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Glass - a medium of art that can be traced back 2500 years has seen resurgence in the modern era. With seemingly unlimited possibilities artists have proven now that imagination is the only limit. Likewise, from being an indoor object, modern technology has developed glass to withstand the elements and replace conventional interior and exterior construction. The subtle, classic qualities of glass work  makes it perfect in combination with other materials such as wood, brick, concrete and metal.

Glass is an ideal material to transform an interior.The wide range of available effects, patterns and colors allow interior designers to create the right look for any application. Some glass products like decorative glasses can be further enhanced to provide added comfort such as reducing noise, safety and improved energy efficiency. The intelligent glass can be used for interior design (projection screens, glass partitions) as it is highly durable, requires less maintenance and is aesthetically pleasing.

However, as we look for an improved sense of beauty and architectural expertise, it is observed that glass furniture is showing new paradigms to design homes better. Glass  is used in furniture and it  is gaining a lot of momentum these days as it has been observed that glass makes the living room look exceptionally good. The kind of glass used in furniture is called 'tempered glass'. When a glass of this kind breaks; it doesn't explode into tiny pieces of glass which are both harmful and cumbersome to deal with. Instead, they remain as big pieces and stay intact without releasing minute glass particles, which could scatter around on the floor or into food and drinks and cause harm.

Glass tile has beautified buildings for millennia, and as its appeal broadens so too does the range of ways interior designers can incorporate this stunning material into their designs. Glass tile can be installed in many applications like kitchen back splashes, as a decorative accent in showers, as fireplace surrounds and even around mirrors or to highlight architectural features. The primary reason for using it in bathrooms is that it reflects light and gives the appearance of water. 

 Wallmirrors can make a major difference in interior design. The phrase "wall mirror" is enough to remind us of traditional bathroom mirrors found in almost every home. Nowadays mirrors can be found in rooms other than bathrooms for example in living room or office walkways, living rooms, porches, corridors, hallways etc. Walls covered with mirrors and also entire buildings that spot mirrors are prevalent today.

Glass doors streams the light from room to room to create a bright or softly lit interior, also protects your privacy. French doors may be made with a single solid panel of glass, or they may be constructed with multiple glass panels which are incorporated into the frame. In the case of exterior doors, the glass is usually double-paned for keeping weather out and allowing air conditioning inside.  Interior French doors are usually single-paned. The glass in French doors can be transparent or opaque as desired. Sometimes a combination of transparent and opaque glass is used, especially for interior doors where privacy isn’t an issue. Glass may be beveled, etched or textured in some manner, or simply left smooth.
 

The buildings in which we live, shop, study, eat and work have an impact on the environment. More and more, we are recognising the impact of our built environment on the natural environment, human health and the economy. This has led to the development of green buildings, aiming to change the built environment by creating buildings that are energy efficient, healthy and productive. This trend of Green building is quickly turning into a revolution, with consumers, builders, communities and governments becoming more sensitive to the impact of buildings on urban life and the local, regional and global environment.

With the increase in the number of Green building initiatives, the need for a certification system became apparent. A certification system was needed to demonstrate that building was truly ‘green’ and more importantly, to give building owners the tools to have a measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.

The LEED Green Building Rating System was established by the U.S Green Building Council to certify green buildings. Though this program began in the United States, it has now gained worldwide recognition.

About the U.S Green Building Council

The U.S Green Building Council is a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability in the way buildings are designed, constructed and operated. It has approximately 15,000 members from all sectors of the building and construction industry. In its efforts to promote environmentally responsible and healthy places to live and work, the U.S Green Building Council’s most notable contribution has been the development of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System in 2000.

About LEED Green Building Rating System

The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary third party certification program that validates a building’s ‘green’ features and verifies that the building operates in accordance with its design.

The benchmarks of the LEED system are set through a transparent, consensus-based process. This process is led by LEED Committees that are made up of a cross-section of experts from the building and construction industry. LEED also has technical advisory groups to ensure that LEED systems are scientifically consistent.

