Surfaces Reporter Magazine February March 2022

February - March 2022

2-3-4, Sep 2022 Pragati Maidan Delhi

editorial

Managing projects during the steep rise in building material prices

T

The Facebook page of Ply Reporter, leading he downturn in the construction sector despite media for the wood & panel industry in the a positive sentiment in the market and an country, remains flooded with the price rise increase in selling in the real estate sector is posts related to laminate and other plywood directly caused by the rise in construction material products. I have not seen such volatility in prices prices and the cost of labor. Some major reasons in the last 7-8 years. for this cost increase are rising raw material shortage, rising global material prices, production There has also been a hike in the prices of challenges, logistic challenges, sand, glass, PoP, and other increasing fuel prices etc. Overall, there construction materials.

There is a rise of is a rise of about 14% in Mumbai while Tiles segment has already been facing around 14% Delhi, Pune, and Bangalore are eyeing the brunt of rising raw material costs for a rise of 10-12%. in Mumbai while some time despite showing the quickest Delhi, Pune, With the Russia-Ukraine war, the price recovery post-pandemic. For a change, the of Brent crude oil crossed the $110 Bangalore accounts demand in the luxury segment bounced per barrel mark. It is one of the major back after several years. Sales in the luxury for 10-12% rise. components used in making paints segment (>INR 3 Cr) almost doubled in and accounts for more than 50% of 2021, compared to 2019. Luxury sales the total expense of the paint companies. Already, accounted for the highest share in three years, as Asian Paints, one of the major paint brands in the per CREDAI MCHI, Colliers, and CRE Matrix. country, in nine months of FY22, took a cumulative The combined impact of the surge in input costs price hike of around 22% in response to nearly is likely to escalate the cost of construction further, 25% raw material inflation. especially for under-construction projects, and Union Steel Minister, RCP Singh, informed that thus impact pricing in the real estate sector. It is steel products used in the infrastructure sector time to be cautious and keep the price rise into such as wire rods, plates, and TMT bars have gone account while starting new projects. up by up to 117% in the last six years.

VERTICA DVIVEDI Editor-in-Chief, Surfaces Reporter Founder, WADE ASIA, Women in Design & Architecture February-March 2022 | www.surfacesreporter.com | 4

SR VIEWPOINT

Food for ArchitectureFrom Edible museums to Textured Pasta walls form edible structures. The project was developed keeping Food is never just ‘food’. It is much more, particularly in mind the connection between the pieces which are to be in today’s environment where creators try and find eaten as one. inspiration in every substance. Multiple scientific, technological, and design-based advancements can be If you love pasta, this next project is for you! Italian set seen in the production and consumption of foods. Its designer Gemma Tickle and photographer Aaron creative element has a special relationship with Design Tilley joined their creative minds to form some inspiring and Arts. When the food blends with Architecture, it ends food sculptures. In order to pay homage to Italian up with incredible edible moments and a architecture and cuisine, the duo used five different treat to eye. Food Architecture is the practice types of Pasta. Using this ingredient, they've created Using pasta as an of designing and fabricating foods to build a stair, a floor, a Roman column, and a shingled ingredient, they have a specific aesthetic and function. A blend roof. Fascinating, isn't it? of factors like aesthetics, costs, timelines, created a stair, a floor, a Food is a work of art that we happen to consume safety, and the material properties results Roman column, and a every day. Food Architecture is however a crossin inspiring, visionary, and interactive food disciplinary aspect that brings creativity, taste, and sculptures that nourish our creative minds. shingled roof. science to the table. The sensual journey of these Architects and designers across the world creative pieces of Food Architecture is worthy of our have worked on the concept of 'Food Architecture' in praise and attention. Who knew that Gingerbread houses exciting ways! Using ingredients like chocolate, candy, that we made as a kid would be considered architecture pasta, and bread, multiple artists have proved that today? Crazy, right?

'Food is Art'. In the world of IG reels, sculptures created out of food materials like chocolate and cakes by Write your own Food for Thoughts and send to me at renowned chefs are getting viral every day. madhu@surfaces.in Designers like Caitlin Levin and Henry Hargreaves have recreated seven popular Art Galleries using Gingerbread and Candy. The food artists used a traditional food item and reinvented the medium through their work. Glass, walls and curved surfaces of the famous galleries were all made from candy. They've recreated galleries like the MAS Antwerp and Zaha Hadid's Maxxi in Rome.

Another project that combines Architecture with Food includes the Edible Architecture of Chocolate developed by Universal Favorite. The shapes include a small flight of stairs combined with other geometric forms interlocking each other. Flavors like Blackcurrant, Vanilla, Watermelon, and Lemon combine together to

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Madhurima Chowdhury Executive Editor - SURFACES REPORTER

readers reviews Kolkata designers, thank you for the responses! We can be contacted at hello@surfacesreporter.com

What people are saying about "Surfaces Reporter" I would like to say that your website is very helpful as a reference guide for designers.

We loved the publishing. Thank you for putting up the details in the best light.

Ar Chetan Lahoti

Devarati Sarkar

Principal Architect, Mind Manifestation Design, Pune

Content & Social Media, Pencil & Monk, Chennai

Thank you very much for the wonderful feature & I really like the layout of the entire project.

Thank you so much for giving the opportunity of publishing our work in Surfaces Reporter.

Ar Yatin Kavaiya

Neha Dhuri

Partner, Usine Studio, Vadodara

Thank you so much for the article ! It was beautifully written and we really appreciate the time & effort you have spent on the article.

Ar Juhi Patel

Principal Architect, Yellow Door Architects, Bengaluru

Principal Interior Designer, The 7th Corner Interior, Mumbai

I extend my gratitude for publishing the project.

Ar Roopakala D S

Proprietor and Principal Architect, RR Architects & Associates, Bengaluru

Thank you for the lovely feature of the project.

Looking forward to sharing more projects with you in the near future.

Rachna Agarwal Founder Partner & Design Ideator, Studio IAAD, Gurugram

We acknowledge and are delighted with our work being featured in Surfaces Reporter Magazine. We are grateful for this opportunity and are looking forward to having many more collaborations in the future.

Ar. Shantanu Mishra Salankar Pashine & Associates, Pune

/SurfacesMagzin /SurfacesReporterMagazine February-March 2022 | www.surfacesreporter.com | 8

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editor-in-chief

vertica dvivedi

vertica@surfaces.in material stories & market research pragath dvivedi executive editor madhurima chowdhury madhu@surfaces.in bureau chief komal gupta editorial support rajiv parashar rekha joshi fuloriya mehak ahluwalia diksha jawle production control swapan das

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images & research are done by going through encyclopedias, industry experts, wikipedia, various blogs, research, some images from web, books & reference, research journals, interviews published in various media and respected magazines, surfaces reporter's published issues and others, all for the sake of dissipating information and creating inspiration on the subject of article, write-ups, mostly through direct interactions with the designer/ business owner. editorial & correspondence: f-1118, chittaranjan park, new delhi-110019 email: vertica@surfaces.in, printed at Modest Print Pack Pvt. Ltd. C-52, DDA Shed, Okhla Industrial Area Phase-I New Delhi-110020 and published from f-1118, chittaranjan park, new delhi-19 by vertica dvivedi on behalf of bigsea marcom (i) pvt. ltd. we accept all materials and publish with care. however, we 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 take care that colour is matched 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. surfaces reporter and bigsea marcom wish to promote building material & product awareness in true & unbiased way. We do not claim to be experts so feel free to correct us if something needs correction. We are always eager to learn.

All disputes to be settled in delhi (india) jurisdiction only.

Total Pages - 102

Advertising queries Contact: +91 9867333972 madhu@surfaces.in

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Editorial: 4 & 6 Readers' Views: 8 Content: 10 & 12 14-29: SR SHOWCASE A showcase of 20 best materials and products 30-41: SR Cover Story LINK-BNK- A venture of Neelam Kothari Soni & Ar Bhehzad Kharas 42-43: SR Advertorial Interior Trend 2022: Stylish, Practical & Waterproof 44-48: SR Event Architecture & Culture from the City of Joy- Kolkata 49-74: SR Material of Substance Special A handbook of 10 important futuristic materials that will change the face of architecture and construction industry in near future.

75-76: SR Frontrunner Bhavana Bindra, Managing Director, REHAU South Asia 77-78: SR Realty Roundup What are Flex Spaces?

79-89: SR SpotLight 079 Stories by Studio Sangath Plain Ties by Matharoo Associates 90-91: SR App Ache Maintenance of Luxury Natural and Engineered Stones 92-99: SR Rising Star Ar Gaurav Kapoor & Neha Bhardwaj, LSDA, Delhi-NCR

INFRATOP. INNOVATIVE CEILING SYSTEM The innovative ceiling system Infratop is an original and aesthetic finishing of roofs and ceilings.

Colours and shapes are reminiscent of wooden facades.

For outside and inside use.

VOX BUILDING PRODUCTS PRIVATE LIMITED 6th Floor, Leela Collonnade, The Leela Palace, No.23, HAL Old Airpo Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Kodihalli, Bengaluru - 560008, India Ph No: +91 8043741810. Email: customercare@voxindia.co, voxindia.co

Follow us on:

CONTENT in Visual I

30 Cover Story

LINK-BNK- A venture of Neelam Kothari Soni & Ar Bhehzad Kharas

90 Maintenance of Luxury Natural and Engineered Stones

75 SR Frontrunner

49

Bhavana Bindra, Managing Director, REHAU South Asia

SR Material of Substance Special SR SpotLight

79 92 Ar Komal Matharoo Principal Architect, Matharoo Associates, Ahmedabad

Khushnu Panthaki Hoof & Sönke Hoof Studio Sangath, Ahmedabad

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SR Rising Stars

92

Ar Gaurav Kapoor & Neha Bhardwaj, LSDA, Delhi

SR Showcase

Gessi Venti20 Showering System Material: Gloss Brass | Style: Wall mounted In the three-hole wall-mounted version, the typical stylistic traits of the collection are incorporated into the handles and slender spout.

The sleek lines reinterpret the classic world with a modern style, best reflected by the gloss brass finish. www.gessi.com

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SR Showcase

World’s Biggest Wooden Door that can withstand fire for more than 120 mins Size: 3000mmx3750mm and 75 mm thickness USP: The door has successfully cleared the fire resistance test conducted by the fire research laboratory of the CSIR-Central Building Research Institute (Roorkee) Brand: Narsi Group In a test conducted CSIR- CBRI, that ran for 121 mins, the double leaf door became the only product to pass the test. mail@narsi.in

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SR Showcase

Intricate brickwork facade Project: KBM Sweet Shop Design: Studio Saransh, Ahmedabad According to the architect, "The KBM brand being 174 years old, originated in the old city of Ahmedabad and a look at the historic and articulate brickwork throughout the old city, channeled the specific material and techniques for the facade. One of the inspirations for the facade design was the texture of Indian sweets which is created by the multiplication of a single unit ingredient.

Bricks become the ‘ingredient’ here to create the texture.The undulating brick facade design aims to make it a landmark. The developed form softens all the edges of the building and creates a playful facade, resulting in a red textured layer, enabling it to stand out amongst an otherwise white and gray neighborhood.In addition, a ferro-cement skin was erected to envelop it in a fluid form, reinforcing the building, while also acting as an insulation."

