Answers to your queries #Architecture

Position of Kitchen as per Vasthu

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sir,

i found some comments regarding vasthu on your site

that kitchen should be in east south corner

is there any problem in it being in north

because if u read kanippayurs interview he recommends north for kitchen

if you don't mind to look at the rough sketch as attachment

what's your comment

awaiting for your valuable suggestions

and this is a plan i liked and believes best aesthetic for my plot
does it conflict with vasthu

thank you for sharing your knowledge

because i am getting conflicting views regarding vasthu

Girish

My reply

Vasthu is a proper science based on scientific studies done by our forefathers.

Unfortunately that part of Vasthu which explains why certain effects are occurring is lost by not properly documenting the knowledge

What we now know is the effects of Vasthu factors.These are fortunately well documented and is available in books.You do not have to simply follow what some one who claim to know vasthu says.There has to be a logic in what he says..Many people simply believe or accept without any reason whatever some people says.I cannot do anything about it.

North east is Esaanakonam which is ideal location for well,sump tank etc.This area should be lower from other areas for better effect.Esaanakonam is also ideal for Pooja room.Hence this konam should be kept tidy and neat for better prosperity.Kitchen at North East is not good as per Vasthu

South East is Agni konam.Agni konam is the ideal place for Kitchen.If you have a bed room at South east,persons living in that room will have continuous problems and no prosperity.

Your plan is just a few lines drawn by you.While spending lakhs of rupees for building a house,why cant you pay few thousands to get the most appropriate plan by a good Architect? Getting the most appropriate professionally designed  plan of the house is the most important part of the building construction.Only an expert knows the implications of a plan.Then why should you pretend to be an expert and loose your own money?

Renovation of existing house

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Dear Sir

This is Thomas from Bahrain. Hope you remember me . i contacted you regarding the renovation of my old house.all my friends are suggesting  that renovation  cost will be almost same like making a new house.Actually my requirement is 2 Bed room with attached bathroom,hall with dining ,sit out,car park, kitchen, work area in the ground floor and 2 bed room with attach bath room and balcony in the first floor. i would like to know approximately how much it will cost me . the reason i am asking this because i am a normal NRI with limited income.can you can help me in this subject ?at least to finish the structure work .waiting for your reply

Thomas P

Bahrain

My reply

An Architect/Engineer is not an Astrologer

A person qualified and experienced in any branch of Engineering prepare an expected cost statement called Estimate by Engineering calculations with the help of data available

How can I predict cost  If you simply say that  you require so many rooms?

Whether the existing building is worth modifying or not I can say only after seeing existing building

When you delay construction even by one day,you are making house construction costly as cost of material and labour go up every day in Kerala.Even if you have only Rs.5 lakhs with you today,start with that money.Waiting for entire money to reach you will result in waiting for the house forever.

Comment on my blog post

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Sunder has left a new comment on your post "Desire for lower price for construction":

It is an excellent article by a genuine Architect who understands the fallacy of the insistence of cost per sq. feet concept by the customers. It is an eye-opener really. Thanks a lot.
Sundararajan

My reply

Thank you  Sundararajan for your encouraging comments.

Construction of House In two cents of land

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Anonymous   has left a new comment on your post "Queries and replies-House Design and construction":

Hello sir,
          Is it possible to construct a house within 2 cents of land?

My reply

Cents is only area of the land and it does not give any idea on frontage and depth of plot.If these dimensions are good enough,Construction of house in 2 cents of land is possible.But the design will have to be within the limitations of the plot.

Concrete mixing

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Sir, i saw your website.I understood some details of concrete.  I wish
to know about all the details of concrete mixing,proportions, steel
laying and curing.

My residence at Kollam(not coastal area).

Thanking you in anticipation.

Prakash
Kollam

My reply

How can I teach you all those by a blog entry.? I have explained on various aspects of house construction in a simple non technical language in my blogs.To know more about the technology you have to be professionally trained.

