This one is on demand...thought very late. Sorry kid.
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Okay. I don't like Hafeez, and it's got nothing to do with his beauty or hairline(or the lack of it). For the uninitiated Hafeez Contractor is one of India's highest paid Architects. Ever.
Hafeez has done a lot of work in Mumbai and everywhere else. The thing with Hafeez is that regardless of the setting and the functionality of the building he builds opulent edifices. I guess that has got something to do with brand image and the fact that architects charge their fees as a percent of the project cost. Now the bigger the cost of the project, that is the more expensive material that he uses, the bigger is the pay packet that our dear architect gets to take back home. This is classically known as one of the facets of the agency problem.
Let's leave it for another time. Let us concern ourselves solely with Ar. Contractor for the moment. I will try to take up three of his well known projects. First up is the seawoods project. This one is a residential project, for the NRIs. So that would explain the obscene amount of money that has gone into the buildings.
PROJECT DETAILS
SEAWOODS ESTATE (NRI HOUSING)
Location, Nerul, Navi Mumbai
client, C.I.D.C.O.
cost and area, a. Phase-I 20 Lacs Sq.Ft. Rs.120 Crores
b. Phase-II 12 Lacs Sq.Ft. Rs.85 Crores
c. Club House 15000 Sft Rs.2.5 Crores
completed, Phase I & club house Jan. 98’
(source: http://www.indiabuildnet.com/arch/ahc_10.htm)
"One important planning feature is the complete vertical and horizontal segregation of movement. Vertically, the
residents will have direct access to their apartments by passing the main lobbies and avoiding the need to cross driveways or other traffic routes. Horizontally, traffic segregation is achieved by the separation of residential and service routes so that these will not conflict. there also a marked difference between the vehicular and pedestrian traffic routes. Two approaches to the complex have been provided with a view to avoid traffic congestion. Each individual building will have its own parking facility under the stilt portion-avoiding the congregation of large number of parking in one area. This also avoids the residents of one block, parking cars in areas allocated to residents of another. The complex is proposed to have features of man-made water bodies, grassy mounds, downs and
meadows so as to avoid any monotony in its landscape. There is also an extensive recreation ground for children and the aged-part of it located in the open, while part in the shade. The scheme also provides for a convenient and modern shopping arcade in the heart of the layout. Also planned is a school, super markets, cinema halls and medical facilities all located in close proximity."
The major problem with the place, is that functional issues, though taken care of in the planning, are not dealt with at the building level.
The project as such has been plagued with controversies all along. I am not sure whether the project has come free of all legal and social issues or not.
Ref: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=744375
http://www.hdfcrealty.com/general/news120.htm
"Palm Beach Marg weaves across the outer reaches of Mumbai’s (erstwhile Bombay) satellite city, Navi Mumbai as it touches upon the supposedly upscale but largely empty high-rise apartments popularly known as NRI Seawoods Estate and terminates at the core of the Central Business District at Belapur...The remaining vacant apartments at NRI Seawoods complex were bought over by Reliance en masse supposedly to house their DAKC (Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City) employees few kilometers away. In fact, construction of the second stage of the NRI complex was to begin soon."
The thing with the complex is that...it lacks on attention to functional details at the building level. Though very expensive material has been used throughout, (to give it an international or world-class look) the buildings aesthetics are not that pleasing. I am a very inexperienced architect, and do not know the intricacies of the trade. But the sheer obscenity of the huge masses, without any attention to personal spaces or need of light and ventilation to individual apartments, does not appeal to me.
When we went to the complex, we met up with the maintenance engineer and a few residents. Everyone we met was unhappy with the design. The maintenance engineer gave vent to his frustrations over the whole breed of architects. The residents were unhappy with leaks in the expansion joints and inadequate shading design. Another major concern was the ground level parking. The opening for the parking was at a very low height. Even a sumo or a scorpio could barely pass through it.
I mean, expensive material is alright by me. But you got to provide what the residents need. The end user should get what they require to live happily.
The second project is the IL&FS building, at Mumbai.
I. L. & F. S.
Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai
This one is huge building. Oval in plan, it really stands out from the rest of the buildings. You cannot question about the aesthetic beauty of the project. It is a beauty undoubtedly.
Rest tomorrow...
***************************************************************************************
Okay. I don't like Hafeez, and it's got nothing to do with his beauty or hairline(or the lack of it). For the uninitiated Hafeez Contractor is one of India's highest paid Architects. Ever.
