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

House design and construction-Queries and replies

VILLA PROJECT

Query

Hello  Thomas,

   I am NRI having some land near Kaduthuruthy,Kerala. I like to make 3 to 4 small to medium size houses in that land. if you are available for a consultation please send me a replay.

Regards,

Joseph C.K

New York, USA.

My reply

Basically such a project require careful planning and professional involvement from beginning to end.

I will have to first visit site and study site conditions.You will have to send me copies of land sketch and also what all you plan to have in a typical Villa.Also you have to tell me type of budget you plan to have for each Villa

BUILDER ATTEMPTING TO CHEAT?

Query

Hi Thomas,

I am about to start constructing a home on 21 cents land. The builder I consulted let me know that car porch, sit out and balcony will be calculated as full built up area. I am not so convinced and would to get your opinion on it. Now my plan was to build a 2000 sq. feet home. He says as per his calculation it would come to around 2350 sq. ft. Is he trying to cheat me? Kindly let me know.

I would like to use your service for landscaping too.

Regards,

Shaji

My reply

First of all do not simply rely on whatever a builder says.Before starting construction of your house get a professional design from a qualified and experienced Architect

Once you have a professional design finalised you can also get a detailed Engineering Estimate from the Architect which will give you a fair idea on cost of construction expected.With these basic data you can negotiate with a builder for better terms with the assistance and guidance of the Architect

In case you are interested in having our services we can help you from design to  completion of building

SANCTION FOR VILLA PROJECT AND DEVELOPMENT OF PLOT

Query

Dear sir,

I visit your site Kerala architecture.com and I try to post a comment and I couldn't. That is why I am sending
this mail to you. I am Sajikumar working in Kuwait. I am going to purchase a seven cents house plot in panchayath
area TVM district. Total 25 house plots are included (almost 200 cents) in that land.This land is 150 meter far from MC road.
4 meter width road is connected to all plots. But I heard 8 meter width road and  waste dumping area should required, if more
than 5 house plots in one land. Otherwise panchayath will not give sanction for build a house in that area. Is it right? please advice me?
or from where I can get the right answer. I will expect your valuable reply.

Thanks & best regards
Sajikumar.

My reply

Before starting development of plot and division of land in to plots for construction of villas,developer has to obtain sanction from Regional Town planning authority who will have to approve division of plots with all mandatory facilities and common facilities.Check with your builder whether he has got such a sanction for plot development and obtain a copy of the sanction and verify it  with the help of a professional Architect

At present there is no need for obtaining prior Building permit from Panchayath except in special grade Panchayaths.However Building rule provisions will have to be strictly adhered to.

Get professional assistance before you make any financial commitments.WE can assist you if you require our services

Queries and reply-House Construction

Extension to existing house

QUOTE

I am having a one storage house and I would like to add one more storage.My house is of 1200 sq feet and I would like to add the staircase from inside the house.I like to have two bedrooms and a hall.Is it possible for you to give me details about the maximum expenditure that I have to put on

I do not have the plan with me now as i am in Pune.Is it possible for me to know how much will be the maximum expenditure that i have to put according to the market today.I will see whether i could get the plan.

Anul Ramesh

My reply

Lack of awareness on House construction related matters make you think that some one qualified and experienced may be able to give cost indication with the information provided by you.House construction or extension is not that simple

In fact it will be very difficult to assess or estimate expenses that can be expected for a modification/extension work as defects in construction of the original building will be known only when we attempt to do extension work.

A site visit,preparation of drawings of existing and proposed modification and preparation of Engineering Estimate will give you some idea on expected cost.Basically you have to first decide whether the extension planned is essential.Get expert advice on feasibility and usefulness of extension you are thinking of.May be an expert can guide you better on this.If you feel that the extension work is essential and viable after consulting a professional,you should not delay the work.Tomorrow cost can only go up making your plans un reachable

Building House in farm land  at Mala

QUOTE

Have plot in mala. Interested in building house of 1500-2000 sq. ft. Can
you give me ideas as to cost and designs.  For 2 people, no children,
to be used on part time basis. Large rooms desired and small 2 bedrooms
for guest. Even a small plunge pool, 10-12 ft. on back deck. Live in us
in architect designed house and love it.  Can you help? Await your
reply. 

Everette Crotts,

johns island, .
USA

UNQUOTE

I have visited this plot in an interior location away from Mala.There is no proper road reaching the plot even from a small panchayath road.About 30 cents of land with lot of Jathi trees reaching high yield condition.USA based Mr.Crotts has spent money and purchased this land about an year in the name of a school teacher  staying nearby.For all practical purposes the local teacher is using and having land as his own.According to neighbour he will get about Rs.80,000/- per year from Jathi trees.
Mr.Crotts who spent for purchase of land has no legal right on the land as per records.So I advised him not to spent any more money in the land.Place is not ideal for use to put up a vacation house.Cutting down Jathi trees in plot for construction now will be foolishness

So I advised him to sell the property at higher market value prevailing if his local teacher associate is willing to co operate and hand over proceeds of sale to him

Changing Flooring of the house

QUOTE

We have been living in our twenty year old house and its flooring is done with red oxide. Now I am planning to put tiles on the floor and the total area comes around 1000 sq.ft. I am looking for a medium budget plan. Can you give me the cost of ceramic tiles and granite tiles separately for my house? According to your opinion which one is best suitable for my house.

