TECH BATHROOMS

Tech a SHOWER

Looking for a zone for pure and deliberate indulgence Go for a digital bathroom

Neha Dewan

ALWAYS wanted a luxurious bathroom Get a digital one now. Brands such as Grohe India, Kohler and Hindware are lining up glamourous products to meet your fancy expectations.
Grohe India, a leading provider of premium bath fittings and showers , has Grohe Ondus which combines digital technology and design aesthetics. The technology uses a remote control which makes the function a simple affair. Moreover, the technology makes it easy for every user to find their own personal settings for temperature, flow rate or spray pattern. Says Bijoy Mohan, V-P & MD of Grohe India, The bathroom, in the current day and age, must be capable of becoming whatever the consumer wants it to be from a purely functional space that enables a quick and easy preparation for the day, to a retreat for relaxation at the end of the day, to a zone for pure and deliberate indulgence . The ever-evolving technology is making this possible by packing more into less. The product is priced at Rs 40,000 onwards and can go up to a few lakhs, depending on ones customisation requirements .
Similarly, leading player in bath and kitchen designs, Kohler Co recently introduced DTV II or the Digital Thermostatic Valve II in India. Featuring sleek design and intuitive controls, DTV II wraps four elements water, sound, light and steam together in a plug-nplay system. Customers can also incorporate rejuvenating steam, music from their own play list and lights that move and change colours during a shower. Sharad Mathur, MD of Kohler India, says digital showers are becoming an important component of modern homes with growing disposable incomes. It isnt always possible or practical to jet off to a resort for pampering. An increasing number of people in India are now creating luxurious settings of their own at their homes. The
basic configuration of this customised and innovative product is priced at a princely Rs 7,05,000.
If you are looking more in terms of electronically-controlled functions in a lavish bathtub, leading player in sanitaryware, Hindware has got Italian brand Teucos HydroSpa to India. Besides offering electronically-controlled functions, it also offers a hot spa experience and aroma therapy, all in the luxury of your home. Priced at a steep Rs 35 lakh, the Teuco Hydrospa offers a lot of scope to personalise exactly the way you want it. A highlight is that you can massage every part of your body, together with a customised selection of air and water mix. There is an array of different massages and seats designed according to the principles of hydrotherapy . So choose what you desire the most.
Relax in luxury... all with the help of a remote. Its time to get rejuvenated in your home. neha.dewan@timesgroup .com

TECH BATHROOMS

Tech a SHOWER

Looking for a zone for pure and deliberate indulgence Go for a digital bathroom

Neha Dewan

ALWAYS wanted a luxurious bathroom Get a digital one now. Brands such as Grohe India, Kohler and Hindware are lining up glamourous products to meet your fancy expectations.
Grohe India, a leading provider of premium bath fittings and showers , has Grohe Ondus which combines digital technology and design aesthetics. The technology uses a remote control which makes the function a simple affair. Moreover, the technology makes it easy for every user to find their own personal settings for temperature, flow rate or spray pattern. Says Bijoy Mohan, V-P & MD of Grohe India, The bathroom, in the current day and age, must be capable of becoming whatever the consumer wants it to be from a purely functional space that enables a quick and easy preparation for the day, to a retreat for relaxation at the end of the day, to a zone for pure and deliberate indulgence . The ever-evolving technology is making this possible by packing more into less. The product is priced at Rs 40,000 onwards and can go up to a few lakhs, depending on ones customisation requirements .
Similarly, leading player in bath and kitchen designs, Kohler Co recently introduced DTV II or the Digital Thermostatic Valve II in India. Featuring sleek design and intuitive controls, DTV II wraps four elements water, sound, light and steam together in a plug-nplay system. Customers can also incorporate rejuvenating steam, music from their own play list and lights that move and change colours during a shower. Sharad Mathur, MD of Kohler India, says digital showers are becoming an important component of modern homes with growing disposable incomes. It isnt always possible or practical to jet off to a resort for pampering. An increasing number of people in India are now creating luxurious settings of their own at their homes. The
basic configuration of this customised and innovative product is priced at a princely Rs 7,05,000.
If you are looking more in terms of electronically-controlled functions in a lavish bathtub, leading player in sanitaryware, Hindware has got Italian brand Teucos HydroSpa to India. Besides offering electronically-controlled functions, it also offers a hot spa experience and aroma therapy, all in the luxury of your home. Priced at a steep Rs 35 lakh, the Teuco Hydrospa offers a lot of scope to personalise exactly the way you want it. A highlight is that you can massage every part of your body, together with a customised selection of air and water mix. There is an array of different massages and seats designed according to the principles of hydrotherapy . So choose what you desire the most.
Relax in luxury... all with the help of a remote. Its time to get rejuvenated in your home. neha.dewan@timesgroup .com