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SR Showcase

White Tulip Monolithic washbasin Designer: Philippe Starck | Brand: Duravit Finishes: Available in five silk-matt and five high-gloss variants.

The monolithic, free-standing ceramic washbasin is available as a single or double solution. It can be attached to the wall or floor, depending on the specific structural circumstances. The satin matt finishes include a special feature: Small scratches on this special lacquer finish “disappear” almost automatically, so that the furniture always looks as good as new and are easy to clean. www.surfacesreporter.com/brand/2045/duravit

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Surfaces Reporter

Wrinkled Lines by Wall & deco Name- Wrinkled Lines Wrinkled Lines is a representation of a striped fabric sculpted by folds and creases that create an immersive 3D optical effect.

The theme is a part of the collection which is a collaboration of Wall & Deco with Diesel Living- the collection of wallpaper has 12 graphics, each in 3 different colours.

www.surfacesreporter.com/brand/2215/wall-deco

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SR Showcase

Terracotta Flooring in the Coffee House The flooring, a fissured pattern combining the classic monochrome and traditional terracotta, denotes the trajectory of motion whilst providing a playful pop of colour.

One follows the pattern towards the staircase leading to the upper level balcony. This is tiled completely in terracotta, another touch reminiscent of the original Coffee House, and provides an uninterrupted view of the lower level vignette.

Project: Coffee House, New Town, Kolkata Design: Architect Tamal Chaudhuri and Associates

Image credit: Pradip Sen

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SR Showcase

Waste stone chips recycled into Feature wall Project: Kaze, Bengaluru | Design: Sanctuary Architects and Designers Architect: Anshul Chodha | Material: wasted stone chips from quarry embedded into mesh The idea of this design was borrowed from the lit night sky of Bengaluru where the architect wanted people to have an immersive experience with the city lights. In the wall, the stones are embeded in a mesh which after a clever use of lights, give a ‘twinkling’ effect.

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Surfaces Reporter

Inspira Colour Basin & WC from ROCA Material: inFINECERAMIC® | Brand: Roca According to the brand, the basin are 40% lighter, 30% sturdier and resilient and extremely resistant to abrasive materials.

Colour available: Onyx, Coffee and beige Over the counter basin also available in three variants, i.e., Inspira Round, Inspira Soft and Inspira Square www.roca.in

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SR Showcase

Handmade tiles for Card Room Project: Panjwani Residence Design: Ar Vinay Babar & Kalpana Babar | Firm: Technocraft, Indore As the architect describes "The lady of the house was explicit in her specification for the second floor cards room, she wanted a pleasant shock to the visitors, with a riot of colours. The hand made tiles on the floor have been deliberately placed to fulfill this wish of hers. They have been repeated on the furniture as well." The room also hosts Ar Vinay Babar's paintings and is one of the prominent spaces of the house where the couple spends a lot of time.

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Surfaces Reporter

Image credit: Ricken Desai

Flooring Like a carpet Project: The Ochre Home (Villa No 50), Hyderabad Design: Ar Mitali Aharam | Firm: Crafted Spaces, Hyderabad Material: Tiles from Bharat Flooring In this particular project, flooring has been used to bring pop of colours to the otherwise neutral settings of wall. It is treated as a carpet under the seating and dining areas to add the pop of colour the client wanted, that was off set with marble flooring in all the common areas and walkways.

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SR Showcase

Image credit: Julie Soefer

Rajasthani Chitai Metal Work in Houston Project: Musaafer | Design: Chromed Design Studio Architect: Abhigyan Neogi Classically detailed & made to inspire, the bar front is made up of Chitai work which is a complex Rajasthani art of beating metal to create different patterns. Top hung shelf and metal sheet motifs give an eclectic mix of space and functionality to this bar.

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Surfaces Reporter

Facade that looks like melted concrete or Meltcrete In order to create a unique-yet-quick facade, the architect created a series of curvilinear concrete facia which looks like a melted concrete. A second layers of frames made in metal silhouettes create another fluted layer which also acts like a balcony fence and facade element together.

Meltcrete uses a series of curves more like a melting structure and also creates an illusion of a taller structure than of is .it subtle expresses concrete poetry in a subtle way for a office space row plot.

Something which was started by corbusier. The building had a very low cost of 1000 Rs/sqft half the cost compared to the conventional building of its kind. Concrete way used as a primary material for facade.

Project: Meltcrete | Design: Studio Ardete | Photographer: Ar. Purnesh Dev Nikhanj Design Team: Badrinath Kaleru, Prerna Kaleru, Sanchit Dhiman, Nancy Mittal, Abhimanue Sharma, Pragya Singh, Rahul Ghosh.

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Photo Credit: Beej Lakhani February-March 2022 | www.surfacesreporter.com | 30

Surfaces Reporter

Surfaces Reporter | COVER STORY

LINK-BNK

A venture into luxury interiors by

NEELAM KOTHARI SONI & BEHZAD KHARAS BNK Group, one of India’s wellestablished architecture group has collaborated with Actress & Jewellery Designer Neelam Kothari Soni to create a marvel on the 49th floor sky apartment at one of India’s highest residences, One Avighna.

The lavish apartments is the maiden venture of Neelam Kothari Soni in the field of interior design who, from now on, will lent her design expertise for the newly launched company LINK BNK, which showcases celebrity designed spaces. In this special story, SURFACES REPORTER (SR) covers the minute aspects of the latest launched residences and features exclusive conversations with Neelam Kothari Soni and Behzad Kharas.

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ntry of a Diva Actress-turned- Jewellry Designer Neelam Kothari Soni started her acting career at the age of 16. She is a successful actress who has done over 40 films. She comes from a lineage that has been into the jewellery business for the past four generations. When she wasn’t shooting for movies, she started her jewellery training under her father’s expertise in her spare time, as becoming a jewellery designer and a business woman is something she always wanted to be. She has been designing jewellery since the past 30 years and has created a niche clientele for her brand ‘Neelam Jewels’.

Her clientele consists of Industrialists, Royal Families from the Middle-East and personalities from the film industry.

Neelam Jewels is recognized for her great workmanship and high quality gemstones and timeless designer pieces.

BNK Group has collaborated with Actress & Jewellery Designer Neelam Kothari Soni to create a marvel on the 49th floor sky apartment at one of India’s highest residences, One Avighna.

She will lent her design expertise for the newly launched company LINK BNK, which showcases celebrity designed spaces.

Now Neelam has made a comeback with a very popular reality show ‘Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives’ on Netflix and is currently shooting for Season 2, but her passion will always remain to be designing jewellery.

The Humble Beginning Behzad Kharas showed his prows for designing from an early age and won numerous awards as an architecture student. Graduating in 2002 he worked with Architects Hafeez Contractor and Pronith Nath. Unfortunately, in 2004 his father suffered a paralytic stroke which led to great financial and emotional stress within the family. Despite of the circumstances around him, he believed that, “the world belonged to the brave” and started his practice from his hometown Nashik and then later shifted base in 2007 to Mumbai. He founded the BNK Group in 2005 as a 2 person architecture and interior design firm. Today, the firm has successfully expanded into a team of 50 in-house designers, project managers and site supervisors making for a strong, dedicated workforce of 300 plus people.

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Surfaces Reporter

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SR Cover Story

The Collaboration One Avighna With an obsession to achieve the highest standards in luxury living, BNK Group’s ensemble ranges from lavish residences to intricate architecture and luxe hospitality spaces at the most desirable addresses around the country. Creating luxury homes right from Beaumonde in Mumbai to the Weekend Retreat in Lonavala, redefining hospitality with the Taj and Vivanta in Navi Mumbai to the uber chic restaurants like the Luna Nudo, Luna Gusta and OpaKipos in Mumbai, The BNK Group stands for the finer things in life.

Looking to launch their new company which showcases celebrity designed homes, BNK Group associated with well-known celebrity and jewellery designer Neelam Kothari Soni who lent her expertise, experience and unparalleled eye for beauty to this select residence and made it a masterpiece.

However, bringing Neelam onboard was never easy. Talking about the collaboration, she says, “Wherever we would meet, he would always motivate and push me to pursue interior design.

Naturally, when I started thinking about taking interior design seriously, I couldn’t have imagined anyone better to work with than the BNK Group.

The BNK Group have successfully been designing some extraordinary luxury spaces with their contemporary designing skills and that is something I personally love and relate to.”

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Surfaces Reporter

I feel I have an excellent eye to spot details, design elements, shapes and colours and that majorly contributes and helps me in my career as an interior designer.

Neelam Kothari Soni -

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SR Cover Story

Resonating the sentiment, Behzad also says, “While Neelam was unwilling to get into interiors, but on my persuasion she agreed to do our first project together to test her feet in the water. Making her understand layouts, the clients’ expectations and materials was overwhelming for her to grasp initially. However, with time she understood and coped up.”

Sky Apartment at One Avighna According to the designers, “This exuberant home reflects the perfect marriage between opulence and contemporary design. Designed for a family of 3 generations, each room reflects the personality of the occupants with its stunning interiors. The living and dining areas are the highlight of this home with the dining area being engulfed with a customised metal screen giving a sense of space and privacy. Bright colours are splashed around in subtle ways to create a sense of vibrancy in a muted colour palette.

While each room is different certain common materials like the floor and wall textures flow into each space to create a sense of connection and oneness.

Inspired by influences that are firmly rooted in both

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Indian culture and Universal Art Deco styles, this residence showcases both heritage and contemporary craftsmanship at its finest. From wood work by local artisans to modern brass furniture and mirror installations which play with natural light to amplify both the interiors and the stunning vistas of the Mumbai Skyline. The collaboration brings a seamless blend of Neelam’s design sensibilities coupled with the contemporary architecture of BNK Group.” This project will also be featured in the upcoming season of Neelam Kothari’s Netflix show, The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, showcasing her day, shooting at her first interior project.

Highlights v The smartly designed private and chic dining area v The blend of opulence with splashes of colour v Eye-catching sculpture on the main deck and art from upcoming local artists v Niche area dedicated to the puja room which brings about a sense of tranquillity v Impeccable balconies with every bedroom to showcase the personality of the occupant

Surfaces Reporter

Neelam Kothari says, “This collaboration is a seamless blend of my design aesthetics, coupled with the contemporary architecture of BNK Group. Creating this luxury residence into a home, as a team has been hard work and a gratifying experience.”

Adds Behzad Kharas, “The amalgamation of our design aesthetic, imagination and hard work, resulted in a beautiful space. When the mind and heart are in synchrony, the outcome is for all to see!”

Interior design is an extension to my passion for design and collaborating with Behzad and BNK group was the perfect start to this new journey.

- Neelam Kothari Soni

Here are the excerpts of SURFACES REPORTER’s exclusive Tete-e-tete session with the designers.

NEELAM KOTHARI SONI After spending decades as a jewellery designer, what led you to think about entering the interior design?