  Also can you give me the cost per square feet for chipping the floor, cost for laying tiles and the material cost(means cement, sand etc.) separately?

Waiting for your reply.

Regards,

Harikumar

My reply

There is no need to chip off existing floor.You can use tile adhesive instead of cement sand mix(mortar) to fix tiles.It is better to use anti skid tiles with better  strength,elegant colour and finish costing about Rs.70 per sft.Both NITCO and Johnson are manufacturing these tiles now.NITCO is calling it as Naturoc tiles

Story of Endosulphan

Endosulphan is one of the hundreds of pesticides used by farmers everywhere.Pesticides are basically sort of poison to kill weeds and pests sprayed regularly to crops of all nature.
Cardamom which is one among high profit yielding cash crops of high ranges of Kerala require heavy dosage of pesticides to grow as it is  highly susceptible to pests and weeds.
I had a client at Nedumgandom for whom I designed and built a house near his cardamom plantations.At least once in a fortnight I used to visit the site during construction travelling by car from Cochin returning on same day.I could enjoy beauty of  high ranges of Kerala moving through hair pin turns one after another.
Once when my client  at Nedumgandom came to my office at Cochin for a visit,we gave him tea with cardamom in it.After taking a sip,he rushed to wash basin and spit out entire sip of tea.He was real angry.
“Why are you giving this poison for me to drink? If you do not know I know the amount of poison being sprayed to cardamom from beginning to end”
Similarly when I was doing a project at Kothanalloor where lot of pineapple are being cultivated,when I was about to buy pineapple my local client told me not to  eat it.
”It is really dangerous.Amount of poison going in to it is too much.We will only sell it.We will never eat it”
All pesticides including endosulphan are dangerous.But without using these pesticides you cannot get crops in good quantity.If not endosulphan some other pesticide of equal poisonous content has to be used and will be used.
As Kerala has banned endosulphan ,farmers in high ranges and other places go to Tamil Nadu to buy it.They say no other pesticide is as effective as endosulphan especially for cardamom.
Trouble in the case of Kasargode has come because large scale planters there has sprayed endosulphan continuously all over the area where cashew crops are planted.People have used water mixed with endosulphan for drinking.So all problems have happened.Will any one ban poison simply because drinking it will cause death?Nobody is making any hue and cry about taking that company spraying endosulphan by air in Kasargode area to task.They might have managed these politicians well.
Endosulphan is a pesticide manufactured in a government company called Hindustan Insecticides Limited at Eloor,Cochin.No one working in the company handling endosulphan during production has  reported any adverse effect during these years.So it is not the product but the way it is used is the problem creator.Nobody is bothered to enquire about it.Public sector HIL cannot do lobbying spending lots of money for the product.If the product was manufactured by private sector companies like Ambanis no body would have fought against the product.They would have managed it well.
Politicians and film stars want political and publicity mileage out of endosulphan.They are getting it enough.Incidentally I asked a politician friend why he is against endosulphan.He replied:”Every  one opposes.So I also oppose it.If I support it I will be treated as a bad guy”
Unless a better and less poisonous product is developed instead of endosulphan,farmers will find ways to get the product for use.For them their rich cash crops are important.

Throw out corrupt politician looters

Anna Hazare has come forward to express strongly felt contempt of all non political people of India who forms 98% of helpless patriotic people of India

These looters looting our country without any fear of ever being caught and treating us common man as nothing worth considering should be thrown out of this country

They are never caught by laws of land .They loot lakhs of crores of rupees without ever being made to answer to any one for the loot.

Let people of India chase them out of endless comforts and privileges they enjoy and throw them out of this country.

I know nothing much will come out of these hunger strike by Hazare and candle lighting by people all over India.But young Indians who form more than 60% of Indian population has got fire building up in their bellies to throw away these looters of the country.Look at funny rules existing to protect their looting.Special sanction is required even to initiate cases against these privileged.When it comes to looting,enjoying sex  using money power,these politicians help each other.They belong to a class.So they help each other to escape getting caught.All those ruling party/opposition labeling are for the eyes of us fools.They help each other by destroying evidences.

Look at stories of all scams right from Bofors.All of those guilty escaped.Even in the case of former Kerala Minister, now in Jail opposition camp when in power not even appealed against High court verdict acquitting him for want of evidences.Mr.V.S.Achuthanandan personally fought the case at Supreme Court and got him jail he deserves.

