Replies to queries-House construction

A PLAN FOR HOUSE

Query

Dear Thomas,

I have gone through some of your blogs and thought of sending u an email.

We are planning to build a one storey Kerala house with verandahs with 3 bedroom and 2 attached and 1 common bathroom kitchen and a hall  in 16 cent of land in our village,

our budget is around 12 to 15 lakhs. Please help me with your valuable suggestion

on its possibility. if u could just sketch a rough plan it will be more helpful.

Thanks a lot.

Meenu

My reply

You have not even told where you intend to construct house.16 cents of land simply gives an idea on area of land.For a house to be planned I need to know how much road frontage plot has,where is the road,directions,terrain of land and much more

Plan of the house is specifically designed to suit your requirements,budget,site measurements and site conditions.Any plan made for house for any one will not simply suit you.Three bed room house in single story may have an area of about 1300 to 1500 sft with usual common facilities.Even with present cost of construction,it will not be possible to complete such a house within Rs.15 lakhs.The more you delay construction,more will be the cost

I have sent detailed mail on what all you should know and do to start constructing a house to you

Wooden flooring

What is your opinion about laminate wood flooring?

(Through blog comment)

My reply

Wooden flooring is not costly compared to granite flooring.It is more environment friendly.You can comfortably sleep on the floor and walk without having to worry about negative effects of walking on artificial flooring material.But you will have to keep the floor neat without rubbing it with wet cloth.Wet cloth will damage wood in the long run

Licensee certifying for submission drawings to local authority

you said that architects, licensed engineers or super visors can approve a plan. can you please mention who all include in this category

(Through Blog comment)

My reply

For obtaining Building permit/approved plan from local authority in Kerala,you have to submit application  and submission drawings as per rules duly filled and counter signed by a Licensed Engineer/Architect/supervisor having registration of license with Dept. of Urban affairs,Kerala.State

Dream House for NRI at Kannur

Query

Hi I am Céline live in UK.planning to build a house back in Kerala in my home town.while I was going through the construction company my eyes got caught on yours.

hope you will be able to help me.

our place name is Pachani in Kannur.It is a small place ,the area we are planning to build is a flat plot about an acre  in between 2 small hills.its a lovely place.

I am looking to build a house within 2800sqft area.5 bed room house,2 bed room down stairs and 3 up.looking forward to see different models please.I am desperate so please do help me.thanks.

waiting to hear from u.

Céline Scaria

My reply

You do not have to be desperate

I can convert your dreams in to reality with professional care,guidance and assistance

I will have to first visit site where the house has to come up to study site conditions and to make myself familiar with site and surroundings so that I can dream your future house better and check Vasthu aspects for the plot so that a Vasthu compliant design can be developed

You will have to write to me in detail what all you hope to have in the house and your dreams for the house.

Construction of house using Ferro cement

Query

Dear Mr. Thomas,

I came across your website on Ferro cement construction. I retired as Chief Gen. Manager, Cochin Shipyard and now stay at Ernakulum.

I require an additional room on the first floor of my residence and having gone through your website came to the conclusion that a Ferro cement construction would be the right option. Could you be of assistance please.

T J Cherian

My reply

A Ferro cement construction will be good.But right now in and around Cochin there is only one some what reliable company doing just Ferro cement septic tanks and under ground water tanks.Due to lack of competition,they are not much customer friendly to do custom built Ferro cement building parts

So option before you will be to do the construction of one extra room with solid block concrete bricks.

Elevation for three bed house

Elevation for three bed room house designed by us  for an NRI given below

Any one like to get plan of this house mail me to vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Chappa Kurish-a film worth seeing

Before this film,I have never heard about these two words together,Chappa Kurish.Though I have heard of Chappa meaning a seal and Kurish ,our good old cross separately.

