construction and architecture magazine 10 march april 2011

Cover StoryCover Story

Kalpataru Limited, the flagshipreal estate company of theKalpataru group of companies

was established in 1969 by Mr.Mofatraj.P.Munot. The real estate businessin those days was carried out in thetraditional way as the business was on

comparatively smaller scale. Most of theprojects did not have the luxury amenitieslike the ones that are offered today. Channelpartners, international consultants were nota part of business then and most of thebusiness was done by Promoters directlythrough references and traditional brokers.

Estimate of developed residential projectscompleted: Kalpataru Limited along with itspromoter and promoter group companieshave developed 73 projects till date in citieslike Mumbai, Thane Pune and Bangalore.

City and state focus: The focus is on thedevelopment of premium residential,commercial, retail, integrated townships,lifestyle gated communities andredevelopment projects primarily in theMumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).Besides Mumbai, we also have projects inThane and Pune. We are also undertakingprojects in other key cities such asHyderabad, Surat, Nagpur, Jaipur andUdaipur. The land reserves are 2,670.36acres and it is the sum of all our land,including our ongoing projects,forthcoming projects, planned projects andland available for future development.

Some of its unique and landmark projects:� Kalpataru Square at Andheri: First

building outside US and sixth building inthe world to get Platinum certificationunder LEED (Core & Shell) v.2.0 by therenowned US Green Building Council.

� Kalpataru Horizon at Worli: Where thefirst residential floor starts at the 14th levelso that every flat gets a sea view. Eachtower sports a swimming pool at a higherlevel (26th floor).

� Swapnalok at Napeansea Road: First ofits kind to have stepped row houses withprivate terraces.

» March – April 2011 » Construction And Architecture Magazine016 » March – April 2011 » Construction And Architecture Magazine016

Competition brings out the

best in one

Taking the genesis of

its name from

Kalpavruksha - the

mythological tree of

wish fulfillment.

Kalpataru embodies

the tree's ability to

fulfill every person's

wish, a fulfillment that

we would like to

provide to each one of

our customers.

16-18] Cover Story_kalpataru.qxp 3/12/2011 8:47 AM 6


MAKING A MARK

Nitesh Estates Ltd is the flagship Company of NiteshShetty started in the year 2004 and rapidly took it toits high point in May, 2010 when it got listed as a

public company on NSE and BSE. Nitesh Shetty started hisentrepreneurial journey in the year 1997 at the age of 20 with avery modest investment of US$ 300. Today the companies arelisted entities on BSE and NSE and they are poised for a sharpgrowth in the coming years.

Major focus of your company and type of properties: 85%residential includes middle-income as well as high end luxuryapartments.Two Jewels in our crown – The Ritz Carlton andNitesh Mall.And interesting varieties of project strategicallylocated in Bangalore City and designed by global renowneddesign firms.

PROJECTS IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTORNitesh City, Chennai: One million sq ft development which willinclude a luxury hotel run by one of the best hotel chains in theworld. The property will be dotted with 100 residences

associated with the hotel. It is being designed by a globallyrenowned architectural firm in Seattle. Located in the heart ofthe city it promises to be a landmark development for Chennai.

Nitesh Mall, Bangalore: Located at Indiranagar, with 750,000sq ft of retail outlets, The project is designed by renowned Seattlebased architectural firm, Callison. Built on 5.3 acres of land, theproject will also have 150 room service apartment complex to beoperated by Marriott.

Nitesh Garden Enclave, Bangalore: US$ 25 million projectfrom ITC Limited to build top- end condominiums in Jakkur,Bangalore. is the largest corporate housing project in the countrytill date.

Planning: Also planning development in Goa,Kochi andChennai. We have 4 million sq ft under execution and we planto reach 13 million sq ft by end of this year. The total developablearea under various stages of construction is 20 million sq-ft.

Ongoing projects in commercial sector:Nitesh Mall Rs 500 crore projects located at Indiranagar, spreadover 1.4 million sq ft in the upscale retail hub and designed byCallison, top global retail firm. Nitesh Lexington Avenue is anupcoming state-of-art commercial-retail space, at Brigade Road,Bangalore. This 32,000 sq ft avant-garde edifice is equipped withthe state of the art, latest desired amenities to facilitate offices andretail shops.

Future plans:We are already doing interesting projects in Chennai, Kochi, Goaand Hyderabad. We are expanding our activities in other citiesthrough our JV strategy. �


Founded in 2004, Nitesh Estates is a leadingintegrated property development companyheadquartered in Bangalore. The companyprovides world class products and servicesand has presence across 4 asset class, HighEnd Homes, Hotels, Office buildings, andRetail Spaces across South India’s key cities.

On the rise

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» March – April 2011 » Construction And Architecture Magazine018

� Kalpataru Heights at Mumbai Central:One of the tallest contributions toconstruction in Mumbai.

� Kshitij: 33 storeyed building developed in1974, was the tallest building in Mumbai,till we developed Kalpataru Heights in1999.

Innovative technological solutions does thegroup engage into:� The group’s focus lies on to develop

properties that are high quality in terms oftheir design, construction andenvironmental sustainability. As one ofthe earlier real estate developers in Indiathe group extensively implementssustainable and environmentallyresponsible design concepts into our realestate projects with Kalpataru Squarebeing the first building outside US andsixth building in the world to receivePlatinum certification under LEED(C&S) v.2.0 by US Green BuildingCouncil. Four of our ongoing projects –Kalpataru Pinnacle, Kalpataru Hills,Kalpataru Riverside and Srishti have beenpre-certified by Indian Green BuildingCouncil as green homes. The group hasbeen an early adopter of constructionsystems like Mivan Formwork System andDoka Formwork System.

Views on the growing competition: Thereal estate market is highly competitive andfragmented. Considering increasinghousing demand, many new developershave entered real estate market and many

existing developers are offering variousstandards of projects that lead to growingcompetition in the industry. Competitionbrings out the best in one and growingcompetition has affected us in a positiveway and only made the group better inoffering to our customers. KalpataruGroup, homes are designed keeping inmind changing trends, lifestyles, consumerpreferences, adapted as per the demand ofthe market.The focus is to provide qualityliving with high standards of facilities andcustomer satisfaction. It has a well-plannedproperty development cycle to follow forstrategic planning of development ofprojects such as land identification process,land acquisition and developmentarrangements, full-fledged projectplanning, quality control. �

KALPATARU GROUP’S KEY MILESTONES AND PROJECTS IN THE JOURNEY1969 – 1974 � Established in 1969

� Between 1969 to 1974, premium residential developments in South Mumbai including:

� Kshitij, Nepeansea Road – the tallest building in Mumbai in 1974

� Swapnalok, Nepeansea Road, Mumbai – Stepped Row houses, first of its kind

1974-1982 � One of the largest civil contracting firms in the Middle East (UAE, Yemen and Iraq)

employing over 6,000 people

� Worked with leading international consulting firms including Bechtel, Halcrow,

Alexander Gibbs, Khatib & Alami to construct five star hotels, hospitals, townships

1983 -1989 � 1983 onwards –Premium developments in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune,

Bangalore and Jodhpur

� 1984 –Expansion into the Pune and Bangalore markets

� 1985 –Launched 200 acre township Srishti at Mira Road

� 1986 –Redevelopment of Sind Seva Samiti, rehabilitating over 400 members

1990 – 1999 � 1992 –SBI Officers Quarters at Mahim, a built-to-suit development of three buildings

� 1996 – Completed Divya Swapna, 14 split level row houses and an apartment building,

Chembur, Mumbai

� 1999 – Completed Kalpataru Heights, 39 storeys, Mumbai Central - tallest residential

building in Mumbai; Completed Siddhachal Phase I & II, Thane, Mumbai

2000 till date � 2002 – Completed Yugdharma-Malad, Tarangan-Thane & Kalpataru Point-Sion - Mumbai

� 2003 – Completed Kalpataru Residency, Sion, Mumbai - Premium award winning

development, Siddhachal Phase III & IV, Thane-Mumbai, Kalpataru Enclave, Pune

� 2005 – Completed Kalpataru Gardens Phase-I, Kandivali, Mumbai; Kalpataru Royale,

Sion, Mumbai; Siddhachal Phase-V, Thane, Mumbai

� 2006 –Moved to new corporate office, Kalpataru Synergy, Santacruz, Mumbai

� 2007 –Completed Kalpataru Horizon, Worli, Mumbai an international award winning

development; Kamdhenu, Mulund, Mumbai

� 2008 –Kalpataru Square, Andheri, Mumbai - Asia’s first platinum rated green

building certified by US LEED; Completed Landmark residential project, Kalpataru

Estate, Andheri, Mumbai

� 2009 –Korum Mall, Thane, Mumbai - an international award winning development


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Winning six international awards in 2010 including twoMIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects AwardsCommendations in Cannes, France and two Asia

Pacific Property Awards for Architecture in Hongkong and theHospitality Design Award for the Best Mid-range Hotel worldwidein New York, Sanjay Puri Architects have carved a nicheinternationally. Sanjay Puri Architects won the Future ProjectsCommercial Award for their project, ‘Offices’63’ at the 3rd WorldArchitecture Festival held in Barcelona in November 2010. SanjayPuri was the only Indian architect included in the judges’ panel atthe World Architecture Festival 2010, Barcelona amongst 70international judges.

The architect is involved in the design of over 180 projectspresently, having already completed over 400 projects of a diversenature. Global City, Mumbai’s largest residential development with15,000 apartments is amongst the several townships being designedby the firm. Their portfolio currently includes several hospitality,retail, commercial, entertainment and educational projects. Theprojects and designs by the architect are known for innovative design

solutions that are contextual and sustainable and creating spaces thatare exhilarating to experience while being functional form theessence of the firm’s design philosophy.

Projects: Since its inception the architect has conceptualized manyprojects in retail, corporate, hospitality, residential, interiors space.

Award winning project: OFFICES ’63Located in a rapidly urbanising new commercial centre, the design

of this project creates office spaces that are individual in identity withinterior & exterior integration.Five wings of office spaces locatednext to each other along the southern side of the 6.05 acre plotgradually diminish in height from the south-west corner to thesouth-east corner.This positioning of the building within the sitegenerates a 1.72 acre landscaped garden facing the north allowing itto be used throughout the year in a city where the southern sunduring the summer months causes temperatures to soar as high as 40degree Celsius.

