Consulting Architect's role in Redevelopment projects & customized home

 Typically role of a consulting Architect in a Redevelopment project is from the side of society.  Broadly the role is divided into 3  to 4 stages viz:

A) Feasibility studies for redevelopment where even before the society contacts various developers or goes in for Self Redevelopment,   financial viability of project is worked out based on area of rehousing new tenements  of original residents and additional FSI required to house tenements for sale which will offset the project costs

B) Tendering stage where advice is required to work out RFP or open Tenders for prospective developers who would want to carry out redevelopment work. Architects role here is to work out  technical terms and conditions of tender and help scrutinise various proposals received.  This helps select the developer for redevelopment 

C) Design stage - Here role of consulting Architect is to work out exact requirements for project and give  inputs on designs worked out by developers.  Also check the drawings made by developers for municipal corporation sanction in accordance with finalized design. Architect performs critical role of explaining the technical and design aspects to society members 

D) Construction stage - Role of consulting Architect here is to oversee the site at critical stages apart from checking construction drawings from developer.  Important role is to also ensure that specifications and finishes agreed upon are delivered on site.

Redevelopment is a teamwork between the various stakeholders involved.

There are many societies who in the pretext of either saving money or having over confidence in themselves refrain from appointing a consulting Architect.  

Few are stories below I have encountered showing what are the after effects of such a kind of decision:

Recently,  a doctor couple who came to us for customizing their brand new apartment  in a Redevelopment project  in Pune were shocked when they came to know the additional amount required for civil changes. The developer had made arbitrary changes in the plan shown to them earlier which they realised only at time of handover. The reason - No consulting Architect was appointed by society who could make them aware of these issues

Another incident is of a relative who told me about them being given an additional area of 80 sq ft beyond the agreed carpet area in a Redevelopment project, for which the developer made them pay extra. Unfortunately a half room of 8 ft x 10 ft was given to them which does not make any sense for usage . The reason - No consulting Architect, s opinion was taken by society before finalizing the design

An old friend called me after many years to seek opinion on his apartment design given to him by the Developer for his Redeveloped building. The plan lacked any logical design sense. Even though a large 3 BHK , bedroom room sizes were mere 10ft x 10ft. Proportions of living room were strange. There was no common washbasin provided , nor utility  balcony was given. The reason - The society never cared to appoint a consulting Architect for the project. 

An apartment got redeveloped.  When the developer handed over new apartments,  society members were surprised when instead of a particular type of tiles promised for flooring and kitchen walls, different finish tiles were fixed. The reason - The society never cared to continue services of their consulting Architect till end of the project.

Interestingly,  all people care for is that maximum of the free additional area  given to them by developers against   their existing tenement. No one cares about Design of the tenement and the anticipated quality  of apartment they may get in future 

There is a saying in English- " Penny wise, Pound foolish". Most society members end up saving the 'Penny cost' of appointing a consulting Architect but end up being foolish in the longer run

Hrishikesh Ashtekar

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Self renovations- advantages & risks involved

 

                  Image courtesy - Wagle ki duniya - Sony Sab channel

In a recent episode of Hindi sitcom – ‘Wagle ki Duniya’on Sony Sab television channel, one of the protagonist takes things in his own hands during an undergoing self renovation of his own house in a multi storied apartment. Even though the contractor refuses to break a part of the external wall of the house, he himself hits the hammer leading to part of the wall collapsing below on his neighbour – Mr Wagle’s car. Leading to a stiff quarrel between the neighbours, any attempt done to explain the risks to their building by a structural engineer invited in the society office goes in vain.  Here I would like to thank the producers of the serial to raise an important issue of ‘Self Renovation’ and the impending risks thereafter.

In the historic times, it was quite common of our ancestors to build and repair their own homes. It is perfectly natural for us to think that we have all the knowledge to start renovating our own house using available material & labour. One of the biggest advantages in renovating our home by ourselves is that we can take quick onsite decisions into changing spaces or selecting various finishing materials as well as fittings. Also you end up taking full responsibility of the decisions taken during renovation where you explore your creative skills of defining your living spaces that are close to your functional & cultural requirements.

The main difference is that as against historical times where people used to live in low rise buildings. in today’s context, most of us live in large apartment complexes with multi-storeyed buildings having a common RCC (reinforced concrete) frame structure and complex interconnected network of building services of drainage, water supply, HVAC, fire protection, storm water drainage, solar water heating etc. While it was easy & less risky to do renovate low rise buildings , renovations in houses located in the complex buildings of today demand involvement of professional architects & civil engineers in the job.

Let’s divide the types of renovation in two categories:

A) Superficial renovations involve mainly Interior work like painting, furniture work, wall paneling, false ceiling, change of electrical or plumbing fixture & fittings, adding safety doors, changing door panels, changing sliding windows etc.

