Noise Control for Buildings

Noise Control for Buildings

While designing a building, the one aspect that is mostly overlooked is that of Noise control. Noise is injurious both physically and mentally to all human beings. It will be felt in the long run, after having caused irreparable damage. Hence it is vital to bring down the sound levels during construction stages and later too.

The buildings scenario in the country is rapidly changing. The main reason is the proliferation and fast phase of the construction work.  All the major cities are witnessing continuous makeover, but this need not be the reason for ignoring certain basic and simple guidelines.  Buildings must be in harmony with the five natural elements like earth, fire, water, air and ether and also with the five senses of humankind like sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.  The built environment must be a stress-buster and not a stress-spreader.

Spaces for all varieties of occupation like for entertainment, retail, offices and residences are well planned and designed for visual aesthetics, life safety, comfort and other important aspects, but no attention is paid for acoustics and noise control. The second sense of humans, hearing, which follows that of the visual being the first in order of importance is greatly ignored.

Sound is a very essential element. When the Television is watched in mute mode, all the sensations and melodrama is vanished. But the same sound if excessive, becoming a rough quality of noise, the sense of hearing is not in harmony with the other senses of human beings. This aggravates stress.

Acoustical  Problems

In Residences. The distressing and persisting hum of the water pump in the basement amplified through the elevator shaft, the low-flying aircraft rattling windows, flush noise punctuating studies and meditation, the traffic noise piercing through the balcony, the sounds of dialogues and music from the television echoing in the hall are some of the common experiences of disturbing sounds in the residences.

In Office Campuses. In the offices where people spend half of their lives, the jarring hardships they have to endure are many.  The central court entrance hall, reverberating with disagreeable combination of loud noises of street noise and visitor voices, the canteen filled with and spilling out the continuous sound of techno-babble, the roof top chiller unit transmitting down the painful vibrations, the recently completed road connection or flyover sending in noise from speeding vehicles even into the hitherto quiet conference room and the unavoidable voice-based call-centres all add to the discomfort of the auditory sense.

Other built spaces.  Most of the sound emanating from the general and common sources are unavoidable. The beating and thumping from the disco clubs where people dance to the recorded pop music disturbing the room guests in fashionable and flamboyant star Hotels, the modern elevated light transit railway bringing in the clatter to a studio, noise transfer between the adjacent halls of a multiplex, an action movie with special sound – effects spoiling a peaceful romantic moment or missing out an important announcement in public spaces are some of the resultant problems from noise transference and noise magnification.

Ignoring  Acoustics

Normally most of the architects and civil consultants the prime movers of the design community, place emphasis on the visual and other comforts but often tend to ignore acoustics. Attention is turned towards it only when it becomes a major problem post - occupancy.  Very few projects requisition the services of acoustic experts to be on board at the design stage. Most are in the misguided notion that an acoustic expert is required only for special venues like cinemas, auditoria and studios. This is an erroneous view.  To understand enjoy and realize the true potential of any built space, the second sense of mankind ie., the hearing must be given its due importance.

To give a similarity, while India had adopted Euro III norms for smoke emission from vehicles, when most of the developed world is on Euro V in acoustics and noise control we were still at Euro I, what the developed world was doing 20 years back. As India's GDP inexorably rises and we fancy ourselves as an economic powerhouse, as we get used to the latest models of laptops, mobile phones, automobiles and home appliances similar to Euro V, we must rapidly upgrade the quality of sound around us to at-least Euro III if not Euro V. This is certainly possible if more emphasis is given to acoustics and noise control in built spaces.

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Natural Building Materials

Natural Building Materials

It is a common misconception prevailing in the minds of builder and owners that the more exotic the materials are used for construction the more attractive and longer lasting the structures would remain. Even when the locally available materials are used, the built structures will display the strength and long endurable vitality. They could easily withstand climatic extremities of that particular region and the building also looks perfectly coalesced one with the surrounding ambience.

