Our services and free consultation

You can  have free consultation from me on Kerala Architecture, Vasthu aspects and anything related to house construction.
Having built more than 200 houses directly and designed many more houses, my knowledge and experience can be used by you to get a better house by design and professional work during construction

Write to me to
vhthomas@viruvelil.com
you will get reply within 48 hours

OUR SERVICES
1. Architectural Services
For building your dream house in Kerala or for building any other type of building, we can design your building by providing you effective guidance and design for
a)Preparation of Plan of the building
b) Elevations both two dimensional and three dimensional
c) Submission drawings to local authority
d) Engineering Estimate specifying cost for each item of work
e)Structural Engineering drawings for execution of the work
f) Detailed architectural drawings for the work
g) Interior design
h)Landscape and exterior work details
i) Site visits as and when required for guidance and supervision
2. Real estate assistance
For purchase of land or building in Kerala, we can provide you the following services:

a) Locating land or building for purchase with the assistance of our Real estate division ( in and around Cochin only).
b)Architectural, structural and legal evaluation of the property to be purchased
c) Verification of title documents of the property by legal experts
d) Documentation of the property purchase
e)Assistance for registration of the property and after registration formalities
f) Periodic maintenance of the property if the property is in and around Cochin
3. Construction of the building
We can take up construction of the building with complete professional care and guidance anywhere in Kerala and outside state(on case to case basis) subject to acceptance of terms and conditions of our construction division directly by using our trained work force, with complete supervision and guidance by our architects and engineers.
4. Vasthu consultancy
We can guide you on Vasthu before developing plan of the house and during construction also.
We can also inspect your existing building for Vasthu compliance and suggest suitable modifications to obtain better Vasthu compliance.
5. Interior design
We have a team of experienced and qualified Interior designers with complete man power and infrastructure to implement interior work with all the goodness of traditional Kerala Architecture and with modern technology and innovations.
6. Remodeling, Interior and furnishing of your existing building
Your existing old building can be made new(renovated) with remodeling, interior modifications and furnishings by our experts
7. Land scaping and other services
Our experts can convert your vacant space into more useful space and enhance its appearance and utility. Land around your house can be converted into more useful space with better appearance and aesthetic look.
    .
Any other services related to your building also can be referred to us.
We have qualified experts with experience in building more than 200 houses in different parts of Kerala and outside state and we have designed and remodeled much more houses.  
Mail your enquiries for our services to
vhthomas@viruvelil.com
info@viruvelil.com

Or call us 

HELP LINE-
00 91 9388701702
00 91 9497736072
00 91 9388701707
00 91 4842536895
00 91 4846571155

Fax-00 91 484 2531671

DISCLAIMER
Every effort is taken to provide you authentic information on Kerala Architecture and it is features and  relevant information on building a house in Kerala. VIRUVELIL group of Companies , V.H.Thomas or any person interacting through this website on behalf of VIRUVELIL group of companies will not be responsible for the authenticity or correctness of the information provided through this website or conveyed by email to any person contacting us for information, assistance, guidance or for any commercial activity related or followed after any enquiry or request for services /assistance/guidance

We do not accept responsibility for loss or damage arising from the use of the information provided through this website which may be creative work/technical data without our consent/involvement and guidance. We have complete, unchallenged copy right for all information, data, pictures, design details provided through this website. Any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying in part or full of information, data, pictures design details provided through this website is strictly prohibited

Any activity followed by information provided by our websites,blogs , by email or in responses to queries to V.H.Thomas should be carried out  with our assistance,involvement and guidance.We will not be responsible for any effects/damages to your property or any other adverse results by following our instructions without our involvement/guidance/assistance

Our Websites

http://www.keralaarchitecture.com/

http://www.viruvelil.com/

http://www.kerala-dreamhomes.com/

Query on Sand Piling

QUOTE

I would like to build a house(ground floor & first floor) in a land .but the land is not strong ,my engineer suggested to me about sand piling.How is this method  it is good.Please give me your valuable reply.