B) Extensive renovations – These involve civil changes in wall locations, breaking walls , building new walls, change in use of rooms , dealing with leakages, changing plumbing systems, changing wall or floor tiles in toilets or rooms, air conditioning rooms  etc.

While the ‘A’ category of renovations can easily be dealt own your own with fair creative skills of selection of right colour, materials & fittings , the category ‘B’ of extensive renovations are technical in nature. This requires professional guidance from architects & engineers.

Here are few guidelines for you while going in for Extensive Self renovations:

1)      Have a holistic plan on paper before starting out with respect to what & how changes will affect your home

2)      Understand the complexity – Older the house, more will be the complexities & risk involved. For e.g. – Simple decision of painting may require checking for dampness using moisture meters

3)      If you visualize extensive renovations in your home, involve a professional Architect & civil engineers for a pre inspection & possibilities of what all can happen. For old homes, it is fairly common for plaster to come off or additional damage to walls if they have to be broken

4)      DONT BREAK or TAMPER with the COLUMNS, BEAMS, SLABS & EXTERNAL WALLS. This will cause damage to entire building.

5)      For RCC frame structures, don’t just assume that internal partition walls could be removed. Especially for old buildings, even partition walls between rooms may carry structural load. CALL a professional STRUCTURAL ENGINEER for INSPECTION before breaking partition walls.

6)      Ensure that safety nets are installed while breaking any part of wall where debris is likely to fall on lower terrace of street. In case debris are likely fall within your house, dump heaps of sand on the floor, so that flooring tiles don’t get damaged.

7)      For extensive CIVIL RENOVATIONS, always TAKE BUILDING PERMISSIONS from LOCAL MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES by involving Architects

8)      During electrical work of any kind especially if you are adding multiple light points & additional power points for air conditioning system, dishwashers, home workshop etc, consult electrical engineers for overall loading. The entire electrical system of your house is generating from distribution board or DB where main supply from building is given.

9)      When you are relocating kitchen, toilets or adding additional toilets in old houses, please have a clear understanding of location of drainage & water supply system of your building since connections to drain pipe & water supply pipe will have to be considered before you take such decisions. Plumbing connections done in a faulty manner will lead to leakages

10)   If you are planning to have temporary covering of terrace using steel framework, the overall RCC framework of the building needs to be studied as additional load will come on it.

11)   Leakages in your home may have many reasons. It is important to know if they are happening from external walls or through pipes or toilets and close those appropriately before you undertake painting or furnishing work of the house.

12)   Removing door frames or window frames is complex affair during renovations. Frames are embedded in walls during or immediately after construction. Hence it is not as simple as changing the door or window panels. There are likely chances that during removal of frames, part of surrounding walls may break down.

13)   Any part of new wall built next to an old wall will also require re plastering. There are techniques used in construction on how to do the plastering of new walls. If both construction of new walls & plastering is not done carefully, cracks may develop in due course of time.

14)   In case you are adding additional storage water tanks in toilets, please check if lofts on which they are supposed to be installed can carry additional loads. Many times both of water tanks & inverters, lofts can be added in steel fabrication but we need to ensure that the walls on which the fabrication brackets are to be installed can carry additional loads & enough support is given.

15)   In many old houses, where you are planning to have old cement terrazzo tile flooring or kotah tile flooring removed & replaced with vitrified / ceramic tiles, please note that the entire process of removal  of old material, disposing debris and levelling of surface is complex job. There are techniques where new tiles can be installed on old flooring using adhesives.

16)   Finally one should understand that every demolition job done during renovation creates construction waste & debris which is our duty to dispose them off in a responsible manner. We should check that contractors & labor involved are not throwing them in society compound or lakes & streams thus harming the environment.

Most renovations falling under category of type A – Superficial or Interior works are relatively less risky, though taking professional advice from designers may help enhance the beauty of the spaces in your house.

Ar. Hrishikesh Ashtekar

What constitues Home Customization?

If you are purchasing an underconstruction apartment or your are renovating your own home, Home Customization is the key concept for you.

Home Customization means converting the standard home you got from developer to a home that is more suitable to you and your family.

Following things are steps of home Customization:

A) Civil changes
1) Change location and heights of internal walls
2) Changes location of room doors
3) Change toilet layouts
4) Changes to accommodate utility areas in dry balconies

B) Electrical and data cabling
1) Changes in electrical layout based on your own interior layout
2) Identify and provide additional electrical points as per your requirements
3) Provision for Home automation and data cabling for WiFi
4) Location of Inverter or connecting your home to DG sets

C) Plumbing
1) Changes in Plumbing layout to suit modified toilet layout
2) Making Provision for hot water through geyser either electrical or solar or gas
3) Location of Gas Bank
4) Provision for Washing machine and dish washer
5) Provision of additional sinks in utility

D) Finishes
1) Have alternative finishes for walls and doors
2) Have optional choices for kitchen dado tiles
3) Have optional choices for toilet tiles
4) Have different sanitary fittings than those provided by developers

E) Interiors
1) Detail design of furniture and falseceiling
2)  Selection of various finishes
3) Selection of light fittings and fixtures
4) Design for Special requirements like Projector systems, home automation fittings , home theater and audio visual rooms 

‘Patterns of Life’ (POL) analysis – use in design of homes

 Pattern of life (POL) or behavior pattern describes a recurrent (e.g., normalcy) way of acting by an individual or group toward a given object or in a given situation[1]. 

