Sunday, December 1, 2013

Free Consultation,1,December,2012

House design and Construction

Query-1

Construction of house in earlier paddy field

Dear Mr. Thomas,

I am having 91 cents of paddy land which was given to me by my father through his VILL under Guruvayoor Municipality.   Since many years there is no any cultivation. Half portion of the paddy land has been filled and big coconut trees, mango trees and bamboo are there.  Half of the portion is not filled and laying un-cultivated.  I am a retired Army person and presently living in Bangalore due to my children education.  

Now I want to come to native and construct a house in the land given to me.  But as per rules people are saying that permission will not be given to construct a house in paddy land.  

Please advise me the action to be taken for construction of a house in the paddy land.  I do not have any other land.

Looking for your valuable advise.

Andrew

My reply

Do not simply go by what people say. You have to enquire with town planning section of Guruvayoor municipality by giving specific details about the plot like copy of your title deed ,survey No's and location sketch. If you need for us to depute some one to Guruvayoor to make enquiries, we will let you know charges applicable. If you can get services of a local Architect/Engineer with license for local administration, they will check up status and let you know how to proceed on the matter.

Query-2

House design and construction by a Civil Engineer

I go through your blog and i felt its quite interesting. I have one query regarding the permission obtaining from panchayat ...am planning to build a 2100 sft house in my 12 cent plot and it is near to 2 meter width panchayat road. My doubt is can i get permission directly without any help of a civil engineer to build a house there from panchayat as my wife she can draw the diagram and do other things by herself (she is a civil engineer).  Is there any new rule if build a house more than 2000 sft?

My reply

You need services of an Architect/Engineer who is well versed with Building rules to proceed on the matter. Just by passing B tech/diploma in civil Engineering from an educational institution do not make any one capable of designing the best house possible.

Even after designing Basic plan, you require detailed Architectural/Structural engineering drawings, information and guidance on latest technology adopted in the field/latest trends etc. Thus from beginning to end of house construction you need services of  a well qualified and experienced professional. Probably engineering education of your wife may help her understand the professional in a better manner than a lay man and it may help in interacting with the experienced professional better.

I am not aware of any new restrictions for house construction above 2000 sft plinth area

2000 sft single floor house

2000 sft plinth area,three bed room  single floor house designed by us with two bed room attached,another bed room with common toilet and wash area close to it and dining space,with all usual facilities like separate living,dining,Kitchen,Work area,car porch,spacious sit out with wooden charupady and traditional Kerala Architecture Poomukham

Have a look at the Elevation and contact us if you would like to have the design or build a similar house by our professional team in your land.

joseph koshy-29-11-13

Email me to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

or Call 9388701702,9388701707 ,9388701700

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Free Consultation,28,Nov,13

House Construction

Query-1

My contractor is charging 1475/Sqft only for the cement an metal work without flooring, wood work, toilet work . ..etc Is it too much?

Zachariah

My reply

Square feet cost is a vague term which has no scientific basis. For a manufacturing activity which takes not less than one year to complete with hundreds of materials and quite a  few different type of labour for which cost goes up everyday, contractor is making a wild guess or gambling by giving a square feet rate. If there are hundred contractors each of them follow different standards(If at all they have any standards),different materials of different quantity, with different capability workers .

How can you compare rate of one contractor to another? As you will not give work without quoting a square feet rate, he is giving you such a rate. If he is smart ,lucky and capable of doing compromises in quality of construction without you noticing or understanding it, he may make good profit in spite of rising cost of all inputs. Unless you have a professional design, detailed implementation drawings by qualified experienced professional and mechanism to check construction going on, contractor will work as he pleases to get more profit

Query-2

we are building our home and in the foundation above ground level, my mason told me to fill m sand clay so that no fungal problem later. is it right or better use the red sand for filling?

Joseph

My reply

Red sand or gravel filling is fine if you use powdery form with forced filling of sand with water.To prevent pest in future,you have to get pest control treatment of inside basement and outside.There are professional agencies doing such pest control treatments.You can have a consultation visit by me to your site.

During the visit, I can study your problem in detail, take measurements from site and check on following aspects related to building/plot

1. Vasthu compliance

2. Architectural defects if any and improvements/modifications possible

3. Structural Engineering defects if any and improvements/modifications possible

4. Advice on future works related to building /plot

5. What our company can do to improve your construction work by quality, cost reduction and value addition of space

Write to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

or call 9388701702,9388701707,9388701700

Query-3

I would like to build a economic house at my plot in Kannur which is 70 cents.

I want build a house with Nadumuttam and with 4bedrooms. Approximate cost may fall to 50lakhs.

I need a consultant to site survey design complete drawing vasthu based traditional house.

What is the cost of consultation. How is it calculated? I have local contractor. Design must be introduced to my contractor. Please help me.

Francis

My reply

For building Design and Construction ,all architects are not alike.Each differ from other based on qualifications,talent,and exposure to design and construction of house.Naturally each person charge you in a different manner.

Even contractors differ from each other.I do not understand how can any one compare rates given by different contractors who do work in different manner with different engineering and quality standards

If we have to act as consultants for your house design and construction,we have to first visit site,study site conditions,discuss with you in detail on your needs for house and then start working on appropriate plan of the house for you which is the most important part of designing and building a house.Once the plan is discussed and finalised,we move on to construction either directly or as consultant in case you have a local contractor.

When we take up work directly and even when we act as consultants we give proper professional detailed Architectural and Structural Engineering drawings for each stage of construction to ensure that your house is not built as per convenience of an almost illiterate contractor simply to increase his profit while talking nicely with lots of smiles to you

In our projects each work is monitored properly to ensure the best possible and best engineering/Architectural standards.While we offer to give you good elements of traditional Kerala Architecture,we ensure that latest technology /trends are available to your only house.In short,goodness of tradition with excellence of modern technology

Query-4

Dear Sir, I have gone through your blog and it is very informative. 

