And, whats your new year resolution?

This time, it’s going to be different. A brand new year, brimming with possibilities, and you’ve resolved to move through your house like a whirling tornado of can-do, fixing, painting, and organizing. This year, nothing will stop you.

The start of a new year is a popular time to make resolutions: promises to yourself to achieve specific goals and objectives. Financially speaking, you might want to pay off debt, build up savings, prepare for retirement or better manage your daily spending in 2015.

Those are good goals to have, and if you're a homeowner or intend to become one this year, your house might give you some great ways to bring your goals to fruition.

With that in mind, here are six New Year's resolutions to put on your list.

Furthermore, planning will help you discover valuable shortcuts in the home-buying process. Follow these steps to achieve your goal of home ownership in 2015.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION 1

Decide What You Want

Let’s start with the fun part. The first step is to decide what you are looking for. You need to determine the what, where, and when of your purchase. What kind of house are you looking for? Where would you like to live? When would you like to buy? Spend a lot of time thinking about this, a new home is a serious commitment and you want to choose somewhere where you can happily live for several years.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION 2

Get Your Financial House in Order

Once you have an idea of what you are looking for it’s time to get realistic and determine what you can afford. How much do you have available for a down payment? What is your monthly budget for a mortgage payment? Do you have money for closing costs and taxes? Is your financial house in order?

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION 3

Find Your New Home

Now we are back into the fun stuff. A home is more than just a collection of bedrooms and bathrooms. Several properties — each with four bedrooms, three baths, and the same price — may well represent radically different designs, commuting distances, lot sizes, tax costs, interior dimensions, and exterior finishes

Here's a short cut to all:

We have everything to fulfill your New Year Resolution in acquiring your dream home.

NeST Infratech, the real estate and infrastructure development wing of the multi-billion dollar multinational company, The NeST, has become one of the most sought after lifestyle creators in the state, and continue to attract a diverse group of aspiring home buyers, including professionals, young couples, as well as senior citizens. With  the unswerving works and unparalleled dedication, NeST continues to develop some of the most ambitious and luxurious living spaces across the country.

We have various projects matchng your lifestyle and budget in your desired locations. We have

ONGOING PROJECTS

THE WORLD VILLAS - COCHIN
THE WORLD APARTMENTS - COCHIN
THE ORCHID PARK - KOTTAYAM
JKH SIGNATURE - COCHIN
ELECTRONICS CITY - COCHIN
CAMPUS WOODS - COCHIN
THE ADDRESS - COCHIN
THE AMARIN

We would be happy to help you out. Please contact us for more assistance. Know more at http://nestinfratech.com/.

Plan your holidays today

Planning your holiday can be an exciting time; the promise of a far off beach and lazy days, away from the stresses of the world is hard to resist. However, some holidaymakers fail to plan their holiday and sometimes suffer disappointment with their chosen destination.

 The problem with holiday choices is that the temptation to 'click and go' and the ease at which you can make your choice, often with little description has all the potential to deliver disappointment.

Following the tips below should help you plan your holiday and ensure that you make the best decision:

1. Avoid peak travel dates.

At Thanksgiving, Wednesday is the critical outbound "avoid" day as a rule. Traveling on Thanksgiving day proper is often a breeze and more affordable; there are often cut-rate airfare deals on Thanksgiving day.

On the return, Friday morning isn't bad at all, with each successive day getting a little busier, more difficult and more expensive through Sunday evening. The bottom line: If you are looking for a deal, you won't find one on the peak travel days. Travel off-peak whenever possible.

Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Wednesdays this year, so travel will likely be more spread out than normal, with no obvious peak days.

2. Book early.

Haven't booked your holiday travel yet? It's time to stop waiting and start booking. Fares are only rising as Thanksgiving approaches, so those who hold out in hopes of a late-breaking sale are likely to get left out in the cold or pay a very steep price for their procrastination. The same goes for the Christmas holiday; book sooner rather than later, particularly if you require very specific travel dates or times. With the current state of the airline industry, it is never too early to book your holiday travel flights. Be prepared to be flexible with dates and flight times.

3.Research the destination

Taking a holiday package is convenient, but might be costlier in some cases. Instead, if you have time and are ready for some research, building your own trip can be both fun and frugal. Even if you are availing of a tour package, knowing about the place you are travelling to is a must, especially, when you are in a foreign land and don't have a travel agent at your service.







4.Manage your money

If you were lucky to snap a good deal on the holiday package, you can be sure that most of your trip expenses are now fixed and settled and you won't be bankrupt when back from the jaunt. However, there are 'additional' expenses which form the exclusions list and still pose a threat to burn a hole in your pocket, that is, unless you plan your tour wisely.