GREEN BUILDINGS

How green is Green

Environmentalists and experts are now unanimous that the way forward is green architecture, which helps save energy and makes the whole growth story of mankind sustainable, says Krishna Kumar Mangalam


What is a Green B u i l d i n g What makes it different from a conventional building Why are corporates going in for these green buildings How important is it for us to live in a green building How expensive are these green building technologies The list of questions around this buzzword Green Buildings is significantly huge and the answers are not only simple but also provoke us to take a pledge to Go Green .
A number of organizations have recently been set up to promote this concept. Dr P C Jain, chairman of India Green Building Council (IGBC), recently said at a seminar, Green building is a concept fast catching the fancy of people across the world, and India is no exception.
Although the concept has come in an entirely new avatar, it is not as novel as being considered by many. The biggest advantage of a green building is if it is designed well, this may accrue life-long benefits at small makeup costs. As socialists, our effort is to promote the concept of sustainable deve l o p m e n t that is in h a r m o ny with nature while keeping intact the t r a d i t i o n s and practices of ancient India.
IGBC estimates the demand for green building materials and equipment will reach $4 billion per annum by 2010. Industry experts feel that in tune with the global trend to protect environment, the number of green building projects in India may go up from the current 164 to over 2,000 by 2012. Green Building technology is a futuristic idea for the planet and is pro life. It is inspired from various elements of nature and innovatively designed to generate significant economic and health advantages to us. It takes us closer to nature by bringing nature closer to home. In fact, it makes the whole growth story of mankind sustainable. Some of the facets of green buildings are: heat reduction insulated roofs and walls that substantially reduce heat ingress (up to 60%) thereby resulting in lower AC loads; cross ventilation with fresh breeze; goodbye to high energy costs (up to 40%); solar lighting is safe for people as well as the planet; 100% natural light all across, thereby cutting down usage of artificial light by 50%.
Healthy indoors: One can enjoy healthy living with innovative solid waste management, waste segregation system and nature-friendly infrastructural facilities. Recycling to conserve nature: Owners can take pride in being a responsible citizen and make the most of 0% discharge building .
Vidur Bharadwaj, director of The 3C Company and chairman IGBC, Delhi Chapter, says, I found the quality of buildings in this part of the world was largely not respecting environment . There was a need to make people aware of sustainable development that will drive them to use green buildings and benefit from a better living environment .
Vidur is the only architect who has to his credit two Platinum Rated LEED certified Green Buildings PATNI Campus in Noida and WIPRO Campus in Gurgaon.
While voluntarily teaching at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Vidur shared with the future generation of architects the philosophy of green architecture:
Generally the cost difference while raising a green building is approximately between 5% and 8% more than a conventional building but the investor recovers costs within 3 years.
Not only do green buildings consume less energy to build but also reduce running costs of buildings up to 35-40 %.
In a study in Australia it was found that by working in green buildings, productivity of the people had gone up, sickness reduced by 20% making it a much healthier environment to work or live in.
Vidur also enumerated a few general practices that make for a green building like double glazing, AAC block with insulation on external peripheral brick wall, roof insulation, vertical and horizontal sun shading, orientation of building as per sun path diagram, high performance chillers, pre-cooling and free-cooling , among others. According to Vidur, a team of 350 professionals is working to add on another contribution towards their pledge to reduce the carbon footprint on earth. After working on two Platinum Rated LEED Certified Green Buildings in the NCR, this team is all set to now usher in Indias largest green residential project in Sector 100, Noida. Officials say The 3C Company has already set very high standards and created benchmarks in the concept of green construction and pledged to reduce the carbon footprint while developing such projects. They say these sustainable developments not only use far less natural resources and energy in the way they are built but are also more durable and require less maintenance.
Some reputed brands that have gone Green along with The 3C Company are Sapient, Accenture, Nokia Siemens Network, Pearson, etc. ITC Building in Gurgaon , Wipro Campus in Gurgaon, Patni Campus in Noida , Green Boulevard in Noida, Knowledge Boulevard at Noida are a few green buildings in the NCR.

Tap Talk

Tap Talk
Dcor Speak


The original function of a tap has remained the same, but the form has changed drastically over time. There are now different taps for different functions, with special kind of materials and valves, let alone looks!
Metal taps are the most common types of taps used all over the house. Their advantages include durability and form. Whether used in baths, basins, showers or kitchens, metal taps are highly dependable. Plus, metal taps are lower maintenance and give a more solid and stylish distinction over other finishes.
The sophistication and elegance of metal set this material apart, the only downside is that it is more expensive than the ceramic or plastic varieties. Other disadvantages include the dangers of rust development in low-quality metal taps.
Plastic taps may not be as popular as metal taps, but many forms, designs and colours are available in the global market today . The benefits include the cheaper costs of the fixture, a better outdoor option, and a more colourful alternative.
It is definitely a more practical choice when it involves outdoor taps. It eliminates the worry over rusting conditions and it provides some durability when properly used. However, plastic taps do have shorter life spans, and because of the quality of the material, it can break under frequent use.