Please clarify my doubt on construction of Hostel. I have a 3 cent plot near to techno park and would like to construct one Executive Hostel for bachelors. My doubt is,whether it is possible to construct a 3 storey hostel in 3 cents of land? 

How may rooms can be constructed legally, in a 3 cents of land?

Do we require any special approvals for constructing lodges/ hostels?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Vinod

My reply

Cents do not give any idea on frontage available close to road.Cents of land indicates only area of land.Specific side measurements are required to know how much can be built.Positions of roads nearby is also important.A local Architect/Engineer will be able to guide you on this after a site visit.You can also check with concerned local authority office with specific details of the plot like Survey No and location

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Haripad House,nearing completion

Compound wall and gate with different style based on traditional Kerala Architecture and modern architecture elements.See pictures:

DSC02365DSC02368

DSC02398DSC02402

Front Main door in teak wood with hand carving using features of traditional Kerala Architecture with excellence in hand carving.See pictures:

DSC02374DSC02378DSC02382

Stair case with hand carving in Kerala Plantation teak wood.The best you can get with traditional glory of Kerala Architecture.See pictures:

DSC02385DSC02386DSC02392DSC02393

Front views of the house

This 3000 sft plinth area house with four bed rooms and all usual features of a modern house is also pleasant in external appearance with richness of Kerala Architecture features.Once,hand carved teak wood charupady is added to traditional Poomukham,this house turns out to be another unique work of Architect Thomas Viruvelil.A house you can be proud of being an achievement in your life time and almost a dream house,come real.

If you would like to have a similar dream house,contact

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

9388701702,9388701707,9388701700

See few pictures of front views:

DSC02370DSC02371DSC02372DSC02373 

DSC02384DSC02401

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Hand carved teak wood Stair case with a difference,Cherthala House

Cherthala house designed and built by us has a special hand carved teak wood stair case.You cannot see a similar stair case any where as each of stair posts are carved by our expert craftsmen in the form of a tree.See the pictures:

DSC01511DSC01515DSC01516DSC01517DSC01536DSC01518

If you need a similar or a different type of hand carved stair case for your house even if it is not designed and built by us, write to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

or call

9388701702,9388701707,9388701700

Hand carved Interior wood work at Cherthala house designed and built by us

1.Front door

See pictures

 

DSC01494DSC01546

DSC01634DSC01651

DSC01639DSC01666

Thursday, November 7, 2013

All those years of study,research and hard work do not mean anything?

It is nearly twenty years since I started designing and building houses for my clients in Kerala. During these years I had been studying closely with utmost attention on details about house design and construction. I have done several experiments, attempts, trying out ideas, developing new ways of doing while studying and questioning old established ways of design and construction. In fact it was a long journey of study, research and development. What I am today is mostly due to this hard work over years almost fully dedicated to the profession.

I have also tried communicating with lots of people in different parts of the world through my blogs trying to create awareness of need for professional design, involvement and guidance from beginning to end of constructing a house in Kerala. I knew it is tough to change mindset of Kerala people who still have the feeling and belief that a local mason without any formal education or training is all that required to design and build a house.

One thing which surprises me a lot is, people still ask me about Engineering college which I studied as if those four years is the only period in my life when I got all knowledge for being a professional in building construction. I quite often smile or laugh hearing a question like that. In fact those four years I hardly studied anything. May be a few vocabulary in technical jargon. Nothing more. May be building up few friendships which in later life do not mean much. Those four years were an attempt to get through those exams somehow or the other, rather than a determined quest for learning and developing knowledge in Architecture, Structural Engineering, and Art related to design and construction and Vasthu.

I do not know why people still think that those years in college are the most important part of learning. On this aspect there was a funny incident in high court of Kerala recently when a Judge asked a lawyer how much VS Achuthanandan studied in school. Lawyer replied: “Possibly up to seventh standard” Judge then offered to teach legal procedure to “ignorant “VS. His reply when this matter was brought to his attention is similar to my ideas given earlier:

”I have studied for 70 long years in the school of world interacting with people. No one can give a better education to me”

A successful professional is not produced by any engineering or other professional training schools/colleges. It is the result of determined efforts of the person to become a successful professional. In this process, no chapter is left out of study. No copying of assignments is done. No cheating in exam hall is there. No favour from any teacher is required.

A good professional try hard to win full marks for his study. He does not want to miss even one mark. Because, he is not trying to convince some one about his capability and efforts. He is doing it to satisfy his own mind trying hard to reach perfection and no compromises are acceptable in that process.

#Spiral stair case in Mahagony wood:Cochin house project

We, at Viruvelil Group of companies specialises in designing and building houses in Kerala with glory and fine nature of traditional Kerala Architecture.

We simply do not build houses to compete with those contractors fighting with each other quoting square feet rates of construction. We design and build your dream house with all goodness of traditional Kerala Architecture using latest technology in Architecture and Structural Engineering

Houses designed and built by us are designed to comply with Vasthu requirements fully to ensure that you get a peaceful life in the house with prosperity caused by Vasthu compliance

Every bit of your house is designed and built with expertise gained by designing thousands of houses in Kerala and building directly more than 200 houses in Kerala with each client treasuring the unique house designed and built by us for them.

We do not treat stair case of a house as something to be hidden in a corner of house with U shape which gives a dark area underneath which cannot be used in any manner. Instead we keep stair case as a central attraction and display portion of your house as each of our teak wood stair case  are made for you  specially  hand carved by our expert craftsmen with all the glory and traditional excellence of Kerala Architecture. Look at some of the stair cases done by us.

Look at spiral stair case done for a Cochin house project in Mahagony wood without hand carving. This stair has a sort of balcony in between while you climb stair up

You can also have such stair cases designed and installed at your house even if house is not designed and built by us

Contact us at

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

or call us at

9388701702 or 9388701707 or 9388701700

See pictures

DSC00243DSC00244DSC00245DSC00248DSC00249DSC00250

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

#Kerala Architecture:Hand carved teak wood stair cases with traditional look

We,at Viruvelil Group of companies specialises in designing and building houses in Kerala with glory and fine nature of traditional Kerala Architecture.

