The Indian façade and fenestration market is likely to touch Rs 150 billion by FY2020. Urbanisation in India has opened up newer avenues for the real estate sector. There is churn in developers shifting their focus to affordable housing projects. Commercial and corporate buildings now seek certified products and prefer green rated buildings with innovative designs. 'This will significantly increase the demand for new and efficient façades,' says Dr Prashanth Reddy, Managing Director, FunderMax India. He shares more on the market for façades in India.

How do you view the growing demand for eco-friendly façades?
There is a growing need for sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. This necessitates the usage of energy-efficient façades.

FunderMax provides a rain screen rear ventilation façade system that improves building protection by enhancing functionality with respect to heat and noise reduction, and better weather protection. It improves the thermal efficiency of the building and reduces thermal bridges to avoid condensation of water vapour, thus protecting the building. Our systems can help reduce power consumption in terms of air- conditioning.

As an extension of the energy-efficient façade systems, FunderMax has now come up with a new shading system called Max Lato, which is aimed at improving daylighting, glare mitigation and energy-efficiency, without compromising on occupant comfort.

Are you witnessing an increasing need for project-specific application?
Yes, every project is unique and purpose-oriented.
It is important to keep the functional aspects intact without compromising on the aesthetic front. This calls for customisation, and FunderMax does offer custom products.

We offer complete design freedom. The panels can be customised via CNC cutting into any motifs that the architect wants. Compact laminates can be customised for each building for different wind load, dead load, thermal load and other requirements, and protect the building from the extremes of weather. Every detail is critical for successful execution and the detailing is project-specific. Many elements are finalised during conceptualisation. We work with the architect to capture their intent and provide technical support such as designing and drawing, to achieve an elegant and functional façade.

Tell us about the most preferred materials for façade designs.
Traditionally, it is glass. Owing to the price and certain other properties like ease of installation, glass is dominant in the category of façade types. But there is an increasing demand for innovative new cladding materials such as exterior grade compact laminates (as per EN438-6), glass fibre reinforced concrete, metal claddings, polycarbonate panels, fibre glass reinforced plastics, clay tiles, etc, due to their eco-friendliness, thermal efficiency, energy renewability and sustainability.

So far, the Indian façade market has mainly focussed on façades that maximise glass areas...
Glass is easy to install and the procedure is less time consuming. But this brings us to the important question - In a country like India, where most metros and cities witness soaring high temperatures, and pollution is at its peak, is it advisable to use glass façades in buildings? Architects, fabricators and developers alike, are now more open to experiment with alternative cladding systems like compact exterior grade laminates. The market scenario is changing, and the target group is more inclined towards alternative façades than the traditional glass, or even co-existence in terms of double skin façades.

How do you view the future market growth.
Indian customers are price sensitive and cladding is still considered as an aesthetic addition than a functional one. This view is changing and customers now prefer durable, sustainable and easy to maintain façades which should drive the demand.