Neelam: Design is something I love and was always keen on exploring different areas of design. Coincidentally, Behzad was a good common friend who also encouraged me to take a step ahead into the interior design field. Interior design is an extension to my passion for design and collaborating with Behzad and BNK group was the perfect start to this new journey.

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SR Cover Story

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Surfaces Reporter

How is your experience as a jewellery designer contributing to interior design?

Neelam: All designers think alike, it’s not just the design but the details, that shape, the look and feel of the project be it jewellery or interiors. Having come from the jewellery design background, I feel I have an excellent eye to spot details, design elements, shapes and colours and that majorly contributes and helps me in my career as an interior designer.

Associations happen when several dots join. What led to your association with BNK? Neelam: Behzad and I have a lot of common friends and wherever we would meet, he would always motivate and push me to pursue interior design.

When I finally started giving it a thought, I knew I wanted to give it my best and I firmly believe in giving my 100% to the task I take up. Naturally, when I started I couldn’t have imagined anyone better to work with than the BNK Group. The BNK Group have successfully been designing some extraordinary luxury spaces with their contemporary designing skills and that is something I personally love and relate to.

Having said that, it has been a fulfilling process of seeing a space come alive with different textures, shapes and colours. I truly enjoyed the experience and it was an honour to associate with Behzad and the BNK Group.

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SR Cover Story

From wood work by local artisans to modern brass furniture and mirror installations which play with natural light to amplify both the interiors and the stunning vistas of the Mumbai Skyline. The collaboration brings a seamless blend of Neelam’s design sensibilities coupled with the contemporary architecture of BNK Group.

BEHZAD KHARAS We have been seeing the good work of BNK. How are the projects by LINK BNK going to be different?

Behzad: LINK BNK features the confluence of BNK’s contemporary designs along with Neelam’s fine taste for design. Neelam gives her creative inputs for design which are then layered over BNK’S design concept.

Tell us about your 1st collaborative project, Avighna One, with Neelam Kothari Soni.

Behzad: While Neelam was unwilling to get into interiors, but on my persuasion she agreed to do our first project together to test her feet in the water. Making her understand layouts, the clients’ expectations and materials was overwhelming for her to grasp initially.

However, with time she understood and coped up.

The biggest challenge for us was whether to have the metal screen between the dining and living areas. This debate between the clients and us was a constant battle and finally on the day the screen was installed the clients said wow to Neelam!

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Any other projects in the pipeline?

Behzad: We are doing three apartments at the Trump Towers followed by one at the World Towers and few more in the pipeline but all in Mumbai.

In one line what does this association mean to you?

Behzad: The synergy of two passionate individuals with an eye for detail.

Surfaces Reporter

To celebrate this iconic collaboration, Neelam Kothari and Behzad Kharas of the BNK group hosted a select evening to celebrate the partnership and the completion of their first project. Mingling over cocktails and a lavish Greek dinner were friends such as Raveena Tandon, Ekta Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Farah khan, Simone Arora, Sanjay Kapoor, Alvira Agnihotri, Deanne Pandey, Chunky Panday, Amrita and Rahul Raichand, Sawari and Sameer Nair, Sujata Assomull, Avantika Kilachand, Gayatri Shah, Nitasha Nanda, Ana Singh, Pragya Kapoor, Seema Khan, Sameer Soni, Monisha Jaising, Karan Singh Grover, Aarti Singh, Sussanne and Arslan Goni, Akansha Agarwal, Krishika Lulla, Shabina Khan, Mehr Jessia, Aarti Surendranath, etc. The guests had a fun evening with dancing and the Greek tradition of breaking plates at Opa Kipos which is also designed by BNK.

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SURFACES REPORTER SPECIAL

Architecture & Culture Kolkata Due to its strategic location and varied monarchical and bureaucratic rules, Kolkata has experienced a continuous cultural upheaval which is clearly reflected in its architecture. It is safe to say that the cultural impression is deeply embedded in the architecture of the city. The advent of modern era has made a distinguished impression on the city and has clearly demarcated the city architecturally.

SURFACES REPORTER (SR), during its notable architecture and design event, The Talk of Town Kolkata, spoke to the eminent architects and designers of the city and tried to find out how the city has grown architecturally over the decades weaving the architecture, art and culture together.

Kolkata- The center of Power and culture Talking about how old and new and poor and rich mingle together in Kolkata, Ar Monica Khosla Bhargava, Principal, Kham Consultants stressed over the fact that people from all strata of society coexist here. She said, “Architecture has the capacity to provide for everyone. An architecture that divides is not desired. One of my favourite buildings in Kolkata is the ITC Sonar Bangla by Kerry Hill. While this building is not accessible to all, it gives the entire experience of Bengal. In a rural Bengal, you can hear the sound of tree and lights of jugnu. When I enter ITC Sonar Bangla, the way the dark Granite, the water and the light flicker, it gives you that immersive experience. The designer has given an experience of a village in Bengal. That is the kind of nonaggressive architecture we should promote through design and should be our future.”

Talking about the same, Manash Sinha Roy, Principal, Practice Design, “Kolkata itself is culturally very strong.

Mingling up with the existing culture, whatever the city has or whatever we have got as an inherit from the past, its relatively easier to take it forward from there. There is less scope for Indian buildings within the urban fabric. I think it’s more important we try to be within the limitations, it should not be limitations but we should be within some kind of benchmarks which have been set.”

Abhijit Saha, Principal, Decofloor, says, “It’s a vast subject.

Architecture always shows its own culture. It’s a very timeline practice. It depends on time to time based on your invention, time and knowledge which is increased from time to time. Architecture reflects that way. Calcutta is an old city from the British period. Its legacy was over 300 years here. Many more old architectures are here, by the development of time, many more new structures, new February-March 2022 | www.surfacesreporter.com | 44

Ar. Monica Khosla Bhargava

Principal, Kham Consultants Kolkata

Architecture has the capacity to provide for everyone. An architecture that divides is not desired.

Surfaces Reporter

From left to right: Ar Bipratip Dhar, Ar Anjan Gupta, Shailja Agarwal, Vertica Dvivedi, Ar JP Agrawal, Ar Sunil Maniramka, Ar Kalyan Chakraborty and Ar Aditya Goswami. architecture, new buildings, new interiors are developing in that manner. Architecture of Calcutta is changing by its culture, by the time and by its choice, which reflects in time.”

Changes in architecture and Culture over the years Architecture exists to create built environment and culture for the people. It is a representation of how we see ourselves and the world. Emphasizing the same, Ar Anjan Gupta, Principal, Anjan Gupta Architects, said, “Kolkata is a linear city. On one side it has Ganges and due to other geological constraints, we can only expand in the eastern direction.

Therefore, the development is more towards the eastern side. There is also a cultural rivalry between North and South Kolkata. While South is more elite, north is a mixed group. We call it city of joy but at the same time the city of palaces as well. North Calcutta couldn’t grow since it is densely populated and the buildings here have no space in between whereas South Calcutta, with all its wealth is making high rises.

This city is a confluence with different traditions. You can see Jewish synagogue, Armenian garni, cathedral, Jain temples, Hindu temples, Sikh gurudwara, means worshipping places for all religions. The religious architecture definitely cultivates the history of architecture heritage. Architecture across the culture definitely served purpose to create concrete documentations for social, cultural, economic and political dynamics. In short, the architecture tells you the difference between the buildings, that is, how they are built over a period of time. That’s how the story is scripted for the city. For instance, you can see separate neighbourhoods for the potters, the cobblers, jewellers, there are separate neighbourhoods but they blend seamlessly. While earlier the entire city was like a big family, the culture is changing now. There is a clear shift towards nuclear families and apartment culture where privacy is a major requirement in terms of design as well as everybody be it husband and wife, requires their private space which is adhered by the architects and interior designers. Today, the focus for culture is to get most out of the building.”

Ar. Sunil Maniramka Principal, Maniramka & Associates, Kolkata

There is a lack of sensitivity from government officials and stakeholders who have the decision making power but are not architecturally conscious and thus make wrong decisions.

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SR SPECIAL

We need to get into the aspect of Architecture and Culture with an open mind and think about it in a very loud manner rather than sticking to the idea of having anything. Somehow we confuse Heritage with culture.

Ar. JP Agrawal

Principal, Agrawal & Agrawal Architects, Kolkata

Modern Architecture- Scope and beyond Kolkata is like a melting pot of culture with the finest legacy. However many architects believe that slowly the culture is getting lost due to the haphazard development of the city. Ar Sunil Maniramka, Principal, Maniramka and Associates says, “As the city is evolving and developing, people are destroying its heritage in the name of development. As a good part, a new breed of architects have come up who are very sensitive to the work they are doing. Like a good architect, they are not only doing good buildings but are also following culture and context.

However, since such architects are very less, the bulk of projects are being carried out unorganized sector consisting of people who are anything but architect and manage to design building without a soul just like a copy paste thing.

There is a lack of sensitivity from government officials and stakeholders who have the decision making power but are not architecturally conscious and thus make wrong decisions.

While Kolkata, with all its heritage, is a strong contender for UNESCO World Heritage City, the lack of government sensitivity is making it weaker.

If the government involves all the stakeholders including the Architects, historians, artist etc and bid for a UNESCO World Heritage City, then it will put us on the World Map which will ultimately led to the boom in the economy as well.”

Role of ArchitectS in Shaping Kolkata While every city that took the test of time are very layered, Kolkata has a huge recall value. Talking about the changes that can be brought the way Kolkata is moving forward in terms of design, Ar Aditya Goswami, Founder Partner, Architectonic Services, says, “The problem with architects is that we always want our building to stand out.

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Ar. Anjan Gupta

Design Principal, Anjan Gupta Architects, Kolkata

Architecture across the culture definitely served purpose to create concrete documentations for social, cultural, economic and political dynamics. In short, the architecture tells you the difference between the buildings, that is, how they are built over a period of time.

Surfaces Reporter

However in a heritage city like Kolkata, it mustn’t stand out but blend well. The old Kolkata used to have a strong recall value with all its design elements. As Architects we need to be more responsible for urban design not over announce ourselves. We need to be more responsible to learn the urban fabric that a street is trying to speak to us on.”

Bipratip Dhar

Principal, Epsilon Architecture & Interiors

While the new architecture has to fuse into the existing architecture but also as the architects, we also have to think a little ‘Hatke’. It has got to be something that is out of the box.

Adding a little different perspective, about how an architect must also think out of the box while playing the bigger role of the conservationist of the city Ar Bipratip Dhar, Founder, Epsilon, says, “All these structures are kind of extremely good. They are very famous and they are also talked about.

While the new architecture has to fuse into the existing architecture but also as the architects, we also have to think a little ‘Hatke’. It has got to be something that is out of the box.

I think culture has a bigger role to play but at the same time it has got to be a fusion of old history and an expression of the present day.”

Talking about the contribution of Kolkata in terms of design, Ar Kalyan Chakraborty, Partner, Polaris Architect, says, Kolkata has a lot of contribution in the Global architecture which we often miss. One of the greatest architectural style bungalow was developed here. The Britishers learnt from us and gave it a name ‘Bangla’ derived from Bengal. The wrap around ‘Varandah’ becomes a major architectural feature, one that is even relevant today. Recently, in IIT Kharagpur, a building is developed with a double layered façade with a screen wall with hardly any gap between the two screens but basically serving the same purpose. So we can take the cue from our traditional knowledge and Vernacular wisdom and develop something new in future.”

