Query on Elevation for house under construction

QUOTE

Dear  Mr.  Thomas,

I have seen your blogs in the internet.

I am constructing a house and the construction has reached up to the lintel level near Ettumanoor.  I did not finalise the Elevation of my house.

Can you please design an elevation and 3D view if I send to you the Plans. You can charge me for the above. If you would like to visit the site I can arrange.

Awaiting your valuable reply.

Best Regards,

Lal.

My reply

Lot of people have a mistaken notion that Elevation of the house is something independent of Plan of the house.If you need a good Elevation ,Architect who prepare plan of the house will have to prepare plan of the house in a manner by which a good Elevation is possible.

Having finalised plan of the house and construction reaching lintel level,there are of course constraints in designing a better Elevation.With a site visit I can study the matter,comment on work so far done,check Vasthu compliance and suggest changes that can improve on external appearance of the building.You will have to send me plan of the house before site visit so that I can  come prepared during site visit

Queries on Kerala Style house in Chennai,Modular Kitchen and square feet cost

QUOTE

Dear Sir, We have a G+1 floor house at Chennai, we wish to construct one more floor using wooden structure of Kerala Heritage house. Is it possible to relocate? we can discuss all details, in case you see a possibility. regards,

Chidamber PL

My reply

There are people in Kerala who buy old houses with lot of traditional wood work,knock it down and recreate it anywhere.Even though they buy at lower cost,they charge very high.

So It will be better to do the work using new material keeping all good features of traditional  Kerala work.If interested we can work out details.

QUOTE

Dear Thomas,
 
Surfing through the NET in search of someone to provide technical advise on Kitchen designing , came across your web site and felt you can help me to get my Kitchen designed and arranged in a proper manner. Based in Vypin, my house is now under construction and wish to get your professional advise for my upcoming house's kitchen. My kitchen's plan would be as per the attached photo (it is from your own site) as its entrance from West and the window side is East and the out door is towards South as it is opening out to a work area room .
Hope to hear from you soon to discuss more details.
Thank you for your time.
Sebastian

I can visit your house under construction and give my suggestions on pending works and comments on work already done.I can also do a Vasthu evaluation of the house
After the visit,I can give you offer for design and construction of modular Kitchen and other interior work.I can get the work done with professional care and quality with my workers and professional team.

QUOTE

I have 7 cents in an housing plot.Again the reliability, management style of your company, man and material active reference from your list, all are important  factors for my decision making process. Also the budgeting part for a medium house 2500 sq. feet is very essential. I will be visiting Kochi, during the month of March. I can make a deal,  Why don't give me a figure, which you have already constructed from your list.

.Again I am well aware no body can pin point the right figure with respect to material handling of house constructions.. But as a marketing point of view, there is a figure. 1+ is always two ?  
Regards,
Mathew,

My reply

Unlike non professional contractors who try to get contract by telling lies ,I do not have to tell lies to get business.As a qualified and experienced professional in the field,after directly constructing more than 200 houses in Kerala,I can tell that if some one talk of a square feet cost of construction without studying site conditions and without a design of the house,it can only be a lie
If you are  going to give work related to your house only if I tell a lie,I do not want that work.

Loading unloading menace in Kerala

Recently  Mr.Kochouseph Chittilappilly  of V Guard who is perhaps the only successful entrepreneur in Kerala who made it from rags to riches mainly operating in Kerala  has shown courage to get in side a truck to unload materials to his godown.All TV channels and newspapers carried the story.

But this menace of loading unloading goondaism is  silently suffered by helpless people of Kerala for years together.There are people sitting in almost all junctions of even villages in Kerala chit chatting sometimes wearing a particular colour shirt calling themselves as loading unloading people.They are the most lazy people who are protected by political parties in Kerala to do very little work and demand and threaten helpless unorganized people to pay them  whatever they demand  naturally very high amounts in comparison to what they do.

