Thursday, 25 October 2012

Benefits of Steel Framing


Steel framing studs, which have been used to frame commercial buildings for generations, are now gaining in popularity in residential construction and are becoming available for use in homes at more affordable prices.

There are many benefits to utilizing steel framing in your new home:
  • Steel frames are stronger than wood frames.
    Steel is stronger than wood and more resistant to fire, earthquake and tornado damage, and can cost less to insure. Steel also does not rot, warp, crack, split or change with the weather and it is termite- and vermin-proof.

  • Steel-framed structures move less.
    Walls, floors and roofs consistently stay straight when built with steel framing. And, because the structure moves less than when wood framing is used, steel frames can reduce air leakage and energy costs.
  • Steel framing is environmentally friendly.
    Steel is the most environmentally friendly choice, as it saves trees, is non-toxic and creates 100-percent recyclable waste.

Monday, 15 October 2012

Why you Should Hire Green Home Builders?

There are various steps in building the ideal green home. It starts with creating a green home design that will be eco-friendly as well as beautiful. While designing the home the green home builders have to look at elements such as site, geography, water efficiency, materials and resources, energy and the quality of environment indoors. If you select a local builder having least experience in green homes then they will not be able to keep the following features in mind. Designing a green home requires the builders to keep all these components in mind and it is not as easy as it sounds.


You might have a basic knowledge about construction and have learned about green homes, but it always wise to take help from the professional green home builders. They will be able to provide sustainable designs and construction for your home. Some of the other benefits of hiring such professionals include:
  • They will design your home uniquely to meet the spatial requirements of the house better. They will also look to decrease the energy and water consumption in the homes.
  • The designs they create will minimize the harmful effects of your house on the surrounding environment and thus save nature.
  • The homes will be built using various green technologies, green building products (that are non-toxic), renewable energy systems (such as solar panels on the roof), and build energy efficient systems for your entire home that will go well with the site.
All these features can only be provided by green home builders having high expertise. These builders are a part of your green team. The choice of builder will decide how energy efficient and well designed your home is. Thus you should interview a number of builders before making a final choice. You should ask them pertinent questions regarding the materials and systems. The reputed green home builders will be able to suggest you best products and other energy efficient means to make your green home stand out from the rest. So make a wise choice and have a house to treasure. You will also save Mother Nature in more ways than one by constructing a green home

Architecture Home Designs


Architecture Home Designs can be said as a perfect combination of science and arts, which creates a defined space to meet your needs. Your home provides you that full space where you could have healthy environment and comfort. Every architectural design is a reflection of that particular time and age. The well-combined formation of science and art makes architecture more dynamic. Architecture is a profession which is inter connected with innovative ideas and creativity. There are so many architects who use their intellectuality but the main idea is that architecture is about the creative concept and ideas. If you are trying to find out that true meaning of architecture you will realized that it is all about having a soul design of structure. 

The best architectural home designs provide a comfort level to its owners. Your home is your dream and everyone has a desire to fill their dream house with beautiful colors. Here at DP architecture you will get a chance to décor your home with your hands. Our aim is to provide architectural home designs of unique concepts. We believe that if we listen our client's requirements then we can easily satisfy them, providing an excellent collection for modern and residential home designs. We have clientele who appreciate our refined and quality work and our designing work is basically all about the perfect combination of innovation and creativity.
 The exterior designs also have importance if we are talking about architectural home designs; a proper functionality of exteriors highlights your interior designs. These architectural home designs and drawings must show all dimensions in a proper way and must also contain a proper scale. Architectures really got a wonderful chance to put creativity of their own, as much as they are innovative. Architectural home designs also give a chance to see the creative aspect of a designer, how well he is executing his concepts in to reality.

IMARAT architecture provides architectural design service; a good architect is expected to cooperative closely within a wide range of professionals, it is important to provide the best service to clients and partners.

 

Friday, 12 October 2012

Eco-Friendly Means

 What Does Eco-Friendly Mean?