Architectural Internationalism putting our cities’ heritage at risk

The thought-provoking question got a very interesting insight from Ar JP Agrawal, Principal, Agarwal & Agarwal Architects. He says, “There was a controversy of not declaring Dalhousie Square a World Heritage Site. But it wasn’t declared the one as there was a telephone pole just behind it which was an architectural blunder. We need to get into the aspect of Architecture and Culture with an open

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SR SPECIAL mind and think about it in a very loud manner rather than sticking to the idea of having anything.

Somehow we confuse Heritage with culture. We have seen beautiful Heritage buildings surrounding the four sides of Lal Dighi. But it is all British architecture and not our Indian culture.

Now let’s see the three places of Calcutta. First is the Dalhousie square, Lal Dighi. Second is Park Street and third is the Sector 5. Dalhousie has its own culture, character and fabric leaving apart the telephone tower blunder. But it still got a beautiful heritage of the buildings. Now look at park Street.

If you look at Karnani Mansion you cannot probably know where it is. While in Park Street, you connect food with culture. In the same breadth, Sector 5 has been developed in last 25 years and has been converted into a concrete jungle. But it was the need of the hour. However, what went wrong was, while designing the space, the Street Space was never taken care of. By giving all these examples, I am trying to ascertain that while talking about culture and heritage, we must keep an open mind.

Culture is in our DNA.”

Aditya Goswami

Founding Partner, Architectonic Services

The problem with architects is that we always want our building to stand out. However in a heritage city like Kolkata, it mustn’t stand out but blend well.

SURFACES REPORTER observes that each of the takeaways from this session is meaningful and paves the way for further deliberation.

Ar. Kalyan Chakraborty Partner, Polaris Architect

One of the greatest architectural style bungalow was developed here. The Britishers learnt from us and gave it a name ‘Bangla’ derived from Bengal.

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One of the strongest takeaway we wish to reiterate is from Ar Maniramka, “While Kolkata, with all its heritage, is a strong contender for UNESCO World Heritage City, the lack of government sensitivity is making it weaker. If the government involves all the stakeholders including the Architects, historians, artist etc and bid for a UNESCO World Heritage City, then it will put us on the World Map which will ultimately led to the boom in the economy as well.”

MATERIAL OF SUBSTANCE SPECIAL Material is and has always been the prime love for SURFACES REPORTER Magazine. We are one of the primary sources of information for any architect or designer to get in depth information about any new material introduced in the market.

However, the title ‘Material of Substance’ is a coveted one that we give to only those materials which have the calibre to transform the existing construction practices or add new dimensions into architecture or design. Over the years, we have published a slew of such materials that have real substance in them. Write to us with your views at press@surfacesreporter.com

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

A Sustainable, Versatile Alternative to wood

HEMPWOOD

F

ibonacci owner, Greg Wilson has developed HempWood, an American-produced wood material made from a fastgrowing agricultural product. A premier wood substitute that has the smallest ecological footprint compared to lumber alternative, HempWood is an alternative to wood and can be used in furniture, construction materials and flooring applications. Hemp is known for its versatility; however regulations and restrictions in many parts of the world have hampered its research and development.

Sustainable innovation With an educational background in vinyl siding and wood flooring, Wilson established Fibonacci – which is commonly known around as HempWood – with a focus on its primary product. Since it is made of all-natural, US-grown hemp, no trees are harmed in the making of HempWood.

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Compared to traditional wood such as oak, maple and hickory that take 50-100 years to grow, hemp grows quickly and is ready for harvest in 120 days.

Surfaces Reporter

According to Wilson, HempWood is not wood, rather it is a wood composite comprised of greater than 80 per cent hemp fiber.

Wilson had worked in China with bamboo, another plant-toproduct material. Although bamboo is a versatile material, it lacked the strength of a commercial product. Wilson and team discovered a process that would turn bamboo into a more durable product.

Thereon, he used a similar process with strand wood eucalyptus.

Over time as the availability of hemp and its interest increased, Wilson returned to the US and opened a shop in Kentucky, where he used his experience in the advancement of hemp development.

A simple algorithm According to Wilson, HempWood is not wood, rather it is a wood composite comprised of greater than 80 per cent hemp fiber. The entire stalk is put through a crushing machine which then breaks open the cell structure. It is then dunked into enormous vats of soy protein, mixed with water and with the organic acid used by the paper towel industry.

Wilson’s HempWood sources the materials from hemp farms located within 100 miles. This reduces transportation costs and carbon emissions.

Benefits of HempWood Quick growth: Compared to traditional wood such as oak, maple and hickory that take 50-100 years to grow, hemp grows quickly and is ready for harvest in 120 days. That said, it is 20 per cent harder than hickory as well.

Pulls carbon out of air: In addition, hemp as a plant creates cleaner air by releasing oxygen and removing carbon.

Zero waste: Each part of hemp is used, thereby eliminating any waste. As for HempWood, only the bottom part of the plant is used, while the upper part is used for other commercial purposes.

Image credits: Jeremy McKeel, HempWood

Eco-friendly: As a bio-based product, HempWood avoids creating future issues with its natural ability to biodegrade. Even the nontoxic, soy-based adhesive can dissolve back into the soil. Hemp, therefore, can provide a renewable option for the wood industry.

Highlight: Despite burning HempWood, it will not get one high and is harder than American hardwood.

The product is expected to see the opportunity to sit alongside the major players in the wood industry. At present, its product line includes flooring, furniture, countertop and accent walls. Nearly any indoor applications that are made out of hardwood, tropical wood, cork, bamboo, eucalyptus or any other agricultural product, can be made using HempWood. As of now, the product is limited mostly by its production.

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

A Plastic-like Material said to be Stronger than Steel

2DPA-1

ith the help of novel polymerization process, MIT chemical engineers have reportedly created a new material that is stronger than steel and as light as plastic, and can be easily manufactured in large quantities.

The 2D polymer, named 2DPA-1, self-assembles into sheets unlike other polymer which are one dimensional. Up until, it was believed that it was not possible to induce polymers to form 2D sheets.

However, according to Michael Strano, Carbon P Dubbs Professor, Chemical Engineering, MIT and other senior author of the new study, such a material can be used as lightweight, durable coating for car parts or cell phones, or as a building material for bridges or other structures as well.

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Surfaces Reporter

However, according to Michael Strano, Carbon P Dubbs Professor, Chemical Engineering, MIT and other senior author of the new study, such a material can be used as lightweight, durable coating for car parts or cell phones, or as a building material for bridges or other structures as well.

A plastic that could take part in construction Plastic is never used to support a building. However, with this new material that possesses unusual properties, things could change. Polymer includes all plastics. It consists of chains of building blocks which are called monomers. This chain further increases and grows by adding new molecules onto their ends. Upon formation, polymers can then be morphed into 3D objects using injection moulding.

Scientists believe that if polymers could be induced to grow into 2D sheets, they would form extremely strong, lightweight materials. However, it took decades of research and experiments to turn this theory into a reality. The process highlighted that if just one monomer rotates up or down, out of the plane of the growing sheet, the material will begin expanding in 3D and the sheet-like structure will be lost.

Image credits: Google

Strano and his colleagues came up with a new polymerization process that allows them to create a 2D sheet called polyaramide. They used a compound called melamine that contains a ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms for the monomer building blocks.

These monomers, under the right conditions, can grow in 2D, thereby forming disks. These disks are further stacked up on each other and are held together by hydrogen bonds between the layers, which makes the structure stable and strong. The study is published in the journal Nature.

Research findings Mass production: The researchers also claimed that since the material self-assembles in solution, it can be made in large quantities by simply increasing the quantity of the starting materials.

Surface coating: Additionally, the researchers also showed that they could coat surfaces with films of the material, which they call 2DPA-1.

Strength: They also found that the new material’s elastic modulus — a measure of how much force it takes to deform a material — is between four and six times greater than that of bulletproof glass. Besides, it yields strength in terms of how much force it takes

to break the material, is twice that of steel, even though the material has only about one-sixth the density of steel.

Resistant to gases: Unlike other polymers that are made from coiled chains with gaps that allow gases to seep through, the new material is made from monomers that locks together like LEGOs, restricting the molecules to get in between them.

This makes 2DPA-1 impermeable to gases.

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Material of Substance

Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

Researchers Turn Agricultural Waste into EcoFriendly Bricks to Solve Rural Housing Crisis

BIO-BRICK February-March 2022 | www.surfacesreporter.com | 54

I

ndia’s first bio-brick based building made out of agro waste has been recently inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad. Touted to be a design of Wealth from Waste, BS Murthy, Director, IIT-Hyderabad informed Indian Express the institute’s plan of submitting a proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture to adopt this design, especially in the rural community.

Need for bio-brick technology The IIT-lead research suggests that agricultural waste can be converted into sustainable materials, and these materials can therefore be used in creating sustainable and costeffective structures. In the month of April 2021, the researching team – lead by research scholar Ar Priyabrata Rautray PhD scholar, Design Department, IIT Hyderabad and Ar. Avik Roy, Assistant Professor, KIIT School of Architecture, Bhubaneshwar under the supervision of Professor Deepak John Mathew Head, Design Department, IIT Hyderabad and Dr Boris Eisenbart from Swinburne University of Technology, Australia – secured a patent for the bio-brick building material alongside its manufacturing technology. Reportedly Professor Mathew believes that this technology will be a game changer for the rural farmers as agricultural waste will lead to generating income.

Besides during off-seasons, this can also generate

Surfaces Reporter

Image credits: Google

employment opportunities for them. Not to forget that one of the major causes of air pollution is the burning of agro waste after harvest. Besides, the team realized that there has been a considerate rise in demand for regular bricks, which is leading to the loss of fertile soil. To overcome these hurdles, the team came up with the bio-brick technology. These bricks are eco-friendly and economical. Also labour costs can be reduced as farmers can produce this material on site.

Bio-brick Properties v Made from agricultural waste v Generate income for agro farmers v Cost-effectiveness v Weighs about 1/8th and 1/10th of similar volume compared to burnt clay bricks and concrete blocks, respectively v Costs about Rs 2-Rs 3 as compared to clay bricks (when mass produced) v Offers thermal insulation and is fire resistant

The first prototype

The bio-brick technology will be a game changer for the rural farmers as agricultural waste will lead to generating income.

To demonstrate its strength and features, a prototype of a guard cabin has been designed by the team on the campus space. A part of the BUILD (Bold Unique Idea Lead Development) project, the prototype structure is made of bio-bricks and is supported by metal framework. To reduce heat, the roof is made of these bricks over PVC sheets and to protect the bio-bricks from rain, the exteriors and interiors of the wall are cement plastered.

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

A Biodegradable Construction Material that claims to be an Alternative to Concrete Blocks

GREEN CHARCOAL BRICKS

Image credits: Google

C

onstruction activities including concrete are responsible for about 8 per cent to 15 per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. The building industry, hence, continues to be one of the largest contributors to global warming and climate change. In addition, concrete from demolished buildings, adds to the particulate pollution and is dumped into landfills as the industry lacks an efficient formal system of recycling, especially in India.