We simply do not build houses to compete with those contractors fighting with each other quoting square feet rates of construction.We design and build your dream house with all goodness of traditional Kerala Architecture using latest technology in Architecture and Structural Engineering

Houses designed and built by us are designed to comply with Vasthu requirements fully to ensure that you get a peaceful life in the house with prosperity caused by Vasthu compliance

Every bit of your house is designed and built with expertise gained by designing thousands of houses in Kerala and building directly more than 200 houses in Kerala with each client treasuring the unique house designed and built by us for them.

We do not treat stair case of a house as something to be hidden in a corner of house with U shape which gives a dark area underneath which cannot be used in any manner.Instead we keep stair case as a central attraction and display portion of your house as each of our teak wood stair case  are made for you  specially  hand carved by our expert craftsmen with all the glory and traditional excellence of Kerala Architecture.Look at some of the stair cases done by us.I will start with Irinjalakuda house stair case which is centrally placed in a 4000 sft plinth area house.Stair case acts as major attraction of the house

You can also have such stair cases designed and installed at your house even if house is not designed and built by us

Contact us at

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

or call us at

9388701702 or 9388701707 or 9388701700

Irinjalakuda house stair case pictures

DSC01107DSC01108DSC01109DSC01117DSC01273DSC01274DSC01275DSC02541DSC02556

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Free Consultation,25,October,2013

 Topic 1:House Construction

Query-1

I made a house 2000 s feet,I have to plan laying full granite,please advise how much it cost and more used colors.

Kumar

My reply

Present trend is to avoid use of granite and marble for flooring as much more attractive tiles with lesser cost and with anti slippery properties are available.If you need advice on flooring and other finishing works of house, please get back to me to vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Query-2

My name is Sony ,currently working in Saudi Arabia.  I

I am planning to build a small home in , Pathanamthitta District.  My plan is a small home of maximum 1500 Sq. Ft. built up area.  I prefer a small home because of the future cleaning maintenance cost & problems.  Moreover, i think,  for a small home i can use good quality materials for plumbing, electrical accessories and a good interior works also.

As per my plan, 03 Rooms (with 02 attached bath) a kitchen, work area, common & family living space, in this 1500 Sq. Ft. area.

Could you please advise me an approximate cost per Sq. Feet separately for the Structure, Electrical and Plumbing works with normal standard materials & specifications, to finalize the basic plan size for the home.  I know that you can't provide an exact cost without any details, and this cost is just to decide on an area to finalize the size of the home only.  

I plan to proceed on a plan, after deciding on a final area of the building.  This is important for me because i don't like to go for a home loan and i would like to make it on cash payment basis.

If you can provide me a vague idea of the cost involved, it will be of much help for me in this primary stage.

Sony

Query-3

My house work is going on...it is 2000 sq. ft. including car porch. 3bedrooms attached, one common bathroom, living dining etc.'we have given it on contract basis for 1600 per sq. ft. It will be around 34 lakhs...wish to know whether this price is too high?
My reply

Three bed room single floor house may cost around Rs.30 Lakhs(Guess Estimate).There is no such standard square feet cost of construction applicable anywhere. Each contractor in Kerala build house in a different manner to suit his profit and no two contractor build in the same manner with same quality and specifications. Even the Architect will know plinth area of the house only after finalisation of Basic Plan of the building.So how can you predetermine plinth area of house before preparing plan of the house?

Query-4

I own 18 Cents of land and want to build a 10 storey building and a space for commercial property. The plot is in rectangle shape 23 M X 35 M . The 23 Meter is facing the road and the 35 Meter is on either side.
Looking forward to your comments on whether this is possible and how much estimate would I need to mobilize on a budgetary basis to start with the plot.
Ben

My reply

When you plan to build a ten storey commercial building it is a major project which require expertise and assistance from building professionals

It is better you first contact a good Architectural firm who will have all kinds of experts in Architecture,soil testing,structural design and professional construction management.On our side we can  act as this professional agency for design and construction management.We can be contacted at email

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Phone-9388701702

About clearance required for the proposed building from nearby roads and allowable plinth area for construction in a floor you can contact town planning section of your local authority with specific details of plot like Survey No and Location sketch

Query-5

I like to build a house with maximum cost effectiveness.From certain articles i have read that by using old materials like brick and wood we can reduce cost of construction.Is it effective?What percent of total cost can be reduced by that ?

Anil

My reply

As per Vasthu,it is better not to use old building materials used in old houses as such parts are likely to bring bad effects of old house to your new building
.Even if you go by engineering standards old building parts might have crossed its life to a great extent and hence they are likely to get deteriorated when compared to new materials used

Cost reduction can be brought in to building design and construction by following advice of an experienced building professional who can guide you properly after considering all aspects in a professional manner


Topic 2: House remodeling and extension

Query-1

Myself planning to renovate the house and add a room to the terrace side of house . The ambiguity is the type of roof to be used for extension , whether we will b in need of RCC slab or is there any alternative to it keeping in mind the difficulties for doing it (i mean the RCC work ) .would like to know whether truss work with false ceiling will help or not .so that the work is quick and less headache compared to RCC and will it be apt for our climatic conditions and heat insulation properties
reply will be much appreciated !!

Vaikundanathan

My reply

Renovation and extension of existing house is a tricky affair.Compromises in quality and structural stability of the building  done by the previous builder will be the major problem faced by the team of persons who attempt to do remodeling or extension of existing building.In all probability,house owner will be unaware of the problems as previous builder would have used all the nice words he knows to talk of quality of his construction even while trying hard to make profit in his construction contract while also trying to adjust to the limited funds available as per contract in the face of galloping cost of all inputs.