I do not understand how this  name Chappa Kurish relate to the film even after seeing this film.When I asked some one he said,Chappa Kurish means head or tails while tossing a coin.There was no coin tossing in this film.One reason I hesitated seeing this film was this not attractive or appealing name of the film.Then those big posters showing Vineeth Sreenivasan in filthy surroundings carrying a bucket.It also gave me an impression that the film is not worth seeing.Rima Kallingal was tweeting so emphatically saying that it is a film worth seeing.So I decided to try expecting a boring film.

But it was not boring at all and it is definitely a great change from our usual superstar films with oft repeated unbelievable stories.Yes.this film brings Malayalam films closer to picturising life in its reality.

Lead man in the film,Fahad had acted so well.Vineeth could only try to do well.But did not succeed to the extent of expectation.Remya Nambisan did not have much to act.Rima did well by not taking up that role (as she tweeted) even though offered this role.

Coming from construction industry I can say that no construction company send a lady executive acting as secretary to Chief of operations to village offices or to any other offices  to get things done or bribe people.All these liaison works with govt offices are handled by separate agencies.COO  or his secretary has to simply monitor these through phone calls.So that part is a technical error.

Hero telling heroine that he never promised to marry her and heroine thinking otherwise also lack credibility.Fight at the end after all damages done  is highly exaggerated.No indication of family of heroine and her friends in spite of such damaging experiences in her life.That is surprising in the story line.

Camera work is noticeably good.I never ever thought that Malayalam films will deal with stories with touch and smell of realities of life. This film is a welcome change in that direction and a must see film in spite of it’s unattractive name.

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Alone, how long I can go?

Alone, how long I can go?
Do I need to hear your voice near me?
Do I need to feel your sweating hand inside my hand,
Making me feel you are with me?

Do I need to look at your clear sparkling eyes
Just to feel thrill of my heart
when it notices that widening of your eyes
when you look at me
as if seeing the most beautiful
being of this world?

Alone, how long I can go?
without feeling your smell close to me
without feeling your warm body near me
without feeling a part of me walking by my side
with my own legs
with my own hands
with my own mind
with my own dreams.

Alone, how long I can go?
without you calling the naughtiest of names
without you getting worried about
even sweat on my forehead
without you planning
our days coming
without you pushing me to move on
without you pushing me to face
whatever may come on our way?

Then you told me
I was with you even before you
came to earth
and even when you go from earth
I will be with you

We travel
to eternity
Our road never ends.
Our legs never get tired
We laugh, hug and walk
hand in hand
to the never reaching
end of the world.

Thomas Viruvelil

Salt and Pepper-a welcome change in Malayalam film

Feeling inferiority complex is so common among all of us.But nobody has thought of making it theme of a film and film Salt and Pepper has done exactly that.
Lal has acted so well that not even once while watching the film I thought of it being actor Lal even though there is hardly any make up for him.Feeling of being inadequate and not up to the expectation level of others especially those whom you want to really impress to get in to the heart of that person is picturised so well by Lal through his acting.Swetha Menon did try well but could not reach up to that level of Lal.
Asif Ali and the female counter part also tried to express same feeling and Asif Ali did comparatively much better with his acting talents.
I do not know  why that sub story with Vijayaraghavan and his failed love story is added.It does not serve any purpose and weakens credibility level of the film.Story of a cook hijacked from a house where Lal went for bride seeing can be passed off as an attempt to add humour even though it also lacks credibility.
Premikkumbol is the theme song of the film and the song is simply great with both Jayachandran And Neha singing so well.Voice of Neha while singing this song is almost heavenly and she sang so well making her entry in to film world real great.She has great future ahead in her singing career
Finally that presentation of Avial song at the end did not appear to be appropriate for me.It is just adding another program after completing the film and it protrudes out.I do not know why Neha is not included in that show.
Promotion for the film shows a caption-"Oru Dosa undikkiya katha".When I read it I thought that the film is not worth seeing.Why should I waste my time trying to see story of how Dosa is being made?.Again posters first appeared showed Swetha Menon and Lal with a land phone.That poster also did not persuade or encourage me to see the film.I saw the film only because of my twitter friends reccommendation  and definitely not by marketing efforts for the fim.That clearly shows that marketing efforts for the film are not up to the level expected .
Oru Dosa Undakkiya Katha can be translated in two ways:
1.Story of making of Dosa
2.Story made by a Dosa
Probably the promotion people of film, might have meant the latter
While on Dosa,the old round Dosa is fast disappearing and is being replaced by so called Ghee Roast which is simply a fried Dosa.This is not as tasty and good for health like old small round Dosa.