5. Plot connections carefully.

When booking flights, check your search results carefully for sufficient time during layovers, and build in some time for flight delays and weather woes. Particularly during the winter months, peak travel times often bring peak travel delays, and your connection is more likely to be jeopardized. Avoiding really tight connections may save you a sprint through the terminal or a missed flight.

Also, it is best if you can muscle your flight path into position so that connections are in places less likely to experience delays -- specifically, airports in warmer climates.



6. Leave early.

During peak travel times, much of the trouble you'll face lies on this side of the security check-in, from traffic jams and full parking lots to absent shuttles and long lines. Rather than striving to "arrive at the airport early," you may want to try to "leave for the airport early" to anticipate all the peripheral delays you may encounter.

7.  Pack wisely.

In the past, you may have been able to fit everything into your carry-on without having to check any baggage -- a strategy we still recommend. However, the TSA rules about liquids and gels make this a trickier proposition. For the record, you may bring liquids and gels in 3.4-ounce or smaller containers, packed within a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. You're also allowed to bring any liquids (such as coffee or water) or gels purchased after you go through a security checkpoint onto your plane with you. If you want to bring more than the 3.4-ounce amount, you'll have to pack the items in your checked luggage.

Simple Gardening Tips and Tricks for your dream home

Its always a nice feeling to have a garden in your dream home. Here are some of the tips for effective and beautified gardening:

1.To prevent accumulating dirt under your fingernails while you work in the garden, draw your fingernails across a bar of soap and you'll effectively seal the undersides of your nails so dirt can't collect beneath them. Then, after you've finished in the garden, use a nailbrush to remove the soap and your nails will be sparkling clean.

2. To prevent the line on your string trimmer from jamming or breaking, treat with a spray vegetable oil before installing it in the trimmer.

3. Turn a long-handled tool into a measuring stick! Lay a long-handled garden tool on the ground, and next to it place a tape measure. Using a permanent marker, write inch and foot marks on the handle. When you need to space plants a certain distance apart (from just an inch to several feet) you'll already have a measuring device in your hand.

4. To have garden twine handy when you need it, just stick a ball of twine in a small clay pot, pull the end of the twine through the drainage hole, and set the pot upside down in the garden. Do that, and you'll never go looking for twine again.

5. Little clay pots make great cloches for protecting young plants from sudden, overnight frosts and freezes.

6. To turn a clay pot into a hose guide, just stab a roughly one-foot length of steel reinforcing bar into the ground at the corner of a bed and slip two clay pots over it: one facing down, the other facing up. The guides will prevent damage to your plants as you drag the hose along the bed.

7. Got aphids? You can control them with a strong blast of water from the hose or with insecticidal soap. But here's another suggestion, one that's a lot more fun; get some tape! Wrap a wide strip of tape around your hand, sticky side out, and pat the leaves of plants infested with aphids. Concentrate on the undersides of leaves, because that's where the little buggers like to hide.

8. The next time you boil or steam vegetables, don't pour the water down the drain, use it to water potted patio plants, and you'll be amazed at how the plants respond to the "vegetable soup."

9. Use leftover tea and coffee grounds to acidify the soil of acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, gardenias and even blueberries. A light sprinkling of about one-quarter of an inch applied once a month will keep the pH of the soil on the acidic side.

10. Use chamomile tea to control damping-off fungus, which often attacks young seedlings quite suddenly. Just add a spot of tea to the soil around the base of seedlings once a week or use it as a foliar spray.

Tips in Choosing Furniture for your dream home

As we all know, choosing the right furniture is more than falling in love with its initial beauty. The style and construction of the furniture has to last many years, so considering the distinct details and quality of construction of a particular piece is a good way to help seal the deal and a little pro guidance never hurts.

Please see the below points which also determines how to choose the right furniture for your dream homes:

1. Size and Capacity

We need to measure the available space on the bedroom for the entire furniture. Our bedroom also needs movement space so let us calculate it too. If the bedroom is for two persons, we will need bigger capacity furniture as well.

2. Material and Quality

Do you want it to be wood or stainless? Bedroom furniture is available on many options and you should choose one option. Consider on quality and endurance, as well as who will use it, adult or kids, when you choose the material.

3. Design

Design for kids and for teenagers will be different. Adult and elders will need different design as well. Adjust the design to the person who will use it, and consider your house and interior style as well will be nice.

4. Needed Items

You will need bed and dresser. However, bedroom may get a couch and writing table as well. See what you need first then you can add some more additional items if the space is available. Make priorities when you shop.

5. Price and Color

Set budget on your purchasing. If not, we will end up buying all the things we may not need right now. Do not forget to adjust the color as well. Natural finish tends to be safer and cost effective.

6. Give your furniture some breathing room.

Resist overcrowding a room. Gracious living means space to maneuver with ease.