In one typical case where I did a remodeling and extension of a building done by a non professional contractor only after I started work on the building house owner came to know the following;

1.Height of walls are one feet less than usual wall heights of building which he never bothered to measure and check while taking care of only “square feet plinth area”

2.Height of doors were again one feet less and quality of wood used were inferior even though it was promised to be “best quality”

3.Quality of construction was very poor

4.Architectural or structural design of the building never even thought of

As unexpected problems will crop up while trying to do remodeling,cost cannot be estimated correctly and all estimates can go wrong

In view of these and more problems one may face while trying to do remodeling/extension,please ensure that the building to be remodeled is inspected thoroughly by a well experienced building professional and take his views on these aspects:

1. Whether the remodeling/extension considered by you is worth proceeding

2. Possible cost implications  at least on a guess basis without going through Engineering Estimate methods

3. What exactly can be done on the building without costing too much

In this case,I can only suggest remodeling/extension work possible only after visiting and studying existing building.You can call me on 9388701702 or email me

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Query-2

We bought house in Thiruvalla.  it need some renovation. Is your company  undertaking such renovations. or can you suggest somebody who will do such works and are reliable.  Mammen

My reply

We can take up remodeling/extension,interior wood work and design and supply of interior furniture for the house,landscaping with professional quality and best workmanship.We can also arrange traditional hand carving work for interior and furniture for the house

Query-3

Sir, I am renovating my family home which is a traditional Nalukettu. We are planning to lay "Clay tiles" on the floors. We are doing it so as to get that traditional look. Would appreciate your opinion on this.

Kamal

My reply

There is nothing wrong in using clay tiles.In fact it is better and healthy as clay tiles are environment friendly.After laying tiles,apply anti fungal polyurethane coating to prevent tiles getting affected by fungus growth over it

Topic 3:Vasthu compliance

Query-1

How can one identify a Vasthu Expert? All proclaim that he is an expert?

Vasutan

My reply

Interesting question! You can get good books on Vasthu.Read them and get basic ideas on Vasthu.This will help you to avoid getting mislead by those who claim to know Vasthu without actually knowing much

Query-2

My bedroom is in the Agni kone and I am facing terrible illness after marriage. Please advise me what is the remedy.

Megha Agarwal

My reply

Using South East room(Agni Kone) of the building as bed room can create lots of problems.Avoid using that room as bed room and convert it as Kitchen.It will give you better life

Topic 4:   Building Permit

Query-1

i already constructed a house,i left 5m from panchayat road and front side there is one pocket road around 20 meter long.it is private road.From that road i left only 2meter.And behind the house, corner of work area (only corner) i left only 1 meter.I am staying at panchayath area.Expecting favourable reply.

My reply

To me ,it appears to be fine.But your local authority is the right agency to check and confirm compliance with building rules

Query-2

I have got a building permit from Trivandrum Corporation on 2010 January to construct a two storey total 1500 sq.ft. area.
My construction was done very slowly due to financial reason. Now 2013 September completed my house. But I didn't extent my building permit.
Now I am planning to submit my house for assessment to get TC number.
Shall I submit this as normal, or there is any penalty will come due to expired permit, if penalty is there, how I can avoid that.

My reply

If the building is constructed as per building rules,there cannot be much problem for you.If any penalty will be charged for not getting extension in building permit in time has to be decided by the local authority only

Query-3

I am from Kasarcode dist.I had purchased a flat in Kasarcode for which i have not received the building number yet.

There is some case going on with the building owner due to which the building number is delayed.

I have sold the flat and would like to know is there any problem on doing registration process to the new owner to whom i sold my flat.

The building owner has promised that as soon as he finishes the case he will issue the building number to all the flats in the 5 storey building.

My flat does not have Electricity meter.Is that because of the court case.?

In short i would like to know is there any problem in going ahead with the sale of my flat.I mean registration to the new owner buyer.

The building owner is very helpful and cooperative gentleman and my friend.

Kindly advice

Sanjay

My reply

It is not wise to buy an apartment or any type of property unless and until all legal documents are found proper and satisfactory by a legal expert and  construction found good enough to buy by a building expert

In your case I think title of the property is in dispute and it is not wise to invest your money hoping that documents will get cleared later by the builder.Without approval of the building by the appropriate local authority(numbering of the building as you refer to),Electric connection and water connection cannot be obtained

Query-4

hello sir my self Jestin from Trissur dist. .have only one property (5 cent) in my name in an agricultural area ( padam).but there is no agricultural work carried out for many years.can i get permission to construct my house over there.please give your advise .

Query-5

Want to ask you something: I have a 18 cent land which I bought an year back. In the deed, it is mentioned as land, but in the possession certificate, it is 'NILAM'.

Query-6

I have 25cent land, before it was agriculture land . Now I have plan to construct a house and I don't have other land.
Please give legal advice regarding this matter.

Vinayan

My reply

As a first step,you have to apply to local authority for building permit.If the documents related to plot show it as agricultural land,matter may be referred to a committee by local body for taking appropriate decision.You can present your views before committee for a favourable decision

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Free Consultation,23,October,2013

Topic 1:House Construction

Query-1

Hi sir

My name is Denson .I am working abroad I have given a contract to build my house 

Now foundation works are going on

The soil there is almost black in color and don’t seems to be strong enough

They dig to 3 ft. and put some rock pieces to 6 inch and on that they put crusher sand and add water to fill gaps .they informed me that this will make the foundation stronger 

After that they started the rubble works till the ground floor 

Now they are filling it up with the soil from the foundation to fill the gaps in the rubble work 

But I expect them to use crusher sands as per your blog 

I have already asked him about this and he told me this is the normal way and I don’t have to spend extra for this 

Now they are planning to build a concrete belt at the ground level 15 cm thick and 45 cm wide with iron bars and start pillar at each corners

And again continue to build the dry pack rubble work to 2 ft height above ground level 

Please explain me if this technic is ok or not 

Thanks in advance 

Regards

Denson

My reply

Design and Construction of house is one of the major investment in the life of majority of people.Some how a wrong impression has gone deep in to minds of people in Kerala that there is a fixed “square feet cost” for house construction irrespective of nature of land,design of building and location.

