While dealing with house construction clients in Kerala,it is very common to hear from them that they require very good Elevation or appearance for the house.
Some people even send Elevations of houses they have seen in websites of builders and send it to me saying that I want my house to look like this.The person who make such demands is not even bothered about plan of that house which may be totally different from his requirement,budget and it may not even fit into his property.Who bothers about all these?
Most of them think that a good Architect is simply some one who can draw impressive Elevation from any plan of the house prepared by any one.Again usual Malayalee expectation of a house to be built is that the house should look impressive from outside.For them an Architect is some one capable of doing this from any plan.So you do not require an architect to draw plan of your house.A lot of people think that if they draw few lines and write whatever measurements they feel like,it will be the best plan for his house.
”After all,how can an Architect draw plan of my house when I am spending my money?.Let him draw a good Elevation for the house preferably one which look like a photo.I should know how the house will look,when completed”
A good elevation is possible only for a good Plan of the house.An Architect has to use the following during preparation of plan of a house.
1. His knowledge.
2.Years of experience in designing and building houses.
3.Structural engineering aspects to reduce construction costs.
4.Modern architectural techniques to enhance utility of every bit of built up space.
5.Ensure proper ventilation and lighting using sunlight in all living spaces.
6.Proper control and protection from sunlight,winds and rain for every living space.
7.Vasthu compliance
8.Reduction of cost by better utilisation of available resources.
9.Plan to obtain good external appearance for the building not only from front side but from every sides of the building.
Additionally for Malayalees,
10.Try to make the house look bigger than what it really is.
I can tell many stories of experiences in dealing with clients about each of these aspects.But I will tell only two experience detail here.
At Punalur,I met an NRI who has become rich only very recently for design of his house in his existing plot.When I reached from Cochin with prior fixing of time,I had to wait at his rented accommodation for nearly an hour for the simple reason that my novae rich client wanted to make me wait for making me feel his “greatness” in front of me.
Before even proceeding to see the plot,he opened his laptop and showed me house pictures taken from websites of villa builders.
“I want house like this”
I said Okay.When I reached the plot ,the plot has only more cents which is only area of the land.It has very little width and the picture he showed simply will not fit into that plot.Even though I tried to prepare plan suited to that plot and his requirements,he was adamant that the plan does not suit with the plan he showed me.What will I do and how will I make him understand the fact?
At Irinjalakuda when I went to design and build a house father of my client had one simple demand.
House should look bigger than the new house of a film star nearby even though he cannot have 6500 sft plinth area of house of film star.He cannot go beyond 4000 sft.With 4000 sft.I designed and built house looking bigger than that 6500 sft house of neighbour.
Plan of the house is the most important, most valuable drawing of your house.Try to get the best talented Architect for preparation of that unique plan specifically suited to your plot,requirements and budget.A good plan will naturally give you a good elevation.But give the Architect time to dream and visualise a good plan and give him more time to develop a good and unique appearance for your house.Do not make him design in a hurry for you.Some times he may need more time to dream well for you.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Rubble work for Foundation of House construction
At Cochin Foundation work for house construction is generally costly as most of the land in Cochin are marshy land sometimes without even a trace of sand to depths as high as 12 to 15 metres.At Elamakkara where I have built a house of about 3000 sft in 2004 and presently building a house of about 3600 sft,I had to do concrete piling for foundation to depth of about 14.5 M.Similarly at Vyttila,Kathrikkdavu,Karukappilly,I had to do concrete piling.With after piling works like raising pile columns,Foundation beams,basement brick work,filling plinth etc,Foundation costs in these cases have gone up to about Rs.10 lakhs
At Kaloor,Edappally,Palarivattom,Kalamassery,Kakkanad I could do with less costly rubble foundation as the soil in these places were stable with either abundant sand or laterite.
Rubble foundation traditionally was done in most of the places as rubble masonry using rubble joined with sand cement mix or mortar with low mix ratio mostly as low as 1:10.Mortar when compared to rubble has low strength even after curing with water whereas the strength or bonding is better when used with brick normally with a mix ratio of 1:8.
My Guru Architect Angelique has taught me to use rubble work in dry pack for foundation as well as for basement.She was trained extensively under renowned Architect Lawrie Baker and thus i inherited all those cost reduction methods on building construction.
As usual I never accept anything unless I am fully convinced about correctness of the method adopted.Procedure followed by her were duly followed by me with no change(As I am fully convinced about it)for Foundation work adopted by me using rubble is detailed below:
In a stable soil we do not dig a lot unnecessarily.In southern Kerala there is a widely accepted belief among people that whatever may be the strength of soil,one should dig at least 6 feet down for foundation rubble work for house.After digging 6 feet,mostly very stable soil(sometimes even laterite soil)they put p c c 1:10 in the bottom.Then the rubble worker will simply throw rubble pieces into the six feet excavated foundation area.By such throwing of rubble,p c c will get damaged fully.nobody bothers.Once rubble filling reaches ground level they will build rubble basement above without doing anything extra for foundation rubble work in cement mortar of mix of 1:8 usually with cement plastering on top.If any builder or Engineer deviates from this generally accepted procedure not only the house owner but the entire people of the area will come and start abusing the person showing courage to deviate from the accepted practice.
I have faced this music and felt the heat very well when I built house at Ranni.Neither the owner nor the local people were willing to accept our procedure of rubble work for foundation.Let us see what we do instead.
We do not dig more than 45 cm (1 1/2 feet) depth if the soil is stable.If the soil is hard laterite we do not even go down excavating more than 15 to 20 cm.We do not put p c c in stable soil to be broken by throwing of rubble pieces by rubble mason while doing foundation work.We tell our rubble worker to closely pack rubble in dry pack method for foundation up to a height of 60 cm thereby keeping about 15 cm foundation rubble work above ground level.After this dry pack rubble foundation work,we force fill gaps of rubble work first by putting crusher sand above foundation work and then forcefully pumping water inside.As the crusher sand gets filled up inside dry packed rubble foundation,a stage will reach when no water will go down as it is fully packed with rubble and crusher sand making almost monolithic rubble foundation quite strong base for your house.
After this we build basement again by dry pack rubble work but with a slight inclination sloping basement from 60 cm to 45 cm to a height of 45 cm for basement to add strength.We point outside of basement rubble work with mortar and plaster top of basement with a rich mix of mortar of 1:6.Inside of this rubble basement is open to receive forced filling of filling material usually red sand of powdery nature
At Ranni I had to threaten to leave the work to make my client to agree to follow this procedure for Foundation rubble work and I have also given personal guarantee for the strength of work.Till completion of the work client and people around the area had doubts about our Foundation work.Once convinced Father of my client used to talk about others following usual procedure as fools and I used to enjoy his comments to that effect.
