Sustainable architecture is about being in sync with the natural environment and minimize the negative impacts of construction by enhancing the efficiency of available resources. Rampant constructions, materials used and their harmful effects on the environment and our future generations, has led the conscious lot of designers to resort to green architecture.

Some cutting edge projects on Sustainable Architecture in India

So why are we eyeing sustainable development? As Zubin and Krupa of ZZ Architects point out,

“It’s important for designers to use their creative influence to make a positive impact on our environment and society and encourage us to rethink the world and our choices.”

Kalhan Mattoo, a renowned architect shared his take on this upsurge of sustainability,

“Indians have always been frugal about resource utilization. The environment consciousness that emerged in the West, took time to be recognized in India which not only leads to a safer and better living environment but also helps conserve resources for our future. Also, sustainable development has become an indispensable part of CSR and for designers to resort to green architecture.”

How is sustainability incorporated in architecture designs?  Zubin Zanuddin believes, ‘It’s an overall approach and we try to imbibe adaptable methods to all our designs. The ways the lighting solutions, automation, solar power, rain water etc are handled in addition to other services, play an important role in designing.”

The dynamic architect duo of Sahil Bagga and Sarthak Sengupta also believe and incorporate sustainability with their 3 E principle of design- Ethic, Ethnic and Ecology. By using ethnic materials from rural India, they make their creations socially and ecologically sustainable.

While it is believed to be the new mantra of construction and design space, many also believe sustainable construction is an expensive affair. But, “Mostly, naturally sourced materials are cost effective. However, specialized raw materials do come at a handsome cost. In that case, we as professionals need to be more practical in our approaches towards sustainability”, says Kalhan.

Now, the question remains whether sustainability will go a long way.

Zubin and Kripa think, “The success of this trend entirely depends on the correct knowledge and understanding of the concept by all those involved in the development process.”

Agreeing to this, Kalhan Mattoo adds, “Because this is catching up fast, it might face overkill. Hence, people need to understand where and how sustainability is making sense and then adopt it.”

‘Rattan’, the environment friendly fiber, imported from Viro, Indonesia and Rehau, Germany, is a pleasant substitute for bamboo and is weather resistant – from dust, rain, and sun.  It is also fade-proof.

Isha, the designer of Rattan chairs, of Interblocco says: “I was looking for a substitute for bamboo that is both natural and long-lasting and can weather rain or shine – Rattan is an answer to my prayer.”

The process

Once the design is finalized, the aluminum frame is powder-coated up to 3 times to make it rust-proof as well as increase the life span. Rattan is then woven skillfully on to the frame. If the customer prefers the natural look, the fabric remains with a shine or sandpapered for that ‘rugged’ sand-washed look. The furniture can withstand temperature ranging between -30 degrees to +65 degrees. Buffer, fitted to the feet of the furniture, complete the process. The chairs are available in Casablanca red, green patina, red patina and natural cream.

Cushions created from an attractive weather-proof and stain-repellent fabric, add panache to the ensemble!

Patronized especially by the Hospitality Industry, Interblocco furniture can be customized as per client’s specification!

Voila…here’s a must-have: all weather, Eco-friendly chair – the ultimate in comfort!

Great human achievements are frequently rewarded with gold, in the form of medals, trophies and other decorations. Awards such as the Nobel Prize are made from gold, while the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awardsare depicted in gold or are gold plated.

For many years now people have been trying to create prints with metallic effects, especially gold hues, to little success. Pigments with metal were the obvious choice, but metallic pigments have various issues giving poor or unstable final prints.

In the words of the creator of the  metallic toner, Dr Dinesh Tyagi,  Senior Research Associate at Eastman Kodak, “To print  pearlescent effects digitally  seemed impossible for a long time.  That is until Kodak began  experimenting with effect  pigments and made a great  discovery.” From 1986, when Dr  Tyagi joined Kodak until his  creation, the concept of a metallic  toner was always on their mind.  Though the task was difficult, assistance came from Merck in 2008 with their effect pigments.

With pigments from Merck being mica-based, the researchers at Kodak began from scratch developing a new manufacturing process. Dr Tyagi says, “This was something other suppliers of effect pigments could not offer us. These mica-based pigments have very little impact on toner charge as they do not contain metal.”