7. Finish: If your piece of furniture has any exposed wood, the stain or finish color is an important point to consider. Many pieces can be altered dramatically by the color of the finish. You can easily take a chair from traditional to contemporary by changing a cherry stain to a black paint. Likewise, a mahogany piece painted white will instantly appear more feminine.


8. Fabric: Lighter colored fabrics can be appropriate for a formal living room, foyer, or bedroom. However, if this is a piece of furniture that will be used frequently, it is suggested to choose a slightly darker fabric.

9. The Unexpected: Look for furniture that has an element of the unexpected or has some personality. The overall shape of the piece could be a little unconventional, or maybe there’s some interesting tufting, or nail head detail

World Apartments in Cochin - A life in the lap of nature!

World Apartments in Cochin - A life in the lap of nature!

Nest Infratech has its pride in introducing the World Apartments in Cochin. It has all the salient features to match your desire and taste and thus, it can be truly referred as a life in the lap of nature.

Positioned close to the eternally beautiful Periyar, we have a range of premium/apartments/flats in Aluva, located in the lap of nature, with lush greenery and serene ambience all around. This venture of ours promises to provide you with unparalleled, peace, comfort, and relaxation, far from the maddening crowd and hustle and bustle of city life.

Please browse through our specifications:

STRUCTURE :
Earthquake resistant RCC framed structure / shear wall with proper foundation as designed by structural consultant. Solid concrete walls with mivan / equivalent shuttering.

FLOORING :
vitrified tiles for living, dining and kitchen, Wooden laminate flooring for bed rooms except balconies, work area and toilets. Ceramic tiles for balconies, work area and toilets with wall tile up to 7 feet height.

KITCHEN :
Granite counter top. 2 feet height wall tiles with dado above counter top. Single bowl sink with drain board. Provision for exhaust and washing machine points.

DOORS & WINDOWS :
Imported/Indian elegant hard core entrance door. Skin moulded doors for bed rooms and toilets. UPVC windows / door cum windows with glass.

PAINTING :
Internal wall and ceiling – paint with emulsion or equivalent paint, with putty finish for entire Villa. External walls weather-shield or equivalent.

ELECTRICITY :
KSEB connection as per the rules and regulations of KSEB. Concealed conduit wiring with copper conductor from Finolex / equivalent. Adequate light and fan points. Anchor / Crabtree switches / equivalent. AC point in master bedroom, provision for AC point in other bedrooms / Drawing cum Dining room. Provision for exhaust fan, geyser for all bathrooms. Provision for TV and telephone points in living and all bedrooms.

TOILETS :
Imported/Indian (Hindware / Parryware / CERA / equivalent / sanitary fixtures). Concealed piping and premium quality CP fittings - Imported /Indian (Crabtree tap fittings/ Jaguar/ equivalent). Hot and cold water taps with shower in all toilets.

CABLE T.V. :
Provision for Cable T.V. connection for living room and all bedrooms.

TELEPHONE LINE :
Provision for telephone line in living room and all bedrooms.

WATER :
Borewell and KWA water will be provided.

FIRE FIGHTING :
As per Government safety norms.

GENERATOR :
24 hours Generator backup for common facilities such as common lights, water pumps etc. with automatic change over.

The innovativeness of Nest Infratech presents - The World. As the name intends, The World, envisioned for the first time in India will literally have a World within it. This novel township comprises of architectural styles that includes Contemporary as well as Traditional Nalukettu Villas and Luxurious Apartments, ranging from 29 lakhs, The World sprawls over an area of 25 acres in the ever bracing surroundings of Alwaye.

For even more details, logon to: http://bit.ly/1t4h8TZ

Protect your dream home this Monsoon

Here's the Monsoon season. Your home needs the equal protection as you are getting.

After the harsh summers comes the soothing monsoon with some much needed respite. We all love getting drenched and feeling the cool breeze on our skin.

With all that fun, rains are also the time when most homes will have family members falling sick. Children and adults alike fall victims to the various flus and viruses that abound in the air.

The humidity during the rainy months is also the time when various fungal infections are at its peak. Bacteria and all kinds of germs breed best in humid conditions. Hence this is the time when we are mostly affected by various fungal infections and allergies.

Following are 10 steps that can safeguard your home from Monsoon:

MOISTURE CONTROL – Keep basements, crawl spaces, and garages dry and free of conditions that support mold and wood fungi growth by controlling roof drainage.

FOUNDATION PROTECTION – Limit the movement of active zone soils underneath the foundation by reducing the amount of water that enters at the foundation wall.

PROTECT BACK-FILL – Top soil around the foundation is the weakest link in foundation moisture control. Preventing topsoil erosion can help prevent future structural damage.

SHIELD WINDOWS AND DOORS – Most durability issues arise from bulk water intrusion through windows and doors. Roof drainage will direct water away from sensitive areas.