 LEED Credit Categories

The LEED System is a point based system. The building projects earn points based on their satisfying Green building criteria. They must satisfy certain prerequisites and earn credit points based on six different categories. The six categories are:

• Sustainable sites
• Water efficiency
• Energy and atmosphere
• Materials and resources
• Indoor environmental quality
• Innovation and design process

Depending on the number of points the building project earns, it is awarded a certification level. There are four LEED certification levels – Certified, Silver Gold and Platinum. For more details on the LEED point system please see LEED Certification Primer

Buildings that can use the LEED

The LEED system is structured so that different types of buildings can opt for LEED certification. Currently, the LEED system allows for:

Who Uses the LEED System?

The LEED system is used by designers, architects, engineers, construction managers, government officials among others to make sustainable buildings. Many U.S state and federal agencies are adopting LEED certification. The LEED certification has gained worldwide acceptance as a benchmark for sustainable buildings with LEED certified projects in 41 different countries including Canada, Mexico, Brazil and India.

Source: Copperwiki

The Indian Green building council is council that is involved in promoting Green building movement in India. This council is represented by major architects, manufacturers, corporate, government and various other institutions. The members are actively involved in promoting the construction of green buildings in India. Any industry or organizations that are involved in construction activities are allowed to become the member of this council.

IGBC Green Home rating system

The council is certifying newly constructed residential buildings with their Green Home rating system. Any newly constructed residential buildings can apply for this certification, once applied it is reviewed by a team which evaluates the building based on the points using their check list. This certification is classified into two types – rating for “Projects with Interiors” and “Projects without Interiors” and the building are awarded based on the points as stated below.

Projects with Interiors
Points Levels
32-39 Certified
40-47 Silver
48-59 Gold
60-80 Platinum

Projects without Interiors
Points Levels
30-36 Certified
37-44 Silver
45-55 Gold
56-75 Platinum

The IGBC also has an option to apply for Pre-Certification in which the documentation on the features that are to be implemented in the building should be submitted and this documentation should satisfy the review team in all the aspect that a green building would have and the status of the construction is reviewed once in every six month until the end of the project after then the completed certification is awarded.

The IGBC apart from the certification, it also conducts training program that involves in spreading the awareness of the Green Buildings. The training program is one day session that teaches the importance of Green Buildings and basic technical details of Green Building rating system. An advanced training program is also conducted for 2 days which includes the documentation process involved in the rating system. These training program are conducted nation wide cities as per the IGBC training schedule. They also conduct special in-house training session for organization upon request.

LEED Certification

The IGBC also certify the buildings with the LEED certification under the license agreement with USGBC. The LEED India rating system is also similar one which applies to newly construct commercial buildings. This system also provides pre-certifications and it has its own rating points to award a build with silver, gold and platinum status.

The heart of Manhattan will soon going to be green, the Empire States’s  is set to go green leading consulting, designer, non-profit and constructions partners like the

,

, Jones Lang LaSalle and the Rocky Mountain Institute has now joined hands to renovate the icon of America.

They have done various analyses and modeling programme and set a $100 million to revamp the Empire State in spite of the great economic crisis. They have plan to reduce the building’s energy consumption by 38%, that would save about $4.4 million a year.

This 102-story beauty built during the great depression will be sustainable building after its makeover and will join the other Green architectural marvels. The renovation process will be on its HVAC system, triple glazed windows and other renovation that includes occupant’s sensor control system, tenant demand ventilation control. The renovation will also include electronic readouts in various part of the building to bring awareness to the people about the energy consumption.

Apart from the readouts energy efficiency will be improved by the refurbishing the 6500 thermopane glass windows and creating triple-glazed insulated panels with new components this will help in reducing the heat loss and bring out the efficiency to the interior perimeter of the building. This will also help to reduce summer heat load and winter heat loss.

The daylight controls and plug load occupancy sensors will probably reduce the electricity cost. The working people will be allowed to monitor and operate in their part of the building via internet in order to save energy. By this renovation the Empire State Building will able to reduce it CO2 which is about 105000 metric tones a year.

The process of will not be a easy task to apply to a building which has about 6500 windows, 73 elevator and about 2.6 million square feet of floor space. Even with all changes the light at the top will not have any change.