Kathleen Cervi, Worldwide Product Manager at Eastman Kodak Company, who helped roll out the KodakNex Press printer, which achieves metallic effects while printing enumerates the uses, saying, “The largest segment is probably commercial, i.e. leaflets, cards, prospectuses, brochures, and direct mailings. The direct mail sector alone is huge and gold is very popular. Also, I see great potential for photo applications. Since our method works well for book titles and envelopes, publishers can also benefit from this development.”

Dr Tyagi who in 2012 received the Chester F. Charleston Award for his work in electro photographic research believes that the progress of this technique is endless.

To see some of the applications of the pigment, watch the video.

Project EffexX ’s celebrated  stylista and Bollywood’s sought-after  beauty expert, Namrata Soni, flagged off the Cannes festivities by unveiling six iconic Bollywood inspired looks for the gorgeous Sonam Kapoor, as a tribute to the centennial celebration of Indian cinema. 

The creations were designed with the limited edition of L’Or Sunset product range. 

“Minimalist packaging”—that’s the buzz word in the dynamic space of packaging design. This form of packaging is fuelling the imagination of product designers like never before.

What, then, is minimalist packaging?

Derived from the concept of minimalist design that’s a rage in the fashion universe, minimalist packaging is about creating package designs that are characterized by clean and simple appearance…one that’s bereft of loud graphics and strong colors. It’s gaining momentum more because several experiments have revealed that consumers tend to get distracted by packaging that has excessive gloss. By displaying only the essential graphic elements and texts, products with minimalist designs are highly clutter-free and stand out from thousands of other products on the retail shelves.

By providing mere information that consumers are looking for, besides relaying the attributes of the brand, this form of packaging helps consumers to make quick purchase decisions. In other words, good minimalist package designs do a great job of informing and educating the consumers about a product through a design style that is simple, engaging yet persuasive.

That’s not all: this form of packaging is also  recyclable for daily use. With the onset of  minimalist designs, designers are appreciating  the fact that  graphics and visual-heavy  packaging will divert the customer’s attention  from the ‘actual’ product inside.

So isn’t it time to bid adieu to rainbows and  fairy dust and welcome minimalist packaging  design?

The young Founder  of ‘POINT OF HUE’,  Prashalee Gaikwad defines her  enterprise as “an art platform  involving youth in creating  contemporary art, generating  art at an educational level and incorporating art with  management processes.”  Simple, straightforward, no  frills! Backed with a BMM, MA,  MBA, and an Art Diploma,  Prashalee has channelized her  learning’s in the art arena….!

 The Beginning…

 “A fresh business graduate, I  entered the corporate field. By 2009, I risked my streamlined career to enter into a business which had no set parameters or proven statistics for growth. I chose art as my field and ventured headlong.

My first order from the Directors of Birla closely followed an art exhibition at the KGAF fest, bagging corporate deals and rewarded with excellent exposure from the media. Thereafter, I diversified into NGO works and art gifting to the present days assignments in commercial media, fine art & art application and earning recognition from the WEF platform as a successful entrepreneur and achiever in a short span.

 My entrepreneurial achievements were featured in www.rediff.com for choosing an unconventional path and in the Birla Group ‘WOW Connect’ Quarterly Magazine on Women entrepreneurs.

Prashalee Gaikwad with her palette

My passion for abstract colours has resulted in the sale of over 400 paintings. It has earned me fruitful connections with global buyers & patrons including IDBI Asset Management, Tata Capital, Marsh Insurance Brokers & Birla Associates and others.

Today, I represent the world economic forum as the global shaper at the international platform and have been recognized by TATA Capital and Maratha Community as a Young achiever & Zee Business in ‘Money to Wealth’, focused on successful business startups,” gushes the effusive and vivacious Prashalee.

Sharing the Message of Art…

Successful Business People and Entrepreneurs

Suhas Gopinath, Founder & CEO of Global Inc., is one I hold as a beacon. A YGL at WEF and the youngest CEO worldwide, he started as early as 16 and has scaled the IT sector through his sincere efforts, humility and dedication.

Impressionist and Cubism Artists

I personally enjoy the art of self expression with a play of colours on canvas which is a reflection of mindset and mood. Abstract ideas and form inspire me to create the picture in an unconventional format. Impressionist and cubist artists are the greatest inspiration for my current work and thought process.