At Thiruvalla I was asked to leave the work due to my unwillingness to follow their time tested or traditional method of foundation rubble work and I left the work in between rubble work.
At Chengannur,client reluctantly accepted my method of foundation rubble work.
At Cherthala and at many other places local people used to call me mad for doing this sort of foundation work and predicted that our Foundation will sink or break open.Once work progressed and nothing bad happened everybody seem to forget about their predictions.
At Kalamassery,another contractor was building his own house near my site .My client was an Engineer.Our neighbour contractor was very much critical about our foundation rubble work"without even a bag of cement".He told my client and his wife about how bad our construction is.He assured my client that our building will sink or crack or foundation will get damaged thereby causing damage to house.
My client in spite of my assurances was jittery.
Neibour contractor has done a retaining wall in cement mortar without proper packing for his boundary wall. As I predicted retaining wall done by him has fallen apart one day and then he silently did it again as dry pack rubble work with better packing of rubble.Therafter he stopped criticising my work and started asking my client about my plans for balance work of the building.Only after that falling apart of bounday wall of neighbour,my client really started believing my words.
At Kaloor,Edappally,Palarivattom,Kalamassery,Kakkanad I could do with less costly rubble foundation as the soil in these places were stable with either abundant sand or laterite.
Rubble foundation traditionally was done in most of the places as rubble masonry using rubble joined with sand cement mix or mortar with low mix ratio mostly as low as 1:10.Mortar when compared to rubble has low strength even after curing with water whereas the strength or bonding is better when used with brick normally with a mix ratio of 1:8.
My Guru Architect Angelique has taught me to use rubble work in dry pack for foundation as well as for basement.She was trained extensively under renowned Architect Lawrie Baker and thus i inherited all those cost reduction methods on building construction.
As usual I never accept anything unless I am fully convinced about correctness of the method adopted.Procedure followed by her were duly followed by me with no change(As I am fully convinced about it)for Foundation work adopted by me using rubble is detailed below:
In a stable soil we do not dig a lot unnecessarily.In southern Kerala there is a widely accepted belief among people that whatever may be the strength of soil,one should dig at least 6 feet down for foundation rubble work for house.After digging 6 feet,mostly very stable soil(sometimes even laterite soil)they put p c c 1:10 in the bottom.Then the rubble worker will simply throw rubble pieces into the six feet excavated foundation area.By such throwing of rubble,p c c will get damaged fully.nobody bothers.Once rubble filling reaches ground level they will build rubble basement above without doing anything extra for foundation rubble work in cement mortar of mix of 1:8 usually with cement plastering on top.If any builder or Engineer deviates from this generally accepted procedure not only the house owner but the entire people of the area will come and start abusing the person showing courage to deviate from the accepted practice.
I have faced this music and felt the heat very well when I built house at Ranni.Neither the owner nor the local people were willing to accept our procedure of rubble work for foundation.Let us see what we do instead.
We do not dig more than 45 cm (1 1/2 feet) depth if the soil is stable.If the soil is hard laterite we do not even go down excavating more than 15 to 20 cm.We do not put p c c in stable soil to be broken by throwing of rubble pieces by rubble mason while doing foundation work.We tell our rubble worker to closely pack rubble in dry pack method for foundation up to a height of 60 cm thereby keeping about 15 cm foundation rubble work above ground level.After this dry pack rubble foundation work,we force fill gaps of rubble work first by putting crusher sand above foundation work and then forcefully pumping water inside.As the crusher sand gets filled up inside dry packed rubble foundation,a stage will reach when no water will go down as it is fully packed with rubble and crusher sand making almost monolithic rubble foundation quite strong base for your house.
After this we build basement again by dry pack rubble work but with a slight inclination sloping basement from 60 cm to 45 cm to a height of 45 cm for basement to add strength.We point outside of basement rubble work with mortar and plaster top of basement with a rich mix of mortar of 1:6.Inside of this rubble basement is open to receive forced filling of filling material usually red sand of powdery nature
At Ranni I had to threaten to leave the work to make my client to agree to follow this procedure for Foundation rubble work and I have also given personal guarantee for the strength of work.Till completion of the work client and people around the area had doubts about our Foundation work.Once convinced Father of my client used to talk about others following usual procedure as fools and I used to enjoy his comments to that effect.
At Thiruvalla I was asked to leave the work due to my unwillingness to follow their time tested or traditional method of foundation rubble work and I left the work in between rubble work.
At Chengannur,client reluctantly accepted my method of foundation rubble work.
At Cherthala and at many other places local people used to call me mad for doing this sort of foundation work and predicted that our Foundation will sink or break open.Once work progressed and nothing bad happened everybody seem to forget about their predictions.
At Kalamassery,another contractor was building his own house near my site .My client was an Engineer.Our neighbour contractor was very much critical about our foundation rubble work"without even a bag of cement".He told my client and his wife about how bad our construction is.He assured my client that our building will sink or crack or foundation will get damaged thereby causing damage to house.
My client in spite of my assurances was jittery.
Neibour contractor has done a retaining wall in cement mortar without proper packing for his boundary wall. As I predicted retaining wall done by him has fallen apart one day and then he silently did it again as dry pack rubble work with better packing of rubble.Therafter he stopped criticising my work and started asking my client about my plans for balance work of the building.Only after that falling apart of bounday wall of neighbour,my client really started believing my words.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Can anyone prepare Plan of your house?
Recently I was amused to recieve an email from a client trying to build a house in a larger plot he purchased for nearly Rs.60 lakhs slightly away from Cochin in an interior location where there is hardly any houses nearby.An NRI he has taken me to the plot recently to see the plot before we go into the plan stage.
At the site he told me that he has the plan of the house ready with him.I thought he might have got it done by some other Architect and that will probably lessen my work as I may have to only modify the Plan prepared.
He returned to his work place in middle east and sent me a single line sketch made by him and said that I should not make any change to his "Plan of the house"
This prompted me to write these lines on preparation of Plan of the house
Even though every person sees houses,not many do not bother to study more on house design or even elementary aspects of house construction.A lot of people think that house plan is something which any one can draw.Cheaper the better.