Replies to your queries#Architecture

 

House with limited Budget

Hello sir, I am Riyas, am planning to build a low cost house on my village(at Trivandrum). so could u please send me a plan for that. my budget should not exceed 10-12 lakhs..
please mail me if possible with

My reply

Have already mailed detailed reply to you.Without understanding your requirements for the house and site conditions,I cannot simply send a plan with a price tag of Rs.12 lakhs.House construction is not that simple as buying something from a shop.

House with Rs.5 lakhs budget

I am Paul , a teacher in Maldives, from Pulpally, Wayanad.

I would like to construct a house in Pulpally. How can you help me? My estimate amount is 5 lakh maximum. Recently I saw a house photo in Malayala Manorama, Veedu, which says the total construction cost is 4.5 lakh.

Can you help me how to do all these things? Please email me details

Paul from Maldives.

My reply

It is possible to build a house costing even less than Rs.5 lakhs.But you cannot have all facilities and features of a costly house.Studying your requirements and site conditions is the starting point of developing the house design

House at Kanyakumari

Hello sir Good day........My name is Ahil. I am a NRI , residing in Australia. My native is mondaikad which is located in kanyakumari district which is 60 kms from Trivandrum. I own a 60 cents square plot. I like to build my dream house in that plot..My requirements are the house should have a majestic look externally, double storied,reception area/sit outs,4 bedrooms,kitchen,hall,an office/study room, car stand for 2 cars, a small mini hall which can be used as a gymnasium....I am looking something around 4000 to 5000 sq. feet...

It would be very helpful and thankful to know whether u undertake projects in my native place and also give me an idea about the cost for building such a house...Is it possible to finish total works including landscaping, interiors within 50 to 60 lacs.......

My reply

Yes.We can design and build your house at Kanyakumari.Mailing you details

Design of House at Hyderabad

Dear Mr. Thomas,

I have come to know about on the Internet. My brother-in-law is in the process of constructing a house in Jubilee Hills, a prime residential Locality in Hyderabad. Land area is 750 sq yds. Family size is :

One Couple

One Married daughter

One studying son- 11 th Std

Mother

Profession : Rly contractor

Probable requirements:

Home office to accommodate 6 people including the Director with wash rooms

Provision for Maid & Driver with families including wash rooms

Puja Room, Dry kitchen with informal dining& wet kitchen, Breakfast corner, utilities, wash area

Formal Dining, Living, Home Gym, Home Theatre, Bar/ Entertainment / library area+ powder rooms for relevant areas

One Master Bedroom with attached bath ( Shower, Toilet, wash Basins), walking closets + 3 more bedrooms with attached baths, Lift for the house. Open balconies , Terraces ,greenery, Water bodies  must.

You can plan an office , Maids+drivers accommodation, 3-4 cars parking , below the ground level.

Ground floor: Puja, Kitchens, Dining, Master bedroom + Bedroom for Mother on the ground floor

1 st floor: Remaining things can be planned.

House to be as per vasthu.

I would like to discuss with you . Pl mail me your Hand No and your convenient time to discuss . Once I receive communication from you  I shall send you the Plots Plan along with dimensions . I am accessible via Videoconference. I can send you the exclusive link and we can get connected and discuss in detail.

Look forward to your response.

Best regards

Ashok R Vantair

CEO & MD

CEXO International

America,Canada, Australia & India

My reply

I can design the house and provide detailed drawings and act as consultant during the execution of work including occasional visit to site

Selecting plot for buying land

Your blog http://kerala-architects.blogspot.com/ is very useful especially for people like us who have no idea about design, construction etc. I sincerely appreciate your efforts.

I am really surprised to see the professionalism of your office and appreciate it. Thanks for the reply. Last few days I am in your web reading all the queries and replied. I hope i will meet some one soon who used your services.

I am from Palakkad. We have a plan to buy a plot there mostly this month. As the price cross lakhs we can afford to buy 5 to 10 cents only. Kindly suggest me what all I have to keep in mind when I select a plot. What kind of plot we have to opt if we have to spare 5 cents aside when we construct a house in 10 cents of land. Shall we opt for a paddy field if the location is good? I heard filling can affect the budget if we opt such land. Our plan is build a simple but elegant home within our limited budget.