There are workers employed by commercial establishments,manufacturing units to carry out normal work.But if some material will have to be loaded or unloaded to a vehicle these workers working in that commercial activity unit cannot or should not do such loading or unloading.That particular portion of work is the birth right of those uniformed people simply chit chatting in junctions.Even if the skilled workers in the unit of production/trade do the loading/unloading due to extra care required or easiness of operation ,these bunch of lazy people will have to be paid whatever they demand, however high or unreasonable their demand.Such money extracted forcefully is given a name in Kerala called,”Nokku Kooly”(meaning wages for watching the work).Sometimes they collect exorbitant money even without watching!

Like others I also pay such unreasonable money to these people wherever we construct houses in Kerala.In southern areas like Ranny,Chengannur these people are some how absent .In Alleppey  district of Kerala they create havoc and ensure that no economic activity survives for long.They would prefer no business,no manufacturing or construction rather than scale down their unreasonable demands.Funniest part of the story is that almost all political leaders in Kerala declare quite often that there is no Nokku kooly in Kerala!Even in cases where they really do the loading unloading there is in fact no need for their services as workers paid for the day must be working in that establishment and they can do the work  as part of their work without demanding such exorbitant wages.

Once I asked one of these chaps why they are collecting Nokku Kooly when their leaders are saying that no Nokku kooly should be collected.He replied like this-“Those leaders loot in crores and they never give us even a share of that.Then what right they have for telling us not to collect Nokku Kooly?”

Mr.Chittilappilly has  at least made an attempt to raise his voice against this injustice done to people of Kerala by organized goondas protected by political parties.But people like you and me are not willing to raise our voice against such barbarian injustice done to us by these lazy fellows who do not want to work like others and earn money by threatening ,protected by politicians of Kerala

Farm House in Andhra Pradesh-Query and reply

QUOTE

I am totally impressed with your designs and I need a farm house design from your side for which I need your commercial terms...The design need to be mediocre in a south facing plot of 146 ft. x 150ft..

On hearing from you we will proceed further
warm regards
Ravisankar Ch.
VIJAYAWADA 520002
Andhra Pradesh INDIA

My reply

I require more details like what exactly do you require in the house and your dreams for the house.So,write in detail.

I can design the Basic Plan of the house and all detailed drawings required to complete the design and required during progress of construction work

Construction labour contract-Query and reply

QUOTE

I am resident of Thodupuzha.  I have purchased a plot in , Mattoor, Kalady. This plot is a sloping land and to avoid filling it up with mud to the road level we have decided on having half the plot , i.e. the front portion of the plot filled up with mud, and the other part we have decided to construct a basement and hence avoid filling the whole land and also we can use this land. our plan is for a 3 story ie, basement, ground and first floor with only two rooms. I am attaching the plan of the basement and the ground.

Now my question, the house is total of 2200 sq. ft.  The constructor has given us a rate of 275 /sq. ft. for labor with us providing the material and him building the structure.  There are rates of 180 to 200 /Sq. Ft. in Kalady area for structure building on flat land.  This rate is so as there is work in the foundation part.

I am not sure if this rate is too high or if we are being taken for a ride in this case. I kindly request you to provide me with your valuable input.

Waiting for your reply anxiously.

Kind regards
Asha Suresh
Thodupuzha.

My reply

For a three story building construction you should not simply leave the work to be done as he pleases  to a  mere contractor.There has to be a professional Engineer to design structure work.
When you build a three storey building it will have to be a column beam construction if the soil is stable.If the soil is not stable,you may even require  concrete piling.
Nature of foundation,column , beam and roof steel reinforcements will have to be properly designed by a Structural Engineer and before concreting it has to be ensured that the contractor has done steel work as per drawing and as per instructions of the Engineer.
Any contractor taking up work on square feet basis without involvement of a professional Engineer will try to do the work with as little labour input as possible.You may not be knowing about right practices of construction and he will make you believe that whatever he does is the right way of doing.
I do not know whether you have got the plan prepared by a  qualified experienced professional .I could not open your attachments.Can you send these plans in pdf form?
In any case it will not be good if you do the filling before doing foundation work.Land filling and leveling  can be done after completing foundation work for the building
Labour rate of 200 per sft is more reasonable for the type of work you are talking about.If you tell the contractor that he will have to do the work as per drawings and instructions of an Engineer,he may not be willing to do the work even at  Rs.275.
Every non professional contractor wants to make more  profit .Proper Engineering standards and correct construction practices  will increase his labour cost and he will  talk and convince you that it is not required
When you build ,you should have professional guidance from beginning to end.No Engineer can rectify  or suggest ways to correct mistakes done during construction, after the work.