After getting any plan prepared by anyone,they ask the Architect to prepare a very good elevation for the plan as if Elevation is something totally unrelated to the Plan.I keep getting several mails asking me to do a "real good elevation" for the house with the plan forwarded.No architect has a magic wand by which he can make "good Elevation" for any Plan.
Plan is the most important document for the house construction.It gives drawing of the house when you cut the building at window level and remove upper portion and then look down from top.
While preparing a plan what I do are the following
1.Visit the plot where the house will come up and study site conditions like soil,surroundings,road access,level of the plot,directions and visualise the future house to be built with that extra insight and talent of an Architect.Many people think that just by obtaining four side dimensions of the plot an Architect can draw the plan.I am not denying this.But visiting the site and visualising or imagining the house in that plot with the extra talent and creativity of an Architect can make a lot of difference to the plan of the house.
2.Study requirement of the client in detail with detailed discussions.Guide the client on many aspects of house design and construction to obtain his views and requirement details.
3.Find out from client his budget restrictions if any.
On this point .most of the clients I have met did not want to share his financial plan for the house.Most of the prospective clients try to downsize their budget indication thinking that telling about exact financial condition may prompt me to raise my charges or cost of construction.Giving a wrong idea on your budget can create problems at plan stage as I or any other Architect will not be able to plan exactly suiting to your budget limitations or possibilties.This may result in a house with lesser facilties due to wrong message on your financial capabilties or facilities which you may not be able to complete fully due to lack of funds.
4.Incorporate Vasthu aspects in design
5.Use structural engineering aspects to ensure structural stabilty of the house and to reduce cost of construction.
6.Find out optimum use for every bit of building to be constructed to avoid wastage of space and to enhance utilty for space in the house.
7.Use special features of Kerala architecture and modern architecture inputs.
8.Plan to be prepared with an eye on elevation.To obtain a good Elevation Plan has to be made with that intention in mind.Elevation will be good if and only if Plan is prepared to get a good Elevation.No Architect can make a good Elevation for any Plan.
Above all lot of common sense will have to be used while preparing the Plan.Here years of experience in designing and building hundreds of houses play a vital role.
I have heard several times people telling me that he knows everything about house construction.Then I will ask him-How?
He will reply-I have constructed one or two or three houses depending on persons.
I have directly constructed more than 200 houses and designed much more.Still with each building construction,I study several aspects which I have never noticed earlier.When the Architect has this treasure of experience,plan prepared by him can only get better.
So never try to design your house by yourself or go to less qualified less experienced person for preparation of Plan attracted by possibly lower charges.You will lose more money due to improper design and construction and when you realise the mistakes and shortcomings,it will be too late.You cannot do anything about it and you will have to live and suffer all those problems and deficiencies unless of course if you are rich enough to construct another house correcting your mistakes.
Before I conclude I should talk about another common wrong impression by prospective house building clients.Many get impressed by Plan and Elevation of houses built by others or displayed in websites of builders..
So,I keep getting mails saying that I want a house like this without even bothering to check whether that particular plan of the house will fit in your plot dimensions,requirements and above all your budget constraints.
You have to understand clearly that any plan and Elevation will not suit your plot.You have to obtain that unique plan ideally suited for your plot,requirements,budget,tastes etc.Instead of trying to become an Architect on your own, leave that job to the expert,Architect and do not forget to give him all those information on what all you need in the house including your dreams and hopes for the house.
Architect will guide you properly.
Before deciding on which Architect to choose try to understand and find out more on the works so far done by the Architect.If you feel happy about his qualifications and experience in handling residential projects,then allow him to do the work without disturbance .
In my traditional christian family, years back it was considered great to have priests and nuns in the family circle even though of late their credibilty and status have declined a lot.When one client approached me for guidance right from selection of plot for house construction and related documentation,I thought I will be designing the house also.But when it came to preparation of plan of the house,just as we used to proclaim about having our own priest from the family,he said relative of his wife is an Architect and naturally he will do a better job than me possibly due to relationship.
But when I saw the plan prepared I could make out several basic flaws in the plan which will ultimately turn out to be inconvineances leading to lesser utilty for space and cause for increase of cost.He was not willing to listen to my mild suggestions and insisted that the Plan is the best possible having prepared by a relative.When the construction moved on, he realised the flaws but it was too late to do anything.
The relative also gave him a three dimensional Elevation for the house.When I told him that even though picture looks good with the colours,house built like that will not look good,he simply laughed at me.But when my prediction on deficiencies of Plan became clear to him,he told me to prepare an alternate three dimensional elevation whatever may be my charges.
Even though money is yours if you do not give Architect proper professional freedom to decide and choose the best for you,you may not get the best work from him.After all for him it is only one of the many houses he design and build.For you it is the only house you build in your life time for you and for generations to come.Make the Architect feel good for you to make him put that element of extra care for your project
At the site he told me that he has the plan of the house ready with him.I thought he might have got it done by some other Architect and that will probably lessen my work as I may have to only modify the Plan prepared.
He returned to his work place in middle east and sent me a single line sketch made by him and said that I should not make any change to his "Plan of the house"
This prompted me to write these lines on preparation of Plan of the house
Even though every person sees houses,not many do not bother to study more on house design or even elementary aspects of house construction.A lot of people think that house plan is something which any one can draw.Cheaper the better.
After getting any plan prepared by anyone,they ask the Architect to prepare a very good elevation for the plan as if Elevation is something totally unrelated to the Plan.I keep getting several mails asking me to do a "real good elevation" for the house with the plan forwarded.No architect has a magic wand by which he can make "good Elevation" for any Plan.
Plan is the most important document for the house construction.It gives drawing of the house when you cut the building at window level and remove upper portion and then look down from top.
While preparing a plan what I do are the following
1.Visit the plot where the house will come up and study site conditions like soil,surroundings,road access,level of the plot,directions and visualise the future house to be built with that extra insight and talent of an Architect.Many people think that just by obtaining four side dimensions of the plot an Architect can draw the plan.I am not denying this.But visiting the site and visualising or imagining the house in that plot with the extra talent and creativity of an Architect can make a lot of difference to the plan of the house.
2.Study requirement of the client in detail with detailed discussions.Guide the client on many aspects of house design and construction to obtain his views and requirement details.
3.Find out from client his budget restrictions if any.
On this point .most of the clients I have met did not want to share his financial plan for the house.Most of the prospective clients try to downsize their budget indication thinking that telling about exact financial condition may prompt me to raise my charges or cost of construction.Giving a wrong idea on your budget can create problems at plan stage as I or any other Architect will not be able to plan exactly suiting to your budget limitations or possibilties.This may result in a house with lesser facilties due to wrong message on your financial capabilties or facilities which you may not be able to complete fully due to lack of funds.