The office spaces within the building too face north avoidingdirect glare from the harsh prevalent sun. The southern face of thebuilding houses the service areas and is shielded by a perforatedscreen to minimize the heat gain into the building while alluding tothe traditional Indian Jali and rendering the building contextual tothe heritage of the city. The office spaces in varying cuboids move inand out along the depth of the building creating outdoor terracespaces for each office on the northern side that can be usedthroughout the year since they are shielded from the sun.

A linear retail space occupies the main road frontage shielding the

garden areas beyond from the noise and pollution generated bytraffic along the road. offices '63 is a building that generates openspaces at both the community and at the individual level whilebeing designed in context to its surroundings, the city's climate andits heritage in a sculptural manifestation of form with individualidentities to each space within.

Awards and accolades:� 2010-Future Projects Commercial Award for ‘Offices’63’ at the

World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.� Hospitality Design Awards for Best Mid range hotel - Chrome

Hotel.� Asia Pacific Commercial Property Awards (Leisure & Hospitality)

Asia Pacific for Chrome Hotel.� MIPIM Architectural Review Future Architecture Awards at

Canes, France Commendation for River Front in ResidentialCategory & Synergy in Office Category.

� Finalist in four categories for the World Architecture Festival,WAF '09 .Awards at Barcelona, Spain. �


Since its establishment in the year 1992 todaySanjay Puri Architects has carved a distinctname in the industry. Known for out-of the-boxdesigns this name today is synonymous withmany national and international milestones.

of futuristic projects

TrendsetterTrendsetter

22] Cover Story_Sanjay Puri.qxp 3/12/2011 8:10 AM Page 22


Lodha developers continues to remain focused onproviding high quality housing and office solutions inMumbai. We believe that Mumbai is a market with

significant unmet demand and as market leader, we will firstfocus on fulfilling this demand. The company continues to focuson innovation and bringing world-class products and practices toIndia. With the tallest residential tower in the world (world one)and the largest mid-income housing development in India(Dombivali), the company continues to set new benchmarks forIndian real estate.

Total area of development of completed Lodha projects in theresidential sector: We have 30 ongoing residential projects withan estimated saleable area of approximately 26 mn sq ftcomprising 4 ‘By invitation only’ projects – Lodha Aristo, LodhaBellezza, Lodha Bellissimo and World One.

Current developments residential:Lodha Golf Links: It is the first of its kind golf themed project. Thisexclusive township overlooks a 9-hole golf course and offers 4

bedroom Golf villas facing the golf course as well as the road; it alsooffers 3 bedroom premium apartments with garden coupled withdistinctive architecture, efficient design, state-of-the-art facilities andamenities. CASA Rio: A grand residential development built over 134 acresthat embraces nature. A mega city-centre is the heart of Casa Riowith world-class public spaces, from an open air café and riversidepromenade to lifestyle club and sports pavilions.

World One: World one will be located at Lodha Place, a landmarkdevelopment on a 17 acre site, located in Upper Worli. The mixed-use development will include 3 residential towers, a high-endshopping avenue and a world-class office building. At over 1,450 fttall, the tower will be the tallest residential development in the worldand taller than some of the most iconic global landmarks. World oneis a “by invitation” only project and price is on request. However, atlaunch the residences were priced at Rs 7.50 crore onwards (USD1.5 million+). HDFC Sponsored Funds has made a PE investmentof Rs 500 crore in World One. HDFC Sponsored Funds willacquire 10% equity stake in World One, a project with the totalexpected investment of Rs 2,000 crore.

Completed and ongoing projects and total land bank : We have 28 completed residential projects with saleable areas of

approximately 9 mn sq ft.

The projects:Lodha Chateau Paradis is a luxury residential apartment with

saleable area of approximately 33,773 sq ft. It is located at WorliSeaface in Mumbai. Lodha Paradise (Phase I) is a residentialtownship consisting of 1,500 apartments with saleable area ofapproximately 1,531,725 sq ft. It is located at Majiwade in Thane.Lodha Paradise is a fully integrated, self contained and plannedresidential development with a school, garden, place of worship andsports and recreational facilities.

LAND BANK: COMMERCIAL SEGMENTiThink (Phase – I) at Kanjurmarg, Mumbai is being developed intwo phases, Phase - I comprises approximately 545,185 sq ft ofsaleable area. This project benefits from facilities and amenities suchas large floor plates, 100 percent DG power backup and many otheramenities.

Future plans :We believe that Mumbai is a market withsignificant unmet demand and as market leader; we will firstfocus on fulfilling this demand. The company continues tofocus on innovation and bringing world-class products andpractices to India. With the tallest residential tower in the world(world one) and the largest mid-income housing developmentin India (Dombivali. �


Lodha Group continues to set new benchmarks for

Indian real estate time and again.

Focus on innovation andbringing world-classproducts and practices

???

24] Cover Story_Lodha.qxp 3/12/2011 8:11 AM Page 24


SOMAYA AND KALAPPA (S&K) was founded by thearchitect and urban conservationist - Brinda Somaya. Anarchitectural firm that has strived to produce work that is

creative, practical and economical, while keeping in mind the social,economic, environmental and aesthetic issues relevant to eachproject. They believe, see architecture and interior design asoverlapping and symbiotic areas of activity and continue to maintainthe delicate balance of innovation and professionalism that is ourhallmark. Strongly in keeping up with modern technology andintegrating such systems into our work environment.

The work: Brinda Somaya’s combined skills in architectureand interior design, coupled with the resources in engineeringservices has enabled to ensure that high quality, functionalsolutions are delivered on time and within budget. Over the lastthree decades her oeuvre has spanned corporate, industrial andinstitutional clients and also extends to townships, hotels and aexclusive selection of houses and apartments. Her oeuvre,spanning corporate, industrial and institutional clients extends to

public spaces, which she has rebuilt and sometimes reinvented aspavements, parks and plazas. These include the Colaba Woods,Ganeshpuri Temple and a slew of pavements in South Mumbaiand the reconstruction of an entire village in Kutch. Conservingthe past and building the new are the core values of the firm.

Best three: All the projects, be it big or small have been andcontinue to be of equal importance. But still below three arespecial.� Nalanda International School, Vadodara - Contemporary

project � St Thomas’s Cathedral, Mumbai - Conservation project� Badhli Village, Bhuj - Community project

Current and ongoing projects: We are designing aneducational master planning project, a high-end holiday resortlocated on the steep mountain slopes of Northern India, a hi-tech IT campus in an urban setting and a tower of over ahundred storeys in the heart of Mumbai city.

New trends to be seen coming days: Glass and aluminumblocks are inevitable but must not become the sole architecturalvocabulary of the future. We have to build outside the box(literally). We must evolve and use the basic elements taught byvernacular architecture, the genius of new materials and the everchanging environmental conditions that we live in to create theskyline of tomorrow.

ABOUT THE ARCHITECT: Brinda Chinnappa Somaya, Architect and Urban Conservationistcompleted her Master of Arts degree from Smith College, USAafter graduating from the Sir J. J. College of Architecture,Mumbai. She believes that development and progress mustproceed without straining the cultural and historic environment.Brinda Somaya has won numerous personal and professionalawards throughout the years that include the 'WienerbergerGolden Architect Award for Lifetime Achievement awarded' byA+D and the Spectrum Foundation. But perhaps one of her mostfulfilling involvement has been in Progressive Conservation - bestexemplified in the restoration and renovation of her alma mater,the Cathedral and John Connon Schools, prime examples ofVictorian Gothic architecture in the historic precinct of the Fortarea, Mumbai. An example of how the future can be embracedwithout erasing the past, this conservation effort embodies, inmicrocosm, what other historic areas of the city might do to renewthemselves and by extension, the city, through focusedenvironment-conscious (and history-sensitive) architecture. �


Conserving the pastand building the new

Being one of the first women in thisprofession Brinda Somaya is instrumental inbuilding the foundations of the firm SOMAYAAND KALAPPA, a full service architecturalfirm offering each client a combination ofimaginative design and decades of experience.

26] Cover Story_Brinda Somaya.qxp 3/12/2011 8:12 AM Page 26


Sunil Mantri Realty Ltd is all set on the cusp of rapid growthand expansion into newer territories using the latesttechnologies and innovation. The company is poised to

diversify into hospitality and financial services sector in a significantway. From a presence in 2 cities, the group has grown miraculouslyto 14 cities in India and is venturing into Malaysia to build an ICTcentre in Johor.

Real-estate activities across the country: We have been in the realestate business for more than 20 years and have a land bank availableof more than 50 mn sq ft. spread across 14 cities. Over the years wehave developed 120 projects spanning over 15 million sq ft ofdevelopment. We are here to provide high quality living andworking spaces, with an aim to meet the aspirations of the common,middle class citizens. The growth in real estate in Tier-II and Tier-IIIcities is mainly due to increase in demand for organised realty andthe availability of land at affordable prices in these cities. The grouphas about 70 percent residential and 30 percent commercial projects,which include IT and retail. Our residential projects includes:- � Mantri Park - Mumbai� Waterfront – Solapur� Mantri Premero – Bangalore� Mantri Lavendula – Pune� Mantri Royale – Bangalore� Mantri Imperial – Gwalior� Mantri City – Gwalior� The Square – Solapur

We are also developing an “affordable SEZ” of over 40 Lakh sq ftin Nagpur.

First, total numbers of projects pan India: Initially, we worked ona few small projects in Karad in 1986. Then we undertook projectsin Pune (1988), Solapur (1990), Bangalore (1993), Mumbai (1995),and New Delhi. The company has built a loyal customer base withan industry exposure of 20 years. Sunil Mantri Realty Ltd. has over150 completed projects spread over 15 mn sq ft of built-up area,consisting of over 600 masterpieces in Pune, Solapur, Mumbai,Hyderabad, Goa, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Aurangabad, Gwaliorand Bangalore and more than 10,000 satisfied customers, including1,000 NRIs. We also have plans to enter Northern market withprojects in cities like Gwalior etc.

Ongoing and projects in pipeline: We have presence across 14cities across India. We have about 70% residential and30%commercial projects, which include IT and Retail. We have atotal land bank of about 50mn sq ft. The major projects includeMantri Park which is situated at Goregaon (East). We haveprojects in Solapur called Waterfront, comprising of about 4 lakh

sq ft of residential-cum-commercial space. The Square in Solapurconsists of 6 lakh sq ft of residential-cum-commercial space and wehave two more projects in Pune which are Mantri Lavendula andMantri Casa Bella which consists of about 6 Lakh sq. We have ITparks coming up in Kolhapur and Sangli. We have projects inBangalore, namely Mantri Royale, a residential project consistingof 206 apartments. We are coming up with two residential projectsin Hyderabad. In Gwalior we are coming up with the high endpremium project namely Mantri Imperial consisting of about 1lakhs sq ft. of space. We also are building a township in Gwaliornamed Mantri City.