Memorable work experience …

Street Selling at KGAF – “My first exhibition at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival – working for 12 long hours for 10 days, hard selling in the heated stalls, manning the entire set up, was my first step to entrepreneurship. It was a direct sales platform. With a successful ‘sold out ‘exhibition and my diary packed with  bookings for the entire year  with large corporate giants, brought on oodles of confidence and a strong focus for the years ahead.”

Learning Experience – “‘Customer is the ultimate God’. Smart service, quick operations and prompt deliveries, in keeping with customer preference is the key to the vast empire one can create. Product is the core and refining your products and creatively packaging it is another subliminal key to growth.”

 “TRENDS is all about changing  preferences, focusing on new  designs and alternatives to  adapt to a new cult. Globalizing  ‘Indian-ness’ and creating new  formats to suit the changing  trends, is the way I perceive  trends!”

 Limitations in scope of  work, especially  pigments…

“Major constraints faced for  pigments is in terms of  viscosity, transparency,  fluidity, smoothness and less  variance. These are deterrents  to quality,” avers Prashalee.

 Future plans/Latest       challenges

Says Prashalee with an air of  confidence: “My focus will be  on art application and new product lines in the consumer and lifestyle category, and use art as a tool in healing and visual treatment in the healthcare segment. On the parallel front, I will develop NGO work-based products with an emphasis on marketing in order to develop a sustainable, scalable and socially viable model at par with the WEF standards.” (previous)

As a product designer, creating a straw that not just serves a functional purpose but is aesthetic as well, is a tall command. Effect pigments from Merck makes this an easy task.  You can now design straws that not only serve the purpose but are good-looking too!

A number of colorstream effect  pigments  such as Royal Twinkle, Viola Fantasy, Tropic Sunrise and Pacific Twinkle  make straws look like they have been picked straight out of a rainbow.

The application of this effect pigment, makes straws glitter, shimmer and even change color.

So go ahead, and get your creative juices flowing. Keep designing straws for all occasions; from a birthday party to a more formal cocktail night. The effect will be mind-blowing!

BB Creams in different tints

History

The Beauty Balm, Blemish Balm or Blemish Base, was formulated in the 1960s by a German dermatologist for post surgery treatment of her patients. Thereafter, introduced to Korea and Japan in the 1980s, the BB cream was hailed as the most sought after beauty secret of celebrities. As of today, BB cream has swept the global beauty markets and is highly recommended by beauty professionals.

WHATs, WHYs & HOW?

• Its an all- in- one beauty cream that provides strong sun protection, prevents pimples, covers imperfections.
• Its anti-aging and skin soothing properties help solve a wide range of skin problems.
• It’s lightening and sebum control properties are apt for the South and SE Asian weather.
• The soothing effects of the cream calm the skin and work as a perfect summer beauty solution.
• The hues suit and enhance the Indian and SE Asian skin tones and are recommended by beauty professionals.
• It’s a tinted moisturizer that nurtures the epidermis and can easily replace foundation or makeup primers while nurturing the epidermis.

BB Creams have been reformulated over the years. From using different tints and pigments for Asian skinto anti aging additives, these creams have been made to suit needs for every climatic zone. Merck actives and fillers like Ronacare®, Emblica®, Eusolex® etc fulfill the needs for a customized BB cream’s ingredients. So…. to BB or not to BB?

What are the future design trends that will shape the automobile industry? It’s not a quirky question to answer, especially if you look at the new range of cars that have hit the road. All of them come with designs that have curves and round edges and that’s exactly what the future automotive trend is going to be all about. Whether it is the crossovers, small cars, large sedans—most of them have at least some curvature if not more. And apart from the new design sensibilities that it caters to, there is also a sound functional utility that’s making auto designers get passionate about this design concept. Rounded edges improve airflow, thus improving fuel economy.

Meanwhile, ‘swoopy’ shapes will replace ‘blockier’ designs thus giving a new twist to the current practices in automotive design. Plus the accent is also on going green. So if the fancy four-wheeler is designed to send messages of Eco-friendliness, chances are high that it will turn into a sensational rage among the Eco-savvy car consumer.

Moreover, automobile designers will tell you that mere form is not enough to grab the car connoisseur’s attention. Users today seek for a blend of function and form in the premium cars that they want to try out.  Designers who use technology in their end designs will be the ones who will be lauded and feted. Lights, for instance, are considered to be a critical styling element on the exterior of a car. You need to mount the light on a bracket and integrate it in the body shape thus turning it into a true eye catcher. Undoubtedly Inspirations from these design dynamics can help hit the road to success.