4.Incorporate Vasthu aspects in design
5.Use structural engineering aspects to ensure structural stabilty of the house and to reduce cost of construction.
6.Find out optimum use for every bit of building to be constructed to avoid wastage of space and to enhance utilty for space in the house.
7.Use special features of Kerala architecture and modern architecture inputs.
8.Plan to be prepared with an eye on elevation.To obtain a good Elevation Plan has to be made with that intention in mind.Elevation will be good if and only if Plan is prepared to get a good Elevation.No Architect can make a good Elevation for any Plan.
Above all lot of common sense will have to be used while preparing the Plan.Here years of experience in designing and building hundreds of houses play a vital role.
I have heard several times people telling me that he knows everything about house construction.Then I will ask him-How?
He will reply-I have constructed one or two or three houses depending on persons.
I have directly constructed more than 200 houses and designed much more.Still with each building construction,I study several aspects which I have never noticed earlier.When the Architect has this treasure of experience,plan prepared by him can only get better.
So never try to design your house by yourself or go to less qualified less experienced person for preparation of Plan attracted by possibly lower charges.You will lose more money due to improper design and construction and when you realise the mistakes and shortcomings,it will be too late.You cannot do anything about it and you will have to live and suffer all those problems and deficiencies unless of course if you are rich enough to construct another house correcting your mistakes.
Before I conclude I should talk about another common wrong impression by prospective house building clients.Many get impressed by Plan and Elevation of houses built by others or displayed in websites of builders..
So,I keep getting mails saying that I want a house like this without even bothering to check whether that particular plan of the house will fit in your plot dimensions,requirements and above all your budget constraints.
You have to understand clearly that any plan and Elevation will not suit your plot.You have to obtain that unique plan ideally suited for your plot,requirements,budget,tastes etc.Instead of trying to become an Architect on your own, leave that job to the expert,Architect and do not forget to give him all those information on what all you need in the house including your dreams and hopes for the house.
Architect will guide you properly.
Before deciding on which Architect to choose try to understand and find out more on the works so far done by the Architect.If you feel happy about his qualifications and experience in handling residential projects,then allow him to do the work without disturbance .
In my traditional christian family, years back it was considered great to have priests and nuns in the family circle even though of late their credibilty and status have declined a lot.When one client approached me for guidance right from selection of plot for house construction and related documentation,I thought I will be designing the house also.But when it came to preparation of plan of the house,just as we used to proclaim about having our own priest from the family,he said relative of his wife is an Architect and naturally he will do a better job than me possibly due to relationship.
But when I saw the plan prepared I could make out several basic flaws in the plan which will ultimately turn out to be inconvineances leading to lesser utilty for space and cause for increase of cost.He was not willing to listen to my mild suggestions and insisted that the Plan is the best possible having prepared by a relative.When the construction moved on, he realised the flaws but it was too late to do anything.
The relative also gave him a three dimensional Elevation for the house.When I told him that even though picture looks good with the colours,house built like that will not look good,he simply laughed at me.But when my prediction on deficiencies of Plan became clear to him,he told me to prepare an alternate three dimensional elevation whatever may be my charges.
Even though money is yours if you do not give Architect proper professional freedom to decide and choose the best for you,you may not get the best work from him.After all for him it is only one of the many houses he design and build.For you it is the only house you build in your life time for you and for generations to come.Make the Architect feel good for you to make him put that element of extra care for your project
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Less than 2000 square feet 4 bed house design
1900 square feet plinth area two bed rooms of size,300 x 360 cms (10 feet x 12 feet),two more bed rooms of size 300 x 270 cm(10 feet x 9 feet) with three toilets close to bed rooms(almost attached) house design is now ready with me
This house has got sit out at entry,living space as big as 450 x 360 cms(15 feet x 12 feet),Dining space as big as 330 x 405 cms with a stair moving up by the side of dining,Kitchen and work area spacious enough.
A guest bed close to living space with toilet nearby which can be used also as a common toilet,double height area above dining space at first floor,balcony and family living lounge at First Floor.Three bed rooms come at first floor.
Living room is seperated from inner rooms of the house providing privacy for family members to move freely inside the house.
Even though it is an economical design,the house will have a very attractive external appearance.Another major advantage for the design is that every room is well ventilated with almost day light natural lighting inside rooms
For this economical but good design please write to me at vhthomas@viruvelil.com
This house has got sit out at entry,living space as big as 450 x 360 cms(15 feet x 12 feet),Dining space as big as 330 x 405 cms with a stair moving up by the side of dining,Kitchen and work area spacious enough.
A guest bed close to living space with toilet nearby which can be used also as a common toilet,double height area above dining space at first floor,balcony and family living lounge at First Floor.Three bed rooms come at first floor.
Living room is seperated from inner rooms of the house providing privacy for family members to move freely inside the house.
Even though it is an economical design,the house will have a very attractive external appearance.Another major advantage for the design is that every room is well ventilated with almost day light natural lighting inside rooms
For this economical but good design please write to me at vhthomas@viruvelil.com
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Irinjalakuda house revisited
I visited Irinjalakuda house designed and built by me about two years back with my client for whom I am building house at Kuruppampady, Perumbavoor today
Only the old parents of my client is staying in the five bed room 4000 sft house. They are using only one bed room now. Rests of the rooms are simply kept locked. House is kept neat and tidy.
I have noticed the advantage of practically an open area comprising of foyer (where you enter the house through main door), Living, dining, stair way and Lounge where you reach after climbing stair. On two sides of stair which has a larger landing space in the middle as big as an inner balcony, there are two long round columns going full height to roof top of the house giving added elegance to the house.Foyer,Living and dining are separated only by open passages with decorative round pillars on both sides. On one side of the Family living space comprising dining area, you have common toilet and bed rooms on both sides. On the other side you have spacious kitchen connected with Utility area. Pictures show this area and stair
As the two old persons are practically having no activity there, I thought why they cannot use the large house with typical Kerala Architecture features and modern facilities to be used as a Home stay for foreign tourists. This will bring in regular income and will make the two of them staying there busy interacting with tourists and talking to them on Kerala and making them feel and experience Kerala Life, food and habits
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Lowest offer for building a house
In designing and building your dream house, the search for lowest offer for the house by collecting offers from two or three builders/contractors can actually put you into trouble. But the cruel fact is that you will come to know about the trouble only when you can simply do nothing about it-after construction of the house
In designing and building a house there is absolutely no meaning in checking up with two or three people as these two or three people will be doing the work in every aspect in two or three ways and hence you can never compare their offers as these are not going to be in the same level playing ground
I have built one bed room houses with a sit out, toilet, kitchen and a hall in 300 sft plinth area with concrete roof, concrete frames for doors and windows, without plastering (using solid block for walls) and with cheru teak and plastic shutters for joinery at a cost of Rs.50,000/- about five years back. I have built such 60 houses for a charity organisation.