It is quite common to find sea facing buildings showing signs of premature ageing, the window frames corroded, walls darkened, the paint peeling off because of the high levels of salt content. Climate has a very important role to play in the maintenance of buildings. The type of materials used, the method of construction opted determine the heath of a building.Local materials like sand and stone are normally structured to suit the climatic conditions of the place.  Hence, when buildings are constructed using locally available materials, invariably the structures display the strength to withstand the extremes of climate in that particular region. In such cases, climatic erosion of buildings is least.

The type of architecture of a place too reflects an adherence to this climatic factor as buildings have to be naturally adapted to tackle extremes of climate in the absence of artificial means of support. Thus a cold place would reflect more of wood based structures to retain the warmth, a more tropical climate would display high ceilings to eliminate the circulation of hot air.Currently buildings use materials as well as designs that are based more on styles suited to taste than to the local climate. For instance, the typical Kerala architecture encompasses sloping roofs and wide corridors to tackle the heavy rains.  However, the modern structures do not display such conformity with local requirements.

Similarly, the stones used in some of the old buildings in Mumbai have withstood the test of time as well as climate. The same cannot be said of the more current buildings where locally available materials have not been used. Again, the locally available laterite stones in Mangalore are best suited to tackle the heavy rains and the sea in the coastal belt but how many local buildings use it is a totally different question.

Though thematic buildings break the monotony by bringing in a novelty to a structure, many a time, the design as well as the materials used imported from a different place, do not fit in, giving rise to defects.To avoid such mismatch and the resulting problems, it is best to go in for structures that are inherently suited to local climatic conditions.  However, there are materials like steel which every modern building cannot dispense with irrespective of its location. While steel does not get corroded easily, it is important to go in for the right type of steel which is treated for anti corrosive properties to be used in coastal areas as otherwise it can prove to be risky for the buildings.

Similarly non-ferrous materials like aluminium, polymer and wood should be used in coastal areas to prevent rusting. Wood, when seasoned well, can withstand the worst of climates. Of course the wood used here should be stable wood.Modern buildings also sport more of glass walls than brick structures. If these glass walls face the South or West, the building is sure to heat up. The situation is worse if glass walls face south west as the maximum heat is from this direction.  Bricks, terracotta tiles and stones are best suited to insulate the building from heat.

Another factor that leads to overheating of interiors is the absence of sunshades for windows.  Traditional buildings not only used less of glass but the windows too sported wooden doors protected by sunshades. These sunshades not only acted as shields from the sun but also kept out the rain. These recessed windows were marvelous protectors from the harsh climate.

While it is best to use locally available materials and conform to local architecture to reap the maximum benefit in terms of climate tolerance, it is not feasible to do so at all times as other factors such as lifestyle, the use the building is to be put to have a say in the design. It is then best to compromise in a manner that the building continues to be climate friendly albeit the modern design. And this compromise can be achieved by opting for local materials wherever possible and arriving at a design that is sensitive to local conditions.

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Wardrobe Selections

Wardrobe Selections

In spite of dwelling in a spacious home with all the necessary accessories, we at times face embarrassing moments, unable to find enough storage space. The discomfort arises either due to the storage space at home falling way short of requirements or failing to meet the required parameters. The wardrobes should be organized and structured in such a way so as to suit specific needs of the household.In earlier times, wardrobes were more similar to stacks of shelves covered with wooden shutters, such a scene has now been drastically changed. There are enormous designs and options available, each customized to suit individual likes and requirements.

They range from simple structures with hanging provisions along with a set of drawers to ultramodern walk-in wardrobes entirely with display platforms and a lounge, in a space large enough to serve as a room. These walk-in wardrobes offer a lot of space for storage. Here, only one door is placed and everything else is open. There are no shutters which might be crowding out the available space.Walk-in wardrobes are most convenient and suitable, when a small section has been separately earmarked for storage. In these types, instead of going in for the traditional wardrobes with individual shutters, the entire section is assigned one access door.