Plans for commercial property development for ongoingprojects: Demand for office space in II tier cites, such as Pune &Bangalore is expected to increase at a faster pace, at about 17% and22% respectively. Bangalore, National capital region (NCR) andMumbai will generate demand for about 46% of the Indian officespace over the next five years. We are also developing an affordableSEZ of over 40 lakh sq ft in Nagpur.

Most landmark and challenging projects and what is the USP:Mantri Park, Mumbai, has been our most prominent landmark andchallenging projects. Its USP is that it is situated in one of the mostscenic areas of Mumbai, Goregaon East. The total area ofdevelopment is 7 lakh sq ft.

FUTURE PLANS OF THE COMPANYWe are reaching out to the tier –II and Tier - III markets for our newprojects. We have launched a signature project, Mantri Serene, inGoregaon East, Mumbai. Plans are also afloat for fresh projects inPune and Gwalior as well. �


With a 300 per cent growth recorded in the pastthree years, Sunil Mantri Realty is, one of thefastest-growing real estate companies in India.

Poised to scale new heights

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AVA was instituted in 1996though Vistasp. With anexperience over 20 years

in this line. AVA grows from a 5 personorganisation to a 35 person design teamtoday having two offices ArchitectureStudio & Interior Innovation Center in Delhi.

Core value and ethics of the firm:AVA believes in two words ‘CreativityCounts’ this has been the core missionstatements and our fundamental believeis that every client brings with him / herown unique set of challenges whichdeserve a unique solution. As a result, notwo projects are similar.

Particular style or pattern of architecture:AVA follows an ideology that architecturemust be an amalgamation of conceptualism,respect for energy and environment issue,contemporary paradigm, local arts and craft,responsible architecture.

First project: The first major architectureproject taken on was Zee Telefilms in Noida

where a corporate office of 1, 00,000 sq ftwas designed for both civil and interiorworks.

Total number of projects done: We haveover 450 projects out of which 90% areinterior projects and balance are ongoingarchitecture projects.

Best work done: Voguserve Building aninterior is one of our best poject done to datedue to a very eternal styling andfunctionality in both the architecture aninterior design.

Favorite project: Amongst interior projectthe corporate office for M/s DhootDevelopers is the personal favorite and

amongst architecture project the attachedHeritage Manesar hotel is personal favorite.

Current and ongoing projects what is theUSP: We are working on some interestingpublic buildings for Jaypee Greens in Noidaand Greater Noida. The USP of these is theattention to creative design andcontemporary functionality.

Inspiration: Amongst the doyense ofarchitecture I admire ‘Charles Correa’ themost for his simplistic and vibrant responseto complex client briefs.

Admired competitor’s work: The worksof ‘Sanjay Puri’ and ‘Morphogenesis’ aremost interesting.

New trends to be seen coming days:Having just attended the NationalConvention of IIID at Jaipur it is my firmconviction that a return to art and craft inArchitecture will be the defining trend ofthis decade as more and more people wouldreject an overt inclination towardsmodernistic architecture.

THE ARCHITECTAVA was founded by Vistasp Bhagwagar, adouble gold medalist from the School ofPlanning & Architecture, New Delhi (1991)and a Masters Degree post graduate inUrban Design from Oxford BrookesUniversity in UK. In addition to being aRegistered Member of The Council ofArchitecture, Vistasp is an associate memberof the Indian Institute of Architects (AIIA),and an active member of the Institute ofIndian Designers (IIID) Delhi Chapter. �


AVA is one stop architectural and interior design housewith a penchant for creativity with over 300 projectsunder one belt.

� Toyota Kirloskar Motors, Mumbai

� Mr. Varun Gandhi’s Farm House At Vasant Kunj,

New Delhi

� Corporate For Pepsico India, Gurgaon

� Zee Corporate Building, Film City, Noida

� The Heritage Village Resort Extension Block,

Manesar

� Office Showroom, Hyundai Motors, Delhi.

� Office of Louis Vuitton, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

� Office of Daikin Air Conditioning India Pvt. Ltd.,

Gurgaon

� Dish TV Call Centre, Film City, Noida

� Mc Donald’s Outlet & Office, Noida

Examples of good Interior projects

Architecture will be thedefining trend of this decade


30] Cover Story_AVA Architects.qxp 3/12/2011 8:12 AM Page 30

Puravankara is a key player in thereal estate industry for the last 35years instrumental in developing

lifestyle residences commercial properties forthe customers majorly in South India.Puravankara Projects Limited is one of theleading real estate development companiesin India with a focus on developingresidential and commercial properties. Itsprojects are primarily based in south Indiaand it has a growing presence in other partsof India and has a business presence in selectlocations overseas. The company'soperations span all aspects of real estatedevelopment, from the identification andacquisition of land, to the planning andexecution and marketing of its projects. Ithas established a strong brand image and asuccessful track record in the real estate

industry due to its commitment todeveloping high quality projects.These 35years have been exciting and challenging andwith the Indian Economy growing at 8%-9%, we expect the environment to be evenmore challenging in the years to come.

Vision: The vision of the promoter hasalways been to provide transparency withall stakeholders' of the organization and

has been Puravankara's primary objectiveof our growth. We have implementedsystems and processes across theorganization through technology and iseffectively used in our decision makingprocess. Being in the industry for the last35 years has provided us with a wealth oflearning across the Real EstateDevelopment cycle and our ability toadapt to new market conditions throughinnovation has helped in Puravankarastand out in the market.

Puravankara started its operations inMumbai and had successfully completed 5residential projects totaling 0.14 millionsquare feet and is currently focusing ondevelopments across cities of Bengaluru,Chennai and Kochi totaling 20.25 millionsq ft both under residential andcommercial operations.Land being a statesubject in India, Real Estate has alwaysbeen dominated by players in therespective regions and hence thecompetition has always been city specific.The key players in Bengaluru apart fromPuravankara are Sobha, Mantri, Brigade,Prestige, Nitesh and True Value Homes,Vijayshanthi Builders, SouthernInvestments in Chennai addressing thehousing needs of the customers.


Puravankara Projects Limitedprimarily focused ondeveloping residential andcommercial properties insouth India also has agrowing presence in otherparts of the country and inselect locations overseas.

Developing lifestyle homes


32-34] Cover Story_Purvankara.qxp 3/12/2011 8:53 AM Page 32


Diversifying: The strategy forexpansion in newer markets have alwaysbeen a key driver for the growth of thecompany and currently we are looking ataddressing the housing needs in Tier IIcities of Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli inKarnataka; Madurai, Trichy andCoimbatore in Tamil Nadu; Surat,Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Thane inMaharashtra.

Land bank and total projects:Currentlythe land bank held by PuravankaraProjects Limited outside India is inColombo representing a developablepotential of 1.38 Million Square Feet.This land is located in the CentralBusiness District of Colombo and thedevelopment will be a mixed use withResidential, Commercial and Retail Assetclasses.Puravankara Projects Limited hascompleted and handed over 7.62 MillionSquare feet of Developable Area upto 31March 2010, 98% of which is inBengaluru and the balance in Mumbaiand Chennai.

PROJECTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT: Puravankara Group currently is developing20.25 Million Square feet through 16projects across Bengaluru, Kochi andChennai. Of the above, Puravankara isdeveloping 14.39 Million Square feet ofResidential and Commercialdevelopments and the balance of 5.69Million Square feet is being developed byProvident Housing Limited under theAffordable Housing segment.All these

projects are in advanced stages ofcompletion and we are planning to handover to the customers by end of June 2012.

Plans: Puravankara group hascompleted 2 commercial projects upto 31March 2010 at a total leasable area of 0.18million square feet in Bengaluru.Currently we are developing a commercialproject of 0.17 Million Square feet inChennai which will be completed by endof June 2012.

We are planning to increase ourcommercial exposure in the coming yearsand are currently evaluating opportunitiesto expand this vertical. Launches will be

announced once our plans are firmed up.

LANDMARK PROJECTSPuravankara takes pride in deliveringiconic and distinguished properties. PurvaPark was the first project in Bangalore thatwas delivered with more than 400apartments accompanied with world classamenities. It revolutionized the concept ofcommunity living. In 2008, we deliveredPurva Fountainsquare which hascompeted for numerous titles at variousaward ceremonies. Recently it has beenawarded the 'Luxury Project of the Year' atthe Realty Plus Excellence Awards 2011,South. It also received the 'Best

Landscape Award' in the residentialcategory by the Mysore HorticultureSociety and was a finalist in the CNBCawards for the 'Best Property in SouthIndia' last year.

Growth plans: We have aggressive planson growth and will be launching newprojects across India in the next 12-15months. In the next 3-4 months we willbe launching residential projects of 8.4million square feet in Bengaluru, Chennaiand Coimbatore under Puravankarabrand and 10 million square feet inBengaluru under provident brand forpremium affordable housing. �


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Sustainability and climate responsivedesign form the basis of thearchitectural firm by Castelino &

Marchese Architects & Associates (C&M).The architectural practices use alternative,traditional and modern building technologyas appropriate to the context and brief.

A PATTERN OF ARCHITECTUREThe firm strongly believes in timelessarchitecture that is beyond ‘trends’ anddoesn’t struggle to be ‘new’ or ‘inventive’ forthe sake of it. The search is for‘egoless’architecture in the present egodriven contemporary architectural trend theworld over.We try to innovate each time andexperiment with everything. With eachproject, our style evolves.

First project undertaken: Private house inDouceur, guest rooms for quiet healingCentre both in Auroville.

Total number of projects done under:� Private houses: 13� Housing projects: 7

� Industrial buildings: 8� Planning: 7� Public buildings: 12� Interior projects: 11� Landscape projects: 4

Best work done so far and why: AsPicasso puts it ‘always the next one’.

Best three projects:� Timber Beach House, Srima Auroville

done in the year 2007-2009.� Growing Towards, Pillaichavady,

Pondicherry in the year 2004-2006.� Promenade Hotel Luxury Suites

Pondicherry 2009.

Favorite project: Maroma, storeroom inDouceur.