Due to this any person trying to build a house seem to think his smartness is getting the lowest “square feet cost” from the contractor without knowing what exactly should be proper engineering standards and quality aspects of house construction.If some one can get plan of the house without spending anything that also is treated as “smartness”

Only a qualified experienced building professional can get you good design after studying carefully site conditions,measurements and your needs.A good design can give you better facilities at lesser cost.Amount you spend for getting a good design is never a loss but it will get you better value for your investment in house.

Starting from developing proper design for house,you need continuous drawings,design details and instructions of a good building professional till completion of the building.You should not leave Engineering specifications and details on construction to the mercy of the contractor who is eagerly waiting to pay back to you for forcing him to accept lowest “square feet cost”.Whatever you may try or think ,contractor knows how to make profit.But in the process your investment will be at risk as quality and engineering specifications are likely to be compromised.

Query-2

Dear Thomas,

I made a villa through a reputed builder sometime in 2007 and invested around 40 Lakhs and within 4 years leakage and poor quality started surfacing.

After seeing the buildings in Europe that are constructed in 1875 or early 1900 still strong, wonder how can we get construction of that quality or at least a house with its base infrastructure holding for at least 50 to 60 years for next generation, unlike to fix every 3 years or so that too on the basic construction itself.

Please advise whether any such construction companies or contractors exists in Cochin who strive for quality in his work and not trying to make maximum profit by keeping compromise in quality.

I am thinking to have a plot and build two townhouses and need some advice from you based on your knowledge about market, peers who are good.

My reply

Keralites look for a contractor who will construct house with "lowest  square feet rate" and not with good quality and with engineering standards to ensure structural stability. With price increases almost every day ,contractor will be forced to  compromise on quality and Engineering standards to protect his profit.

When I tell people that there is no such thing as “square feet rate” applicable everywhere irrespective of soil conditions,design of building and quality standards,people talk to me as if I do not know anything about house construction.I get phone calls simply telling me to give cost figure over phone for the building they plan to construct.Without any data if I do not tell cost,then I am supposed to be ignorant of house construction!

We do not build apartments. We design  mostly villas and take up execution directly only in cases where we are fully comfortable with the client as most clients try to put the contractor in to trouble also

We can start design process and we will take up direct execution only if we both  feel comfortable. Construction wherever taken up is directly monitored by me

Our company do not take up many housing projects at a time.When we take up the work we ensure that all Engineering standards are maintained and quality and structural stability is never compromised for maximising profit.Even when we may loose money,we try to keep up our reputation.There is not even a case of quality problem in more than 200 houses directly  designed and built by us  so far.

Query-3

Dear Mr. Thomas

I got your details from the net..we are planning to build a house in Ernakulum .land area 10 cents. our plan 2825sqt  double story  house.or 2600 sft built up area in Ground floor area. This land we need to piling (this is paddy field). . I  want to ask single story or double story is  expensive. If this 2825 sft full in single story what would be the contraction coast. if it is double story  what would be the contraction coast.How much is now good quality work per sft charge .if our plan 1975sqt in ground floor and 850 sft in first floor or 2825 sft in ground floor which is the cheaper. I need your advice please get back to me all the details.

Mrs. Rajan

My reply     

Even an experienced Architect will know square feet plinth area of the house only after Basic Plan of the building is finalised. Then how can you pre determine square feet plinth area without even initial plan for the building?

10 cents is only 4350 sft and built up area possible depends upon outer measurements of four sides and positions of roads nearby as you have to comply building rules applicable .

Foundation design can be decided only after soil test data is available especially if the soil is weak. 

Query-4

Dear Sir,
I am writing this mail to clear one important query of mine.
I purchased a house 7 years back with the flooring completely done with granite.
Around 4 years back, I noticed that the stone in the ground floor started to develop minor cracks which later lead into pits.
On seeing this I consulted a granite sealer company and applied the sealer for the entire ground floor.
Now 3 years later, the floor is developing pits and showing signs of decaying.
The kitchen granite floor which had comparatively less problem is also now showing the signs same as the other rooms.
To my wonder, there is no problem in the first floor.
I would like to get your reply for the following doubts.
1. Granite is heard as lasting for life long, then why this problem is due to?
2. Is there any remedy to rectify the problem, if there is, will it last long?
3. Is it possible to do any repair for the kitchen which shows minor cracks?
4. If replacement of granite is required, can I do with Granite again or some other option?
5. Which is the other best options which I can rely for long years?
Kindly reply for my queries.
Looking forward for your reply.
Rachel

My reply

I can make a comment on the problem only after a site visit to check and assess the matter. During the visit I( can also comment on other features of the house and Vasthu compliance of the house

Based on the information given by you I can only make guesses on the problem and cause for it

In all probability, floor before laying granite might not have been properly compacted and floor concrete done properly. Due to this granite might break whenever there is contraction beneath. That may be the reason why such breakage is not happening in first floor.As I told you earlier this is only a guess and for finding exact cause I need a site study

Query-5

I have one land which was purchased 8 years ago which is soft clay land. Surrounding two sides of the land there is paddy field 2.meter below. I would like to construct double story building (2900 s ft.). I approached a 25 years experienced (non professional) contractor and 10 years experienced architect. They suggested to construct 22 columns for this purpose and  also the beam with 1.5 meter plinth concrete. My question is whether this foundation is enough to hold the structure or column should be till the top floor.

Biju

My reply

Both opinion given by those whom you consulted are wrong and are without any basis. A real professional will make such recommendations only after obtaining sufficient data to arrive at a decision. These two gentle men have made guesses and suggested foundation again based on their guesses. In the case of soil with suspected weakness in strength you will have to conduct soil test at points suggested by an expert. Soil test data should be given to a structural engineering specialist to suggest and design proper structural engineering design for the foundation. He will also require Architectural design of the building to decide on appropriate foundation design for the building.

A house is one of your most important investment in life. Do not attempt to do it based on loose comments of so called "experts" which you may come across.