PROTECT PLANTS AND SHRUBS – Standing water in flower beds around the home can permit harmful plant fungi to develop as well as attract ants, roaches, and termites.

PROTECT FASCIA – Water migration may cause rotting and insects that can be costly to repair. Quickly moving water away from rafter and roof joints is essential to a home’s long term durability.

INCREASE ROOF OVERHANG – Rain gutters can add up to 6” of protective roof overhang, providing additional shielding of windows and doors, improving drying times and moisture levels.

PREVENT SPLASH BACK – Rain gutters keep siding and masonry looking new by preventing splash back of dirt, grass, and minerals that stain the exterior and can be difficult to remove over time.

DECORATIVE DETAIL – Rain gutters are not just functional but can accentuate the architecture of any home. Senox products are available in various styles, colors, and metals.

RAINWATER COLLECTION – Collecting rainwater is the simplest way to water your lawn, plants, and foundation all the while contributing to water conservation goals.

For more details, check : http://nestinfratech.com/
Get our updates at https://www.facebook.com/TheNestInfratech

Be Safe and Secure!! : Home Security Trends!!

                             Securing your home and equipments is a hectic task when its come to a theft prone living location. Keeping your valuables and precious goods getting into wrong hands is the worst nightmares of people living in such habitats. Everyone knows the value of a security system which may even save a life one day.

Secure your living spaces 

Advances in technology have led to the emergence of home automation, which is offered by many trusted security providers. Home automation trends for the foreseeable future will be marketed directly to home security owners with a focus on convenience and a more well-rounded security experience available at an affordable price.

Technological boom and easy availability of various brands and globalization help us to achieve easy access to state of the art home control devices and security equipments, Smart homes which can control and manipulate indoor temperatures and play music  according to the mood of the user may be the home of tomorrow!!

Devices like Biometric locking systems, Proximity card entry, Video door phone with Camera outside front door, Home automation system with touch screen controls.Intrusion alarm system etc are the basic levels of securities we can incorporate with our precious home.

Bio-metric Entry System.

Biometric Locking Systems : Goodbye, keys. You’ll never leave your fingerprints in your other pants, so biometric locks offer convenience and fast entry for an authorized user.
A biometric lock uses an optical scanner to read and memorize your fingerprint (and the fingerprints of other authorized users who you decide should have access to your home).
This increases the security level of your home to a higher level since duplication of finger print is not an easy task like we see on movies.

Proximity Card Entry: Lots of companies use proximity cards to control physical access. An employee holds their card within a few inches of the reader; the reader receives a unique id from the card and transmits it to some central computer that tells it whether or not to open the door. This can easily be installed in your homes and the Proximity cards can be designed only for the inmates of your home

Video door phone with Camera : Video door entry also known as a video intercom or video door phone is a stand-alone intercom system used to manage calls made at the entrance to a building like residential complex, detached family home, workplace, etc. with access controlled by audiovisual communication between the inside and outside. This system help us to identify the people coming into our doorsteps and enable us to watch and speak without opening your door.

Alarm Systems

Home automation system with touch screen controls: This type of system allows individuals to control the lighting and temperature within their home, all from a home automation touchscreen or online via the Internet. Users of this type of system can also monitor their security settings while away from home, thanks to strategically placed video cameras within the home.

Home Automation System

Intrusion alarm system: Its an all purpose alarm system that notify the user about almost all the emergencies like fire, thief breakage, gas leak, smoke etc. Mainly these systems start an alarm sound at high sounds. Some advanced systems can even make a call or send emergency message to the respected user.

Proximity Card Entry System 

All these security measures ensure the safety and security of our precious home and the loved ones living inside , We can never put a price on security since it costs precious life and the valuables.As a responsible builder,We Nest Infratech, provide all these security measures at our lifestyle buildings since the safety of each and every person is our prime priority.

For more read : Nest Infratech
Get us on Facebook :The Nest Infratech

JKH Signature - The Ultra Luxury Waterfront Apartment

                JKH Signature is an ultra luxury waterfront apartment project on the banks of river Periyar, Alwaye, Kerala, which will be unparalleled in the finishes and amenities offered. It is a dream project conceived and conceptualized by Dr. Javed K Hassan, Chairman, Nest Group, and will have just two air-conditioned pent houses and 46 presidential apartments.

JHK SIGNATURE

JKH Signature is a place where you can luxuriate in this ambience for life and is an epitome of elegance and absolute comfort. Utterly unique in design and truly magnificent in conception, JKH Signature offers a lavish lifestyle with the sophistication and level of luxury on par with the very best. The properties will be personally allotted by the Chairman to each fortunate aspirant chosen by a panel of experts based on certain criteria.

