Queries on wild life resort in Kerala,house construction

QUOTE

Dear Mr Thomas,

My name is Nada Bouchta and I am currently a student in Les Roches, international school of hotel management, located in Bluche (Switzerland).

For our diploma, we have to realize a project on a wildlife resort and our group choose the location of Kerala in India. Therefore we need many information on costs wages and general policies. I found one of your posts on internet about architecture in Kerala. Would you help us on defining more or less the building cost if I provide you with all the material and facilities used?

Thank you for your understanding and time,
Best regards,

Nada BOUCHTA.

My reply

Do you think a visit to Kerala is necessary for undertaking such a project? If  you are planning a visit I can assist and guide you

You can send your queries by email or you can chat with me at Facebook by adding me in your Facebook account.Here is the link:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=531348963&sk=photos

QUOTE

Hi Thomas,
Thank you so much for your offer to visit our site and we are excited to work with you. . We have the plan to build a house having around 2500 sq. ft in area. Can you give us a rough idea of your final plan preparation fee and also elevations both two dimensional and three dimensional. How much a detailed architectural drawing will cost.I would like to have an idea of these costs because all these expenses will add with our budget.

with regards
Sojan Alex

My reply

First of all you have to understand that involvement of a qualified and experienced professional in your house building project will give you at least following benefits in addition to many more advantages.
1.A design which is appropriate for your site and requirements without wasting even a bit of built up space
2.Maximum utilisation of space
3.Vasthu compliance
4.Cost reduction due to use of structural engineering inputs
5.Traditional Kerala architecture features  combined with modern architecture features
6.Better appearance
7.Cost reduction due to continuous  professional guidance and involvement
8.Use of modern technology,trends and  materials.
All these and more will actually reduce your cost and will give you added value for your building and fees payable for professional involvement are never additional burden for you

Values and honesty are outdated

Look at recent news in Kerala.When we talk of news it naturally boils down to Politics.People get interested in political news mainly because we common people still have a wrong impression that two opposing camps of politicians try hard to serve us, common people and each of these opposing groups and politicians would have made our life simply a bliss of comfort and happiness had it not been for the villainous actions of the opposing camp.

Some how people among us common people who normally do not get chance to pile up Swiss bank deposits,foreign investments,huge investment in real estate while pretending to be simple servants of people think that the side of politicians for whom we feel sympathetic and aligned are doing right things for us.But other group is trying hard to wreck their good deeds.Naturally we feel angry and irritated towards other side.Some times a few innocents among us even go for street fight and killings due to this extreme attachment to that political group to which one feel attached.

Behind the curtain look at what these rival groups and ever fighting each other people do.

When one leader of political party who achieved records by amassing wealth in all forms plenty became over confident and careless in dangling in sexual hobbies,accidently the news came to public view.At that time the opposing political group was in power.Naturally we fools thought that this man will be caught red handed and will be put behind bars.But look at what really happened.Behind the curtains away from views of idiots like you and me called common people opposing group in power did everything in its power and capability to destroy all evidence and judicial proceedings . Opposing political leader escaped unhurt and we common people were forced to believe that all that we heard against him are wrong and could not be proved in any court of law.So this “innocent” man is still laughing madly for continuing to get opportunity to “serve “common  people.

Incidentally another disgraced politician was trying hard to some how get back into his “rightful” place to “serve “we common people even though his erstwhile autocratic ruler father made enough Gandhi picture papers to survive comfortably for generations.Finally his maneuvers are reaching success and we can  hear his  verbal insults and silently watch “without any proof” his efforts to do what politicians always do-amassing wealth.

When recently one of the close associates of the earlier story “great leader” had rubbed with him on wrong side we could hear from media how he did all that we naturally assumed him to do with help from every one that mattered in all forms of powerful positions.

One former Judge simply rubbished the case as” just a case involving  women”(meaning women has no value in this society) and “involving a highly placed person”.On what basis this politician is highly placed? Is it due to wealth illegally acquired by him like all other politicians?Is it due to help and assistance for cover up of his misdeeds received from every politician , officials and even people involved with judicial process?If that is so what will we call almost vanishing tribe of rare species called honest human beings who cannot be purchased,bribed or influenced?May be we can call them fools unfit for living in this earth?

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.