Query-6

  I saw an advertisement  about a builders in Trissur in a magazine. They are not a big group. They build house for a very low of 4-5lakh.They are saying its some modern way of home making. I remember the name is some institute  or some thing like tat. con u just help me out from tis. if u saw tis mail please reply

Mohan

My reply

House design and Construction is one of the major investment in your life. Do not attempt to do it based on vague ideas given by some one

Query-7

I have no idea about the cost of constructing a house, but want to build a two storey house In this regard I just want to know what would be the approximate cost of the building 

Alex

My reply

Cost of construction house can be estimated only after site study, study of your requirements and after preparing Basic Plan of the house with these data

Query-8

I plan to construction 1200sqft double story home in Trissur district. I have a one land 25 cent before it was agricultural land .I don't have a other properties .how I can proceed construction activities please send me legal formalities

Vinayan

My reply

Apply for Building permit with your local authority. If the land in records show as paddy field, they will refer the matter to a committee comprising of Agricultural Officer,Thahsildar and local authority Engineer. The committee after visiting plot will take appropriate decision

Query-9

Dear Mr. Thomas

I am a dentist based on Thiruvalla working in Saudi.
I have read many articles from your web and like your prof approach.
Went through many homes u constructed too through pics on web.
I am planning to construct a home in Thiruvalla and hope u can carryout the task with ease with your vast experience and manpower.I wish to construct a single storied home

My request is another. My resources are fixed and limited.I need a home within 2500sq ft.My budget shall be around 40 lakhs Can u fulfill my ambition if we start the work at the earliest? No one can start a project without knowing the budget unless he is immensely wealthy.

Kumar.

My reply

Plinth area of the building  can be known only after finalisation of plan of the building. Just by knowing possible plinth area of the proposed building no professional can guess cost. Square feet cost is a non professional term used by non professional contractors to canvass business

Any Engineering project can get an estimated cost only after basic design parameters are available. You are asking me to predict cost without any data thinking that there is something called 'square feet cost of construction" applicable any where without even time boundaries. I have been telling through my blogs that it is a wrong concept

As of now I can give only a guess estimate for a 3 bed single floor house. It can be around Rs.30 lakhs

Cost depends to a great extent on proper design giving you more value for your money and land available. For getting this benefit you need services of a qualified experienced person

Topic 2:Land Purchase in Kerala

Query-1

Dear Thomas,

I would  like to know the land price in Ayroor which is in Kozhencherry, People are trying to mislead me with false values and I came across your site and thought if you could help me.

I have a 10 cents plot which my father inherited to me and since I am not staying in Kerala, I am not aware of the present value of the plot.

Cybs

My reply

Best option before you will be to try and act as a buyer instead of seller.Then you will know at least a slightly exaggerated cost of land .Your actual cost will be between this buyer cost and seller cost

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Cost of house construction and usual queries on house construction

 

Lots of people are confused about cost of constructing a house and even on how each structural part of the house has to be constructed.

I do understand that most of the houses in Kerala were constructed by local contractors without much of a design of the house. Person who construct the house used to think that being rich enough to construct a house, contractors or construction workers should simply follow his instructions and wishes and they can only talk and advise him in a manner pleasing him. This procedure was fine as long as house construction was comparatively cheaper. Now house construction has become a costly affair and every effort should be made to minimise cost and maximize utility of each built up area. Again availability of experts with knowledge in house design and latest techniques and trends in house construction is slowly changing the scenario. But still house owners find it difficult to seek informed advise of the experts and quite a few of them expect the expert to follow their ideas even when it is wrong and harmful to the person who spends money.

I used to joke with my clients that I can harm their interests simply by keeping quiet and not correcting their wrong ideas on house design and construction. A true professional is not the one who simply obeys and agrees to all wishes and ideas of the client. In fact a true professional should make the client understand what is good for him with the available resources like funds, land and other parameters of plot which cannot be changed.

I get quite a lot of phone calls from many people almost every day seeking information on various aspects of house construction and definitely not much on house design. I also get quite a lot of mails mostly as anonymous comments on blog entries seeking information. Whenever I get mails directly to my mail id given below, I try to reply directly. For anonymous comments to blogs, I can only reply through these blog entries. Naturally replies get delayed a lot. My email id is given below:

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Most people think that house design can be done by the most important person in the process, the house owner. Quite a lot of people degrade an Architect or building professional to someone who should draw plan of the house as he is told by the person who spends money for the project. In my view an Architect should talk in detail with the client to understand his needs and make him understand what all can be done by optimum use of limited resources.

Somehow or other people tend to think that there is a fixed “square feet cost of construction” irrespective of location, nature of plot and design. Without even preparing a plan of the house they fix up on their own expected square feet plinth area of the house and ask me to tell the cost just by knowing square feet plinth area of house guessed by them. Let me ask you few questions:

1.Have you found out even two contractors who construct building with exactly same specifications, method of working and technical details?

In most cases these non-professional contractors do not care about technical specifications, engineering details and try to build the house with as little materials and labour to save their profit. I cannot blame these contractors for trying to compromise on quality and structural stability of the building. In fact owner of the building force them to do these compromises. In a situation where cost of hundreds of materials involved in construction are going up almost every day and labour is turning out to be costly and not available with each passing day, what else contractor can do to protect his profit?. I have never seen a building owner who is happy about contractor making profit. In fact he will be happy only if the contractor makes losses. At least that is the Malayalee way of thinking.

Only if two contractors are building house with same quality standards engineering specifications you can compare their so called “rates “This never happen. Then what is the meaning for this “square feet rate”? Material and labour required for same plinth area houses will change with design and specifications to ensure quality of construction. How can rates for those different design different specifications houses with same plinth area be same?

2. Are you insisting on a qualified experienced person checking up construction at each stage for protecting quality and engineering standards? It never happens. Contractor will be the first person advising you” not to waste money on that Engineer”

I have enquired with many contractors why you still quote a square feet rate knowing very well that it does not mean anything. They always reply that without quoting such a rate (knowing very well that it has no meaning),they will not get work!