The renovation work has already begun and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. The work at tenant space will be completed in successive year. Once completed the building is able to qualify for the Gold certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) but the group will not apply for the certification. The build will become energy efficient and will also motivate other buildings to revamp to achieve the energy efficiency. This building will be the retrofit the New York city and viewed as symbol of progress as it was perceived when it was originally built in 1931.

In near future the houses will be built in ultra modern designs, one of which is the R129 House, designed by an architect Werner Sobek of Stuttgart, Germany.

The R129 – The Future house, will not be like the traditional houses. Currently it is in planning stage and will remain so until 2012.

The building envelop will be made of a lightweight and transparent electro-chromatic foil which can be lighted, darkened and can be made completely opaque using electronic control system. The frame will be made carbon of box section which in turn will allow the floor to act as a heater.

The interior of this house will have an open concept layout which will give minimal and clean look and feel. The façade of the house will have the operable shape which could spin; this design will be helpful in generating energy for the building. There will be good air flow as it is open to the ocean. The construction of this building will start after the implementation of it prototype.

The other well known designs of him are R128 and H16.

Source:Trendir.com

Russian Architect Alexander Asadov has come up with a futuristic design of a hotel which can be built anywhere around major water bodies like seashores, oceans, and lakes and even in reservoirs. This new design also includes hanging gardens above water and also in various other part the hotel and restaurants. Access to this 200m hotel will be via bank side or by the airstrips on the deck. The architect says that it will cost less as compared with gravel works.

The Arab investors are showing great interests for this project  as it has many advantages like the cost is comparatively less with the recreation complex built in artificial islands, it is designed in such a way that people can relax at water body or at the top of hotel in air and it could be soon become a reality.

The design of this build will have three supports and stretched arms from the bottom of the water body to hold the upper structure – The ring membrane. As the arms structure will also be as a “web park “with the pedestrian roads and some plants making it a hanging garden. The Ring membrane will have the hotel, restaurant and other recreational structures. People will able to reach this built in two ways from the water by escalator built along the support or by airship reaching the deck on top.

Source:Tuvie.com

It is know to everyone that the space around the child is plays a very important role in their physical and mental growth. Combined with the passion on education and environment, John and Cynthia Hardy came up the Green School, The founders of Green School situated in Bali, Indonesia. Started in September 2008, now the Green school has reached 16 different countries. This International preschool and kindergarten is about eight hectare of environmental sustainable buildings that are mainly made of bamboo, alang-alang grass and traditional Balinese mud walls.

The preschool bisects the beautiful Ayung River that helps them farm vegetables and other edible mazes. The school also uses micro-hydro power generation and other renewable power resources. They use methane gas produced from cow manure as the fuel to the stove. This school is designed in such way it emits lowest of carbon into atmosphere.

Apart from the sustainable architecture it also helps the children learn better and improve their skill along with the awareness of Green.

Source:Greenschool.org

The Glass plus green is the ingredients for this four stories high house on hill top at Stuttgart, Germany. This house is the masterpiece design of Architect Werner Sobek. This house is completely built with glass and steel. It is emission free and also recyclable, zero carbon sustainable building.

The name of the house R128 is derived from its location at Romerstrasse 128, which is a small and steep piece of land at the edge of the vale of Stuttgart. This makes the building only accessible from its top level via a bridge over its kitchen and dining room. This house is built with triple glazed façade which has an inert gas filling that allows the natural light to filter through. The triple glazing avoids overheating of inner space in summer and prevents heat loss during winter.

The two folding windows fitted in the each floor allows the air to flow into the building freely. The flooring is being fitted with wood below that are the aluminum ceiling panels. In between these layers are the lightings, heating and cooling systems.

The Flooring system has the heat exchanger system which in cooler climate and during summer it has water run through system that cools the interiors. The highlight of this building is that it does not use any external power supply. The electricity requirement is fulfilled by the 48 solar power modules integrated in the roof and the photovoltaic panels of the front façade glazing. Power generated by these sources is used to light up the house and for the heat pump system and the 12,000 litre long term reservoir.

The Building is easily cleanable as it can be dismantled and reconstructed and it would only take 11 days for this process. The floor is made of wood which is not screwed and most parts in the house are clip connected. The items in the house are controlled by computer and are subjected to monitoring. The windows are control by touch screen and various sensor – to control ambient lighting, ambient temperature.

