Louvers

A louver (American English) or louvre (British English), from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal or, less often, vertical slats, that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise. The angle of the slats may be adjustable, usual in blinds and windows, or fixed.

Louvers originated in the Middle Ages as lantern-like constructions in wood that were fitted on top of roof holes in large kitchens to allow ventilation while keeping out rain and snow. They were originally rather crude constructions consisting merely of a barrel. Later they evolved into more elaborate designs made of pottery, taking the shape of faces where the smoke and steam from cooking would pour out through the eyes and mouth, or into constructions that were more like modern louvers, with slats that could be opened or closed by pulling on a string.

More modern louver windows comprise slats of glass, opened and closed with a metal lever, or they may be shutters of wood, plastic or other material.

Some modern louver systems serve to improve indoor daylighting. Fixed mirrored louver systems can limit glare and of redirect diffuse light. Such louvers may be integrated in between two panes of double glazing.

Louvers are rarely seen as primary design elements in the language of modern architecture, but rather simply a technical device. However, there are examples of architects who use them as part of the overall aesthetic effect of their buildings. The most well-known example is Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto who would create aesthetic effects in the facades of his buildings through the combination of different types and sizes of louvers, some fixed some moveable, and made mostly from wood (e.g. the various buildings of the Helsinki University of Technology). A second example, taking influence from Aalto, is the second-generation modernist architect Juha Leiviskä.

Additionally, louvers are used as semi-passive means of thermal control on spacecraft. They are also available as an accessory for some automobiles.

Rapid Wall construction

Rapidwall is a single panel walling system that serves as both the internal and external wall and eliminates the need for bricks, blocks, timber and steel wall frames and plasterboard linings. It is the most ecologically sound and technologically advanced building product available in the world today.
Internationally Recognised

Designed and developed in Australia in the early 1990s, Rapidwall was awarded the prestigious "2009 Global Gypsum Product of the Year" award and was recognised as a "Good Practice" by the United Nations Habitat business awards for sustainable urbanization.
Environmentally Friendly

In a process that will change forever the way buildings are constructed, Rapidwall takes natural gypsum or by-product, chemical waste gypsum and turns it into a 12m x 3m glass-fibre gypsum plaster, single panel, load bearing walling system.

100% Recyclable and water, rot and termite resistant Rapidwall is the ideal building product for fire, cyclone and earthquake prone regions as well as for providing housing solutions for impoverished people.

Rapidwall is the lowest energy embodied building product in the world today and is eligible for Carbon Credits.
Scientifically Tested

In India Rapidwall has been rigorously tested by the University IIT Madras and certified by Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) for use in the construction of buildings in earthquake prone areas of up to 10 storey’s.

In Australia testing has been undertaken by Adelaide University and University of South Australia.

In China testing has been undertaken by the University of Hong Kong and the University of Tianjin, School of Civil Engineering in Shandong and others.

At the School of Civil Engineering in Shandong, scientific destruction testing was undertaken on a full scale, five storey Rapidwall building where a horizontal force of 100 tonnes, simulating a force of 8 on the Richter scale, was applied. Rapidwall withstood this testing without any visible signs of cracking.
Sustainable Development

The panels, which are extremely strong yet lightweight, compared to other building methods, are ideal for a wide range of building applications from high-rise, residential, commercial and industrial building construction to low cost relocation housing. Windows and door openings and the panels themselves are pre-cut in the factory and delivered on-site, ready to erect. This reduces cost and significantly cuts down building time.

In the development of new low energy, low cost, environmentally and ecologically sound housing solutions for the 21st century, Rapidwall is the ideal product for re-housing and for new housing or industrial construction. A world class building system that is 100% recyclable, earthquake tested, is cyclone, fire, water and rot resistant, is load bearing, termite resistant and sound proof.

Simply stated it is the best building material in the world..

Architecture and Architect

Architecture (Latin architectura, from the Greek ἀρχιτέκτων – arkhitekton, from ἀρχι- "chief" and τέκτων "builder, carpenter") can mean:

* The art and science of designing and erecting buildings and other physical structures.
* The practice of an architect, where architecture means to offer or render professional services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings, that have as their principal purpose human occupancy or use. [1]
* A general term to describe buildings and other structures.
* A style and method of design and construction of buildings and other physical structures.