Inside the walk-in closet, there should be plenty of hanging space defined at different heights, complemented by open shelves. The bottom level can sport deep drawers to store extra linen and things.For storing of items like undergarments and others that cannot be hung, a separate set of drawers could be arranged. Footwear need not be clubbed along with the cloth items, which is also not hygienic.

The bottom section of a wardrobe can be used for the provision of a locker. It would be better to fabricate a locker in the bottom shelf and this locker should be anchored to the floor so that it becomes immobile. Even it could be concealed with a loose piece of wood if need arises. Usually the loft is used for storing suitcases and other large items that would not fit into the lower shelves of the wardrobe. Most often and unfortunately the loft and its contents are not easily accessible. This could be solved by having wardrobes that have large shelves so that these pieces could be accommodated.

This exercise could be done only in houses which can afford extra storing space. But space becoming the rarest of the commodities, nowadays, we have to resort to loft spaces for such storage. For such eventualities, it would be better to go in for a large dumping unit in the loft.If wardrobes are situated in a not so much illuminated place, then lighting can be arranged inside them controlled by a toggle switch. A separate section could be kept for hanging clothes that have been used once, but will be worn again before washing. It will be sensible to have shutters in this section that will breathe. Even the storage unit for footwear should possess similar shutters.

In market plenty of wardrobes are available off the shelf to suit variable requirements. These come with adjustable shelves and in combinations of drawers, shelves and hanging space.With all these apparent advantages like attractiveness, good designs and quick availability, the major requisite is the durability of the wardrobe. Most of the users are appreciative of a traditional wardrobe made from standard and solid wood and typically lasting 25 to 40 years.  Being not customized they lack the personal touch. They are mostly standardized. They are not long lasting because they are essentially made from particleboard.While acquiring a wardrobe it should be seen that its structure would have to be designed,  keeping in mind the nature of the user and the quantum of storage space required. Also the available space for accommodating it should be taken into consideration.

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Conserving Water From All Sources

Conserving Water From All Sources

Group Housing complexes have many choices in implementing water harvesting projects.  Water has turned out to be a precious commodity. Its shortage is felt acutely nowadays in most of the places. Being a limited resource, individuals should take the personal responsibility of conserving it to the maximum possible extent and utilizing it to the judicious minimum extent. For housing societies, several solutions to tackle water woes are offered.But it could be truly practical only if everyone possesses a proper knowledge so as to understand it well, and there is also an imperative need to maintain the system well so as to reap its benefits. More than everything, all the residents of a housing society should imbibe in themselves an acute sense of responsibility, for then only the entire system could succeed well and serve to its fullest capacity.

Rain Harvesting

Most people are under the wrong notion that rainwater harvesting demands leaving more space and they could not afford it.  But the experts feel that this should not be a worrying problem, for rainwater harvesting is not a huge engineering project requiring a lot of space. Some of the easy and practical harvesting methods that any housing society can deploy effectively without much trouble are mentioned below.

Trench Bore Pits

This method could be applied to properties with large areas. Here, the run off water from the rooftops is diverted into the bare soil or garden in the premises. A trench of one metre deep and half metre wide is dug at the periphery of the plot. Two to five bores, each two metres deep, are drilled and filled with broken bricks.  The trench is covered with a grill.  The entire run off water is trapped in the trench. From here it percolates underground through the bore pits.

This was the first and earliest method of rainwater harvesting to be followed. But soon it fell out of favour, because many were not fully aware of the exact depth the trench to be dug. Not digging to the correct depth and instead digging a shallow pit will not serve the purpose.

Pebble Beds

In houses and complexes with large open spaces, a wide pit is dug along the compound wall and filled with large pebbles (Nowadays people use broken bricks which are far cheaper and just as effective as the pebbles). The pit is then covered with perforated RCC slabs.  The run off water from the roof and surface is directed into it. The pebbles need to be cleaned once a year so as to improve the percolating capacity.

Experts do not favour this system because here too one cannot be sure about what should be the depth of the pit. Another major drawback is that this kind of digging was found to damage the compound wall.

