is then laid out with strips of defined functions of residential facilities, services, and recreation areas flowing from the east
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to the west, which allows all apartments to be developed in alignment with optimum north-south orientation to allow for natural daylight and ventilation. The built volumes of the residential strips are sculpted with a play of volumes to provide terraces/open areas at all levels and generate an interface with the open areas. The service areas of all apartments are kept along the service strip which gets broken up into service courtyards. As per the development control norms, Basement Parking is contained within the building periphery, dictating the configuration of the development in the form of linear strips. The development has been configured as a set of 9 blocks of 5 storeys each with 4 apartments to a level with service courtyards straddled as buffers within- 168 units which are a combination of 3/ 4 bedroom apartments, and penthouses on the top floors. Along with these dwelling units, ancillary facilities like a health club,
Surfaces Reporter
Size- 4,30,000 sq ft | 5.4 Acres
gymnasium, amphitheatre, swimming pool, tot lots, basketball court, and social activity spaces are provided within the development. Each block within the development has an atrium lobby to provide a sense of community. Given the fact that this is a low-rise development, the opportunity to provide terraces on each level to be able to establish a relationship with the ground level has been fully utilized. A unique Scale is achieved with regards to contemporary housing in Chandigarh which establishes a crucial relationship between heights, the distance between any 2 blocks and the landscape. The design employs the use of grids being superimposed on the entire scheme both in the case of buildings, where it gets subdivided to generate spaces within the apartments as well as onto the landscape by way of pedestrian linkages and green areas.
“If the only democratic space of the city is road which is most polluted, then who is going to be outdoor?� -Ar. Manit Rastogi
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Surfaces Reporter’s
Rising Star
Ar. Shweta Balasubramoni Vistaar Associates, Hyderabad How do you define your design process? Design process for me, begins with the assimilation of the energy of a space; it’s about actual quality, view vantage and a brain storming on what would be the obvious approach. My team and I then consciously try and see what we can do differently, be it the orientation of a layout or the material selection. The idea is to try and create an unusual experience and learn something new.
The project that kick started your career? It was a low budget renovation of my own home. I don’t think anyone trusted me to do theirs, fresh out of college.
Most memorable moment of your career? Ar. Shweta Balasubramoni Vistaar Associates, Hyderabad With a passion for design and an inherent aesthetic, colour and texture sensibility, Ar. Balasubramoni heads an interior and architecture firm from Hyderabad. She admires the works of Antony Gaudi, Laurie Baker, Geoffrey Bawa, Frank Llyod Wright, G.Jaigopal, Latha Raman and B.V.Doshi. For her, designs process begins with assimilation of energy of the space. She has been ranked among one of the Top 50 designers and the Top 20 Young Interior Designers to watch out for by various media houses.
www.vistaarassociates.com
I think there have been several moments, from recognitions in the form of awards from the fraternity to the heart-felt thanks from a client. But being recognised as top budding designer by some of the big printing names was definitely a pat on the back.
Tell us about the architectural scenario in Hyderabad. Hyderabad, like most of Indian cities, is in a confused state on its identity. After the rich influence of colonial and Islamic architecture, it is torn between Vastu and the search for its contemporary architecture. But given the soaring temperature, and changing climate, I think our fraternity will need to be more assertive.
Best architectural site you have visited during your travels. So many buildings have taken my breath away; from the Stepped Wells of Adalaj, Gujarat to the acoustic properties of Golconda back home. But the Hussain Doshi Gufa was special.
You dream to work like.... A large community that houses craftsmen, designers under one large village setup, and we all get inspired by each other’s work, muse and ponderings.
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Rising Stars- Surfaces Reporter
“Hyderabad, like most of Indian cities, is in a confused state on its identity. After the rich influence of colonial and Islamic architecture, it is torn between Vastu and the search for its contemporary architecture.”
What would you like to share about the starting challenges of your firm? Challenges and cookie points both were aplenty. However living your dream on a daily basis makes every bit of it worth it.
Materials that you love to work with or aspire to work with – Stone and wood. Also, I would love to work with wrought iron.
An interesting point about Vistaar that makes your firm unique? I think we attempt to ensure that every space we design picks up its seed idea from its local surroundings and people who inhabit it. I can definitely say we have never designed a home that makes its owner dressed in a pyjama look out of place.
Work of an International & Indian architect you admire? Antony Gaudi, Laurie Baker, Geoffrey Bawa, Frank Llyod Wright, G.Jaigopal and Latha Raman and B.V.Doshi.
As a young architect, how was your experience of working with Ar. B V Doshi? As an office for a young intern with dreams, it was a wonderful platform to rub shoulders with, who were so passionate about architecture. Ahmedabad as a city has so much to offer!
Tell us about your collaboration with other firms. We have collaborated with Inspiration, an architecture firm from Kochi, headed by Ar. Jaigopal. His sensitivity and sensibility with building materials and forms is incredible. To be able to collaborate with them as their interior’s consultant for their projects has been an amazing journey.
Your opinion and suggestion for SURFACES REPORTER magazine? SURFACES REPORTER is a fantastic platform to enrich not just the knowledge base on the material but also the retailer, its material specifications.
Project - Mars Telecom AUGUST 2015 SURFACES REPORTER 121
Rising Stars- Surfaces Reporter
Another beautiful project by Vistaar Architects - Marari Resort
“We have never designed a home that makes its owner dressed in a pyjama look out of place.” -Ar. Shweta Balasubramoni Vistaar Associates, Hyderabad
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