Letter by President Abraham Lincoln to his son’s teacher

Some body forwarded this to me.I found it quite interesting and thought provoking.So I am just quoting it here

QUOTE

He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish Politician,
there is a dedicated leader…
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,
Steer him away from envy,
if you can,
teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.
Let him learn early that
the bullies are the easiest to lick…
Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books…
But also give him quiet time
to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school teach him
it is far honourable to fail
than to cheat…
Teach him to have faith
in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him
they are wrong…
Teach him to be gentle
with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.
 
Try to give my son
the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon…
Teach him to listen to all men…
but teach him also to filter
all he hears on a screen of truth,
and take only the good
that comes through.
Teach him if you can,
how to laugh when he is sad…
Teach him there is no shame in tears,
Teach him to scoff at cynics
and to beware of too much sweetness…
Teach him to sell his brawn
and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag
on his heart and soul.
 
Teach him to close his ears
to a howling mob
and to stand and fight
if he thinks he's right.
Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle him,
because only the test
of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage
to be impatient…
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always
to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will have
sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,
but see what you can do…
He is such a fine little fellow,
my son!
Abraham Lincoln
UNQUOTE

Naturally Abraham Lincon is extremely old fashioned.We have conquered value system and  thrown away every trace of it to waste bins. Still it is amusing to read these words of old fashioned ruler of erstwhile world.

We have smarter people like Rajas,Balakrishnans,Vijayans .The numbers go to infinity.On the other side is there still one human being?

Commencement of house construction at Kainakary,Alleppey.Query and reply

QUOTE

Dear Mr. Thomas
 
I am planning to start the construction of my House. Its in Kainakary village - Alappuzha. The plot is beside a small branch river of Pampa.
 
Can you tell me is there any issues for using M-sand for concreting also for brisk wall ?
If I send you the plot diagram, can u tell me the aspects of Vasthu and location of the house should be etc. ?
Which will be the cost effective and strong foundation - with Black stone ( Karinkallu) or concreting belt and pillar from the bottom of the ground ?
 
I hope you will have little bit time to answer my queries.
 
Regards
Cleetus Antony
From Afghanistan.

My reply

1.Manufactured sand is better than river sand if made to correct size.It can be used for concrete and brick work.River sand available in Kerala in many places have many impurities in it  which may be harmful in the long run for the building.For plastering you may have to use river sand with appropriate size.

2.It will be better if I can visit your site to study site conditions,Vasthu aspects etc.If you send me the plot sketch I can tell Vasthu aspects related and applicable to the plot

3.After studying site conditions,soil nature and architectural design for the house,a structural consultant will suggest  appropriate foundation design for your house.Type of foundation cannot simply be selected or decided by you.Leave such decisions to the experts..

House for middle class-Query and reply

QUOTE

hello sir
i have seen your projects pictures and articles in internet.very excellent. congrats.
but i did not see a project which is suitable for middle class who is looking for low coast house.i want to construct a low coast house.so i hope you will and can advise me.
my name is Rajesh and my place is Adoor.
my plan is a 3 bed room hall kitchen pooja bathroom and toilet.single story with interlock bricks.and as per vasthu.area required 1000 plus and a verandah. flat roof above that sheet roof.(this can do latter)bed room to be accommodated a double bed almira and a computer table.after that room should be little spacious.how much is the minimum size required.
in kitchen tables for gas can be constructed with highly polished kadappa or kota stones.
to reduce coast floor of hall kitchen and bath room with  tiles and other place with red oxide or clay tiles.external electrical wiring preferred.exterior and interior with water proof paints.what are the advantages and disadvantages of interlock bricks.my plan is to start after 6 - 8 months.for this project how much will be the approximate coast.
please advise
My reply

An architect or professional experienced in design and construction of house need not necessarily work only for large houses with high budget.