Luxurious Living Spaces

This premium apartment  incoporates some of the state of the art technologies like

1) Entry with Biometric lock and proximity Card.
2) Central, hybrid air conditioning (VRV) with individual room controls for each apartment.
3) Construction based on green building technologies.
4) Special facade lighting for special night effect.
5) Rain water harvesting.
6) Private boat jetty
7) Canti levered terrace gardens
8) Sauna and Jacuzzi
9) Clubhouse
10) Barbeque counter
11) Children’s play area.
12) Billiards, Table tennis, Card and Chess room
13) Elegant lobby
14) Internet broadband connectivity, Intercom facility
15) Security cabin and Round-the-clock security
16 Home theatre, CCTV, Wi-Fi, Channel music in lift and common area. and much more .

Spruced Up Living

Grab your own world class living space with Kerala's Best Builder, with all the luxuries at the centre of the city!! For more details :Nest Infratech

Orchid Park

                               
                                      Nest Infratech is the realty & infrastructure division of the billion dollar Nest group conglomerate with headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia and offices in locations across the world like Europe, Japan, India, Middle East and Australia. Nest has helped companies across every industry  leverage technology to implement solutions that dramatically increase employee productivity, reduce the cost of operations and ensure the highest level of security for their business data. Today, it brings the same dedication in excellence and innovation in creating the finest homes

                           

                                    Nest Infratech introducing “Orchid Park”, luxury flats in Kottayam, ideally located at one of the nerve centres in the town, is a remarkable project of Nest Infratech, and includes professionally designed and thoughtfully created world class living spaces that are ideal for people who are looking for upscale living experiences at affordable prices.

Amenities: 

1) Swimming pool  2) Baby Pool 3) Sauna and Jacuzzi 4) Club house 5) Roof top party area

6) Barbeque counter 7) Advanced multi gym & Health club 8) Childrens play area 9) High speed elevators 10) Intrusion alarm system  11) Video door phone  12) Guard tour system 13)CCTV  14) Wi-Fi
15) In house Convenience store  16) Vastu friendly layouts 17) Landscaped gardens
18) Sewage treatment plant  19) Rain water harvesting  20) Spacious covered car parking 21) One year warranty

With profound understanding of market needs and aspirations of home buyers, combined with the right technical knowledge, we are endowed with unmatched expertise to deliver exactly what you look for, sometimes even surpassing the set benchmarks in housing industry.

For More  Details : Click here !!

Prepare Your Home For The Rainy Season!!

Its the time for leaky ceilings, dripping walls, Prepare your home for this rainy season and prevent rainwater penetrating into wall or building structure and save yourself in repair costs.Cleaning Rain Gutter helps to avoid costly repairs and roof damage. Clean gutters weekly during the rainy season to ensure that they are free of debris and not backing up.

Take a look at your gutters to make sure that they drain well and don’t cause water to back up.Galvanized iron pipes joints often get cracked and cause leaks. It is advisable to solve this problem as early as possible. Using PVC pipes instead of Galvanized iron pipes will help you avoid this.

It is advisable to seek the assistance of a qualified engineer as the Nest Infratech experts request you  to evaluate, and fix the problem.Air conditioner ducts can leave an unseemly trail of water streaming across the surface of exterior walls. Such streaks are breeding grounds for algae. You need to plan for this while you’re solving the leakage problem.Rainwater running across the roof of your home can damage exterior walls. Prevent this by channeling water away.
Clear away the plant growth from the surface of the wall. Weeds tend to take root and widen minor cracks on the wall.

Cracks in walls are an outcome of old and weathered masonry. It is recommended to fix minor surface cracks with a high quality wall putty product.Make sure that both doors and windows close and seal properly. Make any repairs or improvements as necessary.Think about having your basement inspected.

Things to Remember

• Clean rain gutters weekly during the rainy season to ensure that they are free of debris and not backing up.
• If you are Cleaning Rain Gutter yourself, choose right ladder but safety is first. If you’re comfortable working from the rooftop this can be easier than working from a ladder.
• Building waterproofing is recommended to prevent water from penetrating the building.
• It is advisable to solve the leaking problem as early as possible 
• It is advisable to seek the assistance of a qualified engineer or experts to fix the problem.
• Prepare your home for this rainy season and save yourself in repair costs.
• Air conditioner ducts can leave an unseemly trail of water streaming across the surface of exterior walls. Plan for this and fix the problem while you are preparing your home for this rainy season.

Escape To The Woods

Campus Woods is located on 1 acre of land near the CUSAT Campus at Kalamassery in Kochi, Kerala.Ideally situated on the fringe of the bustling city, Campus Woods enjoys prime location advantage. With its lush landscape,easy access to highways, proximity to civic amenities and a host of other facilities, Campus Woods promises to make your life more luxurious and comfortable. This cosy township has three apartment blocks with units ranging from 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms facilitating ample scope for selection based on personal tastes and budgets.

