Stay indoors and bask in the
sun
| Atriums are a good way of bringing in plenty of light and lending a
feeling of spaciousness to buildings. |
Let there be light: Atriums are a good way of bringing natural light into
buildings.
The space enclosed by parallel-running buildings on both
sides is bathed in sunlight by day. For a library building there is nothing more
pleasing than great bursts of light entering every nook and cranny. Serene
nature does not stop short at the front door.
EMS Cooperative Library at Kakkanadu, near Kochi, is just a small example of
how atriums and traditional courtyards continue to have a powerful hold on the
imagination of present-day building designers despite the age-old method of
imparting a feeling of light taking on a modern dimension, with new frills,
fresh ideas and newer materials.
The EMS Cooperative Library is surrounded by acres of green and imposing
trees. And they keep walking into the library building through the tile-roofed
atrium around which the halls and reading rooms are arranged.
When you step into the veranda that runs around the halls and reading rooms,
you are in direct contact with nature. Sunshine, a water fountain and a feel of
the chirpy birds that have made the library garden their haunt.
Shopping malls, public buildings and institutions are increasingly going
after the traditional concept of atriums while residential units, especially
those that are meant as group housing, are going for more open spaces not simply
as a functional arrangement but as a powerful design concept.
Atriums, ever so practical and functional, have been in vogue all through,
especially when we take public buildings into consideration.
The impact of the open central space is to be experienced. With coloured
roofs and the latest lighting systems, atriums can add entirely new dimensions
to interior decoration even as they fulfil their function as the conduit through
which serene nature comes into the building space.
Simple concept
It is one of the simplest of architectural concepts but one with a lot of
power, says C. P. Sunil, architect with C-Earth about atriums and traditional
courtyards.
He says that there is a surefooted move towards creating open spaces in
buildings. The momentum has been picking up and promises to persist into the
future. More and more commercial buildings are being divided by open spaces that
provide extra light and air to the visitors, says another architect in the city.
He said that one of the large shopping complexes coming up in the city would
have around 75,000 sq. ft. of open space. The trend towards creating large open
space supplements and the practice of providing double or even triple heights in
shopping complexes and hotels is gaining ground.
K.A. MARTIN
Courtesy:
Property Plus, The Hindu
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A window to the sky
| Skylights must be placed where the sunlight falls on them directly,
writes K.S.SUBRAMANIAN |
Courtesy: Hunter Douglas
COMFORT SOURCE: A view of skylights in a room.
April is the harshest month. But some places have an extended
spell of summer making anyone feel the compulsion to enjoy the cosy shade at
home. Yet is it really cosy? Window shades designed to block ultraviolet
radiation have been in the market for nearly a decade. So far as the area of
accessories is concerned, upgraded products are there to choose from.
Skylight - the latest addition to the list of comforts - is a
kind of window built into the roof and provides natural light. Aesthetically
uplifting, it reduces eyestrain and power consumption and may increase
productivity. It is a case of old reborn into a new device. Back in yore, a
traditional artefact in rural houses was a large opening in the roof through
which the sunlight would bear down on the space. Skylights must be placed where
the sunlight falls on them directly. The obvious inference is that on a cloudy
day it serves little purpose. It is commonly made from glass, glass composites,
plastics and plastics composites. It is treated with dyes to reduce light
transmission or by adding a reflective surface. Like all ingredients it has pros
and cons. An advantage of glass is its durability, hardness, high light
transmission and rigidity. Glass can be made more resistant to breakage by
heat-treating and combining with reinforcing materials. Plastic materials are
much lighter in weight, and are resistant to shattering, so they pose only a
minimal safety hazard. However, skylight gives its maximum utility value where
the house or an apartment is not hemmed in by adjacent structures or thick
foliage. Hunter Douglas ventured into this area last year and has set its
marketing eye on India after exploring the product's viability in Europe.