Considering that people may have recurring habits and behavioral patterns in their homes based on multiple factors like age , sex, cultural background, religion, rituals, genetic influences, associations , interests , , work systems, hobbies etc, it is possible to identify certain typical behavior patterns that can be the basis used to create their living environments. An attempt to decipher life patterns has been made in the book ‘Pattern Language’ by Prof. Christopher Alexander[2]  in 1977, where around 253 livability patterns were identified  within scale from Region to individual homes based on contemporary readings of people and spaces mainly in the western world. Another inspiration to develop the idea, is the concept of ‘Emergent’ or ‘Self organized’ systems that let human beings to organize themselves spontaneously in terms of social networks or physical orders[3].

The idea put forth is that, if data by families regarding multiple patterns of their life and how they use different spaces within their homes is analyzed, it may be possible to derive space syntax[4] based on the social logic of people within the family. This gives unique codes and ideas in terms of associations between spaces, furniture, building elements and people that may formed as the basis of customizing various living spaces in their homes.

The three broad types of variables at the intersection of which POL could be understood are

1)    People – various members of the family

2)    Spaces & Objects – different spaces in the household  along with the related objects like furniture as well as temporary objects of use in various activities

3)    Activities – changing associations between people and objects in various spaces

  The POL studies need to be understood for various spaces in the house not only for routine daily life but also special occasions and situations like festivals or lockdowns where they undergo temporary changes.

 

POL as the basis of creating responsive living environments:

The various fields where designers are involved into creation of living environments have an approach where the spaces are considered to be static environments frozen in time. Thus the visual feel of the rooms, objects, furniture, light, color and finishes attain prime importance. The linear approach where the designer responds to series of requirements of the clients through various drawings and 3^rd dimension views ends up shaping a sculptural edifice where the users living in the newly defined space adjust with time. The critical point at which requirements are finalized is overlooked and the design is worked upon within the available standardized alternatives of room sizes, shapes, fixed furniture pieces, modular systems, movable seating, working and eating furniture, light fixtures etc.

 

POL analysis gives unique patterns of life of different families that serve as starting point to see design of living environment as flexible and modifiable spaces. Homes are not static entities but dynamic spaces where there are multiple patterns of activities happening throughout the day. These activities and their patterns also change contextually with respect to special occasions like festivals.  Families may have their own unique patterns of storing, cooking, serving and eating food. The kitchen platform and dining table may double up for many things.   The recent pandemic and lockdowns where most people spent larger time at homes used their living rooms, terraces, dining areas in more multiple ways beyond the intentions meant. The WFH & SFH (Work / Study from Home) activity were carried out in multiple ways and multiple spaces in our houses. Apart from these daily activities, the Asian culture has multiple family events and festivals where friends and family gather together to celebrate. The extent of use of spaces in multiple ways is usually inversely proportional to the average size of homes. Thus we find families living within frugal means in smaller houses being compelled to use living space in multiple manners. Above all enforces a belief that homes and living environment are more like living organisms which should have spaces and living environment that respond to the ever-changing momentary reality of the users. This logic is similar to the way we change user interface and apps in our mobile phones for different purposes.

POL analysis leads to study and reorganization of multiple types of data based on the unique life of the inhabitants and their family. The end result in such a kind of an activity in terms of design and execution may not be in form of typical spaces but may be in form of rooms and living spaces which allow flexibility , incrementality and modifications in fixed as well as movable objects , through which it may be possible to the end user to respond to their unique patterns of life that are dynamic..

 Hrishikesh Ashtekar

Architect Urban designer 

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[1] https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/8745/1/Pattern-of-life-from-WAMI-objects-tracking-based-on-visual/10.1117/12.2015612.short

[2] A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction is a 1977 book on architecture, urban design, and community livability. It was authored by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein of the Center for Environmental Structure of Berkeley,

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_order, http://csis.pace.edu/~marchese/CS396x/Computing/Ashby.pdf

[4] Social logic of space – Bill Hillier & Julienne Hanson

Houses during and post # Covid19

 These are strange days indeed. The world has slowed down & new paradigms of live & work are emerging. People are working from home. Schools and colleges are at home. Each trip outside is with a suspect and fear of contracting the deadly disease of Corona . 

What should be the nature and design of the post Covid 19 homes?