In recent years, terms like "going green" and "eco-friendly" have become buzz words on talk shows, commercials and product packaging. The term "eco-friendly" has been used for so many different products and practices, its meaning is in danger of being lost. By understanding the true meaning of eco-friendly, you can implement the practices that will lead to healthier living for the planet and its inhabitants, big and small.

Definition

Eco-friendly literally means earth-friendly or not harmful to the environment (see References 1). This term most commonly refers to products that contribute to green living or practices that help conserve resources like water and energy. Eco-friendly products also prevent contributions to air, water and land pollution. You can engage in eco-friendly habits or practices by being more conscious of how you use resources.

Product Qualifications

Making a truly eco-friendly product keeps both environmental and human safety in mind. At a minimum, the product is non-toxic. Other eco-friendly attributes include the use of sustainably grown or raised ingredients, produced in ways that do not deplete the ecosystem. Organic ingredients or materials are grown without toxic pesticides or herbicides. Products with "made from recycled materials" contain glass, wood, metal or plastic reclaimed from waste products and made into something new. Biodegradable products break down through natural decomposition, which is less taxing on landfills and the ecosystem as a whole. (See References 3)

Practice Examples

You can develop eco-friendly habits to help you use less and make the most of what you have. Turn off lights in empty rooms and use a programmable thermostat so you're only heating or cooling your home when it's occupied (see References 2). Businesses can also institute such practices, in addition to bigger initiatives, such as company-wide recycling programs to conserve natural resources and telecommuting for employees, which decreases air pollution and fuel consumption by eliminating daily travel to work.

Greenwashing

Companies sometimes label their products "eco-friendly" or "environmentally friendly" without them truly being so. Called "greenwashing," marketing campaigns perpetuate this practice, aimed at helping companies increase their product sales by appealing to ecologically conscious buyers. To avoid purchasing "greenwashed" products

Eco-Friendly Flooring Products

Eco-Friendly Flooring Products

Make a green choice for your home by choosing eco-friendly options.

Recycled Products

Consider installing reclaimed flooring. Environmentally friendly, recycled materials are often of better quality than new materials, and use less energy. For example, in 2010, researchers calculated that producing new wood flooring consumed 13 times the energy used in reclaiming wood floors (See References 3, page 8).

Wood

Wood is a renewable resource; it is the practices foresters use to produce the wood that determines its eco-friendliness, however. Forest certification programs oversee sustainable forest management; some provide databases of retailers that sell products they certify, including flooring (see References 4).

Cork

Cork parquet flooring, according to a 2009 study using the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Building for Energy and Environmental Sustainability life-cycle assessment process, was the flooring product with the least environmental impact (see References 5, page 4). Made from recycled cork waste, this flooring has a lifespan of up to 50 years (see References 5, page 3).

Linoleum

Natural linoleum, made from renewable materials such as wood flour and linseed oil, is biodegradable and nontoxic, and requires almost no maintenance. It will last up to 30 years. In the BEES analysis, linoleum was second to cork parquet in environmental impact. (See References 5, page 3 through 9).

Bamboo

Bamboo is a hardwood-like grass; growers produce species used for flooring in three to six years, without the need for much fertilizer or pesticide. Many of the flooring products made with bamboo, however, use potentially toxic and polluting chemicals in their manufacture and are shipped long distances. Forest certification is now available for some bamboo flooring products. (See References 4 and 6)

Considerations

All bio-based, certified flooring choices are eco-friendly. Factors such as local availability, cost and maintenance requirements determine which materials are best. Note that researchers using the BEES analysis found carpet, particularly wool carpet, to have the greatest environmental impact. (References 5, page 8)

 

 

Eco-Friendly Homes



Eco-friendly building incorporates a wide variety of concepts and strategies during the design and construction process. Eco-friendly materials, a vital component of sustainable building, come from renewable rather than nonrenewable resources. Such materials enhance the health and efficiency of homes, but they also promote conservation of dwindling nonrenewable resources worldwide and reduce the overall impact associated with resource extraction, including transportation, processing, fabrication and disposal of materials. (See References 1.)