Service-cum-recharge Well

Among all the methods of harvesting rainwater, the method of Service-cum-Recharge Well is the most effective, and economical one, which is best suited for households and housing societies.  In this method a service Well or an existing Well and also the ground water table is recharged by directing rooftop and surface run off water into them.  Here, any open Well within the complex itself is utilized. The rooftop water is clean, unlike the surface run off water, and hence can safely be let into the Well. If the compound does not already have an open Well, then a service Well should be constructed.  The water that gets accumulated in it can be used for immediate purposes.  The surface run off water can be tapped near the gate by providing a gutter with a perforated lid. This water can be piped into a recharge Well.

The ground water can also be effectively recharged through soak pits that have sandy layers and brick jelly. The wastewater from household chores can be diverted into this.

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Ventilation at Homes

Ventilation at Homes

Though all the five Elements of Nature are essential for the life of all living being on earth, air is without dispute  the prime  among them. And within the house, we need proper ventilation for a salubrious atmosphere and healthy living.  For getting the welcome cool breeze inside the house, it is imperative that the air should be able to flow around the house freely.  It is a proven fact that on the windward side the air blows with some force or energy so that it not only enters the house but also absorbs and carries the heat to the outside on the leeward side of the building. To facilitate easy flow of air, we should have lots of open space in the way of its entry and some space on the other side for its easy exit as well. But the availability of more space in an urban context can be just about 10 feet and in a metropolitan city like Bangalore, even 5 feet will ensure quite a bit of natural ventilation.

A big house should mean that we have open space around the house, especially on the windward side. It will be better and beneficial to plan houses in such a way that the open space around the house becomes part of the house, and extend the house outward visually so that we can feel the house getting extended to the open space.

The sensible way to get this done is by taking the outside inside by bringing the open space inside and make it part and parcel of the house.  If we build from one end of the site to the other, covering more or less completely, then we are sure to feel cramped and ultimately suffer from lack of light and air.  As far as light is concerned, the natural light can be compensated to a certain extent, by artificial lighting, but not the natural ventilation. A fan just churns the same stale air. The air conditioners merely cool the air, recirculating a part of the used and exhaled air to reduce the load on the system.

It is the nature of air to blow from an area of higher pressure to that of lower pressure. On the windward side the air pressure is higher, on the leeward side the pressure is proportionately lower. Therefore to facilitate this we need to keep bigger windows on the windward side and even small windows will do on the leeward side to exhaust the warm and stale air.   

Wind will have positive pressure on the south and west during the summer monsoon months and similarly there will be negative air pressure on the north and east during this season. We feel the flow of air only when it passes by our body as a stream. But it flows rather slowly most of the time, even if we do not exactly feel it. The reason for this is the pressure differential between the two sides of a building, either adjacent or opposite sides. Even this slow movement of wind brings many air changes per hour and provide the much needed relief from heat.

Air Circulation

Even when there is absolutely no air movement, or the condition which people normally call a 'still air ' conditioner, there certainly will be air exchanges happening. In this case there will be gaseous movement due to air diffusion, which is nothing but gaseous exchange from a higher level of concentration to lower level.  Generally carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, body odour, cigarette smoke etc., which is being generated inside the house will be exchanged to the fresh air from outside, carrying in the much needed oxygen to the inside.  This exchange goes on in a passive way and even for this to happen we need sufficiently big windows to the outside.

Trees are always helpful in directing and cooling the breeze into the house. Trees with a large canopy not only cool the house, but also guide the breeze inside the house through the windows, likewise, shrubs and bushes could be strategically planted to guide useful breeze to the inside of the house and filter hot rays of sun.

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Wooden Floors

Wooden Floors

In recent times, wooden floors have caught Buyers fancy in a big way. Within homes, one can notice them in the master bedroom, the living room, the study room and the kid's room. Among the commercial establishments, the restaurants, coffee shops, and up market stores which are more in number have started installing wooden floors now.