SOLAR PASSIVE ARCHITECTURE

PERFECTLY GREEN

The ideal green office doesnt exist but heres one we built using eco-friendly features, like double glazed glass, terrace gardens, skylights etc from six buildings dotted around the country

Shobha John | TNN


First , it was outsourcing . Now, it is greening . The world can look at Indias green fingers with renewed respect after US secretary of state Hillary Clinton recently called the ITC Green Centre in Gurgaon a monument to the future. Clinton's comments came just weeks after a survey of 100 Indian companies found a marked increase in green consciousness.
The survey, by Johnson Controls, a consultant in energy efficiency management, found that 72% of Indian firms were green compared to just 39% in the US. So just how green is the Indian office And what makes a building green Energy saving, water conservation and reusing waste, says Zeenat Niazi, habitat programme director at Delhi NGO, Development Alternatives (DA). That's the theory, anyway. What of practice

WHO SAVES ENERGY LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW

Real estate company K Raheja Corp has designed its buildings to allow sunlight in and keep the heat out. This includes using glass of high ultraviolet value and having ACs with chillers, leading to high output, which in turn lowers costs.
Raheja vice-president Shabbir Kanchwala says these measures have reduced our monthly energy bill by anything between 20 and 30%. Thats a huge saving for a company that has built 50 lakh square feet of malls, hotels and homes.
Raheja is not the only one. Other Indian companies are now increasingly using lowe (low emission) coating, double-glazed windows in their offices. These allow sunlight in, while keeping heat out and can reduce energy consumptions by 8-10 %, says Pradeep Kumar, senior fellow at the Delhi-based Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI).

WHO HAS A LOW WATER FOOTPRINT

Cadbury India has constructed a check dam (this dams up a small river/nallah during monsoons) in its Bangalore factory to store rain water. It has resulted in a 20% reduction in water consumption and even attracted migratory birds, says the companys associate VP, corporate affairs, Ransom D - Souza. Use of low-flow toilet fixtures, which consume less water while maintaining pressure , tap sensors that automatically turn themselves off and waterless urinals are measures being implemented in ITC-Welcomgroup Hotels, says Alwyn Noronha, executive VP, Projects, ITC Ltd.

WHO KNOWS HOW TO DISPOSE OFF WASTE

The Delhi secretariat has linked itself to a paper recycling plant. Making offices paper-free and using certain plants like Canna which take up nutrients from sewage, leaving the water clear, says Niazi, are further options. This is done in Pondicherry, she adds.

WHO BUILDS WITH RECYCLED MATERIAL

DAs headquarters in Delhi. The office was built with compressed earth blocks that used mud salvaged from the NGO's old office. It has used industrial waste, such as fly ash, for the outer walls and ferro-cement channels with stone slabs instead of concrete blocks. These are extremely low energy materials . This reduced the cost of materials by almost 40%, says DAs Niazi.

WHO ELSE IS THINKING ABOUT GREEN PROCESSES

Cement company ACC has disposed of waste (plastics, sewage, etc) and biomass in cement kilns to reduce CO2 emissions , introduced high efficiency burners and seals, used wind energy for cement manufacturing and solar energy for water heating. In 2008, it processed about 12,900 tonnes of industrial waste and 12,750 tonnes of biomass.We are also exploring if energy can be generated through waste heat from the kiln circuit, says K N Rao, head of the company's environment and energy conservation cell.
Kumar says green offices can save companies as much as 60% over time and halve water-use . He says Indian companies started thinking green four years ago when a draft Energy Conservation Building Code was published, specifying energy norms for commercial buildings. Today, a green building can be certified either by the globally recognised LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) or GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment ), a voluntary rating appropriate for Indian conditions . India currently has 34 LEED-rated buildings and 26 awaiting a GRIHA rating.