Hafeez has done a lot of work in Mumbai and everywhere else. The thing with Hafeez is that regardless of the setting and the functionality of the building he builds opulent edifices. I guess that has got something to do with brand image and the fact that architects charge their fees as a percent of the project cost. Now the bigger the cost of the project, that is the more expensive material that he uses, the bigger is the pay packet that our dear architect gets to take back home. This is classically known as one of the facets of the agency problem.
Let's leave it for another time. Let us concern ourselves solely with Ar. Contractor for the moment. I will try to take up three of his well known projects. First up is the seawoods project. This one is a residential project, for the NRIs. So that would explain the obscene amount of money that has gone into the buildings.
PROJECT DETAILS
SEAWOODS ESTATE (NRI HOUSING)
Location, Nerul, Navi Mumbai
client, C.I.D.C.O.
cost and area, a. Phase-I 20 Lacs Sq.Ft. Rs.120 Crores
b. Phase-II 12 Lacs Sq.Ft. Rs.85 Crores
c. Club House 15000 Sft Rs.2.5 Crores
completed, Phase I & club house Jan. 98’
(source: http://www.indiabuildnet.com/arch/ahc_10.htm)
"One important planning feature is the complete vertical and horizontal segregation of movement. Vertically, the
residents will have direct access to their apartments by passing the main lobbies and avoiding the need to cross driveways or other traffic routes. Horizontally, traffic segregation is achieved by the separation of residential and service routes so that these will not conflict. there also a marked difference between the vehicular and pedestrian traffic routes. Two approaches to the complex have been provided with a view to avoid traffic congestion. Each individual building will have its own parking facility under the stilt portion-avoiding the congregation of large number of parking in one area. This also avoids the residents of one block, parking cars in areas allocated to residents of another. The complex is proposed to have features of man-made water bodies, grassy mounds, downs and
meadows so as to avoid any monotony in its landscape. There is also an extensive recreation ground for children and the aged-part of it located in the open, while part in the shade. The scheme also provides for a convenient and modern shopping arcade in the heart of the layout. Also planned is a school, super markets, cinema halls and medical facilities all located in close proximity."The major problem with the place, is that functional issues, though taken care of in the planning, are not dealt with at the building level.
The project as such has been plagued with controversies all along. I am not sure whether the project has come free of all legal and social issues or not.
Ref: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=744375
http://www.hdfcrealty.com/general/news120.htm
"Palm Beach Marg weaves across the outer reaches of Mumbai’s (erstwhile Bombay) satellite city, Navi Mumbai as it touches upon the supposedly upscale but largely empty high-rise apartments popularly known as NRI Seawoods Estate and terminates at the core of the Central Business District at Belapur...The remaining vacant apartments at NRI Seawoods complex were bought over by Reliance en masse supposedly to house their DAKC (Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City) employees few kilometers away. In fact, construction of the second stage of the NRI complex was to begin soon."
The thing with the complex is that...it lacks on attention to functional details at the building level. Though very expensive material has been used throughout, (to give it an international or world-class look) the buildings aesthetics are not that pleasing. I am a very inexperienced architect, and do not know the intricacies of the trade. But the sheer obscenity of the huge masses, without any attention to personal spaces or need of light and ventilation to individual apartments, does not appeal to me.
When we went to the complex, we met up with the maintenance engineer and a few residents. Everyone we met was unhappy with the design. The maintenance engineer gave vent to his frustrations over the whole breed of architects. The residents were unhappy with leaks in the expansion joints and inadequate shading design. Another major concern was the ground level parking. The opening for the parking was at a very low height. Even a sumo or a scorpio could barely pass through it.
I mean, expensive material is alright by me. But you got to provide what the residents need. The end user should get what they require to live happily.
The second project is the IL&FS building, at Mumbai.
I. L. & F. S.
Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai
| Client : | Infrastructure Leasing and Finance Services |
| Design team : | Hafeez Contractor, Arshed Ankolkar |
| Consultants : | Parekh and Associates (RCC), HDFC Developers Ltd (management), T H Chandrashekar, ESKAYEM (MEP) |
| Contractors : | Shapoorji Pallonji, (structural) Larsen and Toubro Ltd |
| Build-up area : | 4.5 lakhs square feet |
| Year of completion : | 1998 |
This one is huge building. Oval in plan, it really stands out from the rest of the buildings. You cannot question about the aesthetic beauty of the project. It is a beauty undoubtedly.
Rest tomorrow...