Shameed

My reply

Just log in to our website,

www.keralaarchitecture.com

Click on architectural guidance.You will get all details.Before you finalise plot,it will be better if you can call me or somebody equally qualified and experienced to check the plot and its suitability for house construction

HOUSE IN USA

Dear Mr. Thomas:

I happened upon your blog in a search for split-face concrete block architects.

I wish to construct a very small, 22 feet by 30 feet "castle keep" home in Missouri, USA from split-face concrete block.  (Please see attached photos for the general idea).

The roof would be a simple colored metal steep shed roof--only visible from the back of the house lot, though its incline would be inexpensive to construct
as a design and it would repel rain and snow easily.  Thus, the back wall would be significantly lower to support the lower end of the shed roof.

If you might have time for such a small project, kindly apprise me.

Thank You.

Sincerely,
Paul Cobb
North Dakota,
USA

My reply

I can design  your house in USA and provide you with complete architectural/structural drawings and instructions during construction.

To start with we will have to prepare a Basic Plan of the house.For this you have to tell me what all facilities,living spaces you need in the house.Can you also tell me which direction house will be facing?

Once I prepare this Basic Plan that drawing can be a starting point for our discussions

Architecture-queries and replies

FERROCEMENT CONSTRUCTION

got your mail id from your web site  http://kerala-architects.blogspot.com..

I would like to construct my new house  with Ferro- Cement technology..Sir, could you please help me to find someone who does this work in Cochin,(North Paravur) area..

Expecting your valuable reply soon

Sreekanth S

My reply

Theoretically yes.Possible.But in Cochin area those who do Ferro cement work take up only  septic tank and water tank work.Unless you have workers skilled in doing Ferro cement work,you can not do construction of your house with Ferro cement walls

HOUSE IN CHENNAI

Dear Mr.Thomas,

I live in Chennai and I wish to have a house plan based on vasthu principles. Your blog seems to be quite impressive and contains straight forward views.

I would like to have G +1 plan for my east facing plot. Find enclosed one page pdf document containing sketch of my plot. Preferred dimension of the built up area is depicted on the attached sketch.

Awaiting your reply.

Azhagunambi

My reply

Yes. I can do the design and follow up drawings for execution of the work

Construction methodology

Dear Mr. Thomas,
I am Binu from 'Thottilpalam, 50 km away from Calicut. I am planning to build a house suitable for a middle class family. Two years before I had purchased 22 cent land suitable for constructing a house. This land has road access (for lorry) and it faces towards west. I am searching for a good contractor capable to build a quality house and I wish to maintain quality from foundation to till the finishing. I am working in Qatar as a workshop supervisor in a construction company. I have limited knowledge about building construction and as I have strong desire for building a house, in Qatar also I used to watch the way a building / house is constructing here. Here it is the normal practice that for constructing even a single storey house the foundation is built with reinforced concrete and after that concrete pillars and roof slab on it so that the concrete bricks using for walls will not get the weight of roof slab. But in Kerala, the normal practice is that pillars are minimized in houses and the foundation is constructing with rocks. I would like to know your opinion in this matter.

It would be helpful for me if you could provide your valuable suggestion for constructing a house. If it is possible to construct a house in my area by your firm, please let me know the approximate amount for it.

BINU

My reply

In most of the Kerala landscape,we have laterite or stable soil strata.That is why we prefer to go for less costly Rubble foundation and brick walls which carry weight of roof instead of column beam structure.In places where the soil condition is not that good,even in Kerala we go for pile foundation and column beam structure

VASTHU CLARIFICATION

I have a plan for the house in West direction, designed by an
engineer. The car porch comes at the south west corner partially
projecting to west and partially cut into the south west corner of the
house. A Vasthu consultant told me that it is not vasthu complaint for
the car porch to be there. That vacant portion at kannimoola will
cause lot of trouble for the inhabitants.

I have attached the plan.

Could you please comment on this. Thanks in advance for your valuable
suggestion.