Cost of constructing a house depends upon not exactly the plinth area of the house but what specifications you chose for each and every component of the house. For explaining this in a manner by which you will be able to understand is actually difficult as people generally have very little knowledge about house construction before they actually burn their fingers in the house building process
Before you start thinking about cost of construction, first you have to think, dream and thus figure out what exactly you need essentially in the house. Think about the minimum you need in the house. With this initial data you approach a qualified and experienced Architect. In this business of building houses experience matters a lot as every architect study a lot by making mistakes in each and every project. A man who has gone through several such projects can guide you properly.
Here one very important factor is that you should allow the Architect to guide you and not otherwise. I have seen several clients talking about foolish ideas one after another about the house to be built with an inner feeling that the money is his and the Architect should simply obey him. When the Architect starts simply obey you, you are definitely going to be in trouble .Give him the freedom to guide you properly and every professional Architect will guide you well. If you have financial constraints tell him openly about your limitations. He will make suitable adjustments in specifications of the house so that you will get best value for your money
If a builder simply make a low amount offer, it will be foolish to go after him without knowing details of what exactly you will get as specifications of building and each and every part and processes for the building. With same plinth area you can construct a low quality building and a high quality building with lot of difference in cost. Do not try to squeeze your funds with the builder. He will find ways to make profit even with your squeezing of funds. Quality of your house construction naturally will suffer and the builder definitely will not be around to suffer the problems in the house later due to quality compromises.
In designing and building a house there is absolutely no meaning in checking up with two or three people as these two or three people will be doing the work in every aspect in two or three ways and hence you can never compare their offers as these are not going to be in the same level playing ground
I have built one bed room houses with a sit out, toilet, kitchen and a hall in 300 sft plinth area with concrete roof, concrete frames for doors and windows, without plastering (using solid block for walls) and with cheru teak and plastic shutters for joinery at a cost of Rs.50,000/- about five years back. I have built such 60 houses for a charity organisation.
Cost of constructing a house depends upon not exactly the plinth area of the house but what specifications you chose for each and every component of the house. For explaining this in a manner by which you will be able to understand is actually difficult as people generally have very little knowledge about house construction before they actually burn their fingers in the house building process
Before you start thinking about cost of construction, first you have to think, dream and thus figure out what exactly you need essentially in the house. Think about the minimum you need in the house. With this initial data you approach a qualified and experienced Architect. In this business of building houses experience matters a lot as every architect study a lot by making mistakes in each and every project. A man who has gone through several such projects can guide you properly.
Here one very important factor is that you should allow the Architect to guide you and not otherwise. I have seen several clients talking about foolish ideas one after another about the house to be built with an inner feeling that the money is his and the Architect should simply obey him. When the Architect starts simply obey you, you are definitely going to be in trouble .Give him the freedom to guide you properly and every professional Architect will guide you well. If you have financial constraints tell him openly about your limitations. He will make suitable adjustments in specifications of the house so that you will get best value for your money
If a builder simply make a low amount offer, it will be foolish to go after him without knowing details of what exactly you will get as specifications of building and each and every part and processes for the building. With same plinth area you can construct a low quality building and a high quality building with lot of difference in cost. Do not try to squeeze your funds with the builder. He will find ways to make profit even with your squeezing of funds. Quality of your house construction naturally will suffer and the builder definitely will not be around to suffer the problems in the house later due to quality compromises.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Difference between custom built house construction and commercial building projects
Designing as per your requirements and constructing a house in your land is not exactly similar to buying an apartment or villa from a builder. In the case of buying a house from a builder you have no say or control on the following
1. Design of the house
2. Structural design for the building
3. Quality control on construction
4. Price of the finished product
5. Specifications of all input materials, items used for construction
6. Payment schedules
For any such builder who offers an apartment or villa, all specifications including detailed bill of materials are available with him. Just like any other manufacturer he prices his product with margins as high as 50 % to even up to 200% or more against his input costs which are under his control to a great extent as he is not liable to be cross checked or inspected for any aspects of construction till finish of project with specifications already frozen by the builder and accepted by buyer. In most of the cases builder gets more than adequate advance of funds from the buyer. A buyer who books the apartment or villa before commencement of construction gets a price less than the price which a buyer on completion of project is offering. That does not mean that the buyer before construction gets price with very low margin to the builder. Builder in turn gets much higher margin from buyer approaching him on completion or nearing completion stage of the project.
In situation where the demand for the house is in excess of construction projects available, naturally the margin of the builder goes up. This enhancement of margin is treated as price increase by the buyers when actually there need not necessarily be a cost increase in inputs of construction. Another point to be noted here is that almost all builders form a cartel just like any other organized business sector so that price levels are kept at a higher level to maximize profit for that class of builders or business group
In India there is not exactly an economic recession. May be there is an economic growth slow down with GDP growth coming down from 9% to as low as 6%.This economic slowdown has not produced any price reduction in the case of cost of inputs to any industry. Huge margins of business segments operating with cartelized pricing has come down as a result of lesser demand for their products and services. That does not mean that basic prices for construction inputs have come down. In fact basic raw material and labour costs are always gradually increasing with time.
When we take up construction of your house, we are not acting like a usual builder of apartments or villas.
We design your house specifically for your plot considering its peculiarities and specific features and your requirements to the extent possible considering limitations of plot, architectural, structural and Vasthu constraints.
Estimate we prepare is based on the available data considering present basic input costs. Unlike usual builders we are not operating with frozen design and specifications. Design parameters and specifications can be changed by mutual discussions and as per professional suggestions from our side to improve quality, utilty and better appearance and finish of the house at any stage. Initial estimate prepared may not have considered many aspects like details of exact specifications works after completion of structural work like Electrical, plumbing, flooring, painting, interior wood work, landscape work, compound wall work etc.Initial estimate simply gives you an indication of cost that can be expected based on data available prior to construction.
