Interview
JSW, Vasind - Local stone cladding Monte Carlo – Ahmedabad. Electrochromic glass was used on façades
and protect the building in addition to enhancing aesthetic value. How can we use cladding technologies & materials to regulate daylight & ventilation? The use of electrochromic and the tinted performance glass can control and protect the interiors by adjusting the quantum of heat and light ingress into the building. The glass assists in reducing the internal glare as well. Introduction of light shelves, intelligent buil ding façade systems strike a balance between daylight ingress and reduction of heat gain. What do you mean by intelligent & responsive cladding? Intelligent and responsive buildings are the ones which serve the need of the function it
Monte Carlo, Ahmedabad Electrochromic Glass
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WFM | MARCH - APRIL 2022
envelopes. A workspace would need light for it to function and at the same time based on the geographical location may require absorbing or rejecting heat from the sun. Responsive buildings should allow for User comfort. This can be done in various ways it can be a static façade designed for a particular site or an operable façade that may be dynamic and can change the façade modulation for various climatic conditions. Please tell us about smart cladding materials technologies. The materials that provide cost savings to the client and help reduce the carbon footprint of a building are one of the primary considerations for designers. Perforated screens, WPC panels and timber panels are being used in low rise built forms. Also, the use of mineral fibre panels has increased. Fritted glass double glazing is also seeing a resurgence thanks to its versatility and the fact that not only does it provide transparency to the building, but it also helps reduce the solar gain of the built form thus reducing operational costs. Please brief on the need for choosing fire-safe cladding materials. How can we ensure that the cladding material is fire resistant? Many supplies offer a three-hour
rated non-flammable core for widely used materials such as aluminium composite panels as these have all the required authority approvals making it a viable safe option. Also, fibre cement panels or precast concrete panels which are non-flammable in nature. Other material options include plain metal sheets which are not composite in nature and hence safer to use as façade materials. The selection of materials can contribute hugely to the overall insulation of the built form to reduce infiltration which is one of the main causes of increases in HVAC loads and any measures taken to reduce the infiltration would reduce the HVAC loads which in turn reduce the overall electricity usage. What are your visions for cladding materials for future façades? With the steep rise in commodity prices, there is going to be increasing pressure on the choice of cladding materials. Emphasis will be on value-based choice of systems. This in my opinion will lead to innovations in façade and cladding systems. Integral façade finishes rather than an added cladding surface are one such direction currently being explored.