Mathew.

My reply

That is not even a proper plan of the house.It has Vasthu,Architectural and structural Engineering defects.

Some of the defects noted in the plan sent are the following

1.As per Vasthu for a West facing house,car porch and gate should come at North half of the front side of the house.Main door also should come at North side.More towards north better.

2.Kitchen should come at Agni Konam(South east).Bed room at South East will be harmful to those who stay in that room.

3.Master bed room should come at South West.

4.Spiral stair case will be costly,it will take more space and is no more in present day trend.Putting stair case at Front Living room will adversely affect your privacy as every person coming from first floor will have to move inside house visible to guests.

5.Dining space is completely dark.Even living room has lesser light.

6.Dining is too small and work area is too big.

7.As per Vasthu toilet at South east corner and North east corner is harmful

If you want me to re design the plan,please let me know

Construction while working abroad

Hello,

I have a plot in Polaythodu, Kollam which has 23 cents of land.

I wish to make a house similar to the one you have constructed, which was shown on your website a 3 bedroom house.

I am abroad at this moment so could you please tell me if you will be able to construct a house for us?

How you will be able to construct a new house for us whilst we are abroad?

Also, how long will it take, the cost?

GINA HANE

My reply

We can design and build your house in your absence.You will get complete details by email periodically and also you can even see construction going on at your site through a blog specifically for your sites with pictures of work going on periodically posted.

So it will be as good as you are present here in Kerala physically.Being professionals qualified and experienced in the art of building houses,you can get the best at the least cost

Onam and King Mahabali

Long long back
We had this King called Mahabali
When he was ruling,
there was no sins.
No looting, no cheating
No lies, no killings
No rapes, no beatings
No double standards,
No scheming treachery
No shortage of food
No rich and poor
No sorrows, no pain
No one was afraid of anyone
No one was doubtful about any one
No one was expecting trouble from any one
No locks and safe lockers
No jails and no police
Every one was loving and caring
Every one was helpful
Every one was there when you need help
Every one loved every one
In our land, every year
We still celebrate ten days of festival
remembering those old days of happiness
Dreaming with no reason,
those dreamy days will come back.
Dreaming that our old King Mahabali
Will come back from death
and rule us again
with no looting, cheating
with no lies and killings
with no rapes and beatings
with no shortage of food
with no rich and poor
with no sorrows and pain.
We call those ten days
Onam festival days
Onam days of King Mahabali

#Pranayam-an asset to Malayalam film

When I saw the posters of two old men chatting with a middle aged lady with Pranayam written in a circle style,all I could guess about the film were these:

1.It must be a story of old style Pranayam of these old style people.So,not worth watching

2.Mohan lal has done many remarkable films.But his recent films have him as Mohan Lal with very little to act but to do sort of posture to present himself as simply a super star.All his super star glories are good for him and actors who live in awe of him.Why a commoner like me go and see his super start”jada” paying ticket charges?

So naturally I was not keen on watching the film even though name of Blessy prompted me to try the film.

Pranayam in the old concept was practically foolish with neither of the partners bothering enough to know each other before tying the knot.So after marriage,when reality stares at them with heat of life  burning them differences crop up.A divorce and another marriage,two children in each marriage.Blessy tells all these story mile stones without bothering to convince us on why and what.

Then suddenly after 40 years all actors in the drama meet together and they act together a new drama.Pain of a mother when she finds that her son hate her too much,pain of the first lover when he knows that another man loves and claims his original love as precious in spite of understanding her previous life alien to him,all these are well picturised.

But the story has more lively scenes than that boring scene shown by posters.If only promoters of the film made people aware that this is not a boring film as is made out? But who cares for marketing of film? This film for the first time made me cry.Credit goes to both Anupam Kher and Jayapradha who lived as characters along with Director Blessy.Mohan Lal could not be that impressive and I could notice the superstar showing up disturbing mind of viewer off and on.

A film definitely worth watching and cannot be missed.Malayalam film industry can be proud of this film,# pranayam even though the film is more about relationships than about pranayam