Basic input costs for construction can go up or come down depending upon market conditions (These market conditions are not cartel pricing changes by a small business community) During one year or more required for completion of the house basic input costs can vary and therefore even rates indicated by us in initial estimate for various items of construction can also change.
In clearer terms you are actually acting as a manufacturer of the house with complete freedom to suitably modify specifications for construction of the house at every stage of construction. Unlike a builder in the building business class, we ensure that every design details are fully correct and the best possible without limiting or compromising to bring down input costs to maximize profit.Infact unit costs for each item in the construction indicated in the estimate has not considered not more than 10% margin for our work. Unlike a commercial builder operating with huge margins, we may not be able to absorb input cost increases and increase or decrease in input costs will have to be passed on to you. This is precisely why we give stage estimates prior to each stage of construction which are binding on us for the billing to take place immediately after that particular stage of construction.
A commercial builder can give a square feet cost for construction as he is operating with frozen specifications and quality not counter checked even by his customer and margin of operation known only to him protected by his competitors due to cartel pricing. In reality if you look at cost of building construction on the basis of input costs, there is no meaning for the term, square feet cost. For details on this you can refer to my blog entry on square feet cost
Initial estimate given naturally cannot correctly quantify or assess data for finishing work for a custom built house .Data for these will be available at that stage based on our mutual discussions and finalisation considering also your funds availability at that stage
Contractors do not give an almost realistic costing indication to the prospective client as the client is likely to seek alternative arrangements thinking that the cost indication is high. Alternate contractor will also try to mislead the potential customer with less cost indication in the beginning as the client will have no other option other than sticking to the contractor after commencement of work and realizing the fact that no builder or contractor is insulated from varying basic cost inputs except when quality of construction can be compromised.
1. Design of the house
2. Structural design for the building
3. Quality control on construction
4. Price of the finished product
5. Specifications of all input materials, items used for construction
6. Payment schedules
For any such builder who offers an apartment or villa, all specifications including detailed bill of materials are available with him. Just like any other manufacturer he prices his product with margins as high as 50 % to even up to 200% or more against his input costs which are under his control to a great extent as he is not liable to be cross checked or inspected for any aspects of construction till finish of project with specifications already frozen by the builder and accepted by buyer. In most of the cases builder gets more than adequate advance of funds from the buyer. A buyer who books the apartment or villa before commencement of construction gets a price less than the price which a buyer on completion of project is offering. That does not mean that the buyer before construction gets price with very low margin to the builder. Builder in turn gets much higher margin from buyer approaching him on completion or nearing completion stage of the project.
In situation where the demand for the house is in excess of construction projects available, naturally the margin of the builder goes up. This enhancement of margin is treated as price increase by the buyers when actually there need not necessarily be a cost increase in inputs of construction. Another point to be noted here is that almost all builders form a cartel just like any other organized business sector so that price levels are kept at a higher level to maximize profit for that class of builders or business group
In India there is not exactly an economic recession. May be there is an economic growth slow down with GDP growth coming down from 9% to as low as 6%.This economic slowdown has not produced any price reduction in the case of cost of inputs to any industry. Huge margins of business segments operating with cartelized pricing has come down as a result of lesser demand for their products and services. That does not mean that basic prices for construction inputs have come down. In fact basic raw material and labour costs are always gradually increasing with time.
When we take up construction of your house, we are not acting like a usual builder of apartments or villas.
We design your house specifically for your plot considering its peculiarities and specific features and your requirements to the extent possible considering limitations of plot, architectural, structural and Vasthu constraints.
Estimate we prepare is based on the available data considering present basic input costs. Unlike usual builders we are not operating with frozen design and specifications. Design parameters and specifications can be changed by mutual discussions and as per professional suggestions from our side to improve quality, utilty and better appearance and finish of the house at any stage. Initial estimate prepared may not have considered many aspects like details of exact specifications works after completion of structural work like Electrical, plumbing, flooring, painting, interior wood work, landscape work, compound wall work etc.Initial estimate simply gives you an indication of cost that can be expected based on data available prior to construction.
Basic input costs for construction can go up or come down depending upon market conditions (These market conditions are not cartel pricing changes by a small business community) During one year or more required for completion of the house basic input costs can vary and therefore even rates indicated by us in initial estimate for various items of construction can also change.
In clearer terms you are actually acting as a manufacturer of the house with complete freedom to suitably modify specifications for construction of the house at every stage of construction. Unlike a builder in the building business class, we ensure that every design details are fully correct and the best possible without limiting or compromising to bring down input costs to maximize profit.Infact unit costs for each item in the construction indicated in the estimate has not considered not more than 10% margin for our work. Unlike a commercial builder operating with huge margins, we may not be able to absorb input cost increases and increase or decrease in input costs will have to be passed on to you. This is precisely why we give stage estimates prior to each stage of construction which are binding on us for the billing to take place immediately after that particular stage of construction.
