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ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People November 200924

INTERIORS

The Spirit of Place

with Ceilings

The construction industry is such

an important component o the

growth index that the level o its

activism gives a measure o the devel-

opment pattern in a particular geogra-

phy. While the trends that emerge rom

time to time impacting the industry

signiy its dynamics, its dimensions are

determined by the interwoven domain

o design and architecture. The extent

o harmony between these two essen-

tial domains in terms o technology,

innovation & ingenuity, and eco-logics

is what will dene the excellence o

living, and this is exactly what is hap-

pening in India, as also in most other

developing geographies.

According to The Economist, con-

struction industry had been recording

phenomenal growth rates around

8 per cent every year in India. This

growth is attributed, understandably to

the economic upsurge and some pro-

active policy initiatives rom the gov-ernments. Rated as the astest growing

economy in the world (ater China),

India is slated to attract FDI o USD

360 billion in the next ve years with

around USD 140 billion slated to ow

in 2010 alone. It is in this backdrop that

the Eleventh Plan has emphasized the

need or introduction o ecient tech-

nologies and modern methodologies in

construction to raise productivity levels.

It has also underscored a continual pur-

suit o R&D so that sustainable devel-

opment is possible.

The markets, led by spirited entre-

preneurism, have responded quite well

albeit with the crippling efects o the

recent recession which is why the in-

dustry today has some truly innovative

systems o design and construction.

Product manuacturers and systems/

solutions providers have carved niche

areas o expertise bringing more value

to the design and construction domain.

The most notable value addition among

many aspects o interior construction is

ceiling systems.

The new ceiling systems and con-

cepts that have come to the market-

place are simply revolutionary i.e.

they are technologically sophisticated;

For over a decade, therapidly changing globaland regional requirementso human endeavours ininterior construction haveresulted in a new genius locior spirit o the place. Whilesome old eatures continue toexist, some have reinventedthemselves, while still othersmerged with infuencesrom others. One o the

most notable among thereinventions and harmoniousinfuences is a new genre oceiling systems. Enabled bytechnological sophisticationas well as uturisticentrepreneurism, the interiorconstruction value-chain hasbeen brought to a new spirito experience.

Ajay Sharma

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November 2009 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People 25

qualitatively certied; architectur-

ally versatile; aesthetically appealing;

acoustically comorting and economi-

cally viable.

For instance, Designpanel Pixel ceil-

ings which is microper gypsum-based

acoustic ceilings. Myriad design options

based on gypsum-made ceiling sys-

tems are made available in India today

with signicant value-add to the entire

developer-designer-user chain. Com-

ing with microper o just 3x3 mm tiny

squares at 8mm pitch which actually

makes them almost invisible they not

only give a typically beautiul look to

the surace but also a strong, sustain-

able design that meet all indoor envi-

ronment regulations. They are gypsum-based products, lasting or as many as

25 years and are eco-riendly. More,

they come in large ormats making less-

er joints and enable aster install, result-

ing in ull-span seamless nishes.

Anutone, the Bengaluru-based

leader o ceiling systems which had

launched these products in association

with European major Danogips had

actually recently innovated with smaller

and more economical models to meet

the wider demands emerging rom In-

dia and GCC markets. Though cheaper

alternatives to their parent products,

the new launches are no less in unc-

tional properties o architecture and

acoustics. Designpanel 900 instead o

Designpanel 1200 and Plaza instead o

Belgravia are two examples.

That the space developers and their

designer teams are challenged or creat-

ing sustainable built spaces, particularly

rom the corporate sector, the product

manuacturers and solution developers

too have reinvented their oferings to

meet the new green construction chal-

lenge. The best example, again, can be

AnutoneSuite a complete, yet versatile

set o ceiling solutions or oces and

corporate campuses with a mix and

match o diferent ceiling models suit-

able or diferent unctions.

A typically new age oce set up can

have Subtex Nubby texture ceiling orreception, ront oce and lobby areas;

Serge Lay-in metal ceilings or the cor-

ridors; Subtex painted texture ceiling

or the CEO/chairmans cabin; Subtex

Pebble texture ceilings or boardrooms;

Sconz Whiteline oam ceilings or meet-

ing rooms; Smery Sybil texture ceilings

or teleconerencing rooms. That these

spaces are o smooth and delicate unc-

tioning type demanding elegant han-

dling, the texture, oam and metal ceil-

ings perectly meet the requirements.

On the other hand, spaces like caeteria

and kitchen created within the oce

building can be surace nished with

MatVin Shale and Shingle ceilings that

stand rugged usage,

An open-plan oce

can have Sisoli Saari

mineral bre ceilings

that again are rugged

and stand hard usage.

All these products

are not only guaran-

teed or their lasting

perormance, they

also typiy a dynamic

architectural appeal

across the structure.

That each space looks

radically diferent rom the other, as also

comorting, the design quotient hasbeen ound to be contributing to en-

hancing the productivity o the space

users. So, there is a value addition to the

entire chain.

These systems are, o course, in ad-

dition to the white ceiling systems and

modular ceiling systems that had been

instrumental in bringing about a para-

digm shit, primarily, in the mindset

o space designers, and secondarily

amongst the space developers. The

reason or their wide appeal across the

spectrum: they are essentially techno-

commercial- tested, tried, and proven

(rewarding with LEED points); they look

and sound good; they bring in all the

more essential eel good actor across

the spectrum.

There are many ways o harmonising

the architecture and construction. This

is one way o doing it- meeting both the

construction challenges o the day, and

the designer ingenuity, and achieving

the spirit o the place.

Ajay Sharma is General Manager

North, Anutone Interiors, New Delhi. He

can be reached at ajay@anutone.com

Photographs: Courtesy the Author.