The changing face of office buildings
History will perhaps view the times we are living in as an era of composites, as far as the building industry is concerned. The zillion varieties of glass, shiny multi-hued aluminium coated panels (ACPs), 3mm thick porcelain tiles, polyester based membrane structures…it looks like material dictates are charting the course of the construction industry.
The new materials are exciting, say architects. "Today, almost any new building material available anywhere in the world is available right here in the country," says architect Oscar Concessao. And since India is a growing economy and experiencing a big boost in construction industry, you find a host of ‘foreign’ building materials surfacing here.
The ACP-glass wave
ACPs seem to have become a must in all upcoming office buildings. "The array of colours and finishes, colour uniformity, flatness, easy maintenance, lightness, rigidity, corrosion and UV resistance of the ACP is what makes it a popular choice as cladding material for exterior wall decorations as well as the façade, ceiling and columns", says Oscar Concessao.
"The old enamel/acrylic mentality has changed and people are thinking in terms of ACP now and this is the trend all over the world. That is because ACP cladding reduces the heat penetration into a building by 10-15 degrees Celsius whereas in a building covered with just paint, the heat hits the wall directly. In fact, in Dubai, ACP cladding has become virtually mandatory in residential houses too and the trend will move into India too in a few years", forecasts K. Balaji, zonal manager, American Building Technologies. ACP panels cost around Rs. 325 per square foot, which includes the application cost.
But there are issues of concern. "We really don’t know how long the ACP panels will last or retain the sheen, despite the guarantees given by manufacturers. The quality of application, and the quality of the locally made products is also questionable", says architect Pramod Balakrishnan. "I have no problems with ACP or glass as such. But architects are taking it to the extreme, slapping it all over the place". For one thing, it allows you to cover up any building imperfections on the façade, a fallout of lack of availability of skilled labour.
Myriad forms
As for glass, from being a mere window cover, it has now grown to envelop the entire façade. Glass is now available in myriad forms such as tempered glass, laminated glass, insulated glass units, etc. "Architects can now choose from coloured glass in shades of blue, green, gold, bronze and clear, which give a unique character and personality to the building", Concessao points out. "Usage of glass has now grown by 13 to 14 per cent, " says M.A. Chandra Shekar, key accounts-in- charge. Institutional Sales, Saint Gobain. "And while foundation and piling will have to be in concrete, I foresee more and more of concrete being replaced by glass in the future".
Says Mubarak Jan, manager, institutional sales, Asahi India Glass, "Initially, people went in for glass for aesthetic reasons, now it has become an energy-saving concept. If you have a very big window, you will cut down on artificial lighting costs. High performance glass with metallic oxide coating on its surface reflects and radiates some heat and would let in only 28 to 56 per cent of the heat that falls on it to pass through. Anti-burglar glass can replace concrete walls without compromising security concerns". Market survey reveals that the cost of such a 6mm high performance glass that will let in 30 per cent of the heat to pass through it works out to Rs. 800 to 1300 per sq. metre, while the 24mm thick, Poly vinyl butaryl anti-burglar clear glass costs around Rs. 3500 per sq. metre.
"Glass has to be used contextually, as an ornament, or to let in light where you need it, definitely not all over the façade and certainly not facing the west in a tropical country like ours. Now, architects use glass all over, and to ensure it doesn’t let in and store heat, they use treated glass, which is even more expensive. This is a case of creating a problem and spending more money to solve the problem", Pramod counters.
Theme material
Another concept doing the rounds is the theme revolution, which has moved on from being temporary structures set up for an event to being permanent interior concepts. Builders and their clients now want Egyptian houses, Italian villas and the like, for which the material is directly imported from those countries to give an authentic feel to it. "For instance, the translucent Italian carrara marble is a favourite with buildings sporting Italian railings, fountains or statues. Likewise, yellow-hued porous stones from Egypt are being shipped in significant quantities into the country", informs R Kannan, Infratech Infrastructure services.
Move over to landscapes and here you witness another kind of import frenzy. Dismantable pools from Australia, irrigation systems from Israel, rockery made of composite material from Dubai, are just some of the stuff that are now being imported en masse and reassembled in the country. Imported metal ceilings, steel frames for buildings and high tensile membrane structures which can be used to fabricate shapes are also making an impact on our buildings.
A section of concerned citizens also fear that draping too much of contemporary material like glass and ACPs all over the place is taking away from the individual character of our cities at a macro level, and our buildings at a micro level. Buildings seem to have gone material now in a virtual sense too.
HEMA VIJAY
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