A commercial builder can give a square feet cost for construction as he is operating with frozen specifications and quality not counter checked even by his customer and margin of operation known only to him protected by his competitors due to cartel pricing. In reality if you look at cost of building construction on the basis of input costs, there is no meaning for the term, square feet cost. For details on this you can refer to my blog entry on square feet cost
Initial estimate given naturally cannot correctly quantify or assess data for finishing work for a custom built house .Data for these will be available at that stage based on our mutual discussions and finalisation considering also your funds availability at that stage
Contractors do not give an almost realistic costing indication to the prospective client as the client is likely to seek alternative arrangements thinking that the cost indication is high. Alternate contractor will also try to mislead the potential customer with less cost indication in the beginning as the client will have no other option other than sticking to the contractor after commencement of work and realizing the fact that no builder or contractor is insulated from varying basic cost inputs except when quality of construction can be compromised.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Design and Construction of house
I keep getting mails from Keralites living in different parts of world saying that he/she intend to construct house in Kerala. Most of them simply ask me how much it will cost to construct a house without even bothering to tell even the place for construction. Most of them simply think that construction of a house is as simple as going and buying something from the market. It is definitely not that simple
1. Prepare a list of what you need in the house
Starting point for construction of a house is preparing a list of what all rooms, facilities you need in the house. Try to make this list after detailed discussions and obtaining inputs from all members of the family. Of course later while discussing with an Architect he may suggest changes and improvements on this wish list based on his knowledge and experience in designing and building houses for many
2. Site visit by Architect
Site visit by an Architect is essential for him to properly visualize your dream home. An experienced Architect can see in his mind how the house should look when completed. If the Architect is well versed in Vasthu, he can also decide on appropriate positions for each room as per Vasthu requirements. A well designed plan is the most important aspect of construction of a house. Even if you pay more for a good design by obtaining a better qualified and experienced Architect, you will save lakhs of rupees and can avoid inconveniences and wastage of space that can occur due to improper design
3. Finalising the Plan
Based on initial requirement details given by you, Architect will prepare a plan showing positions and dimensions of rooms, doors and windows. From the plan drawing you may not be able to understand properly features of the Plan. Hence it is better to get a detailed briefing from the Architect on features of the plan, advantages and disadvantages of the Plan. It will also be better if you obtain a second opinion on the plan from an equally qualified and experienced Architect and try to discuss points raised by second consultant with the first consultant so that you can be sure that the plan prepared is the best considering your site conditions, requirements and financial arrangements
4. Engineering Estimate
Before finalising on the plan try to get an Engineering estimate giving item wise costing at least for the structural part of the building as interior and finishing works can be estimated after completion of structural part of the building depending upon your financial condition at that stage. On the finishing work to be done you will get a clearer picture after the structural work as you can visualize better works required at that stage. If structural costing is not within your reach you can revise the plan at that drawing stage itself rather than waiting for changes after commencement of work
5. Selecting a contractor for the work
While a selecting someone to carry out the work you should try to get someone associated with a professional Architect who will follow procedures of work strictly as per quality standards of an Architect/Engineer with proper structural design for each steel and concrete parts of the building. You should not simply go for the lowest quotation as it can be costly for proper construction of your building in the long run
Like above points there are several matters to be carefully implemented during design and construction of house. You can mail me for free consultation on any stage of construction of your building by writing to vhthomas@viruvelil.com
You will get a prompt reply from me
1. Prepare a list of what you need in the house
Starting point for construction of a house is preparing a list of what all rooms, facilities you need in the house. Try to make this list after detailed discussions and obtaining inputs from all members of the family. Of course later while discussing with an Architect he may suggest changes and improvements on this wish list based on his knowledge and experience in designing and building houses for many
2. Site visit by Architect
Site visit by an Architect is essential for him to properly visualize your dream home. An experienced Architect can see in his mind how the house should look when completed. If the Architect is well versed in Vasthu, he can also decide on appropriate positions for each room as per Vasthu requirements. A well designed plan is the most important aspect of construction of a house. Even if you pay more for a good design by obtaining a better qualified and experienced Architect, you will save lakhs of rupees and can avoid inconveniences and wastage of space that can occur due to improper design
3. Finalising the Plan
Based on initial requirement details given by you, Architect will prepare a plan showing positions and dimensions of rooms, doors and windows. From the plan drawing you may not be able to understand properly features of the Plan. Hence it is better to get a detailed briefing from the Architect on features of the plan, advantages and disadvantages of the Plan. It will also be better if you obtain a second opinion on the plan from an equally qualified and experienced Architect and try to discuss points raised by second consultant with the first consultant so that you can be sure that the plan prepared is the best considering your site conditions, requirements and financial arrangements
4. Engineering Estimate
Before finalising on the plan try to get an Engineering estimate giving item wise costing at least for the structural part of the building as interior and finishing works can be estimated after completion of structural part of the building depending upon your financial condition at that stage. On the finishing work to be done you will get a clearer picture after the structural work as you can visualize better works required at that stage. If structural costing is not within your reach you can revise the plan at that drawing stage itself rather than waiting for changes after commencement of work
5. Selecting a contractor for the work
While a selecting someone to carry out the work you should try to get someone associated with a professional Architect who will follow procedures of work strictly as per quality standards of an Architect/Engineer with proper structural design for each steel and concrete parts of the building. You should not simply go for the lowest quotation as it can be costly for proper construction of your building in the long run
Like above points there are several matters to be carefully implemented during design and construction of house. You can mail me for free consultation on any stage of construction of your building by writing to vhthomas@viruvelil.com
You will get a prompt reply from me
Buying land in Kerala for house construction
When you want to buy land in Kerala for the purpose of constructing a house, several aspects has to be considered and verified before you make a decision on land purchase
1. Technical aspects
First of all, try to buy original land without any filling during the last ten years. Construction cost especially foundation cost can go high with concrete piling even for two storied building if you buy filled up land which was originally marshy land with clay . When you buy land in Cochin most places of Cochin are filled up land without even a trace of sand for several meters depth
Plot should have free access to road with at least seven feet width and preferably not less than 10 feet width. If you buy land without road wide enough for easy passage of truck, transporting construction materials to site will become very costly
As per building rules you have to leave 3M from front road and from sides 1 or 1.2 M if the side of the plot does not have any road or even private passage. In the case of passages ending with dead end coming in sides, you will have to leave minimum 2 M in that side. Otherwise for a regular road on sides, you will have to again leave 3M on the sides also. Thus a plot having roads on all sides will have much less space for building when you have to comply with Kerala Building rules. In the case of a normal two storied building you will have to leave 1.5 M on the rear side also
Plot should preferably have larger length in the side where it faces road. Do not simply go by area of the land usually referred in Kerala as cents. One cent is an area of the land which is equal to 435 square feet. A plot with lesser dimension in the side facing road with larger depth will be inconvenient for construction of the house and due to lesser frontage your Architect will not be able to design a house with better front appearance for such a plot
