Notes from the atelier
The Vetrova blog.
On glass, hardware, and the rooms we work in. Indian context, made to the millimetre.
Specifying tinted glass for a west-facing Sarjapur Road pergola: SHGC, visible-light transmittance and the architect's solar worksheet
Bronze and grey tint reduce solar heat gain by 30–40% over clear glass. Architects balancing daylight and summer glare need the SHGC and VLT…
Frameless shower with a curbless drain in a Hennur master: waterproofing overlap, slope and the false-ceiling coordination architects miss
A curbless threshold demands 1:60 slope across the wet zone and a 150mm waterproofing upturn behind the glass U-channel. RCP coordination fo…
U-channel vs. mini-post for a Kalyan Nagar staircase railing: deflection, code and the architect's site choice
When the stairwell width exceeds 1200 mm, mini-posts deliver better lateral rigidity than a single U-channel shoe. Material notes, NBC 2016 …
Low-iron vs. standard clear glass for a JP Nagar feature wall: the green-edge question architects ask at sample stage
Standard float glass shows a green cast at the edge when backlit; low-iron eliminates it. Cost delta, lead time in Bangalore, and when the s…
Back-painted glass backsplash behind an induction hob in Malleshwaram: the 150°C question and when ceramic wins
Induction hobs rarely exceed 100°C at the wall, but the architect's material decision tree still begins with clearance and substrate — here'…
Frameless pivot vs. hinged door for a 750mm Jayanagar niche shower: swing radius and the toilet-clearance trap
In a 750mm niche, a pivot door swings both ways and halves the arc—but the hinge load doubles. Dimensioned plan notes and the NBC clearance …
Lacquered-glass wardrobe shutters in a Bellandur kids' room: scratch resistance, edge-banding and the handover checklist
Lacquered glass is paint on the back, not a laminate; edges must be polished and sealed or moisture delaminates the colour. The handover che…
Electrochromic SmartGlass for a Devanahalli villa facade: wiring from the electrical panel, switch logic and the five-minute tint cycle
Electrochromic glass needs low-voltage DC; architects must coordinate a transformer near the panel and 2-core shielded cable in the wall cha…
Brushed-brass hardware on a Sadashivanagar frameless shower: finish durability in Bangalore's water
When Cauvery TDS sits at 280 ppm and humidity peaks in July, the hinge finish you spec for a frameless shower matters more than the glass it…
Specifying a niche-mounted mirror in a Whitefield steam shower: IP rating, adhesive and the condensation architect's checklist
Steam showers demand IP65-rated mirrors, polyurethane adhesive instead of silicone, and a 50mm clearance from the steam head. A Whitefield p…
Frameless glass railings on a Sarjapur Road duplex balcony: the 12mm spec and wind-load notes
The frameless balcony railing is a specification exercise in disguise—12mm toughened, wind-load compliance, and the dimension checklist that…
HSR Layout powder room: a 900×600 backlit LED mirror and the electrical rough-in architects forget
A 900×600 backlit mirror in an HSR Layout powder room hangs on electrical rough-in most architects forget — and the as-built wall-finish tol…
Fluted-glass feature wall in a Jayanagar living room: lighting from behind, and the 10mm question
How ribbed or reeded glass performs as a backlit feature panel, the LED-strip placement that avoids hotspots, and whether 10mm toughened or …
Sliding wardrobe shutters in a Koramangala bedroom: when to specify 5mm lacquered glass over laminate
Why back-painted glass shutters stay cleaner than laminate in Koramangala's dust season, and what happens when the architect sends a RAL cod…
Indiranagar terrace pergola: toughened-glass roof panels, U-value and the summer glare architects worry about
The structural engineer's load table, the aluminium purlin spacing that keeps deflection under 1/180, and whether tint or low-E coating is w…
Pool-mosaic glass tile for a Hennur villa lap pool: grout joint, waterline and the blue architects specify
The 20×20mm or 25×25mm mesh-mount question, why cobalt and aqua read differently under Bangalore daylight versus pool lights, and the epoxy-…
Specifying SmartGlass for a Whitefield home-office partition: wiring, dimming and the shop drawing
A detailed guide for architects specifying switchable privacy glass in Bangalore residential work—transformer placement, dimming-circuit int…
Antique-mirror backsplash behind a Basavanagudi hob: sealing, grout lines and the monsoon question
How to spec an antique-mirror backsplash behind a Basavanagudi hob—the silicone joint that keeps steam out, substrate thickness for the heat…