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What is Green Charcoal Brick?

Engineered as an alternative to concrete, the Green Charcoal Brick is an intersection of material innovation and technology that addresses the issue of rising pollution and temperature. Led by principal researcher Shreyas More, co-founder and co-director, New Materials Research Centre, and Adjunct Faculty-Interior Design, Indian School of Design and Innovation, the research

Surfaces Reporter

The research is a development of cutting-edge building materials made from charcoal, organic luffa fibres, soil and air.

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Material of Substance

is a development of cutting-edge materials for construction made from charcoal, organic luffa fibres, soil and air to create a biodegradable, lightweight built system that allows the growth of living ecosystems of plants and insects on its surface.

How does it work?

Its luffa’s fibrous network not only provides strength, flexibility and porosity but also delivers anchorage for plants and acts as thousands of tiny water tanks, thereby cooling the interior environment. With an aim to create more sustainable building materials for the construction industry, the research team is further exploring different treatments to create a variety of bricks. Charcoal, being one of the components of the biodegradable brick mixture which is an adsorbent of nitrates, is used in small portions on the surface. This creates a codependent system where the charcoal adsorbs impurities from the air that serves as nutrition for the plants to feed on.

Charcoal, being one of the components of the biodegradable brick mixture which is an adsorbent of nitrates, is used in small portions on the surface.

Its organic undulating surfaces are aimed to facilitate better anchorage for plant roots and also to guide them to grow in a certain fashion. The Green Charcoal Brick gives people a sense of material connection with nature which is comforting and a visual connection with natural patterns which are stimulating. By changing the variables and ratios of the material composition, the green charcoal mixture has the potential of opening up diverse applications in built environments.

v Ideal for road curbs, dividers, plastering and cladding materials, construction bricks for compound walls and moderate strength filler walls

Characteristics

v Its material composite has a 90 per cent reduction in the use of coarse aggregate

v Allows biodiversity of plant and insect species v Allows passive cooling of the interior environment v Adsorbs impurities from the air v Replaces metal reinforcements that are found in standard RCC February-March 2022 | www.surfacesreporter.com | 58

v 4 per cent reduction in cement v 4 per cent reduction in fine aggregate v 21 per cent increase in air pockets v 54 per cent increase in organic matter as compared to a standard concrete block

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

A material that could be alternative to wood, made from Kombucha Waste

Image credits: James Dyson Foundation

PYRUS

reen warrior, Gabe Tavas, recently bagged the American James Dyson Award for ingeniously creating an alternative wood substitute made from kombucha brewing waste called Pyrus. Little did Tavas know, a university submission for the Biodesign Challenge (BDC) – an education programme and competition – would further inspire him to create a substitute for wood. Reminiscing on his experience, he narrates, “I was inspired by a growing field called Biodesign. BDC runs an annual competition in which students from around the world are encouraged to pull insights from nature and use living organisms to create more environmentally conscious products. I helped organise my university’s (University of Illinois) first-ever entry in this competition after I attended the BDC summit in 2019. The projects that I saw during that summit left me in awe and convinced me that much of the future of human innovation lies in the intersection of biology and design.”

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Material of Substance

While cellulose helps in forming a basic shape and framework, lignin works like glue. Chemically similar to tree-based wood, Pyrus is a wood-like material made out of bacterial cellulose that is sourced from the kombucha industry.

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Surfaces Reporter

Process Primarily wood has two essential components, namely cellulose and lignin. While cellulose helps in forming a basic shape and framework, lignin works like glue. Chemically similar to tree-based wood, Pyrus is a wood-like material made out of bacterial cellulose that is sourced from the kombucha industry.

Cellulose forms one of the main molecules comprising all forms of wood. The slimy, clear sheets of bacterial cellulose are blended to an even consistency and then embedded in a gel that dries and compresses over several days. During its postprocessing, the sheets are placed under a mechanical press to form a flat sheet of wood-like material.

Initially, Tavas stimulated cellulose by feeding cultures of the bacteria with minute quantities of sugar-rich food waste from his university’s dining halls to create real exotic wood. “There was captivation even with the prototype, which could fit in someone’s hand. Although naturally, people wanted to see larger samples before they could imagine constructing finished products with it,” says Tavas, as he recollects the response on creating the prototype.

Features v An alternative wood substitute made from kombucha brewing waste v Hard and brown with a rigid surface that resembles many dense, colourful exotic woods v Made without harming a single tree v Relatively waste-free compared to wood and is petroleum-free v Can be processed on common manufacturing tools like wood saws, laser cutters and CNC machines v Although it is not naturally water-resistant, it can be mixed with additives or coated with standard finishes like shellac to improve its durability v Safer to work with as it does not produce extractives that may trigger asthma and skin irritation for the woodworkers

Future of Pyrus Although at present Pyrus is not commercially available in different colours, Tavas and his team have successfully produced coloured samples as part of their research and development. With a little beyond the experimental stage, Pyrus is transformed into small finished products such as functional guitar picks and jewellery which are being sold on Symmetry – another one of Tavas’ creations to fund operations and research.

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

A Biomaterial that is said to Help Reduce the Building’s Carbon Footprint to a Minimum

MYCELIUM

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Surfaces Reporter

ungal biomaterials are not only becoming popular but also in demand in the field of architecture and design on account of their sustainable properties. Mycelium is a stabilizing compound sourced from agricultural waste.

David Cheshire, Sustainability Director, AECOM suggests that mycelium can be used to insulate and fire-proof buildings while sequestering carbon. He further informed that the biomaterial, which forms the root systems of fungi, is a ‘fantastic thing.’

According to sustainability expert Cheshire, the material is grown on waste from the agriculture industry.

Mycelium is one of the few materials that allows itself to inspire and transform the architectural design. He strongly advocates that mycelium material can be part of the solution to carbon-negative buildings.

Understanding mycelium Mycelium grows in soil or on substrates such as wood in thread-like shoots known as hyphae. These hyphae can be further formed into hard masses of sclerotia – a vegetative part of fungi where the visible part (such as a mushroom) is the fruit. According to studies, mycelium feeds on lowgrade agricultural waste, sequestering the carbon that is stored in the biomass, which would otherwise be burned or composted by returning the carbon to the atmosphere.

Furthermore, mycelium provides as a good insulating, acoustic and fire performance. It grows faster and is cheap to produce in custom-made bioreactors where sclerotia can be grown in moulds of products such as lamps and packaging. It can further be turned into faux leather and can be used to make handbags and clothes.

That said, there are a wide range of mycelium composite materials that are reportedly under development.

According to scientific research paper on the material, the material can be used to replace foams, timber and plastics for applications such as insulation, door cores, panelling, flooring, cabinetry and other furnishings.

Properties v Sourced from agricultural waste v Naturally fire retardant and possesses better insulation properties than most standard insulation v Biodegradable and non-toxic v Grows faster and cheaper to produce v Can be turned into faux leather Image credits: Google

v Ideal for insulation, door cores, panelling, flooring and cabinetry

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

A material said to be Concrete-Like that Looks like Stone-Marble & Made out of Knotweed, Signal Crayfish

BIO-CONCRETE

We want to stop this waste and do not want to create a new industry around this product but to relocate the waste the current system is producing.

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Surfaces Reporter

T

wo graduates of the UK art and design school Central Saint Martins, Irene Roca Moracia and Brigitte Kock have reportedly collaborated to produce bio-concrete material that behaves like concrete. Unlike conventional concrete that uses components such as sand (sand mining that has severe ecological impact), the bio-concrete is made of invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and American Signal crayfish which are eco-hazards themselves and are known to colonise and destroy the water ecosystem.

Image credits: Google

Reports suggest that removal and control of invasive species cost the UK nearly £1.8 billion annually. The harvested material is incinerated, buried or trashed. In a report, Moracia and Kock stated, “We want to stop this waste and do not want to create a new industry around this product but to relocate the waste the current system is producing.”

The recipe for bio-concrete Concrete is one of the major reasons for the increase in carbon emissions. The duo has designed a substitute that is beneficial to the environment and helps curb carbon emissions. Japanese knotweed grows through concrete by breaking the structural integrity of buildings and roads.

Furthermore, it also impacts other plants by damaging their functioning of the ecosystem. On similar lines, the American signal crayfish’s nature is to dig out into rivers and canal banks which changes the local water quality, thereby resulting in floods and infrastructure collapses.

To create a positive impact by leaning toward a sustainable future, Moracia and Kock combined these two species by using a recipe that had been developed by the ancient Romans. The borrowed technique has been reportedly based on volcanic ash concrete, where knotweed when burnt after removal acts as the ash binder whereas shells from crayfish are used as aggregate in replacement of traditional rocks or sand as they contain fossilized carbon.

The byproduct of a few variations and adjustments in these variables is as smooth as stone or marble. During the curing process, pale ministry green shades to deep burgundy red are created.

Features v Inspired by the ancient Roman technique which is based on volcanic ash concrete v Helps curb carbon emission v Helps sustaining water ecosystem v Replicates raw concrete or the delicate veining of stone or marble v Available in shades of pale, minty green, deep burgundy

Roadmap ahead Additionally, the LVMH group which includes brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton has reportedly commissioned the project. The aim is to develop an alternative to current building materials which could be used in luxury stores for sustainable interiors.

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

Multipurpose Concrete Block Made from Recycled and Unrecyclable Plastic

BYBLOCK

B

yFusion Global recently introduced ByBlock, a concrete block that is an alternative building material that uses hard-to-recycle plastic.

According to the Los Angeles-based start-up, “ByBlock is the first construction-grade building material made entirely from recycled (and often un-recyclable) plastic waste.”

The company’s patented blocker system transforms discarded plastic into a high-performing building known as ByBlock. ByFusion’s collaboration with ocean cleanup operations helps them source discarded waste that is otherwise harmful to the marine ecosystem. The sourced discarded plastic waste is then shredded into smaller pieces. With the help of the company’s steam-based process, the shredded plastic is superheated and fused into blocks. What makes it a winner is that it works without the plastics having to be sorted, cleaned, or processed first. This means easier recycling and better outcomes to solve the plastic pollution problem.

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ByBlock is the first construction-grade building material made entirely from recycled (and often un-recyclable) plastic waste.

Surfaces Reporter A revolutionary product ByBlock has been designed with an interlocking system where the block below fits into the block placed above. The threaded rebar is anchored into the footer or base. Each ByBlock is placed over the rebar and dropped down into position. Upon reaching the designated height, a top plate is placed on top of the last ByBlock course. Using washers and nuts, post-tensioning is applied to the threaded rods which draw the ByBlock wall assembly together into one solid unit. This eliminates the need for glue or adhesive.

The colourful blocks are functional. They have been tested for compression, thermal, acoustic, fastener withdrawal and shear strength alongside environmental screening. Its compressed air pockets residing between sections of shredded plastic make the ByBlock buoyant.

What makes ByBlock a winner is that it works without the plastics having to be sorted, cleaned, or processed first – making easier recycling and better outcomes to solve the plastic pollution problem.

