Cocoon structure can help design sustainable buildings for extreme temperature conditions

The cocoon, according to a team of scientists at IIT-Kanpur, is an architectural marvel that can help design sustainable buildings for extreme temperature conditions. They say that architects should look at nature to build temperature regulated green homes. The team studied how the cocoon creates optimum temperature and living conditions within the cocoon. The scientists were also intrigued that how pupa is in a cocoon for a dormant phase of a few weeks to months and then a healthy, adult moth emerges from it!

The study by the team found that the cocoon membrane is asymmetric; it allows preferential gating of CO2 from inside to outside and this allows CO2 to pass out from inside the cocoon but not the other way round. Hence, there is no build up of CO2 inside the cocoon. Also, the temperature within the cocoon is also regulated, irrespective of the temperature outside. 

To study how the cocoon responds to extreme temperatures, cocoons were exposed to two extreme natural temperature regimes of 5 and 50 degree C, but a temperature of 25 and 34 degree C respectively were maintained inside the cocoons. It was found that CO2 gating and thermo-regulation helps in maintaining an ambient atmosphere inside the cocoon for the growth of pupa.

The study concludes that cocoon is an architectural wonder that can help design sustainable buildings for extreme temperature conditions. The study was published recently in the Biointerphases journal.

All For One Goal

Experience isn't the only secret of success for any organization. There's another factor also and it's teamwork. Working as a team, we have one common goal - to serve our community and clients through architecture. It is important to have contributions from everyone. And therefore, we value each other and need everybody's perspectives.

Design Atelier boasts of a highly qualified team whose expertise matches the project scope and consists of multidisciplinary staff and technical partners. We have highly qualified professionals in the areas of Architecture, Landscape, Urban & Environmental Design, Strategic Planning & Communication, Structural Engineering, Air Conditioning, Electrical Engineering, Civil and Public Health Engineering, Project & Construction Management.   

We continue to expand our multi-disciplinary teams and technical partners of over 50 professionals to solve design challenges.

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- Sushil L. Karer

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We want to leave good marks on the earth and would like to measure our work by the pleasure of the lives lived in our buildings and projects. Click Here to meet our people.

India: Green building footprint to touch 2 billion sq ft by 2015

The concept of green buildings is gaining ground among developers of India and the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) believes that green building footprint to touch 2 billion sq ft by 2015. According to IGBC, 1,745 eco-friendly building projects with over 1.21 billion sq ft of green footprint are registered with the council.

"Green buildings consume 40-50 percent less energy and 20-30 percent less water. Besides, the intangible benefits of green buildings include better indoor air quality, enhanced ventilation, better view and ample sunlight that significantly improve the productivity of the occupants," says Gurmit Singh Arora, vice chairman of IGBC Mumbai chapter.

Though the building cost of a green building may be marginally (3 to 5%) higher than the conventional building, but the incremental cost gets paid back within two-three years with substantial reduction in operational costs. Developers have realized the importance of the green concept as it also offers them a good financial business model.

Energy is the first step to green

Most architects would agree that a green building must be an energy efficient building. To be energy efficient, green buildings must include measures to reduce energy consumption. Over the years, embodied energy has assumed more importance and they make up for as much as 30% of the overall life cycle energy consumption. For instance, a study by the U.S. LCI Database Project reports that the buildings built primarily with wood will have a lower embodied energy than those built primarily with brick, concrete or steel. Green architects recommends passive solar building design. They will orient windows and walls and place awnings, porches, and trees to shade windows and roofs during the summer while maximizing solar gain in the winter. Similarly, windows are placed effectively to attract natural light and lessen the need for electric lighting during the day. Solar water heating further reduces energy costs. 

Also, energy efficient buildings must also be water and building material efficient. Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality should be key objectives of these buildings. Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during construction. Rain water harvesting is also a good idea.

A restaurant has to be a memorable experience not only for its food but also interiors!

The interiors for a restaurant has to be a memorable experience! An interior designer would start his thinking process with defining what the brand is, where the space is positioned and who is the target audience. The interiors of a restaurant will actually create original food experiences. Therefore, its is wiser to use a far wider range of colours to fulfil any demands from the brand identity.