A wider definition may comprise all design activity, from the macro-level (urban design, landscape architecture) to the micro-level (construction details and furniture). Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. It requires the creative manipulation and coordination of material, technology, light and shadow. Architecture also encompasses the pragmatic aspects of realising buildings and structures, including scheduling, cost estimating and construction administration. As documentation produced by architects, typically drawings, plans and technical specifications, architecture defines the structure and/or behavior of a building or any other kind of system that is to be or has been constructed.

Architectural works are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements.
The architect
Architects plan, design and review the construction of buildings and structures for the use of people. Architects also coordinate and integrate engineering design, which has as its primary objective the creative manipulation of materials and forms using mathematical and scientific principles.

Raised flooring

A raised floor (also raised flooring) is a type of floor used in office buildings (such as IT data centers) with a high requirement for servicing to carry cables, wiring, electrical supply, and sometimes air conditioning or chilled water pipes. Additional structural support and lighting are often provided when a floor is raised enough for a person to crawl or even walk beneath
Design

This type of floor consists of a gridded metal framework or understructure of adjustable-height legs (called "pedestals") that provide support for individual floor panels, which are usually 2×2 feet or 60×60 cm in size. The height of the legs/pedestals is dictated by the volume of cables and other services provided beneath, but typically arranged for a clearance of at least six inches or 15 cm.

The panels are normally made of steel-clad particleboard or a steel panel with a cementitious internal core. There are a variety of flooring finishes to suit the application such as carpets, high-pressure laminates, marble, stone, and antistatic finishes for use in computer rooms and laboratories.

Many modern computer and equipment rooms employ an underfloor cooling system to ensure even cooling of the room with minimal wasted energy. Cooled air is pumped under the floor and dispersed upward into the room through regularly spaced diffuser tiles or through ducts directed into specific equipment. Automatic fire protection shutoffs may be required for under-floor ventilation, and additional suppression systems may be installed in case of under-floor fires.

Because the flooring tiles are rarely removed once equipment has been installed, the space below them is seldom cleaned, and fluff and other debris settles, making working on cabling underneath the flooring a dirty job. Smoke detectors under the raised floor can be triggered by workers disturbing the dust, resulting in false alarms.
Panel-lifter
To remove panels, a tool with a suction cup on the end (referred to as a "floor puller", "tile lifter", or "suction lifter") is used. A hook-and-loop lifter may be used on carpeted panels.
Structural problems

Structural problems are a serious threat to both equipment and personnel on a raised floor. Problems such as rocking panels and gaps between panels can cause permanent damage to a floor system, personnel injuries, and damage to equipment. Regular underfloor inspections for structural integrity of a raised floor system should be carried out.

Various trades servicing in and around an access floor can disturb the grid and pedestal system creating structural hazards. The load rating of an access floor is established when all components are properly installed. Floors perform to specifications only when they are structurally sound. Supporting understructure should be inspected at least once a year.
Cooling load implications
The installation of a raised floor system can change the thermal behaviour of the building by reducing the interaction between the heat gains and the thermally massive concrete slab.[1] The raised floor serves as a separation between the room and the slab. Energy simulations of an office building located in San Francisco showed that the mere presence of the raised floor affects the zone cooling load profile and tends to increase the peak cooling load. When carpeting is present the negative impact of the raised floor on zone peak cooling load may be reduced

Louver Roofing System

You may have heard of a certain louver roofing system. Louvers refer to baffles that are used to shield a source

from view, and are usually seen in ventilation construction. A louver roofing system makes use of these louvers in a

fully adjustable system that is designed to protect the inside of a home from rain and sunlight. The louver roofing

system makes for an excellent addition to an established home, as it can also assist in ventilation and insulation

as well as outside protection.

Another unique feature of the louver roofing system is that it is a very adaptable system, one that can be either

built onto an established home or used as a freestanding unit. A freestanding louver roofing system can cover a

patio area and still provide protection against rain and sunlight, even without fully connected walls. The louver

roofing system has gathered many enthusiastic reviews for its adaptability in construction.

The incredible louver roofing system works automatically, as a remote control roofing system would only be 50%

effective. The louver roofing system uses electronic sensors that can detect change in weather, from increased rain

to a dry and rising temperature. As soon as the louver roofing system detects this change, the interlocking louvers

are closed. The louver roofing system is very adaptable and can be used according to preset timer or automatic

detection.