Advantages

Homeowners reap many benefits from eco-friendly building materials. Some of these advantages include reduced maintenance and replacement costs over the life of the home, increased energy efficiency and utility bill savings, improved personal health of home occupants and greater design flexibility. (See References 1.)

Resource Efficiency

All eco-friendly building materials have resource efficiency in common, a criteria they meet in a number of ways. Materials may contain postconsumer or postindustrial recycled content, or they may be easy to recycle at the end of their useful life. Others are harvested from sustainably managed sources, often certified by third-party verification. Some materials are locally harvested, saving money and resources related to transportation. Others are salvaged, refurbished or remanufactured. (See References 1.)

Indoor Air Quality

Eco-friendly building materials enhance the interior air quality of a home by meeting one or more criteria. They can be low in toxins, including carcinogens and reproductive toxins, as proven by product testing. They may emit minimal levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some do not promote moisture or the growth of biological contaminants such as mold. A final criteria qualifying materials as eco-friendly is that they require cleaning with only natural, nontoxic cleaning products. (See References 1.)

Eco-Friendly Product Assurance

To ensure that products are eco-friendly, look for labels certifying that the materials have been tested and meet specific standards. Investigate individual certification companies to determine their methods and requirements. A few certification programs include Energy Star, Green Guard, Green Seal, Green Label Plus and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) (see References 2). Additionally, the U.S. Green Building Council's "Green Home Guide" offers information, guidance and recommendations for eco-home building products and on finding professionals (see Resources 1).

Monday, 8 October 2012

Design


natural homes

Construction of Home is always a complex task whether it is in planning phase or execution phase. At the time of the house construction there are many steps to be followed such as preparation of architectural drawings, structural drawings and obtaining approvals from concerned authorities etc.
In most of the cases of home construction projects, the money runs out before the home is completed.  This happens because the home owners do not have a stage by stage cost estimate, idea of building materials, knowledge of technical aspects etc.
Home owners must know the ways or techniques where they can save unnecessary cost while construction of their home. No one wants to pay more than necessary when building a home. These techniques apply in both the scenarios whether you construct a house in your own guidance or supervision or you have assigned a contractor to do the job.
Imarat shares various techniques or tips to save the cost of construction which keep your building budget within reason, without compromising on the home you want. These techniques includes complete schedule of construction, Detailed Bill of Quantity, Building Material Selection, Proper Planning of Architecture and Construction, Interior Designing, finishing etc.

Sunday, 7 October 2012

Solar Passive Techniques


In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. This is called passive solar design or climatic design because, unlike active solar heating systems, it doesn't involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.

The key to designing a passive solar building is to best take advantage of the local climate. Elements to be considered include window placement and glazing type, thermal insulation, thermal mass, and shading. Passive solar design techniques can be applied most easily to new buildings, but existing buildings can be adapted or "retrofitted".

Saturday, 6 October 2012

Natural Homes and Eco-friendly Homes

Natural home  is simply a home aligned with nature in all three aspects of design: 
  • architecture
  • systems 
  • materials

 Our thanks to everyone who played a part during the build and during work on earlier projects . We have given credit to this support. The project was also broadcast on Grand Designs . This website contains ideas and information to help anyone wishing to build or retrofit their house aligned with nature, as a part of the ecosystem. It also outlines future projects and maps out the spectrum of natural building techniques that can be drawn upon for further inspiration.