Campus Woods:Luxurios Interiors

The NeST Project & Asset Management division offers a complete range of services viz. handling township management, house keeping, security, mechanical & electrical services, environmental health & safety management, horticulture, club management, mall management, pest control services, landscaping services & waste management. The primary objective of the division is to help reduce operating costs, enhance property value & simultaneously maintain a superior living environment for all residents. The home care division takes care of any and all nitty gritty issues that property owners may face and also offers solutions like remittance of statutory payments to local bodies, taxes, telephone, electricity, water bills etc. The Rental division helps to assess rental value, advertise and show property to potential tenants, draw up rental / lease agreement, follow up, collect security deposit, monthly rental payments and account the same. In the necessity of sale of a property, advertisements, showing the property to prospective buyers and complete end to end solutions will be handled by this division

Campus Woods: Planned Ariel  View 

NeST Infratech is the Realty and Infrastructure division of the multinational billion dollar Nest Group
conglomerate. Founded in 1991 by Dr. Javad K. Hassan and N. Jehangir, and head quartered in Chantilly, Virginia with worldwide offices in Europe, Japan, India, Middle East, and Australia, NeST Group is a well diversified Global Company that has now forayed into the realty sector with Nest Infratech. Offering exclusive living solutions at prime locations in cities across India, Nest Infratech has operations in Cochin & Kottayam and upcoming projects in Trivandrum and Calicut

Reference Campus Woods

Echoes Of Kerala Architects

The voice of Indian as well as Kerala architecture hold its own importance in architecture in our daily life, The use of vastu is a booming trend between elite builders. Here we are exposing the life of  some of the legends in architecture who have Kerala roots.

Laurie Baker

Indian Coffee House,Trivandrum

Laurie Baker : Laurence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker (2 March 1917 – 1 April 2007) was a British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and for his unique space utilization and simple but aesthetic sensibility. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, he sought to incorporate simple designs with local materials and achieved fame with his approach to sustainable architecture as well as in organic architecture. He has been called the "Gandhi of architecture".

He moved to India in 1945 in part as an architect associated with a leprosy mission and continued to live and work in India for over 50 years. He became an Indian citizen in 1989 and resided in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala from 1963 and founded COSTFORD (Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development),Throughout his practice, Baker became well known for designing and building low cost, high quality, beautiful homes, with a great portion of his work suited to or built for lower-middle to lower class clients.

 His buildings tend to emphasize prolific - at times virtuosic - masonry construction, instilling privacy and evoking history with brick jali walls, a perforated brick screen which invites a natural air flow to cool the buildings' interior, in addition to creating intricate patterns of light and shadow. Another significant Baker feature is irregular, pyramid-like structures on roofs, with one side left open and tilting into the wind. Baker's designs invariably have traditional Indian sloping roofs and terracotta Mangalore tile shingling with gables and vents allowing rising hot air to escape. Curved walls enter Baker's architectural vocabulary as a means to enclose more volume at lower material cost than straight walls, and for Laurie, "building [became] more fun with the circle." A testament to his frugality, Baker was often seen rummaging through salvage heaps looking for suitable building materials, door and window frames, sometimes hitting a stroke of luck as evidenced by the intricately carved entry to the Chitralekha Film Studio (Aakulam, Trivandrum, 1974–76): a capricious architectural element found in a junk heap.

Eugene Pandala

Eugene Pandala: Eugene Pandala studied for a Masters in Urban Design at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. He had his Fellowship in Heritage Conservation at University of York and at Fort Brockhurst (English Heritage Training Centre) in the U.K. He was the founding head of the department of Architecture at the Architecture School in Quilon where he spent educating and researching on traditional building technologies of India.

Pandala while studying at Delhi School of Planning and Architecture met the legendary architect Hassan Fathy, and was inspired to build with mud. As a nature lover, and cultural heritage conservation activist, he designs buildings with natural materials such as cob or wattle and daub, preferring interesting organic forms. Pandala built his first mud house in Kollam in 1996,comprising 2,500 sq. ft. of building, bringing him to the public's attention.

Mud House

His unique Architecture style paved way to many awards, and recognition. In 2011, Lalith Kala Academy awarded him the first Laurie Baker award .(The Hindu The Sunday, Jan 30,2011). The Designer of the year Award given by Inside Outside design magazine in 2007 (Kerala artist retreat bags best eco-friendly design award Business Standard Sunday, Mar 25, 2012) was for eco friendly design. His heritage Conservation project in East Fort Trivandrum was chosen for a commendation award by Inside Outside magazine in 2004. In 1999 for one of his residential building built with mud "Bodhi", Pandala was given, a Commendation award, by J.K. Foundations, Architect of the year award.

