ARCHITECTURAL WORLD

                                                           All roads lead to the city in China. More Chinese live in cities than villages now, with nearly 690 million people occupying urban space compared to 656 million in the countryside. China may have drawn flak for ignoring environmental, socio cultural, heritage and human dimensions in the rush for unscrupulous development – yet as a keen learner, we have number of ready and right pages to pick and learn from the “Made in China” development manual. For example, the pace of Chinese urbanization is faster, but an interesting contrast to India is that more than twice as many Indians live in big metropolises (>10 million) than Chinese. This may p...

                                             As the economic downturn in many nations rumbles on, politicians are turning to fiscal stimulus to generate growth. The decision to engage in major projects as a method for enhancing the economies of their regions has proved time and again to work. The resulting transport, regional investment programs and infrastructure projects have proved impressive for their vision and dynamism in their scope of delivery. The Infrastructure Investment Awards 2012 now celebrate the best of these.                                                                       ...

 Our green friends are also Good Samaritans of the earth. We humans may not bother much about their survival, but they enrich our existence through their very own. That plants in general reduce outdoor pollution is everybody’s knowledge. But few are aware of how they enhance the quality of life indoors too.                          In highly industrialized urban lifestyle, more and more people spend longer hours indoors. It is estimated that in the cities people spend almost 90 per cent of their time indoors. Scientific studies in the last several years indicate that the air within offices, homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the air outdoors. Indoor pollution Contemporary homes and buildings are often tightly sealed to avoid energy loss from cooling or heating systems. The synthetic materials used in modern constructions produce...

Most countertop manufacturers market their products as stain-resistant or stain-proof, but there is often a major caveat. Many countertop materials resist stains only if maintained properly – and even with sealing and care, they aren’t always 100-precent stain-proof. Here is a list of the 16 most popular countertop options, in rough order from the most stain-resistant to least stain-resistant.             Quartz countertops are really an engineered stone surface made primarily of quartz crystals with some additives. They are very resistant to stains and heat, and are anti-bacterial. If durability and ease of maintenance are more important than cost, quartz is certainly a good option.             Solid-surface countertops, better known as Corian or Wilsonart, are also among the lowest-maintenance options available, and is typically a little cheaper than quart...

A bathroom renovation is an exciting task. But before jumping to choosing the latest tile or bathtub design, there are some less exciting things to consider so your project turns out just the way you dream it. Because renovating a bathroom can be overwhelming, time-consuming and costly, we prepared a simple 15-point checklist to make sure that your project stays on track and the renovation runs smoothly. 1. Budget If you don’t know already you should work up an ides of how much you want to spend on your bathroom renovation. Setting a budget will help guide you as you make decisions about what to include in the remodel. Once you’ve figured out what you can spend and subtracted the amount allocated to labor, you’ll have a clearer sense of what you can spend on tile, fixtures, and extras. 2. Time Many people assume that if they are remodeling a small bathroom it will take muck less time than a larger one. This is not necessarily the case. Depending on how many item...

Apart from enhancing the architectural style and design of the house, siding servers various other purpose. It can protect the inner structures from adverse weather conditions like harsh sunlight, strong winds, torrential rains and frost. Some type of siding can act as an insulation against heat and light too. So, choosing house siding is very important. The right siding should be suitable for the local weather conditions, it must be durable with less maintenance, and above all, must fir into your budget. While brick, wood, stone, etc, are some of the traditional options, there are numerous new siding materials from witch you can select the right one for your home. This article deals with brick veneer, which can be the perfect choice if you want a siding material with the looking of bricks. What is Brick Veneer Siding Brick are among the oldest materials used for masonry construction. They are made of fired clay and are found to be durable and long lasting. Solid bricks f...