A BLUEPRINT FOR OFFICES



A green office saves energy, re-uses water, disposes of waste and uses debris effectively



EXTERIORS

Use double glazed windows, which can reduce energy consumptions by 8-10 % Insulate roofs paint them white, make terrace gardens, use thermal barriers Benefits of retrofitting accrue in 6-10 years

LIGHTING

Replace T12 fluorescent lights with energy-efficient T5 ones Automate lighting controls, use occupancy sensors

FURNITURE

Have low partitions More open spaces Have skylights

OFFICE EQUIPMENT

Use computers with LCD monitors or laptops, which consume five times less electricity than desktop PCs

THERMAL COMFORT

Have a centralized AC system, automatically set to 26 degrees Clean AC condenser coils, which reduces energy bill by 20%

PLANK OF EXCELLENCE

Pradeep Sachdeva, a green architect who built ecofriendly buildings such as Dilli Haat cites Gandhi Ashram in Wardha as an example of a perfect building. Like the father of the nation, this building is minimalist and as natural as it can get, be it sunlight, ventilation or materials (bamboo, mud plaster, timber, mud floors), all of which have been procured from nearby places. Other buildings which he says deserve mention include ITCs Green Centre and the soon to be opened Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru

espoke furniture

Fit To Size

Bespoke furniture is the latest trend, for its a perfect combination of function, style & finish

Neha dewan

DONT like any of the designs that you see in glitzy furniture showrooms You neednt worry. Customised furniture can be the answer to all your worries. Though a bit expensive , it can work best to suit your decor, just the way you want it.
So now not only can you have the exact design that you desire for your living room, you can also make your abode show an unconventional appeal. Home solution brands such as House of Raro, The Great Eastern Home and Living In Style offer an array of choices to please the enthusiastic home shopper.
Mumbai-based decor firm Living In Style offers an exhaustive selection of imported branded furniture for office and home with an option of customisation according to the customers needs. Afzal Chandiwala , director, Living in Style, says
this trend is
catching on fast, especially where space is a constraint. Since the size of apartments and rooms vary significantly in Indian cities, some of the consumers have started preferring customised imported furniture over ready-made . At most furniture outlets one is stuck with the sizes that they have available, whether it fits your space or not. Customers want a perfect combination of function , style, finish, storage and something that fits in their home space. Thats where customisation works well, he says. The brand has customised sofas made of floral jacquard, velvets, tiny sparkling sequins and metallic threads. Imported from Europe, its named Lorrenzo and priced at Rs 1,25,000. Then there is a sofa called Hollywood. Made of Furry Velvet, it is available for Rs 75,000. And if its easy chairs that you are looking for, the simple geometric designs of these will make for an easy fit into any type of interior space! If Victorian is your fancy, designs from Mumbai-based interior firm The Great Eastern Home would be ideal. Hand-crafted with top quality wood and rattan with a high gloss polish , the firm also houses hand-painted furniture depicting various themes and cultures of different parts of the world. The design team at The Great Eastern Home meets with its customers on a one-on-one basis, understands the personality of the buyers and helps them choose the kind of furniture that best suits them. The furniture is then customised for them. All furniture is made in limited editions, sometimes even just for a discerning client and never repeated again! Priced at Rs 35,000 onwards, these furniture options will lend to your home a unique charm. Says Anurag Kanoria, director and chief designer of the Great Eastern Home, Bespoke furniture is clearly the trend of the times as it has always been the world over. More and more people who can afford luxury are going in for customised furniture in real and solid high quality wood.
Even Delhi-based luxury interior brand House of Raro has customised furniture pieces, starting at Rs 35,000. Their Lido Arm Chair, a customised piece, is upholstered in rich, antique Ecru Scottish leather with a solid teak frame. The Czar Juliette Settee is no less enchanting with its rich texture and resonance of the grand Russian Imperial era. Rolly Gupta, director, House of Raro, says that individuals like furniture pieces with a personal touch and customisation offers just that. People look for clean line furniture and are moving away from modern elaborate furniture. Customisation works ideal to suit whats on their mind.
So if bespoke furniture is on your mind, you know where to go hunting!

Partition Talk

Partition Talk
Dcor Speak


Ahome is always being used for different jobs at different times. Temporary or permanent partitions can help in demarcation of separate spaces, proper utilization of areas within the home and maintaining privacy.
The materials that can be used range from wood and board to glass, plastic and even just a curtain. Purely aesthetic partitions made from materials like beads and shells are also popular . The actual partition can be variously hung from the ceiling or anchored to the floor.
Wood or board is the most commonly used as it is easy to install, cheap and long lasting. Do not use it in areas that have a high moisture density as wood can rot. Polymer partitions are highly resistant to stains, common acids and cleaning agents as well as to moisture. It never needs painting and will not easily dent or chip, it comes in a wide variety of contemporary colors.
The elegance of stainless steel complements any design scheme. This material is easily maintained, though scratches need to be buffed out. Steel gives high-tech quality at an economical price.
A powder coat or finish on galvanized steel is highly resistant to corrosion, grease, acids, caustics, mars and stains. This can also be had in a broad range of contemporary colours to complement any interior.