The work of an interior designer, according to a Wikipedia entry on interior design, draws upon many disciplines including environmental psychology, architecture, product design, and traditional decoration (aesthetics and cosmetics).

Each restaurant project (by Design Atelier) is a signature design, differentiated by architectural elements, finishes, furnishings, accessories, lighting and art to create style, image and an inviting ambiance.

Stepwells (Bawdi) for Natural Cooling of Buildings

A bawdi or stepwell is a small body of water that is constructed either below ground or surrounded by walls above ground. The nearby spaces gets cooled when the water in the enclosed area evaporates. Stepwells are certainly one of India's most unique, but little-known, contributions to green architecture. 

The architecture of these stepwells clearly suggests that these structures were not only used for rain water harvesting but also provided relief from daytime heat. The ancient cooling techniques of stepwells could be adapted in modern architecture as natural way of cooling the buildings. Even if air-conditioners are used in the building planned with the ancient cooling techniques, they will consume significantly less energy as the temperatures will be low in these building because of the natural air chilling.

Changing designs of workplace

A good workplace design ensures effective use of space within the workplace. Also, as a designer you get a chance to create good places to work where people will be productive and happy. And, too meet this objective, a workplace surroundings should be as such that it keeps people motivated. Gone are days when workplaces used to be "gloomy or depressing". 

A PhD thesis at the University of Exeter has found that enriched work environments improve productivity by around 15%. Not only that, but implementing office workers suggestions in the design of their workspace upped productivity by 30%. 

Times have changed and so have workplace designs. There were times when only advertising and marketing companies would have funky offices. Today, IT companies, schools & Institutions, Hospitality sectors and even banks have offices that are filled with sensory delights.

Campus buildings should be designed to embody the spirit of the education

A campus is a collection of buildings that belong to a given institution, either academic or non-academic. These are extraordinary buildings and spaces that ensures growth of people assembling there and enhance the experience of education in their life. The architecture of these buildings, thus, have an important role to enliven the surroundings and make lives vibrant.

Integrating campus functions, technology, landscape and, urban life and ambiance  will ensure social, economic and environmental sustainability. The architecture of campuses should be compelling. Designs that translates emotion, excitement and vision into the learning experience that nurture community later. Through design upgradation campuses can be responsive to continuous re-invention.

Campuses with innovative designs makes them a vibrant and accommodating gathering spot.

Efficient HVAC system enhances the sustainability

Sustainable architecture is environmentally conscious design technique that attempts to reduce the total environmental impacts not only during the production of building components and construction process, but also during the life cycle of the building (heating, electricity use, carpet cleaning etc.) The objective of green design, is to ensure that our actions and decisions today do not inhibit the opportunities of future generations.

One of the important element of Sustainable Building Design is indoor environmental quality that includes air quality, illumination, thermal conditions, and acoustics. It must be noted that the integrated design of the indoor environment must be part of the integrated design of the entire structure.

A well insulated building, for instance, ensures an efficient heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The efficient building requires less heat generating or dissipating power, but may require more ventilation capacity to expel polluted indoor air.

The New Face Of Civil Engineering: Skyscraper With Rotating Floors

The proposed 68-floor, 313m (1,027 ft), Da Vinci Tower (also known as Dynamic Architecture Building) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is expected to be architecturally innovative for many reasons. Believe this or not, each floor of this building will be able to rotate independently. This means that the shape of the tower will change constantly. Each floor will rotate a maximum of one full rotation in 90 minutes. The tower will be powered from turbines and solar panels. The 5 other buildings in the vicinity will also be provided with electricity. The turbines will be located between each of the rotating floors and together they will generate 1,200,000 kilowatt-hours of energy from the movement of the floors. The solar panels will be located on the roof.

Another exciting fact about this building is that it will be the world's first prefabricated skyscraper and 90% of the tower will be built in a factory and shipped to the construction site. And, therefore, the entire building will be completed in only 18 months! The only part of the tower that will be built at the construction site will be the core. Because of prefabrication, the total cost will be 23% less than a normal skyscraper of the same size, while only 90 people will work on the construction site.