A plot should preferably have not less than 12 M frontage for small plots. But for bigger plots frontage length of about 25 M will be better. Even though too much depth will not be of much use, for smaller plots again 12 to 15M depth is preferred when you have an almost equal or nearer frontage length. For bigger plots again depth of about 20 M is preferred
You have to check up with local authority whether the plot is included in any of the government schemes. If so you may not get building permit after buying the land for construction of house
As you may not be fully aware of all aspects it is better to get the plot inspected by a technically qualified person experienced in construction of houses before you decide to buy the plot
2. Vasthu aspects
As per Vasthu plot with road facing the following directions in that order is best suited for construction of house
1. East
2. North
3. West
4. South
However Vasthu stipulates ideal positions for rooms for houses facing each direction. Even for house s facing south, there is no problems expected if you follow instructions for South facing house as per Vasthu while preparing Plan of the house by properly placing each type of room of the house
You should avoid buying plot where a road or passage ends. This plot is expected to bring all sorts of problems and misery to those who live there
There are several other aspects to be considered as Per Vasthu before you buy a plot of land. Hence it is better to get the land inspected by a Vasthu consultant before you decide to buy the plot
3. Legal aspects
You have to get all documents related to the land verified by a lawyer experienced in civil cases. The following documents will have to be obtained in original before making payment for the land in addition to what additional documents a lawyer may call for after examining documents related to the land which you plan to buy
1. Original deed
2. Original previous deed if the property was not divided earlier and copy of previous deed if the property was divided prior to earlier transaction
3. Land tax receipt in the name of seller issued by concerned Village office
4. Possession certificate issued by concerned village Office in the name of seller
5. Location certificate issued by concerned Village office in the name of seller
6. Non encumbrance certificate for 14 years issued by concerned Registrar office
You will also have to get services of a reliable document writer for carrying out all formalities related to purchase of property. If you can get the services of a professional agency like ours who will arrange and coordinate all the above by various agencies together, it will be better and less troublesome for you as a buyer of land
1. Technical aspects
First of all, try to buy original land without any filling during the last ten years. Construction cost especially foundation cost can go high with concrete piling even for two storied building if you buy filled up land which was originally marshy land with clay . When you buy land in Cochin most places of Cochin are filled up land without even a trace of sand for several meters depth
Plot should have free access to road with at least seven feet width and preferably not less than 10 feet width. If you buy land without road wide enough for easy passage of truck, transporting construction materials to site will become very costly
As per building rules you have to leave 3M from front road and from sides 1 or 1.2 M if the side of the plot does not have any road or even private passage. In the case of passages ending with dead end coming in sides, you will have to leave minimum 2 M in that side. Otherwise for a regular road on sides, you will have to again leave 3M on the sides also. Thus a plot having roads on all sides will have much less space for building when you have to comply with Kerala Building rules. In the case of a normal two storied building you will have to leave 1.5 M on the rear side also
Plot should preferably have larger length in the side where it faces road. Do not simply go by area of the land usually referred in Kerala as cents. One cent is an area of the land which is equal to 435 square feet. A plot with lesser dimension in the side facing road with larger depth will be inconvenient for construction of the house and due to lesser frontage your Architect will not be able to design a house with better front appearance for such a plot
A plot should preferably have not less than 12 M frontage for small plots. But for bigger plots frontage length of about 25 M will be better. Even though too much depth will not be of much use, for smaller plots again 12 to 15M depth is preferred when you have an almost equal or nearer frontage length. For bigger plots again depth of about 20 M is preferred
You have to check up with local authority whether the plot is included in any of the government schemes. If so you may not get building permit after buying the land for construction of house
As you may not be fully aware of all aspects it is better to get the plot inspected by a technically qualified person experienced in construction of houses before you decide to buy the plot
2. Vasthu aspects
As per Vasthu plot with road facing the following directions in that order is best suited for construction of house
1. East
2. North
3. West
4. South
However Vasthu stipulates ideal positions for rooms for houses facing each direction. Even for house s facing south, there is no problems expected if you follow instructions for South facing house as per Vasthu while preparing Plan of the house by properly placing each type of room of the house
You should avoid buying plot where a road or passage ends. This plot is expected to bring all sorts of problems and misery to those who live there
There are several other aspects to be considered as Per Vasthu before you buy a plot of land. Hence it is better to get the land inspected by a Vasthu consultant before you decide to buy the plot
3. Legal aspects
You have to get all documents related to the land verified by a lawyer experienced in civil cases. The following documents will have to be obtained in original before making payment for the land in addition to what additional documents a lawyer may call for after examining documents related to the land which you plan to buy
1. Original deed
2. Original previous deed if the property was not divided earlier and copy of previous deed if the property was divided prior to earlier transaction
3. Land tax receipt in the name of seller issued by concerned Village office
4. Possession certificate issued by concerned village Office in the name of seller
5. Location certificate issued by concerned Village office in the name of seller
6. Non encumbrance certificate for 14 years issued by concerned Registrar office
You will also have to get services of a reliable document writer for carrying out all formalities related to purchase of property. If you can get the services of a professional agency like ours who will arrange and coordinate all the above by various agencies together, it will be better and less troublesome for you as a buyer of land
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Kerala Architecture
Kerala is a state of India in the southern tip with Arabian Sea kissing its sands on the western long side. On the eastern side, hilly plantations and greenery rich with spice plantations like cardamom, coffee, tea, pepper. From the east to west from hilly green forests to seashore, several rivers flow to join lakes and finally flowing down to join with the sea.
A real delight for the eyes and psyche of any tourist, Kerala is the most beautiful state of India and even one of the most beautiful places in Earth
Kerala also has got a rich history of art, culture and naturally architecture of its own. People from all over the world used to come to Kerala mainly for spices produced by eastern hilly regions of Kerala. They brought along alien culture, languages, religions and architecture. Kerala Architecture of today is influenced by the alien culture and architecture brought by people and cultural influences brought by them to Kerala from outside the state and outside India .But original Kerala Architecture has its own unique features
We, at Kerala architecture.com is trying to make you understand Kerala Architecture of today. This website is owned and operated by VIRUVELIL group of Companies doing architectural design and construction of buildings in Kerala based at Cochin
We are trying to document visually and by words salient features of Kerala Architecture
This site will be constantly updated, modified and added to provide a real picture of Kerala Architecture as it exists today. All suggestions, inputs, pictures, information are welcome
info@viruvelil.com
vhthomas@viruvelil.com
Help Line-00 91 9388701702, 00 91 9388701700, 00 91 9388701707
00 91 4842536895, 00 91 484 6571155
Fax-00 91 4842531671
A real delight for the eyes and psyche of any tourist, Kerala is the most beautiful state of India and even one of the most beautiful places in Earth
Kerala also has got a rich history of art, culture and naturally architecture of its own. People from all over the world used to come to Kerala mainly for spices produced by eastern hilly regions of Kerala. They brought along alien culture, languages, religions and architecture. Kerala Architecture of today is influenced by the alien culture and architecture brought by people and cultural influences brought by them to Kerala from outside the state and outside India .But original Kerala Architecture has its own unique features
We, at Kerala architecture.com is trying to make you understand Kerala Architecture of today. This website is owned and operated by VIRUVELIL group of Companies doing architectural design and construction of buildings in Kerala based at Cochin
We are trying to document visually and by words salient features of Kerala Architecture
This site will be constantly updated, modified and added to provide a real picture of Kerala Architecture as it exists today. All suggestions, inputs, pictures, information are welcome
info@viruvelil.com
vhthomas@viruvelil.com
Help Line-00 91 9388701702, 00 91 9388701700, 00 91 9388701707
00 91 4842536895, 00 91 484 6571155
Fax-00 91 4842531671
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