Again people ask me by mail and by phone calls details of construction specifications like what steel bar to be used, what depth required for foundation, what no of piles required .These questions cannot be answered just like that. As owner of the house, you are not supposed to decide on engineering details simply by making enquiries to whomever you meet in your everyday life.

An expert in house construction should guide you through out house construction from concept development to finish of the house. Contractor should be given work only if he is willing to follow drawings and instructions of a good professional who will protect your interests and not that of the contractor.

Only a professional experienced in house construction can advise you what is good for your house construction considering all technical aspects and data's carefully

NEVER GO BY OPINION AND FREE ADVISE ON HOUSE CONSTRUCTION BY THOSE WHO MEET YOU AROUND YOUR LIVING SPACE INCLUDING CLOSE RELATIVES.

Always ensure to get qualified experienced professional advice. More experienced person will have more exposure and ability to guide you properly. Even a fresh technically qualified person is of no use as our education system never produce professionals capable of handling jobs

I would prefer your enquiries directly by email and better not by phone calls. My mobile no is

9388701702 and email id

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Monday, September 16, 2013

Free Consultation,16,Sep,2013

Property development for sale of Villas/House Construction

Query-1

I am looking to construct houses on a total square plot of 85 cents.
Can you kindly please send me portfolio of constructed properties ideally 3/4 bedroom single and double story starting from your lowest budget to maximum 14 lakhs per property including materials and labour.
Please kindly state approximate prices per design and timeframe for completion.
I am ideally looking to construct at least 15-20 properties.
My other option if anyone is willing to offer this, is to construct flats with no upfront money but at the point of completion and sale. Property is roadside and has road access on three sides. If you are willing to do this please send me samples and prices.
Awaiting your reply as I am looking to start either project this year.
Rita  

Query-2

Dear Mr. Thomas

Could you please advise the average construction cost for a 4 BEDROOM Villa with best quality of materials .If possible kindly confirm the tentative  rate per sq.ft for shell and core ie for only structure with inner/external plaster. I intent to construct a villa near Perumbavoor(Ernakulam Dist/Kerala) with inbuilt  area of 2500 Sq Ft .

I also request few more valuable tips to be taken care

Sunil

Query-3

Sir,

I would be appreciated your help in following issues:

1. In a rocky area what kind of foundation is required, like depth, concrete belt for both under and top, etc. 

2. How much time is required to cure the foundation to construct further. 

3. What is the better and economical material for wall construction of a house local stone/brick/concrete block.

4. Is there any monetary benefit when we provide materials from our own source. 

5. Any guess on total cost of a house of  1600 Sq ft in double storey with an average finishing.

I will be grateful your expert opinion and view.

Vidya

My reply

Major problems with those who start thinking about design and construction of house in Kerala are the following as per my observations:

1.They think price of nearly hundreds of materials used for house construction will remain unaltered or the hapless contractor who agreed to construct house for a particular amount will construct the house even by incurring losses simply to stick to the contract terms

2.They are not aware of the fact that most of the contractors in the construction industry have absolutely no technical knowledge or training on the topic

3.They are not aware of the fact that compromises in quality and construction methods can be done by the non professional contractors to safeguard and increase his profit margin without any visible defects in construction in the immediate future of the building

4.They think plan of the house is the only drawing /design input required for the house construction and most of the contractors give this without any charges

In this scenario,experienced professionals in the field will have to say these:

1.Design of the house which starts from Basic plan of the house,detailed architectural/structural engineering drawings required from beginning to end of construction are very important and critical to save your money,provide you better facilities at lesser cost and to give long lasting quality and structural stability of the building

2.Just by giving these drawings,contractor is not going to follow these drawings properly.In most cases he wont even know how to read and understand these drawings.So you need an experienced professional to visit site occasionally and give instructions/guidance to the workers and ensure that work is done strictly as per drawings/design.

Naturally the contractor will demand a different “rate” or amount to follow drawings and instructions correctly.He may also demand increase in so called”rates” depending upon increase in cost of input materials/labour if he has to follow design drawings and instructions correctly

3.Basic Plan of the house is the most important most critical drawing for the house.Only a highly experienced competent professional can give you the best plan meeting your requirements and considering all critical factors for design of the house

4.Collecting information from any one you come across on house construction “tips” will land you in trouble.House design and construction should never be done based on public opinion/survey.There is no short cut to avoid professional design and experienced professional guidance in house construction

In this particular case the person think that 3 bed room house can be built with Rs.14 lakhs maximum! It shows lack of knowledge about ground realities of house construction in Kerala

Query-4

An Architect who works for passion needed for a low budget premium tent resort at Thekkady. The proposed resort land is located at Kumily near Thekkady. It's a scenic 20 acres land and if build will be the USP off Thekkady resorts. We would like to Build this resort in a shoestring budget with 5 star facility. The land covers a full mountain with meadows, spices, wind,Mist, water,clouds ,sun set etc.. a camp fire can be lit all over the year. you will feel different moods with each visit accompanied by the sweet breeze. we would like to have a better tent resort than following places.
we give importance to people who are passionate about building a great resort, with great creativity, and willing to spend time at the resort land.
My reply

Basically such projects can start only with a detailed on the spot study of plot and surroundings.Your dreams will have to shared at site with the Architect for his informed responses and suggestions to mould what is possible and workable

Query-5

Dear Sir,

I came to know about you through the Internet and found that you answered several queries. Let me introduce myself, my name is Thomas and I am working in Saudi Arabia.

I constructed a house in Wayanad almost four years back, where I want to make  compound wall, wall height shall be about 4 feet with normal design, now days how much is the charges in Kerala? What is the cheap and best way of construction of the same?

Also I  have a plan to construct a small house in Palakkad.The land area is 7 cents.  What are the services you can provide for the same including plan?