Finally the staircase of this building has been specially design that weaves through all four stories. The house being a new design gives a pleasure to the occupant in all levels. And with this sustainable building it’s just only the beginning of new era in Green Architecture.

Source: Apartmenttherapy.com

Centre Pompidou is one of the most spectacular buildings of Paris. It was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano , the British architect couple Richard Rogers and Su Rogers, Gianfranco Franchini , the British structural engineer Edmund Happold and Irish structural engineer Peter Rice. The project was awarded to this team in an architectural design competition, whose results were announced in 1971.

Museums of the past had been elite monuments. In contrast, the Pompidou was designed as a busy center for social activities and cultural exchange Originally designed to accommodate about 5,000 visitors per day, the Centre Pompidou has been welcoming over 25,000 visitors per day making it one of the most visited attractions in Paris.It has been a great success with its easily accessible public library, its art exhibitions and the superb French National Museum of Modern Art. The Public Information Library  boasts a collection of 450,000 books, 2,600 magazines and a large number of new media items. The Museum has large collections of paintings spanning the 20th century and including works by the most famous artists like Picasso, Braque, Max Ernst, Magritte, Chagall, Matisse, Delaunay, Kandinsky and Klee.

The construction work started in April 1972 and the building was opened to public in 1977. The building cost  is 993 million 1972 Francs.The building was designed in two parts.The first part includes a 3-level infrastructure housing the technical facilities and service areas. The second part has a vast 7-level glass and steel superstructure, including a terrace and mezzanine floor. Colour coded functional structure of the buildings add to its beauty. Green pipes are for fluids , blue ducts are for climate control , electrical wires are encased in yellow and red for movement and flow (elevators) and safety (fire extinguishers).Materials used include earthworks (300 000 m³) , reinforced concrete (50 000 m³) ,metal framework (15 000 tones of steel) , facades, glass surfaces(11 000 m²) and opaque surfaces( 7 000 m).The main idea was  to maximize functional movement and flow and bring art and culture to the man in the street. The rising escalators along the exterior have some of the best views in Paris. Renovation of building continued from October 1996 to January 2000 on a budget of 576 million 1999 Francs.  The renovation added 450 sq. m (4,844 sq. ft.) of exhibit space and a rooftop restaurant, a cafe, and a boutique; in addition, a series of auditoriums were created for film screenings and dance, theater, and musical performances. Access for visitors with disabilities has also been improved.
 

BUILDING SPECIFICATIONS
•Land area: 2 hectares (approx. 5 acres)
•Floor area: 103 305 m²
•Superstructure: 7 levels
•Height: 42 m (Rue Beaubourg side), 45.5 m (Piazza side),
•Length: 166 m,width: 60 m
•Infrastructure: 3 storeys
•Depth: 18 m, length: 180 m, width: 110 m.

The G.M Motors showroom has been designed in manner to maximize impact and space within an available double height area. The mezzanine deck seemingly floats within the double height space almost like the hull of a ship! A lot of structural detailing has gone into creating this deck which is supported off the walls with a single column support only.

The two levels thus created talk with each other in a very dramatic manner with various elements such as the perforated pipe cluster and the crumpled wall forming artistic connects between the two! Functionally the lower level is meant for Car display with the upper level meant for client interaction and further deliberations.

The upper deck has a lounge like space with large plasma viewing, free standing sculptural cafeteria kiosk and an interactive touch panel discussion zone. The same space changes at night in most sensational manner with concealed cove lights and the perforated pipe cluster coming alive with the play of light. The showroom creates a wonderful experience for the first time visitor and leaves an impact that is permanent.

The Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) is the apex body for the field of Interior Design in India. The IIID was founded and registered as a society in 1972 to establish good professional and trade practices and ethics among its members, highlight and enhance the image of the Interior Design Profession and create a platform for knowledge sharing with similar organizations at an international level.

Today it comprises of over 5500 members spread across the country, and has 21 Chapters / Centres. The IIID is a non-profit, professional body whose members include leading Interior Designers, Architects, Consultants, Engineers, Project Management Consultants (PMC), Design Students, System Integrators, Artists, Painters, Facility Managers, Industry Members, Manufacturers, Suppliers, Vendors, Contractors, Turnkey Solution Providers and so on. All these entities are affiliated to the field of Interior Design, Architecture and other related fields.