Everyone is talking about social distancing, being as as far as possible from neighbors, having high tech gadgets installed in the lobby to scan the incoming person for infections, sanitizing the goods coming in the house, hygiene etc. Interestingly, if we see the cultural history of any of the houses in India, these aspects were very much part and parcel of life. There was place to wash oneself before entering. There was a public outer courtyard with a living room for guests and inner courtyard with rooms around for family members. There were separate storerooms for storing goods.

It is impossible to have such large houses in today's world but can we go back to these patterns of life? for the health and hygiene reasons? Heard that in Japan, wearing masks & adhering to social hygiene norms is in the culture and was the main reason, why they could fight the pandemic so well.

These days, when we don't know what the future lies, there are certain common hygiene patterns observed by every household in their own way where the key of surviving safely in this pandemic lies.

Let us understand these hygienic patterns :

Patterns in post Covid homes

SANITIZE: 

The most critical pattern in the pandemic. As persons we need to sanitize our bodies when we come from outside. Clean our hands and feet, which was a very common pattern in the past houses in India as homes had a washing place before you entered the house. Is it possible to create these pattern in our modern homes?

Other critical thing is to sanitize the goods coming the homes. We all need a corner in our homes, or especially in the lobby before you enter, most ideal for houses which have an entrance verandah or porch. To those houses which may have a small entrance lobby, a small shelf to keep the goods for some time or to spray the ethanol spray on the courier received. Tech savvy can install infra red systems to sanitize goods. Even if not possible to  have a place in lobby, it may be worth having an airy corner in the house dedicated to sanitization.

STORAGE:

This pattern is of importance as the long time storage required for goods especially during sudden and long term lock down period . For houses having a separate storage area, it is very easy , but for small size modern houses or apartments, a dedicated storage area for additional grains, groceries and vegetables can be created in case storage cupboards are not available . This pattern brings importance on the presence of storage facilities in the house. 

SELF RELIANCE:

I think the importance of Self reliance was best brought forward during the Covid times as domestic help was and still may not be available in many homes. People cleaned their own houses and utensils and cooked their own food. It is important for the houses today to connect with these paradigms of self reliance. A laundry area and space to wash & iron your own clothes makes good sense.  A terrace with a small kitchen garden to grow vegetables like lemons, coriander, leafy vegetables, chillies etc is a must.       

OPTIMIZATION:

Multi functional spaces gather importance in the during or post Covid home . Work from Home, School from home, Exercise from home, Celebrate from home  and all things which we did in real spaces have now begun to happen online. The conversion of study area in the house to an office space, kids study tables to online school facilities, dining table in some cases converted to online school space is best optimization of space. In the long run as actual interaction is not possible, facilities for online interaction in terms of the technical requirements of a larger screen, space for laptops or desktops and a very good internet connection is a must. To achieve privacy, temporary movable partitions may help. Insertion of house pods with various facities can also be an answer to the space crunched and homes with more number of family members.  As gyms and yoga centers remain closed, an area for doing the daily physical exercise or for meditation in the living rooms or terraces will also be required.

All the above patterns if applied to existing homes, will give multiple forms of home customization which may be temporary or can be long term based upon the situation . 

Hrishikesh Ashtekar

Is your Terrace safe for your children?

Recently an unfortunate incident sent shivers down the spine for many of us . A little child fell down from the seventh floor terrace in an apartment building in Pune & lost her life. Lot was said & discussed everywhere right from the academic design studios to professionals to housing society members.

The question raised everywhere was " Are terraces safe for children??"

Terrace of a home is an extended open space of the house of the upper floor. In our climatic context it is welcome as it gives people living on upper floors to enjoy the open space in day to day lives, Many developers show dreams & pictures of a family relaxing in a terrace, having a cup of morning tea or even dipping in their own private swimming pool on the terrace. Though above things do make sence if you have got a designed terrace , most of the middle income homes use terrace to dry clothes or an open space to have few potted plants etc.

You can enjoy your terrace, the way you like but just providing a checklist below to see if it is really safe for your children

1) Entry to terrace - Does your terrace have a sturdy entrance door which can be locked ?

 Many terraces have aluminium sliding doors which look great bu have weak locks that can be 

easily  opened by children when they are alone the house. It is also very common for these doors
to slide  easily & children an get locked on the terrace all by themselves if they  accidentally slide the door.Generally having a open able sturdy door in wood or metal or an additional safety door helps.
Doors should be generally closed & locked if you little children in the house.

2) Railing for the terrace - Are they high enough & designed such that a child may not kneel 
   over or slide between the railing bars?
 Terrace railing is a Design detail. Generally a  minimum height of  4' 6" high railing  is
 recommended as it gives enough security & makes it difficult for child to climb over.
 Currently there is a trend to have minimalist railing with toughened glass & Stainless steel rails.
 These look fantastic in elevation but we need to be extra careful. Even though the glass may be  
  toughened glass & may not break, the connection between glass & stainless steel pipes may be
 weak one. A railing with vertical / horizontal grill bars may be safe only if the distance between
 two bars is less than 4 inches within which a child cannot slide himself.
 A railing with wall of at least 3 feet height & pipe railing above it till 4 & half feet is safe but the
gap between rails & wall top should have close spaced grill / pipes.