Functionality of ByBlocks v First construction-grade building material made entirely from recycled and often unrecyclable plastic waste v Its manufacturing process is carbon neutral v Dimensions: 40 cm X 20 cm X 20 cm; Weight: 10 kg v It can be customized to specific densities

Image credits: ByFusion Global

v Unlike concrete blocks, ByBlock does not crack or crumble v It requires no glues or adhesives, thereby saving time with quicker installation by reducing installation time by 65 per cent and project cost by 54 per cent v It emits 41 per cent fewer greenhouse gas than concrete blocks v It involves a zero-waste process, where 1 ton of plastic makes 1 ton of ByBlock v Ideal for retaining walls, sound walls, sheds, privacy fencing, terracing and landscaping, accent walls and furniture.

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

Technology that Helps Concrete Producers to Add CO2 to Concrete to Reduce Carbon Footprint

CARBONCURE

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pon receiving his degree in Masters in Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Robert Niven attended the United Nations summit on climate change. The meeting got him thinking about ways to reduce carbon emissions. Eventually, this led to the inception of a company that would reduce carbon emissions which is rising due to the use of concrete.

Niven had studied and learned about concrete during his college years. He learned that CO2 can be converted into a mineral that is within concrete. This led him to think as to why this process could not be used in everyday building concrete.

The process During the chemical process, CO2 becomes calcium carbonate when it interacts with concrete. This makes the concrete stronger.

This is where he hatched the idea of CarbonCure – a range of technical innovations which are designed to help concrete producers add CO2 to their concrete. CarbonCure uses CO2 which is sourced from industrial emitters. The technology is thereon added into existing concrete plants where CO2 is injected into a hopper or central mixer. The CO2 reacts with the calcium ions from cement to form a nano sized calcium carbonate mineral that becomes permanently embedded in the concrete.

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Surfaces Reporter

Although it is not a cure to get rid of CO2 entirely or to capture it, CarbonCure does help in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.

Properties Helps reducing carbon footprint: When cement is mixed using CarbonCure technology, CO2 is reduced by an average of 25 pounds per cubic yard. Although it is not a cure to get rid of CO2 entirely or to capture it, it does help in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment and make concrete more competitive in the green building market.

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Image credits: CarbonCure Technologies

CarbonCure uses CO2 which is sourced from industrial emitters. The technology is thereon added into existing concrete plants where CO2 is injected into a hopper or central mixer.

Material of Substance

The 725 Ponce in Atlanta, USA is the first large commercial building to use CarbonCure on all applications. compromising its performance. Using CarbonCure to create concrete will help reduce cement use and reduce the carbon footprint of the concrete industry.

Durable and stronger: Durable as regular concrete but without a high carbon footprint, the end product ends up being stronger. That said, even during the process, the gas won’t escape when a concrete structure is demolished and pulverized because it no longer exists.

725 Ponce: Reference project Spread across 370,000 sqft, the 725 Ponce in Atlanta, Georgia, USA is the first large commercial building to use CarbonCure on all applications. To meet its sustainability goals, Thomas Concrete used CarbonCure across the entire project. Thomas Concrete placed 48,000 cubic yards of CarbonCure-based mixes, removing 680 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, which is equivalent to 888 acre of forest absorbing CO2 for a year.

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Surfaces Reporter’s Material of Substance

StoneCycling Transforms Pulverized Demolition Debris into New Masonry Units that are Recyclable

WasteBasedBrick

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ith the aim of developing high-end sustainable materials and decrease the world waste streams, StoneCycling has designed a brick to reduce the environmental footprint. Tom van Soest and Ward Massa together formed StoneCycling to launch WasteBasedBrick – an alternative to traditional bricks with new production methods.

WasteBasedBricks can be fired up at a lower temperature compared to many bricks and have a very strong focus on aesthetics.

Debris from construction and demolition sites is one of the biggest waste streams in the world. Europe accounts for approximately 30 per cent of waste, while countries like the United States and China produce even more.

When the economic crisis hit its peak, Tom observed that companies went bankrupt, while buildings became empty and were demolished on a large scale.

He wondered what would happen to all the waste. The answer to his question was: it is often down-cycled into backfill under roads or the foundations for buildings. Most of the infrastructure in The Netherlands is in place, which means it is not usable. This debris is either transported to other countries or dumped up in landfill sites.

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Material of Substance

StoneCycling is also using waste from the ceramic, glass and insulation industries within a 150 km radius from its production partner.

Process WasteBasedBricks are made of secondary waste materials and can be fired up at a lower temperature compared to many bricks used now and have a very strong focus on aesthetics. Mineralbased waste is mainly used, which is later put through a ceramic process. Initially the firm sourced demolition waste but now is slowly moving toward industrial waste which is purer and available in large quantities with little change in quality.

Additionally, StoneCycling is also using waste from the ceramic, glass and insulation industries within a 150 km radius from its production partner. The firm is also working together with real estate developers, demolition companies and builders to motivate more selective demolishing.

Image credits: StoneCycling

Features

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v An alternative to traditional bricks v Made of secondary waste materials v The bricks meet industry standards v They 100 per cent recyclable v Ideal for both interiors and exteriors such as facades, wall cladding and flooring of high-end, sustainable architectural projects

Surfaces Reporter | FRONTRUNNER

25 YEARS OF REHAU IN INDIA REHAU is a German based brand, started in India in 1997. The company had set-up its first manufacturing facility in Pune, Maharashtra. REHAU India is one of the leading global players in the Furniture and Building industry. The company is a solution provider for various industries such as construction and automotive. Currently, the company has 3 plants in India, i.e., 2 in Pune and 1 located in Vadodara. They use advanced German technology to provide polymer-based solutions in construction and automotive industry. REHAU is also one of the major manufacturers and distributors of German-quality uPVC Edgebands, solid surface, pre-laminated boards, laminates, flooring, underfloor heating and cooling solutions etc. It has recently completed 25 years in the Indian market.

Bhavana Bindra, Managing Director, REHAU South Asia, talked about the same with Vertica Dvivedi, Editor-In-Chief, SURFACES REPORTER Magazine.

How has been the journey of

REHAU in India?

Started off in 1997 with only sales office in the country, REHAU India has completed 25 years in the country this year along with setting up three manufacturing plants. While, two plants are serving the furniture business, the other one is dedicated to the industrial business. REHAU is the pioneer of Edge banding in the country and has introduced cutting – edge solutions including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal or varied colour keeping the users’ multiple needs in mind.

Along with Edge Banding, there has been a number of products introduced by REHAU including, laminates, boards, panels, adhesives, etc. Having started off primarily in the B2B segment, REHAU is currently venturing out and looking forward to spread its wings in the B2C segment with the launch of REHAU Kitchen.

Kindly eleborate about REHAU’s foray into B2C segment with REHAU Kitchen?

REHAU is known for launching products as per the customers’ requirements and provide seamless backend support in terms of innovation, supply chain management etc. Whether it is the new RAUVISIO solid surface for the kitchen slabs or sourcing hardware and accessories which are of the European standards, we work as per customers’ expectations. We have recently launched REHAU Kitchens in Bangalore and are looking at gradually expanding to other cities in the southern part and later moving to the rest of the country. The intent is to appoint right partners who would be our point of sales. Currently, we have one Experience Center in Bengaluru which provides a glimpse of what we can do with REHAU kitchens. Very soon, we will be launching one in Mumbai and in Delhi as well.

Having started off primarily in the B2B segment, Rehau is currently venturing out and looking forward to spread its wings in the B2C segment with the launch of Rehau Kitchen.

What are the current trends in building

material industry for 2022-23?

Digitization is the biggest trend in 2022-23 where currently we are ensuring that everything that we need to do across the value chain can be done in a manner where we can save time, cost, and energy while providing seamless solutions. Organizations are increasingly relying on technology to support employees.

Hence, we can safely assume that digitization is penetrating in every aspect of the business. 3D pintring will also be increasing in the coming time. Sustainability would be the other crucial trend on which REHAU is focusing on through its activities including recycling the waste generated in our plants or using it again in production wherever possible.

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SR FRONTRUNNER

Bhavana Bindra

Managing Director, REHAU, South Asia A staunch believer of taking the path less travelled, Ms Bhavana Bindra has always been passionate about leaving an impact by chartering unprecedented territories. Post taking the helm at REHAU, a globally renowned brand in Polymer-based solutions, Ms. Bindra’s focus is on the growth and expansion of the brand in the South Asia region.

Under her visionary leadership, REHAU is on its way to becoming a force to reckon with in South Asia, especially India.

Being a woman leader in a predominantly male business, how has the time changed since you started?

When I first joined the manufacturing and engineering space with an organisation spread across various verticals including power generation, automotive, mining, construction etc., there were around 7% women, most of whom were not even in the core business. From there, I became one of the first women leaders to handle one of their key businesses. With the changing time, organizations are becoming sensitive towards women being a part of their work force.

However, such sensitivity has to be substantiated with the changes at the micro levels. From having washrooms available on remote sites for both genders to planning for other necessities are the major changes happening in the current work culture.

The major challenge comes when you meet customers or vendors who may not be as sensitive and here you are at remote locations without the basic necessities being available.

However, the awareness is increasing as more women are willing to take the plunge in the business. So, I think for us it is important that one doesn’t get deterred by such issues.

Secondly, organizations have started to realise that women often perform multiple roles at the same time which doesn’t mean that they are not committed towards their jobs. The realization is resulting in guidelines and policies for the sensitization of workforce to accommodate the needs of women including flexible work hours.

Such changes make the work environment more amicable for both men and women and pushes productivity of the workforce to the maximum. Another challenge is the mindset where people are used to find males at the authoritative positions and hence avoid making eye contact while making a conversation with a woman. It is not disrespecting, rather a cultural mind set which we should understand, empathise and not give up.

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What are the Future Plans of REHAU? The market is diverse and demanding with a discerning set of customers. Companies like REHAU don’t take customers for granted but continuously work to understand their requirements and take support from their global counterparts to fulfil those requirements.

REHAU is being increasingly ‘Vocal for Local’ and continuously meeting the rising bar that customers want from us..

Message for WADE ASIA and Surfaces Reporter?

Your audience is a very highly skilled set of people and I would say thank you for being able to talk to you and your audience. It’s a big sign for REHAU for our values, reliability, trust, innovation. We stand by those and we always partner with whoever stands by those. So for us, its important that you looked at us with those values in mind and that your audience looked at you with the same value.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Organizations have started to realise that women often perform multiple roles at the same time which doesn’t mean that they are not committed towards their jobs.

SR Realty Roundup

What are Flex Spaces?

How ARE THEY DIFFERENT FROM FLEXIBLE WORKSPACES? Surfaces Reporter brings forth an exclusive and elaborative report on flex spaces, its fall during the pandemic, a predictable rise in the coming months and the creative opportunities for designers and architects.

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lexible property, commonly referred as flex property or flex space, is a hybrid of office and industrial space. The usual layout for such spaces includes office space on the front with storage or warehousing space at the backend. Flex spaces have the potential of attracting a variety of businesses such as construction, manufacturing, e-commerce, medical and logistical distribution on account of its versatility of spaces for office, warehouse and manufacturing under one roof.