Professional Services

 
image of natural homes
 

  • Structural
  • Electrical
  • HVAC
  • Fire Fighting and Protection
  • A/V Solutions
  • Illumination Design
  • Public Health

Thursday, 4 October 2012

Architecture Services

 
 
 

Architecture

  1. Energy Efficiency
  2. Vaastu
  3. Aesthetics
  4. Functionatly

Green Homes-Green Projects

Green Homes-Green Projects
a image of green homes and eco friendly homes

A number of projects of the firm are green homes, which effectively use the green building techniques for developing “energy conscious homes”. The planning is mostly courtyard based, in response to the local climate ensuring maximum daylighting, ventilation. The construction material used are as specified by IGBC, to ensure a LEED rating. The building techniques involve solar passive design, filler slab construction, autoclave concrete block, compressed earth blocks, brick bat coba, plastering in vermiculite, to ensure thermal insulation, use of heat effective glass and UPVC frames to minimize the airconditioning and numerous other techniques.

Firm Focous On natural homes and Eco-Friendly Homes

Firm Focous On Green and Eco-Friendly Homes

green homes





The Architecture firm of Imarat has been in exsistence since 1994. Its founders are a husband wife team, Bhavneet Singh and Savneet Kaur; the former being an engineer the latter an architect. Savneet leads the design, development and construction of projects while Bhavneet takes care of the technical aspects. They are assisted by a competent team of architects dedicated to designing residential, commercial and community projects. Imarat is one of the leading architectural firms in the city of Karnal.

Established in the ninteies, it became instrumental in shaping the skyline of the urban estate of the city which started developing at the time. It has since earned a formidable reputation for energy conscious homes & aesthetical design.


The focus of the firm is on green architecture and energy conservation. In the recent past, the architects have collabrated and worked with Kangra based America born architect Didi contractor and construction in mud and bamboo. Currently it is taking pioneering steps to promote these eco-friendly construction techniques in Punjab and Haryana.

Adobe Construction Services

Adobe Construction  


Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material (sticks, straw, and/or manure), which the builders shape into bricks (using frames) and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for some of the oldest existing buildings in the world. In hot climates, compared with wooden buildings, adobe buildings offer significant advantages due to their greater thermal mass, but they are known to be particularly susceptible to earthquake damage.
 
Buildings made of sun-dried earth are common in West Asia, North Africa, West Africa South America, southwestern North America, Spain , Eastern Europe and East Anglia, particularly Norfolk, known as 'clay lump.Adobe had been in use by indigenous peoples of the Americas in the Southwestern United States, Mesoamerica, and the Andean region of South America for several thousand years, although often substantial amounts of stone are used in the walls of Pueblo buildings. (Also, the Pueblo people built their adobe structures with handfuls or basketfuls of adobe, until the Spanish introduced them to the making of bricks.) Adobe brickmaking was used in Spain starting by the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age, from the eighth century B.C. on. Its wide use can be attributed to its simplicity of design and manufacture, and the economy of creating it.


A distinction is sometimes made between the smaller adobes, which are about the size of ordinary baked bricks, and the larger adobines, some of which may be one to two yards (1–2 m) long.

Adobe Construction Services
Production and Construction in Mud Bricks.
Roofing With Thatch and Bamboo
Use of Recycled Wood
Rain Water Harvesting
Recycling of Water
Use of Solar Passive Techniques

Sustainable architecture in india




sustainable devlopment in india




Sustainable architecture in India is uses mainly two approaches - Green architecture and Eco-Friendly architecture. Both focus on development that is essentially technology based.

Technology dependent Green Buildings require 10-25 % higher initial investment than traditional buildings. High initial costs and therefore dependence on corporate or government patronage has also restricted the adoption of this type of architecture to institutional building types with a few isolated exceptions of suburban residences.


Maximizing natural lighting and ventilation to achieve energy efficiency is often achieved at the cost of using large quantities of materials with high Embedded energy such as glass, and aluminum. The large amount of energy that goes into extracting, processing and transporting materials used in these buildings is neglected when calculating the building’s energy efficiency.


Environmental policy frameworks in India, and green buildings are often based on the contexts from developed countries. In adopting energy efficiency as the main criteria for green buildings in India, several other critical issues have been ignored. The issues of water and sanitation are more critical than energy efficiency.