3) Objects on the terrace : Do you have objects on terrace close to the parapet wall?
  We often keep potted plants or chairs or make seating in terrace nest to the railing or the parapet
  wall. All of the above provide child with objects which they can stand on & kneel over making it
  highly unsafe. Care should be taken to remove the chairs & take them in the house if we are not
  using them. Also not to keep unused stools or any such objects in the terrace.

4) Flooring of terrace : Is is slippery ?
  Terrace floor should have anti skid flooring as children or even adults may fall if the flooring is of
  smooth stone or smooth finish vitrified tiles especially as it gets wet in rains.

5) Enclosed terraces : How are the grill fixed ?
 Typically , not recommended & legal, people do enclose they terrace with tin roofs & grills in
 front. This is most common safety device, but most fabricators fix the grills on parapet wall with
 plumbing nails after the plastering is done. This is very unsafe as these nails can come off with
 time if not checked & the entire grill can come off. If you need to fix grills, it must be fixed from
 inside in metal sub frame that is fixed at the time of construction /brick work of the parapet wall.
 Details like this are critical & we must ask the developers to provide this sub frame during
 construction. In case you have a existing pipe railing fixed deeply in the parapet wall, grill must be
 welded to it to ensure safety.

6) Terrace lighting : Is there adequate light during night
 A dimly lit terrace is unsafe during night times. There should be adeqate light fixure to ensure
 good lighting levels during the night. Dark corners are highyl unsafe for children. Also they breed
 insects & mosquitoes

Though they may be many more , few are some important points I could think of & share with you . Please do check you home terrace for the above & many more to ensure that you children are safe with the terrace. Of course adult supervision for children while they are playing in the terrace is the best.

Hrishikesh Ashtekar

Customized Homes- What ? Why? & When ?

What are Customized Homes ?

In reality, Customization is nothing but Personalization of a Standard Product or an Object such that it suits your own needs.  As most of us who live in Cities, are very well  aware that due to rising cost of land & also non availability of time ,it is really difficult for us to purchase a piece of land & construct a tailor made home for our family. Hence we look for prebuilt options in apartments & housing societies which are generally developed by private developers. Here based upon our budget & choice of locality, we still come up with certain selection criteria but we still get a Standardized apartment. Thus your family & the person next door will have exactly the same house plan.

Customization of Homes is a Concept , where within the given constraints of the overall structure of entire building, the external facade, the electrical, plumbing systems & of course your budget, you make systematic changes in the standard house purchased by you.

Why to Customize your Home?

One Primary reason, is that every family is unique with its own cultural, ethnic & financial background. Life styles differ, Thus “How do we Live ?” Differ.

Requirements differ also based upon the composition of the Family. A large Joint family who is Living together in a Single apartment may require layers of privacy within the same house . But a couple with a single child or no child may have different requirements,

Another issue is the Standardization of Internal Finishes, Flooring tiles, Wall tiles, and Electrical & Plumbing fixtures given by the developer. This I have faced with few of my NRI clients or Clients who are used to different type of gadgets , plumbing fixtures which are easily available in the western countries in Europe & USA but when it comes to installing the same in India, the developers may not be aware or may not be cooperative as they are more interested in completing the  construction of the overall housing project. Currently many Home automation systems  & other advanced electrical appliances or sanitary fittings are available. It is best if same are integrated as concealed systems when construction is on,

There are many times certain issues faced by families who buy Pre owned houses. The earlier owners may have a different way of living, different liking in terms of finishes & fixtures. The other common issues seen are that if the Pre owned house is old there may be damages & repairs are required. Customization of Resale houses is different altogether as it may involve different construction techniques & strategies.  

Many times there are members in your family with special needs. There may be Old parents or grandparents who may find difficult to walk or use the standard sanitary fittings & fixtures or Little children where child safety will of immediate concern.

More common reason many times is Renovation of old home as per current lifestyle needs where ‘Customization’ can be better Strategy instead of just asking your contractor to change flooring, tiles & painting just for good looks

When to Customize your Home?

The answer is –For New homes, best time is to intervene is during construction of the building. Best stage is even before your floor slab is cast. Next best is when the columns , roof slab & floor beams are yet to be cast, where you can integrate any electrical or plumbing fixtures. Next best is when the brickwork is on & you can integrate you own systems in concealed conduits & plumbing before the internal plaster& flooring is done.

For Pre owned houses, it is best to take the Renovation step earlier before you occupy & get the sought out Customization done. But many times there has been an experience that, the real strategies for changes to be done come to your mind once you start living in the home. 