Why flex buildings?

Flex spaces come with multiple benefits. Unlike multi-tenant office buildings, flex spaces are privately accessed by tenants, where they have the liberty of increasing their office or warehouse space as flex spaces have fewer improvement costs and require lower initial investment. However, the strongest benefit of flex space is the lease, where the owner is given the opportunity to avoid any incurring costs.

Additionally, the property can be leased for a period of seven months to three years.

The rise of flex market in India According to a joint report by Colliers and Qdesq, flex space stock is expected to cross 60 mn sqft in metro and non-metro cities by 2023. The total flex stock in non-metro cities is likely to hit 7.8 MSF by 2023, a 50 per cent increase from current levels.

Additionally, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi and Lucknow are the top six emerging non-metro locations.

As per Colliers report, Bengaluru has continued to be the top market with a share of 31 per cent of the overall Grade A absorption during the quarter. Pune, interestingly, has pipped larger markets and shared the second spot along with Hyderabad at 17 per cent each. Compared to other cities, demand momentum in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai has been relatively slower as few large deals have been pushed to the subsequent quarters.

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SR Realty Roundup As per Colliers report, Bengaluru has continued to be the top market with a share of 31 per cent of the overall Grade-A absorption during the quarter. areas not only allows one to expand but also helps in maximizing the area.

The main idea of flex space is how it can be conceptualsied by building an environment that can be constructed to adapt. It helps designers and architects to build key design strategies for the multifunctional work environments they create for their clients. Architects and designers have realized that spaces should be favorable to their unique operations, needs and movements. Materials and colours also play a crucial role.

Architects have realised that while colour is most often used to enhance space aesthetics, it can also be used to complement wayfinding, identify teams and even communicate unity and equity within an organization. Materials such as laminate floors with brightly coloured walls work well in more creative spaces that include wheeled furniture, while carpeting dampens sound.

Picking up for the lost time: Flex spaces to rise Post pandemic, after a distinct gap of two years, vacancy across Grade A office markets across the top six cities has not increased for the first time, remaining stable at 18.5 per cent.

That said, slower demand has lead to the rise in office vacancy in these two years. Alongside stable vacancy, during Q1 2022, gross absorption has risen almost three times YoY to about 13.0 mn sqft – the highest in two years. This shows that Q1 2022 has been a watershed period for the commercial office sector, with the office sector shrugging off the relatively low demand seen over the last two years.

The office market started picking up since H2 2021, with the momentum continuing onto Q1 2022 too. This has been led by large deals returning to the market, well supported by an infusion of quality supply across the prominent markets.

At present, offices have turned out to be more flexible and have evolved in accommodating the changing needs of their employees. Ramesh Nair, CEO, India and Managing Director, Market Development, Asia, Colliers informs, “This quarter has seen occupier confidence swinging back with considerable large-sized deals that accounted for a whopping 55 per cent of the leasing during the quarter. This clearly shows that occupiers are consolidating offices as they prepare for workplace-led innovation and collaboration. If the overall leasing momentum continues, then the year 2022 is likely to be a promising year.”

Future of work is flexible Overall, technology companies continue to account for a dominant share of the gross absorption, while mainstream corporate continue to explore managed offices, causing flex spaces to open new centres in metro and non-metro cities.

To empower people and companies, architects have adapted the shape-shifting model that provides interactive working environments that can be later modified without the need for complex and time-consuming renovations.

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Flex space is often confused with flexible workspace or co-working space given the lack of agreed upon definitions in the sector. v Flex spaces offer private suites; shared amenity space for hybrid work including conference rooms, or onsite cafes; on-site even spaces such as catering, dry cleaning; and enterprise offerings that cater to shared rooms or floors. v While a flexible workspace is any form of workspace that can be occupied on a flexible basis, a flex space is a space where different departments with completely different responsibilities do their work (eg accounts and warehouse departments). v A co-working space caters to an area of flexible workspace that is occupied by multiple businesses or individuals without any physical separation between its users. v Whereas many flex spaces begin with a large, open warehouse or industrial space that is then designed to include any office or retail needs of the business. Co-working or flexible workspaces are a part of flex space.

One of the classic examples of flex building is Groothandelsgebouw in Rotterdam. v The 128.000 m2 building, designed by Maaskant en Van Tijen, houses commercial spaces that are organized around three courts. v With a total length of 1 km, roads are stacked on three levels, where 40 per cent of all the commercial spaces are directly accessible by cars and trucks. On the lower level, trucks can deliver goods. v Five vertical circulation cores and a double horizontal corridor system provide accessibility to all levels. v The building is flexible in nature, where one could expect a workshop, or a warehouse, or a showroom, or an office behind every window.

SURFACES REPORTER | SPOTLIGHT

079 Stories Khushnu Panthaki Hoof & Sönke Hoof Studio Sangath, aHMEDABAD

Studio Sangath, affiliated with Vastushilpa Consultants is a multidisciplinary design practice based in Ahmedabad lead by Sönke Hoof a German architect and his partner Khushnu Panthaki Hoof. The focus of their practice has always been to create spaces through an integrated environmentally responsible approach.

For them, sustainability is establishing a balance between environmental, economic and social relationships.

They strive to create spaces that bring joy to people irrespective of the scale/ typology of the built form. What makes their projects unique is their attention to modulation of light, way of living and heightening the significance of liminal spaces. Their work has been recognised and published in various books and magazines nationally and internationally.

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SR Spotlight

079 Stories was designed as a place for culture and art.

Moreover 079 is the city code of Ahmedabad, this place was designed to encourage people to come and narrate their stories and share experiences.

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Surfaces Reporter

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SR Spotlight

The material palette has been limited to rough red oxide plaster for the exterior walls while white walls on the inside elaborate the feeling of a carved out courtyard space. The flooring throughout is granite stone in varied finishes forming a woven pattern that also gets reflected in the shuttering pattern of the exposed concrete ceiling.

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Surfaces Reporter

Design Inspiration Located in the outskirts of western Ahmedabad, India, 079 Stories was designed as a place for culture and art. From the beginning, the main idea was to create a versatile space that could adapt and initiate dialogue between fine arts and varied forms of performing arts such as theatre, dance and music.

Accommodating these activities gave rise to a fluid and flexible nature of spaces, where the ground floor of the building was designed as a street with cafe, co-working space, amphitheatre and office spaces as place holders connected through an inner courtyard.

While the main gallery space together with spillover places was designed on the first floor.

A fluid Conversation The building is essentially a two storied structure where the in-between spaces become the heart of the place. Further, in order to visually connect the first floor gallery space with the activities happening below, the double height cafe is penetrated by a bridge like structure overlooking the amphitheatre.

The inner courtyard has a balcony for the artist to sit and chat with the visitors while being connected to the spaces below. This conversation between the inside and outside spaces as well as the first and ground floor have been the main driving force behind the design.

So although the building is essentially a cube from the outside, it slowly becomes more porous toward the east side where the amphitheatre is located.

This east facade also brings in the morning glow of sunlight into the space.

Material Palette Project Details Title: 079 Stories | Art & Cultural Centre, Ahmedabad Firm: Studio SANGATH, Ahmedabad Architects: Khushnu Panthaki Hoof | Sönke Hoof Core Team: Namrata Sah | Sinali Ratanlal d’Aram Landscape: Khushnu Panthaki Hoof Cafe Lamps / Hardware designed by Sönke Hoof Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

The material palette has been limited to rough red oxide plaster for the exterior walls while white walls on the inside elaborate the feeling of a carved out courtyard space. The flooring throughout is granite stone in varied finishes forming a woven pattern that also gets reflected in the shuttering pattern of the exposed concrete ceiling.

Moreover 079 is the city code of Ahmedabad, this place was designed to encourage people to come and narrate their stories and share experiences.

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SR Spotlight

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Surfaces Reporter

SURFACES REPORTER | SPOTLIGHT

House with a movable core wall Ar Komal Matharoo Matharoo Associates, Ahmedabad February-March 2022 | www.SURFACESREPORTER.com | 85

SR Spotlight

Ar Komal Matharoo Principal Architect, Matharoo Associates, Ahmedabad Born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in 1974, Komal graduated in Architecture from the Institute of Environmental Design (IED), Vallabh Vidhyanagar in 1997.

She started her professional career working for Matharoo Associates on the National competition Entry for Ashwini kumar Crematorium, Surat which the firm won and also built it. Intermittently she worked at HCP Design, Ahmedabad from 2001 to 2005 and later rejoined Matharoo Associates in 2011 handling projects independently as Principal Architect on various projects since then. Besides residential projects, she has been involved in an extreme low cost school, Interiors for CREDAI Headquarters in Ahmedabad and a hospitality project in Ranthambore. She is currently working on a 7 lacs Sqft retail and recreation project in Hyderabad.

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Surfaces Reporter

The Idea The site in the coastal city of Surat, is part of a quiet suburban gated community, albeit a unique one- being without intermediate compound walls. Barring the generous views to a large shared community garden on its South, the site is otherwise overlooked by high apartments and a neighbouring house on its North and East sides - that intrude its privacy. The intervention was to create a building that would turn its back to these neighbouring buildings, and open towards the existing green - thereby magnifying the landscape manifold.

Located in an area with black cotton soil, it was imperative to have deep foundations. This otherwise unused depth has been effectively converted into a basement to accommodate a range of functions including a clinic, meditation space, temple, gym, activity room and stores - besides staff areas. It considerably reduces the footprint and mass above the ground, to achieve a scale that is human.

Core of the House The center of the house is scooped out to cocoon the family living area. Animated by a skylight, the light changes through the day and across the seasons on the concentric concrete walls enclosing this core. The walls are positioned in arcs of varying radii, providing desired levels of enclosure.

The center of the house is scooped out to cocoon the family living area. Animated by a skylight, the light changes through the day and across the seasons on the concentric concrete walls enclosing this core.

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SR Spotlight Project Information Project Name: Plain Ties Architecture Firm: Matharoo Associates Firm Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat Gross Built Area: 9,130 sq ft Project location: Surat, Gujarat Lead Architects: Komal Matharoo (Principal Architect) Gurjit Singh Matharoo (Architectural Advisor) Structural design: Rushabh Consultants Interior design: Matharoo Associates Landscape design: Matharoo Associates Electrical consultant: Jit Engineering Services Ltd. HVAC consultant: Pankaj Dharkar and Associates Plumbing consultant: Bharat K Chauhan General contractor: Shah Constructions Photo credits: Edmund Sumner, Dinesh Mehta & Matharoo Associates

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Surfaces Reporter

The epitome of this composition is the innermost wall, that can actually be moved - to either separate or connect the private and public zones that flank the core, and the inside to the nature outside - all at the same time.

All other areas of the house orbit around this core. The staircase along the curved wall leads up to the upper floors of the house and doubles up as an overlooking library. It connects directly to each of the sleeping areas above through its minimal landings - eliminating the need for passages. Spaces therefore had to be strategically distributed and volumes deliberately interlocked in tight scales - to tie the house together through this single staircase.

