The choice of cladding will greatly affect the internal environment and it depends on the type of building that you design or build. For example, in an office building, we usually consider more natural light to come in but less heat. This is the reason why most of the office buildings use the floor to floor glass cladding or panelling. To counter glare, we use vertical and horizontal louvers, perforated panels, and photovoltaic glass panels. For the hotels and other residential buildings, there is less glass panel usage due to building code, fire codes, and privacy. It can literally dictate the mode you want to achieve for a specific building function.

Glass, like any building material is not perfect. Arguments against its energy-efficiency performance, especially in hot climates, does have its fair share of merit. Concerns over its post breakage behaviour cannot be disregarded. Apprehensions shown by fire-authorities in tackling fire in glass-draped buildings should also be carefully analysed. In spite of the above concerns, glass has to its credit a whole list of features that makes it indispensable as a building material. Recent advances in tints and coatings have now ensured that glass has exceptional performance not only aesthetically but also functionally. It is no surprise then that the adoption and use of glass in facades and architecture is on the rise. Architects, developers and users love the product, simply because no other material can impart transparency, vibrancy and vitality to a building facade the way glass does. Combine this with its unparalleled durability and it being practically maintenance-free throughout its lifetime and glass will remain the topmost material choice when designing a facade, and arguably rightly so.

Glass is one of the most remarkable building materials in the world today and glass is seen as a symbol of modernism in future architecture. Glass not only provides aesthetics but also plays a very important role in the energy efficiency of the building. Many of the industry’s leading architects and designers have used glass in their iconic buildings. Experimentation with glass in architectural design has crossed the conventional boundaries.

Industrial cladding is one of the most important elements in ensuring the outside of an industrial building is protected from sources of damage. Know more

The industry has been looking for exterior wall designs to reduce carbon emissions during construction and operation. The other major trend would be BIM implementation in envelope design, although BIM has been implemented for a while in the UK, most of the industrial surveys and academic research still show the uptake of BIM is slow, particularly for cladding specialists and supply chains.

Choosing the right material for your energy efficient building can maximise your return on investment.Know more about the energy efficient house and energy efficiency in green buildings.

Façades and windows play a great responsibility to be efficient by choosing the right kind of glass. First get the basics right that the building is designed for the climate and context, advises Ar. Balaji Gunasekaran, Associate Director, Katerra Design. Next, the building is oriented well to achieve the passive design. Glass must be sensibly chosen on following major factors to achieve maximising daylight, negating solar ingress, minimising glare, enabling ventilation, points out Balaji.

One of the dominant features in modern buildings is the ‘curtain wall’, which is a complex amalgamation of components that include spandrel and safing insulation, spandrel glass, vision glass, aluminium frames (transoms & mullions), back pan, anchors, etc. Alongside the external elegant factor, these curtain walls also play a critical role in the energy efficiency and sustainability of the building. But from a safety point, such structures enveloped by a curtain wall system pose an additional challenge to the fire safety of the building.

The laminated glass balustrade issue was probably the most surprising since its ban in 2019, especially considering the fact that it has been a design staple for several years now. By eliminating laminated glass from these elements, the only standard alternative option for a glass balustrade is a monolithic (heat toughened) glass unit, however, this leaves a key safety concern should this balustrade fail for any reason.

The first step is to understand the context, including the project’s location, surrounding built environment, and climate conditions. This can be achieved by developing Building Energy Models (BEM) to evaluate and compare the impact of different façade design/ specification options on building energy consumption, thermal comfort, amount of daylight entering through the façade, sunlight exposure, glare, air infiltration, and other factors.

According to an acceptable level of fire safety to minimize the risks of fire spreading. the main objective is to reduce the deaths /injuries due to fire.

Fire accidents can happen during construction and post construction, or after any structure is occupied. It can be a residential building, commercial office building, or factory building. During the event of a fire, most people die due to smoke inhalation and panic situations.

Bambbo facade is a sustainable alternative for the tropical hardwood. Bamboo Baskets- DilliHaat | Bambrance - The Bamboo Facade of a Garment Factory

Glass is an important material used in façade and fenetration that provides optimum daylight, energy efficiency, sound insulation, comfort and wellness.

NCL Buildtek Ltd. is known for its Building Materials & also who introduced Colour Coated Galvanised Steel Windows and Doors in India. Know more

Automatic doors or entrances provides safety, security and other benefits that make them extremely reliable and comfortable to use for people of all groups

Expert views on the trends in wall cladding technologies & materials, the role of fire safety in external cladding systems. Learn more