One thing to take note of that getting a Pre owned house Customized is bit more costlier as it involves repairs & breaking of earlier systems.

Process of Systematic Customization of Homes

Currently most of the time at least in India, Customization is not handled systematically. Though it requires professional help from Experienced Architects, changes are explained verbally on site by home owners to Site supervisors or Site engineers, expecting them to do the same on site. Of course many times there are mistakes & rectification is grossly overcharged. It is also seen that when you order any different fittings or material finishes, developers overcharge & quality of product is not guaranteed. Very few large developers have for large projects something which they call as ‘Changes department’ which is managed by In house Architects. Grossly In simple terms it is like popping Pills on your own without going to the doctor

Customization is a systematic & scientific approach. It required detail consultation with Architects who can diagnose your needs, study the existing systems of the house under question & give measures in form of detail drawings & documents. The costing part also remains in control as overall costing of Customization is worked out in advanced. In many cases if a certain special skilled labour is required, it can be made available. Once for an apartment in a large new housing project, when we gave a detail set of Construction drawings & Material specification along with costing sheet, the Site engineers were more than Happy with the Home buyer Family as they got a clear cut direction of what exactly to do & the construction team could complete the work well before time.

So the key is “Have your own Ideas” but “Involve Professionals” for Customizing your Homes

Ar. Hrishikesh Ashtekar

How to check the Area of your New apartment you are Purchasing?

Now a then we keep on hearing complaints by people who are booking new apartments that the size of the apartment does not seem as large as mentioned in the saleable area given by the developer.

Here is a easy way to calculate the approximate Carpet area of your house:

1)      Generally in India, currently the most commonly used tile size is around 2 feet X 2 feet (600 mm x 600mm) in dimension

      2)      Take the brochure given by the developer in your hand

3)      Standing  in the entrance door, orient the plan given in the brochure as per your standing point

      4)      Count the exact number of tiles in the Living room...

5)      You can measure a typical tile under your feet & confirm the area of one single tile (generally it is 4.0 sq ft)

     6)      Multiply the exact number of counted tiles by this area to get an area

7)      Confirm that the area is more or less matching with the Room dimensions given in the developer’s    brochure

      8)      Now go Room by Room & check each area. Also check area of common passages,
            terraces & also add area of Door Jamb (tiles in the doorway)

9)      Add all areas written by you on the Brochure to get the Total Carpet area of your home

10) Additionally the approximate Built up area (generally on which the per square foot calculation of costing is based) of the house can be calculated by adding another 20% loading of the Carpet area. Generally it is good to ask the developer what is the ratio he has considered for loading of the Built up area versus the Carpet area

There may still be a 5 % to maximum 7% percent variation in case the developers has considered room dimension from un plastered surfaces of wall of rooms, but at least any drastic variation beyond this may easily come to your notice before you book & pay your hard earned money to the developer.
On a safer side, it may still be worthwhile to spend a little & get the area exactly measured through your Architect if more variation is observed & your Developer is unable to explain the reason for it.

Ar. Hrishikesh Ashtekar

Are you thinking of Redevelopment ?

Many of you may be living in an old apartment building (may be even around 25 years old or more) with issues like leaking roofs, worn out water pipelines, toilets , lack of spaces, old style layout, narrow stairways etc.

Some of you just happen to be living in a small old bungalow built on a huge plot of land in a large city, which has now got a prime real estate value.

Some of you may be living in an apartment building with just few apartments built on a large plot, which you become aware that new apartments in the same location may give you a huge asset value

If you have any reasons similar to above , you should think of redevelopment.

Many societies are not aware about the process. I am just explaining you  the broad process as below:

1) Prepare a Redevelopment committee comprising of Chairman, Secretary & all other important & active members of your housing society

2) Consult a Legal advisor - first & foremost to check various legal issues about your property like society formation, conveyance deed , land documents, demarcation etc etc.

3) Consult an Architect to work out the Broad Feasibility for the project. Architects will give you a feasibility report (We do this !)

4) Prepare an overall file with all photocopies of latest documents, drawings, data about the plot & building & approach various reputed Developers for their quotes as to a) How much extra area they will give back to you (generally it is worked out based upon existing carpet area)  b) Kind of materials & Finishes they will be giving c) Other terms & conditions like Time line for redevelopment , rent for interim accommodation while construction is on etc

5) Alternatively Hire a Project management firm , if the society would like to carry out redevelopment without Developers

6) Selection of Developers ideally must be done in consultation of appointed Architects & Legal advisors.

7) Follow all legal steps like Memorandum of understanding & Agreement with the Developer agreed upon with total consultation of your Legal advisor

8) Asks for various alternative Designs & plans from your Developer. Have them scrutinized & checked by your Appointed Architect. Ideally all plans should be given to all society member household for their comments. If the deal is based upon existing carpet areas, have carpet areas measured of all flats through the appointed developer & ask your architect to have a random check of various dimensions in the existing area plans given by developers

9) Have a Final signoff of the designs in total consultation with your appointed Architects before the developers give them for sanctioning to Municipal corporation.