Fort Cochin Heritage conservation project, Trivandrum East Fort Conservation projects, is often cited as good examples of Kerala heritage conservation initiatives. This was led by Eugene Pandala’s conservation team, enabling the State Government to win the PATTA award. Sustainable architecture/Green buildings is a field where Pandala has excelled. His Tsunami rehabilitation projects, and buildings for hospitality industries receives wide acclaim due to its interwoven complicity with nature.

Kerala's elite builders like NeST Infratech, encompass low cost ideas which makes the design more exquisite , following the path of these legends of architecture.

From Homes To Apartments,The Booming Residential Trend

The lifestyle hype happening in Kerala leads to the massive migration of people from their traditional house to apartments. New generation jobs, work timings, and international work culture pave the way for the new residential migration.
 To decide which residential style suits for a family is still a tiring head ache,both sides have their own pros and cons. But the Kerala roots in the of native people, try to sustain the homely atmosphere adjusting to the apartment habits. Kerala’s premium builders like Nest Infratech provides the awe inspiring villas and new generation apartments just the way they are meant to be.

" The World Villas" in Cochin

The main milestones which makes the apartment migration to hype are

1)Location ; Apartments located at the heart of the city makes transportation easy
2)Family safety: Since the apartment lifestyle gives a large community around your family, it really ensure the safety when key person is traveling away from their home leaving family alone
3)Freedom of choice: The vast number of builders and their projects give the power of choice to select the best design and some even provide custom designs also

Since the Kerala life style gives more important to relationships and family, the apartment lifestyle is more micro compared to the traditional life style.the cons of having an apartment are

.Limited freedom to make modifications to the exteriors your home.
.Very limited space for gardening and personal hobbies.
.Maintenance comes at a cost.
.Sound interference from nearby apartments can be a nuisance.
.No flexibility to expand the space for future needs as your children grow or if
 your parents move in to live with you.

Talking about the nature of a home or an apartment ,deals with the location, design as well as careful planing of effective utilization of resources, The Flagship project of Nest infratech ,“The World Apartments” and The World Villas” ensures the Eco friendly nature, keeping the ethnicity of owning a Kerala style home ,which comes with,higher freedom.We just have to convert the house to a home with the family ambiance.

"The World Apartments" at Alwaye, Cochin.

  The advantages of having a home are
• Ability to design the house as per your wish.
•An independent house provides you greater degree of freedom.
• Future modification of exteriors as per the latest trends and wishes.
• If you have keen interest in gardening then you would have a space to build on your interest or grow your pets.
• Privacy with no sound pollusion.
• You can always expand the space as per requirement in the future when your children grow up.
• You can develop the higher floors when you want to make some additional income through rent.

As an answer to this dilemma, some of the people find owning a personal villa excluding the higher price tag comfortable,since it actually overlaps the advantages of apartments and homes neglecting the cons of owning them. Which decreases the intensity of the problem to an extent.

Why passive houses are a strong choice.

It's the era of smart homes; homes that are efficient enough to eliminate the troubles of mechanical heating and cooling of a building through smart, time-tested heating and cooling features.

You all must have juggled the improved ideas of contemporary, modern, country-style and traditional style while building your new home. But every one of these styles, as productive as they sound, does not really stand up to the energy efficiency standards. That’s where passive homes come in; as energy saviors that eliminate the need for auxiliary heating and cooling. 

In harmony with the climate

When it gets really hot during hard summer days, it’s hard to cut the growing heat in your interiors. Passive home designs take advantage of the climate to make sure the occupants endure a thermally comfortable temperature in the interior. Understanding the principles of thermal comfort, these homes put you in a comfortable temperature range at all times.

A passive home design

Reduce Carbon emissions

Whether or not global warming is a matter of concern to you, every house plays its part in the alarming rise of carbon emissions around the globe. It is not just factories and vehicles that billow smoke but also our own homes. Ever since the passive homes have come into existence, the energy conservation standards promised are indeed overwhelming. Especially when it claims to slash carbon emissions by 80%, we know there’s push for a better future. 

Save Money

Passive houses make more economic sense than the modern day homes and it is more bang for your money when you decide on building a passive house. Though not cost-efficient during the initial outlay, in the long run passive homes turn more than significant as it lets you cut the cost of energy bills by 90%.

Minimize air leakage, breathe improved air 

It’s not something you want when you have conditioned air in the house let out uncontrollably through cracks and openings. Passive homes minimize air leakage with an effective ventilation system. The sophisticated ventilation system in a passive home efficiently controls the humidity. The air that enters the home is filtered and warmed, and old air is exhausted out.