Current and ongoing projects:� Colonial house extension, renovation and

landscaping, Chennai of 1,500sq m.� Private house, Ousteri lake area,

Pondicherry 450 sq m.� Private house, Moolakulam, Pondicherry

450 sq m.� Apartment renovation and interiors,

Bangalore 200 sq m.� Heritage style restoration for private

house, Pondicherry 300 sq m.� Private house, Moolakulam, Pondicherry

250 sq m.

The USP for all projects: Holisticapproach towards design involvingfunctionality, aesthetics and resourceconservation. Sustainability and climate

responsive design form the basis of ourwork. Use of alternative, traditional andmodern building technology as appropriateto the context and brief.

Admirable work: Carlo Scarpa, GiuseppeTerragni, Aldo Rossi and Mario Botta. Theyare all very innovative and do not separatemodernism and tradition but combine themin their design.

Competitor's work of mention:Paolo Portoghesi, Central mosque, Rome,Italy, 1974.

New trends to be seen coming days: Webelieve that great architecture is impersonaland has no trends. Hopefully in future thereis more concern towards environmentalimpact, sustainability, energy andappropriate design solutions.

The architects: Sheril Castelino graduated in Architecturefrom Bombay. She has also worked both inBombay and Italy with architect Paolo Soleriin Arcosanti, prior to heading her firm inAuroville.

Pino Marchese graduated in Architecturefrom University of Florence in 1990. He hasworked for eight years in various studios ofarchitecture in south Italy and Florencedoing projects for housing, commercial andpublic buildings. �


Giving a holistic approach C&M Architects since itsinception in 2001 believes ingiving holistic approachtowards design involvingfunctionality, aesthetics andresource conservation.


36] Cover Story_C&M Architects.qxp 3/12/2011 8:13 AM Page 36

Founded by Sushil Mantri in 1999Mantri Developers in just 10years, has delivered over 6,000

homes and built 18 projects. Today, MantriDevelopers has to its credit over one crore sqft under construction. Mantri Developershas a track record of delivering 1.4 homesper day since inception. The company plansto focus on the residential sector, retail,hospitality, IT Parks and educationalinstitutions in Bangalore, Chennai,Hyderabad and Pune. Mantri Developersalso has to its credit in building - the largestmall in India spread over 1.7 million sq fthaving 252 retail outlets housing over10,000 brands and 39 F&B outlets,creating a shopping experience unmatchedin the country. Today, Mantri Developershas to its credit over 10 million sq ft ofconstructed area, over 30,000 satisfiedresidents and 10 million sq ft under variousstages of construction. We developed the

largest retail of India in Bangalore. Project uniqueness: The success is based

on a consumer centric approach with six keydifferentiators: - On time delivery, highestcarpet area, home care, creatingcommunities, award winning landscapesand attention to detail. The company standsapart from its competitors with a number ofinnovative firsts:

� First to sell homes on carpet areaproviding highest carpet area.

� First to provide individual swimmingpools for penthouses in Bangalore.

�First to give ACD for highest securitymeasure.

� First to build Ultra Luxury homes with a360 degree view .

� First to have a public-private partnership(PPP) to improve Bannerghatta Road,Bangalore.

�First to offer Home Concierge: on-callservices at your doorstep .

� First to introduce tele-medicine forresidential properties in India .Mantri Developers has become one of the

first real estate companies to receive thecertifications on Integrated ManagementSystems for its commitments towardsinternational standard in four categories ofproduct quality, environmentalmanagement, Occupational Health andSafety assessment systems and Socialaccountability.

Future plans of the company: Werecently unveiled our new brand identitywhich is symbolic of our expanded strategicfocus for the future .Over the next five yearswe plan to evolve from a realty brand to anaspirational luxury brand. We are todaypoised for the future as plan to embark ontonew geographical destinations and enternew business verticals. �


Mantri Developers Pvt Ltd isa leading developer of worldclass homes, IT parks andeducational Institutions.

Development based on VALUES


38] Cover Story-Sushil Mantri.qxp 3/12/2011 8:14 AM Page 38

Since the inception of the firm inOct 2009, Bangalore basePurplemindZ Design Studio offers

full service interior design. The firmprovides interior design consultancy as wellas turnkey interior design solutions forresidential (villas, flats, penthouse),hospitality (restaurants, hotels) retail (malls,boutique shops, beauty salon, shops andoffice spaces etc.

Designing style: We believe in followingcustomer’s requirement and thus each andevery design is tailored made as per therequirement. We feel that by following anyparticular style or patter of design, we mayconfine the imagination and creativity of ourorganisation to a small space.

First project: Our first project was aresidential space in Delhi (NCR) and itwould always remain as one of the best wehave done till now.

Total number of projects: We have done18 projects since Oct 2009 in varioussegments like hospitality, residential, retailand offices.

Best work: Residential space in Delhi(NCR). This 4 bedroom 3,100 sq ftapartment at Forest by Unitech has differentrooms on different themes from real lifescenarios and this house is one good blend oftraditional and contemporary designs withvaried colors and ultra modern technologybeing used in all the possible aspects.

SELECTED THREE PROJECTSFirst would the corporate office of aConstruction company in Delhi (NCR)which has around 20,000 sq ft carpet areaacross 4 floors. It has been designed keepingin mind the opulence of the industry as suchand special requirement from the customerwhere best of the stones, furnishings andfixtures have been used. Lot of technologygadgets have been used to make mundaneactivities easy and functionally intelligent.

Second one would be a photographystudio again near Delhi (NCR) where‘Straight Line’ designs were incorporatedquite creatively in furniture and otherspaces. Best part was how skillfully the small

space of 300 sq ft was made to look like abigger and one of the most glamorousphotography studios in the North of India.

Third one would be another small 900 Sqft apartment in Delhi (NCR) wheretechnology has been used up to the max andeach and every corner has been designedkeeping its functional importance in mind.It is one of the most beautiful andappreciated house in terms of its aestheticbeauty, value for money and perfect spaceutilization.

Favorite project: Another favorite wouldbe three storied house done in Meerut,which has an old architecture of 1950’s buthas been converted into a contemporaryliving space giving it a feel of modern times

palace with high tech technology gadgets.Current and ongoing projects and the

USP: Currently we are doing few importantprojects in Bangalore where 2 of them areresidential i.e. a three bedroom 2,100 sq ftapartment at ‘Prestige Shantiniketan’ nearWhitefield and other a 1,200 sq ftapartment in CV Raman Nagar.

New trends: In coming times, lot newcolors, materials ,finishes, and technology isgoing to play a major role in changing thedefinition of interior design. Innovationswould change the meaning of design and lotof natural designs can be man made throughsuch innovations making it affordable formany.

ABOUT THE ARCHITECTSRicha Wadhwa, Principal Designer andfounder of PurplemindZ Design Studio” isan Interior design graduate.AnkushWadhwa, Co-Founder & Director‘PurplemindZ Design Studio’ headsBusiness Development and CustomerRelationship Management . �


A touch of uniquenessPurplemindZ, an interiordesign company is equipped toprovide consultancy as well asturnkey interior designsolutions and consultancysolutions for numerous genreof projects.


40] Cover Story_Purple mindz.qxp 3/12/2011 8:14 AM Page 40

RNA Corp, earlier known asRNA Builders is one of India’sleading property development

companies with over two decades ofexperience in offering solutions toindividuals and corporate customers. Withkey focus on client requirements, thegroup has a bouquet of projects across theMumbai Metropolitan Region. Over thelast decade, the contribution to residentialand mixed-use real estate in Mumbai isquantified by 10 million sq ft of completeddevelopments, while a substantialdevelopment is already in the pipeline.

First project and its highlights:RNA Corp then known as RNA buildersconstructed 2 projects simultaneously in1984 at Andheri West, Mumbai - RNAArcade and RNA Complex. RNA Arcade isa residential project consisting 2 wings of 38residential flats and 217 shops and

developed area is more than onelakh sq ft approx. RNA Complex has 2 lakhsq ft of development consisting 234residential flats and 46 shops.

Total land bank then and now: RNACorp have completed 10 mn sq ft ofresidential and mixed-use developments inthe Mumbai region. And now around 50million sq ft of residential, commercial, andmixed-use projects under various stages ofdevelopment in Mumbai.

Ongoing projects in the residentialsector: ‘RNA Continental’ at Chembur isthe single largest residential developmentproject spread across 11 acres that

comprises an impressive seven floor40,000 sq ft clubhouse offering premiumlifestyle experience and 900 units ofspacious apartments.

Ongoing projects in commercial sector:RNA Corp is coming up with 2 commercialprojects in Mumbai - RNA Petals and RNABizz. RNA Petal is centrally located inGoregoan with a leasable area of 100,000 sqft. RNA Bizz is located on Westren ExpressHighway, close to Bandra Kurla Complexhas a leasable area of about 200,000 Sq. ft. ofpremium office space.

The most promising and prestigiousproject in the city: RNA Continental atChembur which would transform thesuburb of Chembur, given the inclusivenature of development involving theregeneration of old MHADA housingcolony. A similar transformation isexpected at Sewree. The resultantlandscape would have an iconic mixed-usestructure integrating a FEC concept andpremium housing.

The major focus: Our developmentfocus would be premium residentialhousing segment. In addition, we alsohave mixed-use, commercial and fewhospitality projects under development.

Our properties are targeted towardscustomers in the upper-mid and highincome group, and hence designed withaesthetics and lifestyle elements. Ourdevelopments are accomplished throughredevelopment or regeneration process inthe island city of Mumbai, andconstruction on the land banks insuburban locations. We are workingtowards creating master plans for manysuch mixed-use developments that offertremendous value in Mumbai. We arealso involved in the marketredevelopment initiative of MCGM(Corporation of Greater Mumbai) thatshall see the resurgence of communitymarket concept as against concentrationof retail in malls.

Future plans of the company: RNACorp is amongst the leading real estatedevelopment company in Mumbai,and aim to be amongst the top 3 in thenext 5 years. �


Conceptualising and developing quality infrastructureRNA Corp a name know fordelivering projects of superiorquality, on budget and on time,maintaining high standards incustomer relationshipmanagement, have been themetrics of its performance.


42] Cover Story_RNA.qxp 3/12/2011 8:14 AM Page 42

The consumer is always at the heartof everything we do. Everythingwe do is a product of bold

thinking. Bold thinking—the confidence tochallenge convention—is born of aprofound understanding of both the brandand the consumer.