Tying Inside to Outside The walls on the outside take the form of freestanding planes in concrete, tied together by thin horizontal weather shades. Hand laid terrazzo flooring is poured over the sills and lintels, and flows out over these projections - maintaining separation between concrete planes, and forming an additional tie from the inside of the house to the outside.

Passages in the house are substituted by the core - that provides opportunity for communal collision - where the three generations of family members must find themselves by default. In a time when the age old tradition of joint family living is disintegrating, the house attempts to retain closely knit family ties.

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ApplicationSurfaces Reporter’s | Way out

Maintenance of luxury natural & engineered stones

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ach furniture item needs care and maintenance.

Lack of attention to even the smallest of corners can lead to unsightly appearance, the perpetuation of germs and damage to the property. Adequate care and maintenance allow your belongings to last long and save you hefty amounts of money too! Stone is a raw material that is versatile, classy and durable. Using engineered and natural stones can hence be a common factor. The vibe created by this artistic masterpiece is to die for. But it is essential to take proper care of your marbled countertops or your granite floors. Surfaces Reporter (SR) lays down the rules and tips for the care and maintenance of luxury natural and engineered stones.

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Generalised tips While we have mentioned the specific details in the article further, here are some tips that all stone furniture owners can swear by.

Seal the stone to prevent staining Stones are often porous which can lead to frequent staining. The best way to avoid it is by sealing the countertops and resealing when required. If you are unsure whether your countertops are sealed or not here is a quick test. Pour water onto the area which gets the most traffic and let it seep for 5-10 minutes. After wiping water, check if it left a dark spot. There it is, the dark spot! It is an indication that you need to seal the stone as water is being absorbed.

-Ache A quick test to know whether your countertop stone is sealed: Pour water onto the area which gets the most traffic and let it seep for 5-10 minutes. After wiping water, if it leaves a dark spot, it means the stone is absorbing water and need sealing.

Use stone-safe products only Stones can be vulnerable to acidic or basic cleaners. Hence it is vital to use a pH neutral cleaner. Cleaners that are designated safe for natural stones should be a must have. Stones can discolour and hence special care should be given to avoid acidic cleaners.

Don’t take the stains lightly Don’t let the stone get soiled with the spills. Blot immediately to avoid deterioration of the stone. Avoid the stains by adopting coasters regularly. Sunlight can also be a big culprit, hence avoid direct sunlight on the stone. You can use a tray to elude the sunlight.

Two of the most popular luxury stones are marble and granite. The tips are as followsMaintaining Marble Marble is a soft and porous material that is susceptible to stains and scratches. It is mandatory to adopt the habit of using coasters with marble countertops. Shun away from using acidic fruits or hot dishes on it.

Any natural stone must be mopped frequently to stay clear of abrasive sand, dirt, and grit. Ensure frequent mopping of the floor using a non-treated dry mop. If you have a marble floor, make sure to place slip-resistant mats or area rugs inside and outside entrances. Equipment such as vacuum cleaners and wheels should be maintained in exceptional shape. This is necessary to avoid scratches on the marble. Make sure to blot stains with a paper towel instead of wiping.

Use a dry cloth for cleaning the marble to avoid any dark spots due to the seepage of water. Avoid scouring with abrasive such as those containing hydrofluoric acid (HF). If you have marble walls prevent soap scum from building up. In case the dirt is hard to reach try products that are made to break down dirt such as dry steam.

Granite Granites are a sturdy addition to your home furniture. The material is durable as it is resistant to scratches. But being a porous material, it surely absorbs water. To clean your granite, begin by keeping all the appliances, crockery and keepsakes away. By using a dry sponge, brush away debris.

For cleaning purpose, use a neutral cleaner. Avoid bleach, vinegar etc., frequently as it may weaken the sealant of the stone. A little soap and water work well. For removing stubborn stains implement using a razor blade. The blade will scrape away any build up on the slab. Finish by wiping up with a clean sponge. Granites can lose their lustre with time. This can be renewed by pouring a little cooking oil on a soft cloth and wiping the countertop. This will make the stone slightly stain resistant too! Reseal the granite periodically to ensure that the sealant action is still there.

Engineered stone These stones are generally maintenance-free as they are hard and non-porous. They additionally won’t lose luster hence won’t require sealing. Simple cleaning with water and soap will do wonders. Abrasive chemicals should be restricted. Remove stubborn stains such as gum, food, dried paint or nail polish that can be removed using a plastic putty knife. Avoid the chemicals that can exhibit solvent action as it may lead to the weakening of the properties of the stone. Engineered stones have more resistance to heat but are not entirely heatproof. Therefore direct heat should be avoided.

Stone is a great raw material for most accessory options.

It gives your house an opulent look. Considering these essential tips, your stone can stay as good as new for years to come. Stones are durable and can scale up the value of your home!

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SURFACES REPORTER’S

RISIng Stars

Ar Gaurav Kapoor & Neha Bhardwaj, Principals, LAYERS Studios for Design and Architecture, Delhi-NCR Take us through the design journey of LSDA? Layers Studio for Design and Architecture was established in 2009. We both are graduates from SPA, New Delhi, 2007 batch. Prior to starting LSDA, I worked with TEAM while Neha used to work with Integral Design, a Landscape design firm. At that time, only a handful of firms were providing comprehensive design services catering to every aspect of architecture and design. In order to fill the void, we set up Layers Studios for Design and Architecture (LSDA).

We are also inspired by the work of great architects like Geoffrey Bawa and Louis Kahn whose work have no defined boundaries between building and landscape. We want to create more such spaces.

Ar Gaurav Kapoor & Neha Bhardwaj, Principals, LSDA, Delhi-NCR

Headed by Ar Neha Bhardwaj and Gaurav Kapoor from SPA Delhi, Layers Studios for Design & Architecture understands that built environments in today’s times are complex structures with numerous overlapping layers of activity, functions, usage patterns, aesthetics, desires and prospects for the future. The studio tries to understand the needs of the clients from their projects and provide comprehensive design solutions based on their individual requirements and aspirations. Working in the fields of Architecture, Landscape Design and Interior design, the aim of the practice has been to incorporate local traditions, international ideas, respect for the environment and cutting edge technology in its design sensibilities. The studio strongly believes that all design activity should be a “way of life” which governs our decisions at every point in our daily lives.

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At LSDA while we work on every kind of project, our USP lies in hospitality project mostly situated on prominant tourist destinations on mountains.

These are majorly resort projects where we create the plan for the entire facility. The USP of LSDA is that we are not just architects but comprehensive solution providers.

Your major breakthrough project?

The breakthrough came with Aloha on the Ganges which was our first project with Leisure Hotels, one of the biggest hotel chains in Uttarakhand with more than 20 properties across the state. It is one of the most popular resort properties in Rishikesh. The resort is a 4 acre property where along with other amenities, we have designed an Infinity Pool which creates an illusion of water falling in the River Ganges while still being on a cliff almost 30 mts above the river.

Surfaces Reporter

A challenge in a large-scale hospitality project is the higher number of parties involved, i.e., clients, consultants, etc. Here, the design has to be flexible enough to accept suggestions or incorporate changes.

What are the challenges of large scale hospitality project particularly in hilly areas?

The availability of materials is one of the prime challenges of designing a large scale project in mountains. Unlike any metro city where you have hundreds of materials at your behest, we like to design sustainable with the available materials around the site.

The challenge of limited palette of materials causes you to create innovative solutions. In addition, barring Nainital and Mussoorie, all our sites are in the remote areas and thus we have to create design that respond to the context.

Another challenge in a large scale hospitality project is the higher number of parties involved, i.e., clients, consultants etc., and thus making a conducive design.

Here, the design has to be flexible enough to accept suggestions or incorporate changes. There are instances where during excavation, we have encountered huge rocks which later became a part of design.

How do you select the material palette for any project?

In terms of materials, the foremost crucial factor is the availability. We tend to use materials that are locally available. Stone is one material that is abundant on hills and thus features heavily in most of our projects.

Another important factor is the theme of the project.

Our design language is very down to earth and hence we usually avoid glossy materials. However, if a project requires, we do choose glossy materials. In addition, our designs tend to flow from indoors to outdoors.

Hence we choose materials that can be used anywhere in different finishes or colours. We also try to reuse whatever comes out of the site.

LSDA Home

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SR Rising Star

LSDA, Greater Noida Home

Being young makes you a little vulnerable to the client’s scrutiny as they often feel that we are not ‘upto the job’. In fact, I was once asked by a client younger to me that “don’t you think you should have some grey hair on your head?” the project didn’t work out and I think that was a good response.

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Your advice to young architects and designers?

While trends may come and go, you need to be consistent with your work. As an architect, we should have a core set of principles which will help in the changing times. Architecture is a difficult field and needs a lot of patience. While there may be instances that are beyond our control despite doing a lot of hardwork, it must not deter your passion for work. Patience and perseverance are two things really required in this field.

You also have to learn to say ‘No’ sometimes if you want to build up a good practice.

Being young makes you a little vulnerable to the client’s scrutiny as they often feel that we are not ‘upto the job’. In fact, I was once asked by a younger client that “don’t you think you should have some grey hair on your head?”. As expected, the project didn’t work out and I think it was a good response.

Message for SURFACES REPORTER I have been following Surfaces Reporter for quite some time.

I love your coverage of any project. Also, I truly appreciate your goal towards promoting women architects and designers through WADe. Instead of focussing on few big names in the industry, you also look for people who are working at ground level for an overall ideal coverage of the field. When a client sees that, they feel good and confident to give work to others and not just few renowned names.

Surfaces Reporter

Aloha

On the Ganges

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SR Rising Star

Aloha on the Ganges was LSDA’s breakthrough project, their first project with Leisure Hotels, one of the biggest hotel chains in Uttarakhand with more than 20 properties across the state. It is one of the most popular resort properties in Rishikesh today.

he most stunning and drop-dead gorgeous site in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

With minimum intervention and maximum effect, LSDA designed this landscape for a resort on the banks of the Ganges. The stones that came out of the rocky site itself lends a powerful character to the entire landscape design.

With almost no retaining walls, the entire site, graded to form terraces, just blends seamlessly with the mountains and the river. And what can really be said about that Infinity Pool. A picture speaks a thousand words!!

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Surfaces Reporter

Typology: Resort Landscape Client: Ganga Heritage Resorts Pvt. Ltd Location: Rishikesh, Uttrakhand Project Size: 3.5 acres Year: 2013-14

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SR Rising Star

High Above In a Glasshouse!!

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Surfaces Reporter

S

omewhere in Delhi, not too far away from Delhi life, on the edge of a self created Jungle of native trees, lies this small Glasshouse to give expansive views of the Jungle and the sunset!!

The Glasshouse is literally all glass, including the roof!! A rickety guard room made out of bamboo and wood stood at its place. It was used by the owner to feed Nilgais in the Jungle. So, he wanted to make a space from where he and his family could enjoy the spectacular view!

Typology: Guesthouse Architecture Client: Jamna Auto Industries Location: Vasant Kunj, Delhi Project Size: 1000 sqft Year: 2017-18

The Glasshouse is literally all glass, including the roof!!

A rickety guard room made out of bamboo and wood stood at its place.

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