J.Thomas

My reply

First you have to conduct soil test in your plot by an approved agency with qualified Engineers.Then soil test data will have to be tested in soil test lab.After this results obtained will have to be checked and studied by a Structural Engineer specialised in the field.Then only it can be decided whether  sand piling will be sufficient.
If an Engineer simply says that sand piling has to be done without these steps of action,it has no meaning
Go through my blog entries at
http://www.architectkerala.blogspot.com/
You will get more details and essential matters to know at beginning of construction

 

Query–Locating land and building house

Dear Thomas,
I am very much impressed with Viruvelli group. It has very in-depth details about your profile and would like request to find me a land up to 20-25 cents near-by to Tripunithura, Ernakulum, eventually then build my dream home.
Basically , being a malayalee, I had a great appetite to live in Kerala since my young age, but could not do so. However I feel now a great need to settle down back in India and have preferred Tripunithura, just to get the great niche of its cultural influence. My kids like India in a great way and has so far influenced them with Indian cultural values. We currently live in United Kingdom in tiny town called Basingstoke which has nice lush green natural views.

Looking for nice piece of land suitable to construct cost efficient home with a solid soil as you may agree (unfilled soil) measuring from 20-25 cents. Having basic facilities like access to road,water,electricity,drainage, free from vehicle noise,dust. Distance from Tripunithura can be up to 5-10 km, as I don't want live in proper town center. My budget is around 1.5 lacks / cent. Its just a great wish..I have no real great idea about real estate values, hopefully you can give good advice and help me out in this situation.
Kind Regards,
Prakash

My Reply

If you have a budget of Rs.1.5 lakhs per cent,if you need good solid soil,good water, better environment,it will  be better if we locate for a you land nearer to Cochin airport.
Tripunithura land value is almost double of your budget and is more crowded and with lesser facilities.
In a similar case,Mr.Iyer who is Director of a Dutch MNC and his wife who is Vice President of Citibank approached us for locating and purchasing land nearer to airport,with low land value.

We have located for them land at a distance of 11KM from Cochin airport,did all  technical,legal verifications and documentation formalities,obtained building permit,Electricity connection and  complied with all other formalities.

House construction is now in progress  and Iyers can watch progress of house construction from any part of world just by clicking on following link:

http://keralahouseconstruction-koratty.blogspot.com/

This land is in a peaceful beautiful village area,with good water,solid soil land and a real beautiful landscape all around nearer to Cochin city with all advantages of village life.
We can do something similar for you

Query-Cooking facing North and Clay tile for flooring

I have visited your website, very informative and descriptive. I would like to have clarification on two things as follows:
1.       Is it permissible as per Vasthu to keep the cooking stove on the northern side of the kitchen, i.e. the cook facing North?
2.       My house construction is going on and the property is a developed area, hence the sand is wet after 4 ft. is it advisable to do clay tile flooring on the ground floor as we are very much interested to do the clay tile flooring, but fears the possibility of fungus due to the moisture.
Also, grateful if you can suggest any reliable dealers of quality Clay tiles in Trivandrum.
Soja Silvester

My reply

As per Vasthu you should keep cooking stove at East side of the Kitchen and cook facing East only.There is no other alternative position.Kitchen should preferably be  at South East corner of the house and if that is not possible you can have second option position of Kitchen-North West
Sand wet at a depth of 4 feet is not a problem for using clay tiles for flooring.Clay tile is laid over concreted surface and hence there is no chance of water getting into it from the ground.Present day clay tiles will not absorb moisture as much as you may be thinking.At exposed surface,polishing and poly urethane coating will make clay tile practically water resistant.
I am not aware of clay tile manufacturer location at Trivandrum

Pile foundation

A lot depends upon soil and nature of land where you intend to construct house especially for foundation work of your house.

In places like Cochin where majority of land is marshy in nature which is filled with laterite soil  to get a feel of land,there is no other alternative other than going for concrete pile foundation even when you construct an ordinary house.