Design philosophy:With that depth and breadth ofunderstanding, we’re able to read, write andspeak the language of both brands andconsumers. The fluency in this uniquelanguage is the key to effectively translatingbrand into consumer experience. Fitch’squality of the work is a direct result of theauthenticity of our insights andunderstanding, to the point where itbecomes intuitive, how a brand looks,sounds and feels in any situation, we’re ableto match brand expressions to consumerbehaviours and create a real and lastingdialogue that doesn’t so much reflect asinform and influence consumer culture.

The work:Fitch has an experience of work from in

airports, museums, shops, public spaceswhere at each and every touch point, wherewe are translating brand into experience andexperience into compelling memories. We’vebroadened our thinking into a trulycoordinated and joined-up approach thatdraws inspiration from the widest spectrumof cultures, behaviors and trends. Ourphilosophy is to use that influenceresponsibly—and that means creating brand

experiences that derive from a trueunderstanding of consumers’ hopes, fearsand aspirations.

The influence we want to have—thelegacy we want to leave—must be to deliverlasting, positive change. Something thatmakes a real difference to both the consumerand the brand, that delivers bottom-linebenefits from top-line thinking. We createconsumer experiences that fire theimagination, tap into hidden desires,heighten aspirations and give consumerscontrol of the choices they make. Forexample TARA Jewellers, one of projectsdone by Fitch which they take a great pridetalking about. A beautiful picturesqueshowroom in Mumbai .

The FITCH process is both a series ofchecks and balances and a direction to

follow—a direction that leads us topreviously undiscovered truths about thebrand and the consumer.

Fitch is a global design consultancy,which means we face outwards, towardsconsumers. Wherever in the world youencounter Fitch, you’ll find anenvironment, culture and values that areoptimised to foster focussed, intelligentcreativity—Bold Thinking. To us, designis about making emotional, intellectualand physical connections. It’s not justabout Photoshop.

Fitch encourages people to understandthe cultural and historical dynamics ofdesign and, consequently, we know that wehave a wider responsibility to take thediscipline forward—to set new and higherstandards and to encourage and developemerging talent.

We don’t impose our will, or indeed ahouse style, on any project. We don’t arriveat a brief with preconceptions or ready-made ideas. We don’t do anything just forthe sake of it. �


We design real-world solutions and the big ideas by translatingbrand into consumer experience. It’s a collaborative processthat takes us closer to your brand; closer to your consumersand focuses on the expertise from across our business believesDavid Blair, principal architect, Fitch.

We don’t do anything just for the sake of it


44] Cover Story_David Blair.qxp 3/12/2011 8:15 AM Page 44

Jaypee Greens a premium 450-acre golf-centric real estatedevelopment project situated in

Greater Noida integrating homes withgolf course, landscaped emerald spaces,resort living and commercialdevelopments. Jaypee Greens builds a mixuse development with different residentialoptions and recreational facilities like golf,landscaping, play areas and parks.

The first project and total land bankthen:Our first project was in GreaterNoida. It is located on a 452 acres landand offers a range of luxurious residenceswhich includes estate home, villas, townhomes and apartments. Our total landbank for the first project was 452 acres.

Ongoing projects in the residential sectorGreater Noida.The total area ofdevelopment: We started our first projectin Greater Noida where apartments areindeed a reflection of luxury living andcontemporary lifestyles. Infact, theproperties are surrounded by a 18 and 9hole golf courses. There is also a TownCentre which meets the needs of theresidents which includes a spa, a mini-theatre, ATMs, fitness centers amongst

many others. Jaypee Greens, Greater Noidais spread over 452 acres of which majorityof the construction are completed.

SPORTS CITY PROJECT AND MAJOR HIGHLIGHTSThe Jaypee Greens Sports City spreadover 2,500 acres is going to be a uniqueone-of-its-kind city in India. Located onthe 165 Km Yamuna Expressway, JaypeeGreens Sports City is the first Sportsthemed city in India. At the Sports City,one can choose from the limited editionspersonal suites at Kassia, residential plotsfrom Krowns, Country Homes withlandscaped gardens or villas, town homesand mid to high rise apartments blocks atLake District. Beside the social clubs, andthe cricket stadium, it also has the Motor

Racing Track which will play host to themost awaited event in India – the F1race.We are coming up with the YamunaExpressway on the eastern periphery ofSports City which is 165 kms long.

PROJECT IN COMMERCIAL SECTORPresently, we have not ventured into thecommercial sector. However, ourprojects in the residential sector are verysought after and we are only pleased togive the best to our Jaypee Greens, wewould like to be the ultimate lifestylereal-estate destination keeping in mindthe Group's goal that is committed tostrategic business development ininfrastructure, as the key to nationbuilding in the 21st century. �


Jaypee Greens believes increating self-sustained massivescale townships where natureconnects to a recreationdestinations, social activitiesand gracious living playing akey role in the nation building.

A complete lifestyle real-estate destination


46] Cover Story_Jaypee.qxp 3/12/2011 8:15 AM Page 46

Collaborative Architecture wasestablished in the year 2002. Theprincipals had their individual

practices before merging in 2002 to createCollaborative Architecture. The firm alwaysstrived to create architecture and design atpar with international standards, not just indesign innovation, but in design deliverytoo. They strongly believe that the act ofdoing architecture is not a forced result ofthe brief, but a compulsive urge of thecreative mind. The designs are more oftennot, not a result of a rational process, but,intuitive, often layered palimpsests oflogical, irrational, bizarre, poetic, clarifiedand impossible thoughts.

Particular style or pattern: No we do notfollow any particular style…. The practicehas been deeply involved in design research,and the discerning pattern if any are resultsof this overlapping explorations. At presentwe are developing the whole gamut ofdesign- ladies fashion, ladies accessories,

indoor lighting, lifestyle products etc takingsome lateral inspirations from theseresearches.

First project undertaken and in whichdiscipline/category: Architect Lalita did ahealth club in Mumbai, which went on towin IIID national award and ArchitectMujib did a informatics Centre for hisalmamatr in Calicut.

Total number of projects done: Not‘numbers’ by the so-called standards ofarchitectural production…We are veryparticular in selecting our clientele and thekind of work we do. Most of the works havebeen featured internationally and wonseveral awards.

Best work done so far and why: Everyproject delves into some unexplored aspectsof design, environmental, sociological facetsof the research we do. But, yes if you askus… WRAP Series of projects has propelledthe firm in the international radar.

Best Three: WRAP-3, WRAP-4 and

URBAN TOTEM- a vertical sustainabletower

Favourite: WEDGE – 1 and severalSingle Family houses we are buildingcurrently

Current and ongoing projects and theUSP: We are designing two educationalbuildings which are really out of the box.Our first major hospitality project is nearingcompletion, and the restaurant is a part ofthe project which we are really lookingforward too, as the client couldn’t afford todo much in the guest rooms, which arebasic. We are also working for a renownedDubai based builder and hope to createsome good works for them in future apartfrom these couple of single family residenceswe are doing in Kerala, which combines thecontextual response with highly innovativedesign and some apartments we aredesigning in Mumbai.

Inspiration: Louise Kahn, Alvaro Alto,Peter Zumtor, David Chipperfield,Morphosis, Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, andJH Meyer the list goes.

New trends to be seen in coming days:There will be a clear shift towards activeIndustry integration in design and executionphase. Projects fall in a larger scheme ofthings, transforming them into criticalexplorations of ideas and visions for future.

Mujib Ahmed completed his degree inarchitectural engineering from REC Calicutin the year 1993. In the year 2002 formedCOLLABORATIVE ARCHITECTUREin Partnership with Lalita Tharani. �


DesigninginnovationArchitecture at COLLABORATIVE goes beyond the generallyprevailing notions of functional contingencies and simplisticapproach of problem solving.


48] Cover Story_Collabrative Arch.qxp 3/12/2011 8:57 AM Page 48

Oberoi Constructions re-branded as Oberoi Realty, has comea long way. With nearly 3 decades of experience atshowcasing the best of design layouts and construction

quality Oberoi Realty and Promoter Group have completed 32projects covering approximately 4.979 mn sq ft of saleable areaspread across the city of Mumbai. Headquartered in Mumbai, TheOberoi Realty Group currently manages a portfolio spanning acrossresidential, office space, retail, hospitality and social Infrastructureproperties. Further progressing the group intends to expand itsgeographic base through acquisitions of land and development rightsfocused on premium developments in the residential, office space,retail, hospitality and social infrastructure segments. Oberoi Realty isa debt-free company and has always been prudent in its’ financialmanagement and land-buying. The company had raised Rs1, 028crores during its’ recent IPO and proposes to use this cash to fundits’ existing construction activity and also to acquire land when theright opportunity comes its’ way at the right price.

Evolution of the brand:

Oberoi Realty believes it has an established brand and a track recordin the real estate industry of developing innovative projects throughits strong emphasis on contemporary architecture, able and skilfulproject execution and quality construction. Oberoi Realty seeks tocreate ‘destination developments’ through its in mixed-use andsingle-segment developments.

The underlying valuesThe real-estate scene is completely changed today from beingunorganised to getting more organised and corporatised, prioritisingon the customers’ demands and needs Also in the real-estate industrycorporate governance is also showing remarkable change. There ismore transparency involved, and developers living up to theirpromises and getting in more and more national and internationaltrends into India. Transparency in terms of the dealing, timelydelivery, best architectural practices, international designs, trendsand world class amenities, undying focus on quality in terms ofdesign, aesthetics, design, construction, material consultants all theseare living up to the given promises gives the customer sense of trust,feeling of being special giving value for each penny spent for thatdream abode. The company’s unilateral focus on quality andexecution has ensured that all its projects proceeding as scheduled.Adhering to these values the group has not only developed a loyalcustomer’s base and but also a trusted name in the real-estate

industry. Today the group has a totalof 33 completed projectsaggregating approx 5 mn sq ft.Ongoing and upcoming projects bythe company and its subsidiaries /JVs span across 24 projects totalingover 20.5 mn sq ft.

Business highlights:Oberoi Mall - Contributed Rs18.42 crores to the revenue for the Q3FY1. Commerz I -Contributed Rs11.42 crores to the revenue for the Q3FY11.

Development of properties: � Oberoi Exquisite I at Goregaon (E): Out of total estimated

saleable area of 1,448,040 sq ft, the group have sold 7,50,090sq ft till date The company has crossed the 20% threshold level ofproject cost, excluding land cost and has commenced revenuerecognition of the project.