The IIID is headquartered in Mumbai and is a Full Member of:

• International Federation of Interior Architects / Designers (IFI)
•  Asia Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA)

It is also an Associate Member of the Japan Design Foundation (JDF).

Mission

The Mission of the IIID is to consolidate and extend contributions from the Interior Design Profession towards improving the quality of life in contemporary and future societies by sharing knowledge, expertise and experience.

Structure

The IIID has a multi category membership with the Associate/Fellow and Trade categories forming the core of the Institute. The other categories include Affiliate, Education, Licentiate, Student, Press and Honorary Members.

In order to accomplish the mission and objectives it has set for itself, the IIID has established a two-tier hierarchy to maintain close contact with its members spread over its chapters and centres. An Executive Committee at the Head Quarters in Mumbai and a Managing Committee at each Chapter / Centre is elected biannually from among the core members.

The President heads the Executive Committee at the national level and a Chairman heads each of the Managing Committees at the Chapters/Centres. New Chapters/Centres are established depending upon the membership strength in the city or state. Presently Chapters are formed where core membership stands at a minimum of 130.

Member Services

• Encourage and foster ideas of the profession
• Facilitate liaison between members and authorities
• Promote fellowship and ethical conduct
• Act for the common benefit of members
• Advocate common interests of members

Activities

The IIID has planned to undertake the following activities during the term 2008-2010

1. Make their presence felt in society by opening Design Cells to provide professional services by giving design inputs to Government. projects and Local Authorities.
2. Provision of an online forum on the IIID website for both experts and laypersons to post their queries or appreciate products/practices.
3. Organisation of a syndicated column providing regular insight into Design Practices.
4. Creation of a bridge between rural artisans & designers, by opening a Design Centre, which would promote handicrafts and showcase skills of artisans.
5. Setup of interactive sessions with corporations/experts with the intention of providing members a re-learning experience on products/practices.

Networking & Collaboration

• The IIID communicates and cooperates with similar bodies at the national and international levels.
•  It also encourages cooperation between designers, affiliated professions, other artists and traders.

IIID believes in collaborating with institutes of affiliated professions, such as The Indian Institute of Architects, Practicing Architects & Engineers Association and so on. IIID also has a close liaison with the Council of Architects in New Delhi

Education

IIID has worked out a comprehensive syllabus on education in Interior Design which is available for adoption by educational institutes. The syllabus will be periodically updated in line with developments both in educational systems and interior design trends.

Communication

IIID publishes a quarterly magazine - INSITE, a "walk through" its various national and regional activities and events. INSITE now includes sections that contribute to the continuing education of its members by updates on technology and associated services, and features examples of good design practices from around the country.

Awards

IIID promotes and acknowledges excellence in Interior Design by conducting an annual competition for completed works at a National level. Held at different cities and venues each year, the Awards Nite is a much talked about and featured event of the Institute.

Exhibition

'Showcase' - the very name, which is synonymous with the work – An exhibition' of latest products and trends in the profession. Showcase is hosted by each of the various Chapters/Centres of the IIID.

Conventions

The biannual National Convention gathers members to deliberate on issues of contemporary interest to members, ranging from good practices and principles to social responsibility and technological advancements in design. The panache with which the Convention is organized and administered speaks of the high standards set by the IIID and its mission.

Sponsorship

IIID invites sponsorship based on specified guidelines for special projects or events of the institute which mutually benefit its members as well as sponsors. Sponsorship could be specifically designed to suit sponsors, budgets and themes. Sponsorship on a long term basis is also available for specific activities.

IFI

The IIID is actively involved with The International Federation of Interior Architects & Designers (IFI) which was founded in Denmark in 1963. During the IFI's existence there has been tremendous growth in IIID membership, while representing 52 member associations, institutions and schools in 45 countries of every continent. The IFI collectively represents over 25,000 practicing Interior Designers worldwide.

IIID was admitted to the IFI as a full member in 1995 and hosted one of the most successful IFI Congress - 'DesignSutra' at Mumbai in 2003. Presently the IIID has a representative on the IFI Board since 2001.