Scientific procedure to ascertain the nature of foundation required will be like this

1.Conduct soil test at the plot

If the plot is small a soil test at center of the plot will be sufficient using rig which goes down to something like 40-45 feet taking samples of soil or whatever you have down the line as the rig goes down.Samples thus taken will be tested in soil test laboratory and the results obtained will be given along with plan of the house to be built to a structural consultant.

2.Structural Engineering design of foundation

A structural consultant is an Engineer specialised in Structural Engineering at post graduate study level after his basic Engineering graduation.He will study soil test results and  architectural plan of the building and suggest foundation details for the house.This structural design for foundation of the building will tell you about what exactly you have to do to obtain a safe foundation in your plot which has weak soil conditions

3.Options possible

Exact nature of foundation will be decided by the structural consultant.But I can tell you about various possibilities that may be suggested by the structural consultant

1.Sand piling

If sand is available in your plot at depth not more than 20 feet,you can go for sand piling in the excavated area for foundation which is basically ramming the  foundation area with pile filled with sand and 1/4 inch metal up to a depth of 20 feet or where you can find sand.This is the cheapest option of pile foundation only if you are lucky to have sand at a depth of 20 feet

2.Manual concrete piling

You may not be lucky to get sand at 20 feet at most places in Cochin.Even if you dig down to 45 feet or more,in most places you will find only mud(clay) with absolute no trace of sand.So you will have to bore holes at places in foundation as per suggestions of structural consultant  and fill concrete of a richer variety after putting in place reinforcement as designed by consultant preferably with welded tying of round stirrups.

3.Compaction concrete piling

This is better option technically and cost wise.Here you bore holes to desired depths,fill concrete and then by force ram down reinforcement as per design.But this compaction may cause slight vibrations nearby and your neighbor may object to it.So you will have no other option other than going for costlier manual method.In places where your neighbour do not object you can go for compaction method

Sometimes your structural consultant may suggest doing sand piling in the entire area where the house comes in addition to concrete piling at corner points and other places where he finds it essential .This will be much more safer as it will strengthen entire area and chances of floor going down after flooring  work can be avoided.

After the concrete piling you will have to do so many other works to complete your foundation work. See pictures of compaction piling.

Even in hilly terrain like Nedumkandom in Iduki district even though land may be quite strong with laterite,there will be big slope in land terrain.Some times it may not be possible to level the land.So there also foundation cost can go up trying to level foundation.

Building a house-is that so simple?

I get at least two or three emails everyday each saying like this

Quote

I plan to construct a house with following rooms.Please reply  and inform me cost of building the house

Unquote

Some persons write like this

Quote

I am planning to build four bed room house with 1500 sft .Please tell me the cost

Tell me what is the current cost of constructing a house

Unquote

After building more than 200 houses in Kerala directly and acting as designer/consultant for many more houses,I cannot give an answer to these questions.

Some how people seem to think that house construction is very simple.They think that If you ask some one in the field of construction ,he will tell you cost of building the house immediately.

How can anyone predict the cost of building a house without any data? Without site visit and study of soil and nature,without designing at least a plan of the house,how can any one predict cost of building a house?

House construction involves purchase of lot of materials which cannot be purchased and stored at site at a time.When you buy these materials,you will have to pay ruling market price if you want the material.Even if you take the case of labour involved,there are so many different types of labour is involved in building a house.You will have to pay them ruling rates on the dates of hiring labour.

In such a fast changing situation when there can be situations of material and labour not even available when you need them,how will you simply predict cost of building a house?

Even the process of building a house will  take not less than an year.During this period so many changes can happen in  in price, availability of material , labour,technology,trends are possible.Even Ambani took seven years to build his 100 crore house in Mumbai.Naturally time taken is not due to his inability to raise 100 crores.But work require time to get completed in spite of money you may have.

To complete building a house you need more than money.You should have the capability to manage these factors or people to reach your dream home in the best possible manner

1.Your designer/Architect

He may be having many works at a time.Unless he puts his mind sincerely in your work you will not get best out of him.Just money alone will not get you the best out of him

2.Your builder and his team of workers

They will also be having other works going on simultaneously.After your work is over,you are least bothered whether these people continue to get work for sustaining their lives.But they will naturally have to adjust to keep other works going on and other works coming in to remain in the business or field of work.