"We do not enjoy life at home because of the sapping heat and have become
vulnerable to ultra violet radiation. Honeycombe duette window shades are an
answer to blocking UV rays. With remote control its sheers can be manipulated to
filter natural light coming into the room." says Sundaramoorthy, MD, Hunter
Douglas Window Fashions Pvt. Ltd. Skylight is another medium of transmitting
natural light and with venetian blinds or any window covering can keep the house
adequately lit to one's satisfaction. To ward off the possibility of excess,
intense heat pervading the room one is given the right choice of fabric for
greater light diffusion, he says. Skylights are available with state-of-art
lifting systems for easy operation. "It is sleek, convenient and can be
customised to the window dimensions, preferably rectangular. It will provide the
right amount of thermal insulation for those at home. All that one has to do is
to adjust the sheers and blanks to block and release light." Sounding
candid about the price, Sundaramoorthy said their objective was to make it
cost-effective. With motor going at the price of Rs. 13,000 to 30,000 at present
and the cost of fabric shades the firm is aware of the need to work out an
affordable price, he says. "Its price per square feet can be reduced,
however. It is a high-end product, not a commodity."
For a product to make inroads into the market appropriate
response from those likely to opt for it is mandatory. How would the builders
react to skylights? " We are targeting only penthouses at present where a
skylight would be impressive and useful. Fixing a skylight is possible in
apartment complexes where there is open-to-the-sky facility. Though in its
initial stages the concept is being promoted among the builders. But our
initiative is confined to individual houses." In apartments or houses
tinted glasses would be more effective.
Conceding that environmental awareness was high in European
countries and China, he stressed the need to push awareness campaigns at home a
notch higher.
Courtesy:
Property Plus, The Hindu
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Catch the sun in dome and
tube
| With zero heat and full illumination a tubular skylight reduces the
need for electricity till dusk, writes K.S. Subramanian |
Harnessing light: A view of the tubular light.
Can the Sun’s rays go waste, especially when it is a
tremendous source of energy? Apparently not, when you realise that in tropical
and coastal areas the heat beats down wearying residents rather than functioning
as a utility source. Various products using solar energy have hit the market and
become part of homes in many cities.
Diffusion
Skylights have been widely used in hotels, buildings and probably shopping
malls. Sun-dome is one of the products which has been tested to diffuse sunlight
successfully through tubular skylights. Diffusion of natural light, during peak
summer and notably in cities known for weather extremities, is supplemental and
not an alternative to electricity. In essence, during the day skylight can
diffuse substantial illumination, saving power and cost. In the case of a
tubular skylight light diffusion is not only proper and with right ventilation
can ward off sweating also.
A. Arun Kumar says, “The product has external polycarbonate dome, highly
reflective tubing and bottom diffuser. The external polycarbonate domes are UV
stabilised and filter off majority of UV rays. No heat is transmitted inside.
The light inside is clear without heat.”
He led this writer to a dense, unventilated room upstairs where a 13” dome
was fixed and it was remarkably radiant. He showed domes of sizes 10” and
21” covering nearly 100 and 600 sq. ft. respectively. What are the relative
advantages? With zero heat and full illumination it obviates the need to use
electricity till dusk. “One has to switch on the lights for about 4 to 5 hours
at night unless of course he/she is engrossed with television. Air conditioners
become less indispensable. It eliminates the health hazards that fluorescent
light entails” he says. A Sundome supposedly replaces 960 watts of fluorescent
lighting. According to Mr. Arun Kumar, installation will take about 45 minutes
and the product could be fixed in any type of roofing, - be it slanting, flat,
concrete or tiled. It requires no maintenance. It could be used in offices,
hotels, warehouses, schools, residences and big plants.
Would diffusion of light suffer in apartments where one would have to use
tubes 25 feet long?
It will not, with one bend and no loss of light, he says. “In the U.S. it
has become an indispensable part of energy conservation and can resist hurricane
or other vagaries of nature.”
He also explained a “hybrid light” comprising a special electronic
ballast system with a photo sensor inside the dome. On cloudy days or nights the
sensor adjusts the dimmable electronic ballast to light up two tube lights.
(Similar to adjusting the fan with a switch.)
Tubular skylights will gather significance wherever there is “Green”
awareness, predominantly in IT areas where the concern for environment is
pronounced.
Sounds interesting but what about the price and the market pulse? If
imported, Mr. Arun Kumar puts the minimum price for 13” tubular skylight at
over Rs. 12,000 (around $ 300) This does not include the cost of shipment,
customs duty and taxes. The 21” product cost about Rs. 20,000 .
Courtesy:
Property Plus, The Hindu