10) Confirm from the Developer that he has applied for additional TDR etc before construction begins

11) Have regular in between on site checks for all stages of construction through your appointed Architects

12) Ensure that when your flats are being constructed , the areas agreed upon are actually followed

13) Ensure that you get the same specifications & finishes as agreed upon by the developers. Same should be checked by your appointed Architects

Redevelopment is an ideal mode for having a new apartment, because apart from everything else, it gives you 'Big Chance' to get the overall plan of your apartment 'The way You want' instead of buying a prebuilt apartment in any new building where you have to make lot of changes.


Ar. Hrishikesh Ashtekar
 

Is Carpet Area of your house same as you are paying for ?

During the purchase of a new apartment, the developer generally gives you a saleable area statement showing the Carpet area, Built up area, terrace area etc & gives you a cost sheet. It is assumed that the areas are more or less same & you proceed with the transaction. How many of us ACTUALLY CROSS CHECK the CARPET AREA, you are paying for?

Let us understand the basics. Carpet area is the usable floor area (in short, where you can lay a continuous carpet). Built up area is the area including the walls, on which the developer calculates the  per unit (per square foot) rate. Generally the loading Built up area over Carpet area in considered to be around 20%, but may also vary in case to case. This the developer should tell you when you have approached for purchase.

Recently we were approached by someone to check his carpet area of the new flat he has purchased in a prime location in Pune city. He had a doubt , the the area seemed to be less than that what the builder had mentioned. We measured our the area & it was about 40 sq ft less than what was expected, which means, at a rate of 10000/- per square feet after consider further loading on the carpet area for built up  area, he was actually paying almost rupees 5 lakhs extra. When he brought this to the notice of the developer, the developer refused point blank. Finally the person has gone to consumer court against the developer.

It may not be possible for everyone to hire Architects to get measure the apartment, but simple do it  yourself measurement techniques may help. E.g -  Just measure a single vitrified tile in the apartment. It may be 2’ x 2’ or even more. Now count the number of tiles in each room, In case of half cut tile, take the measurement. This way you can determine the area of each room. Add all areas , also including area of tile under every door & opening to get the exact carpet area.

Moral of the story is “Keep your eyes open & be aware” that you are purchasing the right area.

Hrishikesh Ashtekar

Customizing the Electical layout of your home

Customizing electrical layout of your home is a basic need for any new buyer , the prime reason being that any family which will occupy the new home will have its unique needs of living & hence a furniture layout.

Customizing an electrical layout involves a 3 stage process:

1) Developing a new furniture layout according to your needs

2) Making a new electrical layout or modifying the electrical layout from the developer in case of under construction homes to suit the new furniture layout . A common example being that you may require electrical sockets for TV or Laptops in your rooms at  "Correct Location"

3) Checking that the work has happened in similar manner & all changes have been done as per your requirement on site.

In any new home , following are points to remember:

a) Electrical layout cannot be modified every now & then, especially so when these days , conduits are concealed

b) The list of all the electrical points from developer should be checked & then new points can be added or existing electrical points can be modified

c) 5 amphier socket points are suitable for almost all fittings.
     15 amphier socket points are required only for Refrigerator, Microwave oven, dishwasher  & A.C,
     but also check any additional appliances you may have which may require 15 amp

d) Always keep additional sockets in every location

e) Provision for invertor backup wiring needs to be made during modification in case of concealed wiring. Call your invertor vendor at this stage itself

f) Take professional help of an Architect for preparing the new electrical layout & customization as he/ she may help you in better way

regards
Hrishikesh Ashtekar

Why do people live in unsafe houses?

In a recent incidence in a suburb in Pune, a recently built & occupied apartment building caved in, where a young engineer lost his life . Also numerous families were rendered homeless. Questions are being now raised about the quality of construction, responsibilities of private builders, engineers, carelessness of government etc etc, putting this debate in national news.The question which comes to mind is that “Why did people occupy a building, where structural safety was in doubt ?”

 Why do people live in unsafe houses?

 This question has two dimensions, actually two types:

Type 1: People who are unaware that their homes are unsafe

Type 2:  People who are aware but still  live in unsafe homes.

Let us understand, first the issue of “Need for Housing in Indian cities”. Currently India is one of the fastest urbanizing nations in the world. As per a report by an organization called KPMG , India’s urban population has grown at a CAGR of 2.8 percent over 2001-2011, resulting in an increase in the urbanization rate from 27.8 percent to 31.2 percent.6 Out of India’s 1.21 billion population, 377 million people are urban dwellers.