So this Hazare protest is just the beginning.Government agreed to forming a panel as demanded by Hazare simply to avoid adverse publicity pointing to their unabated looting due to elections impending in five states.Otherwise Hazare could have slept without food for days and finally begged rulers for a decent face saving escape route.

Let this fire kindled by Hazare wake up Indian people always suffering helplessly ,watching with disgust  extra ordinary privileges and comforts enjoyed by the greatest looters of the country when petty thieves are beaten up in police lock ups and made to serve jail terms.In this country if you can loot in lakhs of crores,you can be the unquestioned  ruler of the country!

Anna Hazare and his fight

QUOTE

10 things to know about Anna Hazare and Jan Lok Pal Bill
 
1. Who is Anna Hazare?
An ex-army man. Fought 1965 Indo-Pak War
 
2. What's so special about him?
He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra
 
3. So what?
This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from solar power, biofuel and wind mills.
In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the richest village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly & harmonic village.
 
4. Ok,...?
This guy, Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a known figure for his social activities.
 
5. Really, what is he fighting for?
He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in India.
 
6. How that can be possible?
He is advocating for a Bill, The Jan Lokpal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman Bill), that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians (ministers), burocrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for their deeds.
 
8. It's an entirely new thing right..?
In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan. Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying to change the bill to suit their theft (corruption).
 
7. Oh.. He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a Bill ! How can that be possible in such a short span of time?
The first thing he is asking for is: the government should come forward and announce that the bill is going to be passed.
Next, they make a joint committee to DRAFT the JAN LOKPAL BILL. 50% government participation and 50% public participation. Because you cant trust the government entirely for making such a bill which does not suit them.
 
8. Fine, What will happen when this bill is passed?
A LokPal will be appointed at the centre. He will have an autonomous charge, say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every state, Lokayukta will be appointed. The job is to bring all alleged party to trial in case of corruptions within 1 year. Within 2 years, the guilty will be punished. Not like, Bofors scam or Bhopal Gas Tragedy case, that has been going for last 25 years without any result.
 
9. Is he alone? Who else is there in the fight with Anna Hazare?
Baba Ramdev, Ex. IPS Kiran Bedi, Social Activist Swami Agnivesh, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal and many more.
Prominent personalities like Aamir Khan is supporting his cause.
 
10. Ok, got it. What can I do?
At least we can spread the message. How?
Putting status message, links, video, changing profile pics.
 
At least we can support Anna Hazare and the cause for uprooting corruption from India.
At least we can hope that his Hunger Strike does not go in vain.
At least we can pray for his good health.

So, Do something to be proud on our selves.

UNQUOTE

I got this in my mail box.Thought of sharing this

One man can make great difference

While watching Cricket world cup final between India and Sree Lanka,I could not help noticing the fact that one man made all the difference and made the win possible

Dhoni was   considered to be out of form not hitting well with bat in almost all matches before final even though he was quite good as Captain of the team taking right decisions at right time.

Sewag was expected to give initial push for Indian team by his capability to score high especially for such a critical game.He went out without scoring anything by facing very few balls.With all those capability,years of experience,determination,Sachin was expected to lead Indian batting in such a critical game especially after Sewag went fast without contributing anything.But he went out  with a score of 18,leaving Indian win against Sree Lanka an almost impossibility.

Gambhir did well in in remaining at crease though with slow run rate and was tottering when he reached century looking more for his century than saving the game  for India.In that hesitation finally he went out without scoring that century.Indian run rate was low and it needed herculean effort from some one to win the game for India.

Dhoni decided to promote himself in the batting order.He did not bother to leave the tough task of winning to Yuvraj with much better form.He took some time to settle loosing few balls without runs.But when Yuvraj was hesitant in striking at right time,Dhoni did all right strikes at the right time and magnificently led India to victory.He was not tensed or worried ,unable to act like all other 121 crores of Indians.He contained his tension,anxiety and acted appropriately at  the right manner winning the world cup for India.It is a thrilling story of one man making all the difference.

Look at our Kerala Chief Minister Achuthanandan.He may be old at 86 years.But unlike all other corrupt looters calling themselves as politicians who consider any act by them whether womanising,looting public money without any restrictions,trying to be in politics simply for all vices you can imagine,he is the only man in Kerala politics with honesty and principles.

Even his own party leaders are dead against him.Those leaders are willing to co operate with opposition leaders to save them from any sort of punishment for looting ,killing or  flesh hunting.They form an inner group of looters and vice doers helping each other with glee.

But VS stands out as one man army without any support against all odds and abuses from both sides of politics.Because of this he has become only admirable politician in Kerala by common man who do not belong to any of these looter gangs called political parties.

We need such persons with integrity in politics.But I doubt whether even a single person will come up from any of the political combinations willing to face any adversity for holding tight honesty and principles.VS can be considered as the last man of honesty and integrity in politics making a valiant one man fight against all adversity when politicians  of all hue and cry try hard to destroy  this one odd man out.I am sure these vultures will have the last laugh even though VS will fight as one man army till end.