�Oberoi Prisma – Launched the office space project at JVLR,Andheri (E).

� Worli Project: Construction activity going on as planned andin advanced talks with a leading international hotel chain and aleading international general contractor for this mixed-useluxury project. �


Since the group’s inception in the early1980’s Oberoi Realty has evolved into a realestate developer focused on premiumdevelopments in the city.

Creating aspirationaldevelopments


50] Cover Story_Oberoi Realty.qxp 3/12/2011 8:16 AM Page 50

With over 25,000 homes built across westernMaharashtra, Paranjape Schemes offer premiumquality residential projects - building world class

homes with superior specifications, better amenities andcreating contemporary lifestyles. With over 100 top-of-the-lineprojects completed in the past 20 years, and ownership of 15million sq ft of FSI now the group is specially focused increating homes and care facilities for the senior citizensthrough their project Athashri.

Developments besides Pune: Lot of redevelopment projects inMumbai having large number of developments in Thane, Nasik,Kolhapur and Chiplun and other major cities of Maharashtra. Wealso have projects for senior citizens in Pune, Bangalore and

Hyderabad and intend to launch similarly projects in Indore,Ahmedabad and Goa this year.

International projects: We had an international experience whenwe developed a property in Melbourne with 70 independent units.The experience was a mixed one.

Projects completed and ongoing: We have completedaround 150 residential projects with more than 30 thousandunits and total built up area in excess of 45 mn sq ft. Atpresent we have around 30 projects in Pune out of which 2 arelarge township projects. Total area under development isaround 20 mn sq.ft. There are various projects which would becompleted in a phased manner in the next three years. Theland bank of ongoing residential projects in Pune and othercities would be in excess of 40 mn sq ft. We are predominantlyin residential segment and at the same time we are putting up3 malls 3 multiplexes, 1 IT SEZ and a 4 star hotel all in excessof 3 million sq ft.

The most promising projects: We are developing namely ForestTrails in Bhugaon. Forest Trails is a lavish bungalow society setacross 140 acres of sprawling hill land in Bhugaon! Independenttwine and row houses with a choice of different styles and sizes ofbungalows set in a backwoods ambience. �


Creating real-estate opportunitiesPune based developers Paranjape Schemesare committed in providing superiorspecifications, better amenities and worldclass lifestyle options to its customers.


52] Cover Story_Paranjpee.qxp 3/12/2011 8:16 AM Page 52

Started practice with Beri Architects& Engineers in 1974. Since then’ itprobes the multisensory and the

immeasurable dimension of space whiletrying to evoke a reflective pause amidsttoday’s clutter and background noise. Hefeels that issues of sustainability can be aptlyaddressed only through the right attitudesand goals. His designs try to achieve aninherent sense of unity and harmonywith various natural and man-madeelements and forces. Architecture too, in itsgreater vision, is life itself thereby

communicating, responding and belongingto the fascinatingly interrelated web of life.a.It is our duty as architects to redefine andexpand upon the brief given by the client soas to give him much more besides satisfyingthe functional requirements in terms of thedesign's environmental relevance, quality ofspace and jOY.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHYA sensitively designed architectural spacetranscends itself to strike a note betweenthe measurable and immeasurable aunifying experience. The flowing spaces inthe designs tie up and unify the totalperception. The divisive, analyticalwestern approach is replaced by the Asianapproach of synthesis and unification.Architecture as a shaper of space (Space asan important attribute of our lives) hasbeen explored by me in various ways – asa symbolic metaphor, an agent of sociocultural change, as an interpreter of life’svalues, as an expression and barometer of

human aspiration and sensitivity, as arelevant, functioning organism within thegreat interconnected environmentaltotality.

First project undertaken and totalnumber of projects: St. Xavier's church,Kolhapur is the first project done andoverall over 200 projects of different scalesand categories.

Best work: There are a number of workswhich I like - e.g. my own farmhouse, beachhouse & lake house, LaCONES (Laboratoryfor the conservation of endangered species),SDM Institute for managementdevelopment, SDM Engineering college,Bharati Vidyapeeth guesthouse.

Top three: LaCONES (Laboratory forthe conservation of endangered species),

Hyderabad, Lake house at Andur, BharatiVidyapeeth guesthouse, Pune.

Current and ongoing projects: Superspecialty hospital, Dharwad. Kolhapur artcentre.International institute for sustainableagriculture at Ovale, Pune. Dental hospital& college at Ras Al Khaima, UAE. Campusfor residential school and human excellenceinstitute for Ramakrishna Vivekanandaashram near Hubali. Medical college forBharati Vidyapeeth at Navi Mumbai andmany others.

Inspiration: Frank Lloyd Wright, LouisKahn, Tadao Ando, G Bawa, HassanFathy. The vernacular architecture of thepeople has also been a great source ofinspiration.

New trends to be seen coming days:Today's architectural trends seem to bevery vision centric - concentrating onexternal visual form, colours andcompositions rather than the quality ofspace. Our architecture of today andtomorrow needs to evoke a reflectivesilence, resolve and integrity. �


Ar Shirish Beri of Shirish Beri& Associates has designednumber of campuses fornational & regional levelinstitutions for research,rehabilitation, health care andeducation, along with variousother types of buildings.

In harmony with nature


54] Cover Story_Shrish Beri.qxp 3/12/2011 8:17 AM Page 54

Sunteck Realty's vision is to meet the expectations of nichecustomers by offering high end residential spaces. Thegroup entered into the real estate sector a decade ago in the

year 2000. Sunteck Realty strives to have best practices forcorporate governance. It follows the project completion method ofaccounting, thereby providing further transparency, which is in linewith IFRS norms proposed for implementation in FY 2012 inIndia. The group is developing a diverse range of landmarkresidential projects with unit values between Rs 10 to 400 millionwith exquisite design and superior quality by adopting the higheststandards of international living. We have carved a niche forourselves in the luxury and super-luxury segment and intend tokeep servicing the segment 'A' customers in each micro-market. Allour sales are in this segment apart from Signature island (in BKC)which is a ultra-luxury residential offering.The Company continuesin its endeavors to grow on the back of sustained project launches,

driving continuous cash flows and new project acquisitions in orderto fuel its growth story.

Hence, I would strongly say that we have made substantialachievement in the years.

Focus:Sunteck Realty strongly focuses on high end luxuryresidential segment. They have a development pipeline of morethan 32 mn sft of which a significant chunk is within city centric

locations. With a focus on developing residential properties, thegroup continues to expand within Mumbai with a belief that thishas been and will continue to be a flexible market for for them. Wedo not cater in affordable, slum redevelopment or redevelopment ofdilapidated buildings segment. We will continue to grow throughsteadily cash flows, with larger emphasis on exemplary design,execution, and sales volume by continuously improving ourstrategies.

Development Pipeline: Sunteck has over 32 million squarefeet of development pipeline with about 3 million squarefeet projects launched in the high end luxury residential

and commercial spaces, with plans to reach a cumulative about 11mn sft of project launches by end FY 2011.Current projects includeSunteck's high end luxury residential projects at BKC- SignatureIsland, Signia Isles, Signia Pearl, and premier luxury residentialprojects Signia High (Borivali), Signia Oceans (Airoli, NewMumbai), Signia Skys (Nagpur) and its commercial projectsincluding Sunteck Grandeur (Andheri W), and Sunteck Kanaka(Goa). It has plans to launch luxury residential townships at SigniaCity (Mulund) and Sunteck City (Goregaon W).Our projects areunique in the design and are predominantly targeted for high endsegment. Majority of them are based on spacious living with high

end amenities. Our strength lies on timely delivery and quality andwill continuously look to tap potential markets across consumersegments.The company continues to operate in this segment andwe will continue to cater in the same. The group believes that thereis demand in the luxury residential segment and hence all theprojects are unique in the design and are predominantly targeted tothe HNIs and upper middle class. They will largely be focused inthe city limits thus enabling us to deliver on quality productscatering to the discerning customer base of young upwardlyprofessionals and business class looking for luxury living . �


Creating high standard business spacesSunteck Realty’s endeavors to grow on theback of sustained project launches, drivingcontinuous cash flows and new projectacquisitions in order to fuel its growth story.


56] Cover Story_Sunteck.qxp 3/12/2011 8:17 AM Page 56

Being a governing body what is MCHI’snew agenda for the fiscal year? Tell us aboutyour plans? Tell us about your meetingwith the honorable CM of Maharashtra?Real estate is facing many challenges, lot ofthings have changed in Maharashtra withevery chief minister has its own polices and

style of working and he wanted tounderstand our style of working and newChief Minister is very learned person andworked at the topmost position at the PM’soffice. Whichever issues that were presentedwere addressed well. One was the BMCcircular which was restricting the work

beyond CC. We called in commencementcertificate that has been withdrawn byBombay municipal corporation, secondlypartnership with MHADA we call it PPmodel which is a very unique model whichis a joint partnership with MHADA where1.75 FSI will be allowed to be developed bythe developer and 0.75 FSI will be given tothe government at a construction cost. Soeventually MHADA will be able todistribute tenaments to the needy peoplewill be a unique thing where ultimately theywill be creating lot of middle income andlow income group housing. There arecouples of issues one more importantdecision that government took which isincrease in FSI for the old and dialiapatedbuildings, the CM announced that this FSIwill be 3 now instead of a CAP of 2.5. So weare really grateful that this will give a lot ofboost to redevelopment of old anddialapated buildings which are majorconcern for the people who are staying inthe city.

Currently the real –estate sector is facing lotof heat pertaining certain pending issuessuch as the FSI and mainly the buildingmaterial prices. How will it be addressed ?Yes, we have couple of challenges before us.The sand which was available in Rs 3,000 isnow available at Rs 12,000. We havediscussed these concerns before thegovernment of Maharashtra and they have

taken couple of steps with an assurance thatwhere the supply can be resumed to normalrates. The labour has also become moreexpensive. Lot of new things like theprovident fund where the PF is 25 percentand no labour wants to contribute in the PFso eventually the developers most of the time


A candid talk with SunilMantri, President, MCHI withRemona Divekar on theissues concering the real-estate industry.

Creating a budget houses isthe need of the hour


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Sankalpan began small, withinteriors of buildings rather thanthe building itself. Ever since its

inception, Sankalpan has carved a niche foritself as a premier design firm providing arange of services in the fields of architecture,infrastructure and real estate. Sankalpan hasdesigned and built over 700 + projects,measuring over 8.5 million sq ft forcorporate.