There is a small restaurant between Thuravoor and Cherthala at a place called Ponnamveli by the side of National high way where you still can get old type dosa with old type chuttney.Name of the restaurant is Lakshmi.Whenever I pass through this place,I make it a point to have that dosa.I have seen many filmi folks frequenting that place which is quite crowded.Try this old style Dosa

Queries and replies

HOUSE AT KANNUR

Quote

Myself Shameem, from Kannur, Kerala, presently residing in Saudi Arabia(NRI). thru website we happened to know your works and much interested   as I am presently looking forward to design house for my family

Presently we have a plot of 35 plus cents and wish to  utilize 22 cents of it for the residential building and landscape.

Kindly requested to support me. Please give your proposal& terms in two options

Option One : With initial drawing, elevation, work drawings,structural drawings, 3D, fabrication details, electrical, plumbing, wood works,finishing works, flooring, Landscape details, Centering layout, Bill of Quantities;

Option two : With initial drawing, elevation, work drawings,structural drawings, 3D, fabrication details, electrical, plumbing, wood works,finishing works, flooring, Landscape details, Centering layout, Bill of  Quantities; Selection of materials, Selection of contractor/s, periodic visits   or work check, progress, guidelines & support, check if building is as per  Architectural drawings, post construction including interior design,development of interior layouts

By July4, 2011 I will be Kannur and will meet you. Prior to this  need an indicative proposal from you in order to plan our  program initially.Thank you and look forward to your indicative proposal as  detailed

Shameem Mohammed

My reply

From beginning to end of construction of house we guide you,advise you provide you drawings,instructions,guide workers and take you slowly to your dream house

First step is design of the house.For this I will prefer to visit your site and study site conditions.Even without site conditions plan  of the house can be  prepared.But for better results,I need to visualise your future house in the plot.For this a site visit will help a lot.

Instead of going for all details initially itself let us go step by step.First and foremost is getting a good plan of the house.Once that is done more than half of your problem is solved

FALL OUT OF APPLE-CONSTRUCTING APARTMENT FOR SELF AND FRIENDS

Query

My name is Mani Kuttan currently working in Saudi Arabia. I have a piece of land measuring 11 Cents (to be on safe side take 10) near Trissur Swaraj Round. May I know whether I can build 6 apartments in three floors in that plot, with an average area of 1300/1400 SQFT each apartment

The idea is to own one flat and sell the remaining to my friends who are ready to take it. Initially my friends wanted to buy flats from some builders but after the “Apple A day” they changed their idea and pushing me to construct an apartment. My idea was to sell the land but with this in mind I am looking for an a

I am looking for a professional who can assist me to accomplish this dream as I do not have any one to help back in Kerala. I am coming for a one-month vacation from 28 July 2011 and would like to meet you in person. It all depends whether I can construct a G+2 building with 6 apartment within this 10 cents of land. The land is situated at 2.25 Km from Swaraj Round and falls within the Trissur Municipal Area, approach road has a width of 3meter. If it is possible, please let me know your charges and bank account details to pay the fee for your consultation.

My reply

Six apartments in land of 11 cents do not look workable.I can visit site and then we can start working on it.I think one apartment each at each floor along with common facilities including car parking can be done

Any way it is a good idea to have your own apartments specially designed and built for you by a professional agency like us instead of booking for an apartment through apartment builders and finally loosing entire money paid as advance,without getting anything in return