Facade is a zone of the building
Ar. Yatin Pandya, Principal Architect – FOOTPRINTS EARTH, Ahmadabad
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Ar. Yatin Pandya is an author, activist, academician, researcher as well as the practicing architect, with his firm FOOTPRINTS E.A.R.T.H. Graduate of CEPT university, Ahmedabad he has availed Master of Architecture degree from McGill University, Montreal. He has been involved with city planning, urban design, Mass housing, architecture and interior design as well as conservation projects. Ar. Yatin has won nearly twenty five National and International awards. He shares his insight with Built Expressions on the trend and growth of facades, cladding and glazing in India.
How do you think facades and cladding can add value to a building structure?
We should treat façade as a zone rather than membrane. Latest |
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trend is the double skin, which is more emerging with an idea of green concept. There is a difference between insulation and ventilation, as most of the materials and fixtures come from abroad with single fixed tunnel cladding are about insulation than ventilation. As we need ventilation this idea of double skin is more appropriate and challenging. Mill Owners Association Building in Ahmedabad is designed by world renowned architect Le Corbusier 58 years ago. The essential design in the building is the inclined vertical and horizontal louvers or flinch which protect the sun from getting in and the 2 to 3 feet inclined flinch will reflect light. This is a great idea, where you get air and light and avoid direct sunlight without any hindrance which is actually a great example of double skin façade. In fact between these inclined louvers he has planters even on upper floors. Facades can do many things if think it as a zone and properly implemented to optimize sun, wind, light and view. We should be sensitive to change the strategy from inside to out and outside to in for optimize the energy scientifically.
What is the difference between Single skin and double skin glazing system? How do they impact indoor climate?
Double skin glazing is slightly different. But to achieve fruitful façade base architecture with double skin design approach in which there will be two skins. To envelope, the outer skin has different obligation which is largely to mitigate the climate. The inner skin can relate with the function and the space that is evident in The Park, Hyderabad designed by SOM Architect firm, America. They chose to give the whole aesthetic of the building by punctures in the outer screen, similar to a Jaali wall and the proportions of the punctures are governed depending on it’s a harsh climate or soft climate. On the orientation side, we need to manipulate that skin by punctures, by thickness fills or by foams that mitigates the skin and the inner one can be fully glazing even if it is a room having not to worry about the in grace of Sun. For façade based architecture, we could rather go with this urban skill idea based on the climate condition. Hence, we can manipulate and most importantly it should not be glazing under the sun this double skin in one design approach.
Most cities you have two feet projection possible as architectural projection.
At the periphery of the structural building, the inner envelope is more or less transparent with two feet area apart from the outer envelope. The outer envelope can have any kind of elements such as louvers or punctures like Jaali by way of which we can protect inside better. Double skin glazing is a different thing where the outer windows, the Double Glazed Unit (DGU) will have double glazing where the organ gas is filled in between the two which acts as insulator by mitigating the sound and light. We can cut down 10 to 20 % of the heat and about 50% of the sound compared to single glazing. This is also expensive but can be used in busy areas.
Is product customization a must to suit the demand markets?
Customisation is essentially what suits the market at a particular time. We do not get paneling and other essentials as per our requirement sometimes so, we can customize for certain size modulation and certain hand conditions only. I feel, façade is a membrane and for a hot climate like ours where there is heat embraced from outside to inside is more so we need to have a skin or a membrane to reduce the heat or radiation. We need to create a zone which can take heat and radiation. Usually, the customization of glass is done in different ways such as UV coating or tinted glasses with certain specifications. We can also have bullet-proof glazing as we have this technology by adding layers. For instance, when it comes to curtain glaze façade, we cannot cut down on the light and sound besides research says it is good to have 23% of light in a bright climate like ours. We need a breathing membrane instead of small window which can spoil the esthetics of the building. The full glaze is favorable in other countries as the need more light and heat to come in so as the place in bright and warm.
Most of the material comes from outside India where the weather conditions are extreme, which are quite opposite to our weather conditions. They use pre customized or pre manufactured materials to suit their extreme climate and working conditions, this cannot be applied to our conditions.
How do you foresee the future of facades and cladding industry in India?
The façade industry will boom in the next 10 years. It might look glamorous and with every third building engaging this glass facade it will lose its identity very soon. The most important part of this façade is the maintenance aspect of it. We are not yet equipped for this unlike other counties. Even the aesthetics of the building is lost when the glass starts to fade and accumulation of dust. It is actually architectural clothing for the building which cannot be changed easily or modified.