If we now look at Pune city alone, as per a recent press report in a national daily newspaper, - “The city is expected to witness a 40 per cent shortfall in the supply of housing units by the end of 2018. While it would require an additional 1,91,200 housing units, the supply is likely to be around 77,500 units, said a study conducted by global real estate consultancy firm Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), “India's top eight cities, including Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad and Kolkata, will contribute 23 per cent or 2.65 million units to the total demand for urban housing, the study said.

The study stated that 80 per cent of the additional demand for homes in these eight cities will come from the middle income group (MIG) and lower income group (LIG).

Such a huge demand for housing will only be created by private sector, which offers housing as a product for sale in various parts of the city. People buy homes, finally based upon their affordability. Affordability is a by product of a term called ‘Market value’ of homes. Market value is directly controlled by two factors. First an marginally variable factor of cost of construction, & second a hugely variable factor of cost of land, which changes almost every kilometre in large cities based upon factors like proximity to city centre, accessibility , quality of infrastructure, governing authority, surrounding urban development etc.

 The factor of “Safety” of home comes out unfortunately, based upon the issue of Affordability. The upper middle class who work in service industry, who get access to easy loans from reputed banks, whose repayment capacities are never questioned, who has insurance & healthcare protection etc buys homes from the ‘Reputed’ developers. High in market value due to their location of land, most of them use good standards of construction, are supervised by good engineers within standard systems , thus ensuring a basic quality which at least ensures a safe structure at end of the day.

 The middle class & lower middle class struggles to find a house within their affordable price limits & ends up moving on to suburbs, where the price of homes is less due to low land price in comparison with those near centre of cities, but there is a fair chance that the developers operating in many areas may be unknown & non qualified people .(By the way – Is there any qualification required in India to become a developer ? ,apart from ownership of land parcels). In city suburbs there are various types of housing options available to people. Even though most of the projects are sanctioned by local authorities or the local authorities may apply procedures of safety before giving completion certificates etc, many of these may be mere formalities done for the sake of making it easy for Bank loan purposes.

 Let us understand typical procedure of house buying for most people :

1) After decision to buy is made, you understand how much is your loan eligibility

2) You start looking for projects around the city either with developers or through real estate agents,

    which are new or resale flats.

3) Apart from your biggest aspect of costing, you see the house plans, interior finishes, of course Vastushastra (???), amenities given by developers i.e security, club house , gardens etc etc .

 4) You are impressed with the 3d views & elevations of building, glass , color etc

 5) You finalize the home & approach the bank.

 
6) The bank checks if the property is sanctioned by municipal corporation, if the floor you have selected is sanctioned & at the max, in case of old property it may ask you a title search report . If getting loan from a reputed bank becomes difficult due to certain reasons, you settle down for making financial arrangements from other sources & buy a property within your budget reach..

 7) After registration, you occupy the home & start living after making your beautiful interiors...

 Isn’t it strange- Within the above process – there is no attention of quality of construction, quality of RCC work, if various structural stability certificates are taken. There is no attempt to get a third party check done by structural engineers & architects, about previous wear & tear of the apartment or get useful information from the neighbourhood about reputation of developers..The same middle class family does all sorts of research about quality, usability, about safety features etc when it buys a car which comes at 20 percent of price of the apartment.

Hence most of the unfortunate people will fall in Type 1 – category – Those who are unaware ,that they are living in a unsafe Home. They come to know only when something happens, maybe structural cracks, or part of building caves in.

Ist’ it our duty to check the quality of the building, when your entire family is going to occupy the house? In various developed countries, there is a standard government procedure to get a third party check done by expert teams of Architects & Engineers before you approach the bank for loan. Why not do it before you buy?

 The second category of people i.e. Type 2- category- are the people who are aware that their home is unsafe. Buildings get wear off due to various factors like weather, poor construction quality or sheer age of building. Except a sudden earthquake, before a structure fails, it starts giving signals hours, days or even months before. Many times these signals are taken casually. I have seen buildings occupied which have a government tag of unsafe building on it. Retro fitting of building is common system & procedure, which needs to be done immediately. People avoid it for various reasons like maintenance for the building being not collected from families, waiting of government to take action, waiting for landlord to redevelop the building etc. This is like committing suicide. Today in a local daily was an article & photo of defence owned government buildings in Pune , where families continue living.

If we fall ill, we go to a Doctor, we get admitted to hospital as we fear our life may get over. When the building is ill or in better words – ‘unsafe’, why don’t we immediately vacate our home & go to an engineer ?

Any suspected unsafe building should be got examined by a structural engineer. Similar to MRI & there are non destructive tests available these days. As per the guidance of the structural engineers, specialized contractors will help retrofit the building. In case of extreme conditions, the building may have to be destroyed & rebuilt. It is better to live in a poor’s hut instead of living in an unsafe palace.

Thus ensuring your safety & avoiding damage due to building collapse is in your hands.

 
In simple words –Life is precious. Please do not risk it by living in Unsafe buildings.

Wishing your happiness & safety !

 

Hrishikesh Ashtekar

Architect