Today, wooden floors have become more popular mainly because of their aesthetics. They look very beautiful and they also impart a natural feel to your interior. They are specially suited for households that have young children, who tend to spend a lot of time on the floor. They are very easy to maintain. All they require is regular wiping and they continue to look good for years. Wooden floors are very easy to install.

An entire High Income Group (HIG) flat can be done up in 24 to 48 hours, people who are interested, can lay these wooden floors over their existing floors. They have a tongue and can groove the mechanism. Suppose, one doesn't want to continue with the wooden floors, they can also uninstall them easily. If one is shifting from one house to another, he/she can take apart of their wooden floor along with them, without any damage either to the floor or to the house.

Wooden floors are made up of individual boards and it also works according to their advantage. If one part of the floor gets damaged, they only need to replace one or two boards. Hence, in these days, most brands offer a warranty of atleast 10 years. Wooden floors are of two categories: Real wooden floors and laminate wooden floors.

While the former, as the nature implies, is made up of real wood, laminate floors are made up of high density fibre boards. The former are more expensive and would cost anything between Rs.200 and 600 per sq.ft. But, they also get damaged more easily and hence require more careful maintenance. Laminate floors, by contrast are affordable. Their price ranges from Rs.100 to 250 per sq.ft, and are more resistant to damage. The good thing is that, nowadays, even the laminate floors look good and real as real wooden floors.

Dual  Width :

Today, people get wooden floors where the planks are available in two widths. Interior Designers, suggest that they should use the planks with the larger width in bigger rooms and using the narrower planks in a smaller room creates a sense of space.

Wide  Variety :

Wooden floors are made from a wide variety of woods.

Precautions :

When one installs wooden floors, he/she cannot be as rough and carefree in their usage, as they would be with a tile floor. Here, are a few precautions that they must observe:

When they are leaving their house, they should check and must ensure that all the taps in their home are properly closed. Suppose water leaks out and accumulates on the wooden floor for a considerable length of time, the floor might get damaged.

Another disadvantage of wooden floors is, that one heel's of his/her shoes would produce lot of noise, even though some brands have now introduced the products that absorb part of the sound. Finally, wooden floors are a category of whose time has come. If one is rebuilding a new house, or refurbishing their old one, they can think of installing wooden floors. The sheer beauty of wooden floors will enliven their home decor for years to come.

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Furnishing of living room

Furnishing of living room

Living room is an area of a house where the members of the family sit together and spend time.  It is also a place where the family members entertain their friends. This part of the house is important and must be decorated in  a special way. If you are not sure about the design structure of the room, consult various designing books and design a layout for your living room so that living room decor will be easier and faster.

Colour  combination

Colour combinations play important role in creating a new look for your living room and hence smart selection of colours will instantly give you  good feeling. You can choose contrast like black and white or one bolder shade with other lighter hues of the same shade. There are many designer wall treatments available in the market which can instantly give that contemporary or modern look for your living room.

Accessories

The room should not be crowded with furniture and artifacts to avoid a heavy end effect. The appearing should be one of warmth and too much display may give a cold and commercial look. Just one or two costly pieces kept in the right places would give the message. There should be free movement with the seating arrangement.

If the flooring for the living room is not ready yet and you do not have time to change that, carpets or modern rugs available in various shapes and sizes in the market is the best option for you.

Try to mix and match things so that you can avoid unnecessary shopping and wasting your time for the things you do not need.

Furniture

When deciding on the type of furniture to fit in a room the nature of the occupant, the kind of use it is put to and the budget have to be kept in mind. The other side that has to be considered is the shape and size of the room.

According to the function of the room you have to build the seating. After deciding the concept you can make the right arrangement whether minimalist, or ornate as long as it is functional. If there is a television the arrangement should be around the TV. If it is for conversation the chairs should be clustered according to that. There need not be a coffee table or display unit in the living area. The display unit does not have to be a traditional one but can be a plank jutting out of a wall in an aesthetic way, and then the wall becomes the display area. 

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