I have designed and built houses with plinth area as low as 300 sft to 6000 sft.Most of the people with lower budget some how has a wrong impression that it is not worth taking professional guidance and assistance for designing and building their house.It is due to this reluctance of clients with lower strata of funds  that Architects tend to do more of high budget houses.

We can only work work for those who approach us and cannot go in search of those who think that we are costly and avoid us.Charges for professional services naturally will be less for low budget houses and hence more and more people should come forward to have professional services for design and construction of their houses.

It will be better to leave finding out ways and means of reducing cost to the professional rather than you own your own decide what all you should do to reduce cost of construction.Your part knowledge and wrong impressions may land you in trouble without professional guidance and assistance.You can always tell frankly to your Architect about your funds availability so that he can work out a house for you within your funds restrictions, if any.

Purchase of land at Cochin and house construction.Query and reply

QUOTE

hi, I am Tintu, an NRI. i read all the information about u from your site. i like to entrust u a project.. Find min 5 cents of house plot in Ernakulum district(can be in outskirts of the city) and construct a house for me. we will give u the basic plan of the house.if u r interested please inform me. i will give u further information so that and i can get the quotation from u

My reply

For buying land in and around Cochin, there will be several options available at any point of time and plots available keep on changing depending upon transactions taking place
So for purchase of plot,you have to visit Cochin
Without knowing outer dimensions of the plot,directions,roads near plot you cannot simply use a plan prepared by you/obtained by you  without considering any of these factors and Vasthu factors if you require Vasthu compliance.
Without any of these preliminary design details available,we cannot simply give a quotation.
So first step will have to be your visit to Cochin

Traffic-Malayalam movie with a difference

I cannot say that “traffic” recently released Malayalam film without those arrogant irritating presence of superstars who care a damn about value of art and giving respect to those who deserve it,is great.

There are so many imperfections even in the story line.But still that film gave me a hope that Malayalam film industry will survive and grow if only those super stars can be shown the door to leave this form of art.They do not care for the future of this form of art which can act as an entertainer,thought generator and reformer of common man.All they want is that Malayalam film goers should only see their foolish films which have only one story with different names.

There is a limit to which film enthusiasts in Kerala can be continuously fooled by meaningless films without any proper story or difference.

A story is one which has something different,special, interesting to hear.Most of the films in Malayalam which simply drains pockets of producer fools of those films ,simply do not have a story.

Some songs in regular intervals which of late has more of music and less of even meaningful verses come one after another.Viewer of the film has to believe that unhealthy looking super star will demolish simply by waving of his hand any number of able bodied men! Then those old men in their sixties will do some gimmicks in the name of love with teen aged girls.Finally that superman will destroy all “evil men “single handedly and make a roar of triumph!

This same story line we have been seeing and finally after getting irritated ,Keralites have started boycotting these endless films coming one after another.In this scenario, film “Traffic” is different and it prompts viewer to sit with interest and eagerness in the theatre chair instead of getting bored by antics of actors like Suraj Venjaranmood which  can only produce contempt instead of expected laugher.

I only hope that success of this film will lead to such films or better films with credible story line,believable performance by actors  and sensible presentation of story.

Even in this film there was an unnecessary song as if song is essential for films.Normally people who watch Malayalam films relax and talk with those who sit with them during those rest time given by these unwanted songs.But in “traffic “this unwanted song was in the beginning disturbing mind of the viewer and make him wonder whether this is one of those foolish films to be proven otherwise ,after escaping that song.

Generally film viewers make their first impression on film and decide whether to see the film or not by observing posters of the film which gave them some inkling on the content of film.The posters of this film ,traffic was designed by a fool capable of driving away any one who may consider going for the film.Luckily the film will get word of mouth reputation and will attract more viewers in spite of the poor posters.