Awaiting for your answer

My reply

Cost for compound wall construction can be assessed only after a Site visit and it will be better for you to get a reliable construction contractor in your area to quote for it.There is no uniform rates for any type of construction anywhere as each contractor builds as per his convenience and no usual contractor follows any quality standards other than standards to safeguard and increase his profit level.

Query-6

I have purchased a plot at Kakkanad of size 4.1 cents.

Would like to know the feasibility of implementing Rapid wall and if yes,your availability for site visit too.

Vipin

My reply

I do not think it is proper for the person who need house to be designed and constructed to decide on design details or technology to be adopted.For such an important investment in your life,you need to get the best available expertise and instead of you deciding details by making enquiries with any one you come across let the expert decide on details in consultation with you.He will explain to you and suggest suitable method of construction for you

Query-7

Hello Thomas ...

This might come as a bit of a off-tangent question..

I am an NRI and have an ancestral house in Kakkanad 25 years old (I am quite happy living in functional old houses :-)  ).

Your words in your posts linger in my mind "everyday you delay for buying land ....literally push away those dreams forever ..."

I am interested in buying a plot of land purely for investment purpose or just in case if later for some reason or the other its not possible to stay in the ancestral house. I don't have that much money.

Do you think the Real estate prices will remain flat or decline with the rupee depreciating ..?

My reply

As you are aware financial conditions of the country is in bad shape without much hope of improvement in the near future

Hence investment of any nature will be wise way of depositing your hard earned money. With price increases coming every day and rupee going down even keeping money in bank cannot be safe as value of rupee may come down and inflation will kill real value of money. Real estate prices can only go high

Hence if you can invest in real estate do it  at the earliest

Architectural Training

Query

Sir/Ma'am,

I am a 5th year student of B. Architecture, B. I. T Mesra. I am interested in doing my scheduled Tenth Semester Internship at your renowned firm for 4 months from January'14 to April'14. I am sending my resume as attachments with this mail, as discussed in the phone call. Kindly have a look and respond if you find my work worthwhile. I would be thankful to you for you consideration, and would be waiting for a response from your side. i hope you find my application worth attention.

Alisha, Fifth Year Undergraduate,

Dept. of Architecture

Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra

My reply

You can undergo training in our organisation.But training certificate will be issued by the company only and not by any individual professional associated with us

Vasthu compliance

Query

Dear Mr. Thomas,

Wanted to know how you charge for checking the Vasthu and recommending changes as per Vasthu.

Also, how do you check Vasthu - at the site or through a map?

Ratish

My reply

For existing house,vasthu compliance can be checked with a site visit by me.Charges depends upon distance from Cochin.Possible changes and modifications can be explained at site and I will give a report on the visit

Nalukettu house

Query

Can nalukettu houses be still made of wood as it was used to be built traditionally? I do not prefer nalukettu built with tile and bricks

My reply

Nalukettu type houses with all traditional features will be more costly to build.If budget is not a constraint even more wood work can be incorporated with traditional features and modern technology.I am yet to find a customer who says budget is not a constraint.People would like to have all good features but  reluctant to pay for it

Building rules

Query-1

sir, i have 20 cent paddy field only as own with a frontage of panchayath road..but nowadays this land is not fit for any agricultural purpose.so i wish to convert this building zone to make a home for me in it..which are the procedures for getting permission for this.i have no any other type of land in my name..please give me a suggestion.

Query-2

I want to build the upper story of my house beside the NH highway.From whom do I need the approval

Query-3

I came across your blog on KHC, there was lot of informative topics on it. So I thought of taking some guidance from you.

Actually I am looking for plot to construct house anywhere in Kerala with minimum 5 cent of land and my budget is around 50K - 75K per cent.

I have been browsing site for that, now I have seen that few places agriculture land comes at lower price compared to residential type plots.

My question here is if I buy an agriculture land and in future I want to construct a house there is it legal. Also can u suggest where can I get plots with in my budget anywhere in Kerala.

George.

Query-4

I have only a house plot 10 cents,in panchayath area ,but in its thandaper as " nilam" .any problem for getting NOC from panchayath.
Please help me

Query-5

Dear Mr. Hormise Thomas,

Can you please tell me how much distance we have to leave in the front from the road, when constructing  a house in plot on the  PWD  roadside Vennala area  (within corporation limits) in Ernakulum?

My reply

Contact concerned section of your local authority office with specific details on the plot like survey no and location details.They will advise you action possible

Flooring
Query

Planning to do floor tiling to My Tharavad House Kitchen which is done with concrete plastering without much finish. Do I need to to chip the floor or directly add concrete and lay tiles on it. The door level is almost 2 inches above from the floor level.

My reply

It is better to get an expert visit your house and get advice from him.It is not proper on the part of a professional to give suggestions without sufficient data

Saturday, September 7, 2013

House Design:Consultation with Thomas Viruvelil

Thomas Viruvelil,Cochin based Architect is well versed with traditional Kerala Architecture,Modern Architecture as adapted to Kerala conditions,Vasthu aspects which will make your living in the house comfortable and prosperous,Structural Engineering aspects to ensure structural stability of the only house which you may build in your life time and cost reduction techniques without compromising on quality aspects of house construction.

He has experience in designing and building  more than 200 houses inside and outside Kerala with direct involvement from beginning to finish and designed thousands of buildings and acted as consultant for many house and other type building construction.

An experienced expert in house construction in Kerala can make a lot of difference in design of your house.Apart from giving you better value for your money invested,he can help you reduce cost and provide you better facility with available space.

Then,what are you waiting for? If you have a plan made by some body with you for your house construction you can meet him at his Cochin office and seek guidance in improving/modifying  that plan to get better facilities at lesser cost.You can get better Elevation for the house.

Even if you are an Architect/Engineer,just meet him at his  Cochin office for consultation so that you can give a better designed plan to your client.

For appointments contact 9388701702 or 9388701707.or 9388701700

Or email to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

You can access his Face book or twitter account and see pictures of houses designed and built by him at

Face book::

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

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/archtomy

Websites

www.viruvelil.com

www.keralaarchitecture.com