3.Your material suppliers

4.Your financiers , friends and relatives

5.People who give you free advice

Actually they create more problems during execution of work.If you start listening and following those free advices,you will land up in a mess.

Square feet cost of construction

Let me ask you one simple question.Who is talking about this so called square feet cost of construction?No professional will commit that at so much square feet cost a house construction can be completed.

For all the houses I built when completed each of them has got different square feet cost,if I bothered to write down all expenses from beginning to end and divide total cost by square feet plinth area. in the end.

For each house soil conditions will be different,nature of land will be different,access to  building materials production centers will be different,design will be different,needs of house owner will be different.In short every parameters will be different.Then how can you say that there will be a uniform constant square feet cost of construction?

Only non professional contractors without any technical knowledge will give you a quotation with square feet cost.He will try to minimise his costs during construction by compromising on quality aspects knowingly and sometimes without knowing also..He want profit by hook or crook..He knows very well that you do not know much about construction.That is precisely why you did not bother to get assistance and guidance from a professional.It is easy to cheat some one who has only very little and mostly wrong ideas on building a house.You are actually such a person.I have seen contractors cheating clients by knowingly talking about bad and wrong practices in construction as the right thing to do.You will simply believe him. .

Even though he might have given some square feet cost indication initially he will find ways and means to collect extras from you.In the end you will worry only about completing the house some how.If a contractor is doing the work,even if you want to change him in between it will not be possible.So you end up paying whatever he demands and that sweet low square feet cost he told initially to you to get the work from you is silently forgotten by you and the contractor.

So all those writing to me asking for square feet cost want me to tell a lie.I simply refuse to tell that lie.

Developments in concrete technology

I have recently attended few lecture series of Mr.C.M.Dordi,Chief of QA of Ambuja Cements on developments in concrete technology It may not be of much interest to lay men on most of the details,I will just give a hint of changes that is taking place in concrete technology for the benefit of my readers who are basically laymen finding ways and means of building their dream house in Kerala.

Mr.Dordi is a highly qualified and experienced Engineer who previously worked with Tata Electric at Mumbai for.their 500 MW power projects.

Original 1:2:4 concrete is now giving way to much more capable stronger concrete.This 1:2:4 concrete is referred to as M20 concrete by engineers.As the strength and quality of concrete improves this M no.goes up.For Burj Building which is supposed to be the tallest building in the world M80 concrete was used.When the concrete become better it is called HPC(High performance concrete).Instead of having just fine aggregates(sand),coarse aggregates(metal in our usual language) ,cement and water,this HPC has the following components

1.Cement of better strength (above 60 grade)

2.Water in calculated quantity(not as you please)

3.Fine aggregates

4.Coarse aggregates

5.Cement adhesives

6.Fly ash

7.Micro silica

8.Fibers

If you use optical fibers in concrete you can even get transparent or translucent concrete.As technology advances there will be two type of cement.One high setting cement of the order of grade 60 or above.Two,cement for plastering of low grade as plastering does not require high grade cement.

Very soon,you will have plaster mix coming in bags just like you buy cement.So ,you will not have to arrange for river sand .There will be ready mix concrete which can be made to remain not setting even as long as 56 hours so that concrete workers can go on week end holidays and come back to resume concrete work.

As the use of high performance concrete increases steel reinforcement can be reduced as concrete itself will be more stronger.Even with high performance concrete water curing after concrete laying  will be very important.

Immediately after laying of concrete the reactions taking place will generate temperature as high as 25 degree centigrade.So when you do concreting at high atmospheric temperature,it is better to cover concreted surface immediately after concreting with a plastic sheet when it is real hot atmospheric conditions to prevent hair line cracks forming on concreted surface.You can remove the plastic sheet next day morning when you are ready for water curing.

Water curing with plenty of water is essential  for three days immediately after laying of concrete.Any carelessness in this case for those critical three days cannot and will not be compensated by curing after three days though concrete gradually attains higher and higher strength with curing going on for about 56 days