First project undertaken and discipline:Our first outbreak was to design a branchoffice for Times bank in Mumbai.

Total number of projects done:Sankalpan has designed and built over 700 +projects, measuring over 8.5 mn sq ft forcorporate, retail and hospitality sectors.

Best three: Nirmal Lifestyle - NirmalLifestyle Mall, Mulund, Mumbai.

Total area: 100,000.00 sq ft. PrimaryDesign Brief was to conceptualise an officespace that underlines arrival of NirmalLifestyles at Front end of quality realtyscenario in Western Region of India, makingcustomers feel welcomed, employees valuedand management proud.

The state - of - the - art 'Glass Atrium'is the most unique and functional featureof this office facility. Sensitively designedhigh volumes add to grandeur of spaces.

This facility has been conceptualisedthrough careful planning in which designdecisions, material specifications arecarefully evaluated in termsenvironmental sustainability

Bayer Material Science, Greater Noida,Area - 28,650 sq ft- An integrated measurehas been taken for increasing theenvironmental protection and dealingwith the climatic changes. The aim of thisenergy efficient design is to meet the aboverequirements whilst keeping investmentcosts to a minimum. The uniqueness ofthis building lies in its concept of zero-emission making it one of the landmarkgreen buildings in India today. One of thefeatures of this building is the windowopenings that are designed to attainmaximum natural light minimizingharmful ultra violet solar rays by leveragingvarious energy efficient products. The lightenergy is captured for radiating the insideof the building leading to minimal use ofpower and artificial energy.

Morgan Stanley, Lower Parel, Area -66,000 sq ft. The concept was to have a non- cosmetic - minimalist approach towards

achieving highly humanised and conduciveenvironment and to create an ambience thatwould generate impetus for innovation,considering high density multidepartmentoffice requirements. This facility has beenstrategically designed to be a future readyfacility. The common spaces have beendesigned to rejuvenate occupants of thefacility by providing a completely differentand refreshing ambience by using a wellbalanced interplay of colours, materials,forms and volumes.

Favorite project: 'Sankalpan One', thevery first state - of - the - art IT Park ofSankalpan Group. It is nourished with finestdesign and facilities acquiring 'LEEDGOLD Certified' building keeping in mindthe environment consciousness.

Current and ongoing projects- the

USP: Currently we are working onvarious projects like Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Standard Chartered, PatniComputers, etc.

Inspiration: Hafeez Contractor is thearchitect I admire the most whileDhirubhai Ambani and Lakshmi Mittalhave greatly influenced our outlooktowards life and business. Their services toour nation lie in their actions more thananything else. Great things are not said butdone and they have motivated all of us toaccomplish our own goals and objectivesthrough vision and passion.

New trends to be seen coming days:The design industry will be highlyexpertise oriented. India may start lookingat world class exposure, processes, andsector specific demands. With the largescale development of malls, IT parks,SEZ's, hotels, commercial complexes andmultiplexes, and the future of this industryseems to be bright. Green products will bein most demand for office interiors in thefuture and considering the global warmingissue, the usage of green products shall bemade mandatory. �


Sankalpan has carved a nichesince its foundation in theyear1996 for providing end-to-end solutions to its clients.

Carving a niche for itself


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has to shell out the amount from his pocketor compensate the labor by paying extra.Again the shock or the development chargeswhich were just Rs 250 a sq mt becomesalmost Rs 25 a sq ft. It is going to becomealmost 2% of the ready reckoner value. Thiscould be a huge burden adding to the voesexhorbitant fees, penalties, fines haveincreased drastically so it is cause of concern.The government should decide how muchtax we can put to this industry. We haveservice tax @ 2.6 percent then we haveexcise, customs and so many things. Thetime has come where the government has tore think how much tax we can burden tothis industry. If the taxes can be reviewed atleast for the affordable housing or the budgethousing a common man will get a greatrelief .

Most of the builder’s lobby they viewaffordable housing is a myth in a city likeMumbai? Your viewsThe land is very precious in Mumbai andthere are various laws like urban land ceiling,environment, CRZ, high-rise restrictionsand various laws have made the componentsmore expensive, more precious than gold orplatinum so then the problem is we haveagain the historical thought of limiting andrestricting the FSI. Probably the governmentis not able out of box yet, they want tocontrol the city of Mumbai with 1.33 FSIwhich is a very sad part. When on the otherhand international destinations likeSingapore, HongKong or Dubai hasanything between 20-40 FSI. I think weneed to rethink whether we like to restrictthe FSI. We need to create an infrastructureby giving sale and additional infrastructure,government can levy the revenue, andgovernment can collect more and morecharges and utilise for the development ofinfrastructure of the city.

Realty sector is been highly capitalintensive business, the delays, the rise inthe interest rate would really pinch thecustomer or the end-buyers. Your takeon that?If the delay is going to cost some interest tothe developer he is ultimately going to loadto the consumer the developer may notpay from his pocket, ultimately they maybe loaded to the common man or theconsumer. The international countries or

like Singapore, Dubai the Municipalpermissions are given within a month’stime. They have certain rules and normsand they are also fastest developingdestination so we need to change ourmindset. Why not we work it out all theNOC’s given on time. If buildingpermission is cleared within 30 days time,the developer will be able to savesubstantial component by the interestwhich he will be able to pay the bank andultimately the consumer will be benefitedand production will be faster, supply willbe more in the market rather than thegovernment on the file or the municipalcorporation sitting on the file for couple ofmonths. Out of my experience with thevarious governments since the last 10 yearsis every government is trying to make thesituations more complicated as they wantto control everything. various laws havebeen brought into system and the wholereal estate industry has made extremelycomplicated very difficult for us tosometimes understand how many, laws,committees, sub-committees, it is verycomplex procedures and governmentabsolutely has not tried to bring down theprocedural reform how the faster sanctionscan be given.

What kind of investment opportunities doyou foresee in the real-estate sector?Besides our typical and commercial andresidential projects which every developer isdoing traditionally I could see various newopportunities going to come up one is PPPand I think the government is the largestland owner in this country and if they workit out a PPP model where they take certainbuilt up area ratio they take it back anddistribute to the needy people at the lowermargin or at a cost price. PPP is the biggestopportunity. If the government relaxesdevelopment norms on the salt pan land incouple of areas then that could also provebigger opportunities and by creatinginfrastructure and provide fast track roads orexpress ways to new areas I think huge landparcel will get opened up.

How this fiscal year does looks like for thereal-estate industry?I think it should be good because fromwhat the statistics we have collected weare showing 30 percent growth to 2008

figure and 10 percent growth to 2009and particularly 2010 figures. I think thetrend should continue and we shouldable to grow 10-20 percent this year alsowithout any difficulty. Only concern Ihave is the developer should keep theprices under control and should notincrease the prices further asaffordability is the key question for anycommon man or consumer who wouldwant to buy the property.

Would it reduce the transaction cost likethe stamp duty and the developer’s set-offon the credits on the tax?Currently the government wants to collectevery single penny on every transfer of theproperty and every transaction they say isthe different one so the government is notwilling to compromise whether it is stateor central whether service tax, VAT orstamp duty, registration, revenue NAIthink is cut down the fees I think they areonly in the mood to increase. Deductionof 1.5 lakh is too less on the account ofinterest payment to the institution on theborrowed loan and I think this figureshould be raised to Rs 5 lakh. Because Rs1.5 lakh means you can only borrow up toRs 15 lakh and it should be tax deductedable @10 percent. Cost of house is higher in metros is higher and up to Rs50lakh or5 lakh should be given allowed tobe deducted.

Third is government needs to rethinkon service tax which is killing to thecommon consumer @2.6 percent andstates also have to rethink on VAT@1percent presently in Maharashtra. If theytry to cut down on taxes consumer mightget relief by great extent. There are manyindustry issues also, presently the capitalgain tax which is exempted after 36month locking period need to be broughtdown to 12 months and presently the taxis 20 percent needs to be brought down to10 percent. We have suggested to thegovernment to introduce rental housingpromotion schemes where the income taxon the rental housing is 10 percent anddeduction of the self occupied propertycould be 50 percent which will help increating large number of rental housingwhich typically happens in theinternational destinations so that thegovernment needs to consider. �



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Stonehenge Architects since itsinception in 1999 by PrincipalArchitect Elizabeth Kurian-Joseph

have worked on design projects that varyfrom residences, institutions, hotels andresorts, renovations to interior designing.Having the expertise in using naturalmaterials and experimenting with differentconstructional methods gives the firm itsown distinct identity. Having designed over60 projects that cater to a clientele rangingfrom the lower middle class to the corporate,the focus is not on size or budgets, but ondelivering a quality tailor-made projectwhich in turn gives immense satisfaction toall involved. There has been no consciousneed to advertise oneself- word of mouth,has done the needful.

STONEHENGE PROJECTS:Project Type: HospitalityHotel GautamYear of completion: 2001

A 72 room resort- conceived as a castlewith various towers, country tiled roofs,turrets and parapets and courts at differentlevels. The courts are dotted with curvedpathways and stairways leading to the roomsabove, thus giving each room its own senseof identity. The central pivot of the project isthe circular restaurant, which has the pooladjoining it. Each of the rooms has its ownunique balcony and is painted in bright hueswith built in beds, seats, ledges, etc. Theelaborate detailing has thus given the projectthe name- ‘Castle de Goa’.

Project Type: ResidentialCarvalho’sYear of completion: 2007

This modern house was designed for afamily who couldn’t buy an old Goan house

but wanted to live in one! The house thushas details of a typical verandah with awooden roof and pillars, Gothic arches. Theplan was initially conceived with a doubleheight, central courtyard, but this wascovered eventually with a glass pyramidalroof. Old Goan furniture compliments theinteriors in every area.

Project Type: RestorationYear of completion: 2009

The clients had inherited this ‘not verygrand old Goan house’ and wanted torenovate the same to a livable holiday home,yet retaining the soul of Aunty Maggiewithin. The house earlier was extended in

parts, had roofs at odd angles, had nospecific bedrooms & had different levelswithin The exercise thus was to rework thecomplete layout and thus was emerged ahome with 3 bedrooms with attachedtoilets, double height dining, a lounge in theattic floor, all covered with wooden tiledroofs. The front verandah was centralized tocreate symmetry & a Goan styled rearverandah added too.

First Project: Raman ResortYear of completion: 1998- 2006

The project is an attempt to keep theequilibrium of the site with the built form-where the structures use local materials ingeometrically developed forms, sited tointegrate with the surrounding landscape.The project comprises of a set of units withvaried styles - a single suite wooden cottageon the mound, an octagonal unit, a circularunit covered with a dome and a curved unitwith 4 rooms at the far end. The resort hasbeen given a rustic feel with the use ofcommon elements of exposed laterite stonemasonry, coconut wood rafters and roofs ofcountry tiles. Though each unit ischaracterized individually, there is acontinuity maintained right through thewhole complex. The details include shellinlay windows, rough plank doors &wardrobes, china mosaic toilets and roughstone flooring.

At the end, what satisfies the most is thata 'client' becomes a 'friend'. Wheretransparent and open interactions giveinsights thus evolves the spatial organizationand characterisation. �


Elizabeth Kurian-Joseph,Principal Architect,Stonehenge Architects believesin making such projects thatare energy efficient usingecologically sensitiveconstruction materials andtechniques adapting to theneeds of the common man.

History for the future


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The Firm, SK Das Associated Architects (SKDAA), wasestablished by SK Das in 1987. Headquartered in Delhi,with offices in Mumbai and Bhubaneswar, the firm

specialises in Master Planning, architecture and landscape. Lead bySK Das, Chairman and Design Head and Chhabi Mishra, CEO andDesign Principal, the work is inspired by the city and urbanism andpromotes an aesthetic representing the cultural diversity of thecommunity.

The design philosophy of the firm is to create an architecture thattouches the lives of people and is legible; an architecture that isresponsive place, context and community specific; one thatinfluences city making and is inspired by urbanism architecture thatis finely textured, multilayered and granular.

First project: Bird watching hides for World Wide Fund forNature-India or WWF-India in Mumbai at the Mahim marshlands.The project was an elevated/stilted thatched bird watching hyedstucked in the mangroves of Bandra. The project could be clubbed asa part of the educational and recreational category.

Best work done so far: Andrews Gang Housing, Delhi promotedby the Ministry of Urban Development for senior civil servants. Thisis a project more in tune with the realism in India and rooted incultural, social, climatic and urban context. The project is a ‘high-density low-rise development’ which we believe should be thedominant aspect of urban form as far as housing is concerned.

Celeste Towers, Noida, an apt example of vertical living thatreiterates the fact that even a standalone project CAN represent themicrocosm of the city.

Kota Tigaraksa New Town and District Capital Development,Tangerang District, Indonesia - Urban Design and Master Planning.

The project, a part of the Jakarta Metropolitan area was the first andthe only example in Indonesia of a Master Plan that integratesexisting villages, Kampangs (slums), water-bodies and channels inthe development.The Master Plan for ‘Kota Tigaraksa New Townand District Capital Development’ represents the first ever attemptin Indonesia to protect and integrate the existing traditionalsettlement’s natural attributes to advantage.

Current and ongoing projects: Master Planning for KotaTigaraksa – New Town Development Project, Tangerang District,Indonesia, 3200 acres for PT Panca Wiratama Sakti TBK (PWS).

Kashmiri Gate Urban Development, Kashmere Gate – Tis HazariMetro Corridor, 5 km stretch, Delhi

Master Planning for Jaipur Greens Township, Jaipur, 180 acres for

Emaar MGF Pvt.LtdMaster Planning for Hi-tech city Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, 1,500

acres for Suncity Projects Pvt. LtdMaster Planning and regeneration of the existing part of C V

Raman College of Engineering campus and various administrativeand residential buildings and landscape master planning.

Inspiration: Renzo Piano’s work is admirable because of itscontextual nature and the depth of exploration in design right downto the details. We can relate to the nature of it works as it falls in thesame category of search we engage in - never carried away bymateriality but deeply rooted in place, context and culture.

New trends to be seen coming days: We do not believe thatarchitecture is fashion, though in the current times it seems thatarchitecture is beginning to border on fashion. We are irked by thisand would rather be multilayered and not be dominated by singularconcern predominating everything else. People do green buildingsbut ignore urban contextual factors and the whole idea of ‘placemaking’ – the way the building fits in the immediate and widercontext. The trend would be more towards inclusive growth and theenergy costs in producing buildings and not merely use of buildings. Our USP - our work, a reflection of our commitment toinnovation in design, sensitivity to the community andenvironment with a deep understanding of the social context.A great attention to detail, meticulous documentation andrespect for our Clients' vision, budget and schedule define ourwork. culture. �


The firm SK Das Associated Architectstrongly believes in creating anarchitecture that is finely textured,multilayered and granular.

Creating cuttingedge practices


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Kumar Urban development Limited (KUL) a realestate development and construction companyfocused on residential and commercial development

in the cities Pune with presence in Mumbai, Bangalore,Hyderabad, Panchgani and Nagpur.

THE BEGINNINGIn 1966 with the modest beginning of the development of

Wadas, to single room tenements then graduating toredevelopments to ownership development till today todeveloping of world class prime properties in the majormetro cities. Spearheaded by Lalitkumar Jain, Chairman andMD the company’s projects span across affordable, mid-segment and luxury homes to commercial and retailcomplexes, apart from IT complexes and SEZ. Sincerestructuring of the company in 2006, they have completed2.18 million sq ft. of developable area, including 10residential (including one-redevelopment project) and 7commercial projects. As on date, KUL has 14 ongoingprojects across four cities with 3.91 million sq ft of estimateddevelopable area and estimated saleable area of 3.42 millionsq ft. In addition, the company has 50 forthcoming projectswith 73.13 million sq ft of developable area and estimated64.14 million sq. ft. of saleable area.

Completed projects and total land bank:We have delivered more than approx 8.5 million sq ft and approx4.5 million is under construction and 70 million sq ft is thepipeline out of which around 9 million sq ft is city centric mainlyin cities like Pune and Mumbai and we have retail, IT, gatedcommunities and high rise, high end sky villas, mass housingaffordable. We have flats from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 40 crore. Ourcompleted projects primarily consist of typical residential projectscomprised of apartment blocks accompanied by necessary modernamenities. Post consolidation some of our group entities in 2006,we have developed 7 commercial projects and 10 residentialprojects (including one redevelopment project) aggregating to atotal of 2.18 million sq ft of developable area. KUL wasincorporated in 1993 and pursuant to a restructuring of theentities in our group in 2006; we acquired majority interests incertain entities forming part of our group. These entities on a

cumulative basis prior to our acquisition have developed 3.30million sq. ft.

FUTURE PROJECTSOur Company has initiated the process for planning andcommencing the development of 50 forthcoming projects acrossfive cities, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Bengaluruaggregating to 73.13 million sq. ft. of Developable area and64.14 million sq ft of Saleable Area. As part of our forthcomingProjects, we propose to develop 16 residential projects; eighttownships; six commercial projects; one SEZ project; 17redevelopment projects and two slum rehabilitation projects.Infuture from Kumar Properties one can get to see projects like SEZof IT, retail malls, a million sq ft in one place and in around 6.5 lakhsq ft in Pune and Mumbai.Continuous technological upgradation helps the Group keep up with time. �


Design, development, construction andmarketing of residential and commercialcomplexes coupled with quality, environment,health and safety management systemstandards describes Kumar UrbanDevelopment.

From traditional Wada’s toprime property developments


70] Cover Story_Kumar Urban.qxp 3/12/2011 8:19 AM Page 70

DKA (Dutta & KannanArchitects) a multi-disciplinaryarchitectural and interior design

practice established in 1984 by SK Dutta.Renamed in 1999 with studios inBangalore and Kolkata. DKA is doingprojects right from residential apartments,villas in gated communities, multiplexes,malls, hospitals, metro rail stations, luxuryhigh-rises and commercial office spaces.Overall it constructed a space of 4 millionsq ft in last 3.5 yrs.

Particular style or pattern of architecture:We adapt Indian traditional patterns andabstract them to be used in ourcontemporary designs.

Total number of projects done underwhich categories: We have about 49 ongoingprojects right from the Bangalore Metro rail,apartments, gated communities, officebuildings, malls, hotels and resorts tohospitals, institutions and chosen single

family residences.

Noteworthy work:� BMRCL - Namma Metro 11 stations� BMRCL - HCC - underground metro rail

station concept work/pre-bid.� The Empyrean - fire capital - 210 acres -

Villa designs and club house design,Involvement right from Inception ofproject

� PS Group - Gaurav Dugar - RajarhatMixed use complex with Mall, Hotel andApartments - 6 acres.

� SPA group - Prashant Kajaria - 27 acres, 24villas - ultra luxury villa project sarjapura.

� Kirloskar - 24 storey luxurycondominiums - Nagavara Lake Side.

� Kolte Patil / Ranka group - Horamavu -7.6 acres - 720 apt residential complex.

� SNN Constructions - Bannerghatta Road,NICE road - 6 acres - Villaments andVillas .

� Big Bazaar - (largest in Bangalore) - Westof Chord road - 2.6 lac sft., 5 basementlvls. ( Aug 2010 completion).

� Bhandari Infratech - Clocktower project -G+12 - Hyderabad.

� PMR dwellings - 20 acre affordablehighrises in Kompally, Hyderabad.

� Aveda Spa and Resort, Kumarakom� Valmark - 33 acres gated community -

bannerghatta, Bangalore.

� Kolte Patil / Ranka group - Horamavu -7.6 acres - 720 apt residential complex.Inspiration: Delugan Meissl Architects,Zaha Hadid and Charles Correa.

Best three: Kirloskar Highrise luxurycondominium, PMR house, BangaloreMetro Rail Stations.

ABOUT THE ARCHITECTSPrincipal Architect: Indraneel Dutta holds amasters degree in Architecture from theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago, where hewas nominated to the SOM (SkidmoreOwings & Merrill) fellowship and won theFranklin R Smith award for Urban Designfrom the Architectural League of Chicago.He has worked in the Mid-west(Chicago),New York area and London before startingwork in India.

Senior Partner: Brinda Kannan holds aMasters degree from the University ofIllinois at Chicago & University of Texasat Arlington. At UT Arlington Brindawon the Texas Architectural FoundationAward. In Chicago Brinda worked withCUPPA (College of Urban Policy andPlanning Administration) on the Gary(Indiana) Riverfront Revival Project.Brinda was part of the HOK New Yorkoffice where she planned competitionwinning hospital projects. �


DKA is a multi-disciplinaryarchitectural and Interiordesign practice believes inadapting Indian traditional patterns tobe used in our contemporary designs.

Enhancing the quality of living design


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