Intelligent shading and window orientation

Passive homes avoid heat gain through intelligent shading and window orientation. This impressive system provides improved indoor air quality.

A passive home in Germany.

Conclusion

The seemingly more logical idea of a passive house is slowly planting its feet in Indian uptowns. The growing urge to find more sustainable choices of home design has paved way to create a sense of awareness and more passive homes are cropping up.

Today, there's a large chunk of the world's energy gobbled up by modern day homes. It is definitely time we seek sources of sustainability; it's time to get the new builds more efficient.

  

 

 

JKH Signature Apartments

JKH signature is  a premium waterfront apartment project from Nest Infratech. It is located on the banks of Periyar river, Alwaye, Kerala.This dream project is conceived and conceptualized by none other than Dr Javed. K.Hassan, the chairman and founder of the Nest group. It is a much awaited project from Nest with a unique feature, as all the properties will be personally allotted by the Chairman to the aspirants chosen by a panel of experts based on a certain criteria. 

Another great fact is that all these projects are available at a reasonable price range. You can now bring excellence to your existence with the wide range of amenities available at JKH signature apartments. Some examples of such amenities available are discussed below:

Incredible interiors: All the rooms are airy, spacious and trendy. Every room makes a unique style statement and you will surely experience 365 days of delight. 

Lively interiors at JKH Signature apartments

Proximity: This project is fortunately located at one of the prominent locations of Cochin.   It is just 300 metres away from the proposed sea port and 2.5 metres from the proposed metro. The Alwaye railway station and bus stand are also close by. You can go wherever you want in a matter of few minutes like shopping centres, hospitals, recreation areas, and educational institutions. When you have all these facilities around, your life becomes much easier like never before. 

Green Building: As JKH Signature apartments come under the list of green buildings, you can proudly tell the world that you are living in an environmentally responsible building. Enjoy the benefits of a green home especially when you can lower your  operating costs with the water and energy savings right from day one.

Relaxing Zone: After a long tiring day, there are many relaxing zones awaiting you at the JKH signature apartments.The infinity pool with water fall, landscaped gardens, private boat jetty are just few examples for such spaces.

A view of the private boat jetty at JKH Signature apartments

Security: When you are into community living, security is often a major concern. At JKH Signature apartments, you get added benefits like round the clock security. Video door phone with camera outside front door, intrusion alarm system, and guard tour system are the other unique security facilities available at these apartments.

Sports and Recreation: Now kickstart your day by hitting the roof top multi gym. You can  jog in the jog trails or  play some badminton or lawn tennis in the respective courts. If you are fond of indoor games, then also you have separate billiards, table tennis, card and chess rooms. There is also a clubhouse and party area for having a great time with your friends and family. 

Fitness gym at JKH Signature apartments

Parking space: There is a spacious covered car parking area. Apart from that, each home has a special slot for parking  two cars. 

Connectivity: Internet broadband connectivity and intercom facility make connectivity and communication easier like never before.

In-house convenience store: There is an in-house convenience store, you can go there if in case you wish  to buy something. 

Update your life by receiving all these amenities and add life to your living. When you live at JKH signature apartments, you can always keep your heads high!

How To Make Your Home Cool During Summer Season?

Gone are the days when weather forecast made on television were mostly accurate. Now we can’t solely depend on such predictions as day by day our weather is getting unpredictable. The planet earth is getting heated up in such a way that we can now feel the sun even inside our homes.The worst part is that you can’t always switch on the air conditioners 24x7 due to the rocketing electricity charges.

Here are a few tips that help you to get rid of the furnace-like feeling inside your home

• First of all declutter your home by taking off all the old furniture and newspapers. When you free some space, then itself you can feel a great difference in the heat. If you have heavy,dark coloured synthetic drapes at your home, then replace it with attractive and light coloured sheer curtains. Pick some refreshing colours like lime green, orange or aqua blue to bring in a cool,soothing effect inside your home.

• Add on some greenery to your homes by keeping few potted plants. Plants not only adds to the aesthetic appeal, but also give a freshness to your living spaces. You can either keep fresh flowers in vases or place them in a bowl full of water. It will give a cool, refreshing feel during summer.

• If it's too hot inside your home, hang a piece of long wet cloth near your window. The cool air from the water will evaporate and blow towards you when you leave your window open. Keep your drinking water in an earthen pot, you will be able to drink naturally cooled water all the time, not only that it will also keep your room cool.

• Reduce the usage of lights at your home as they tend to heat up your rooms. Use dim light especially fluorescent lamps as they provide a lighting effect that is much cooler than other ordinary lamps. Apart from that, it also consumes less electricity.Though fluorescent lamps are quite expensive, it’s better for your homes.

• Switch off all the electrical appliances at your home when not in use. Don't leave your doors closed always. It's good to keep the doors open for sometime to get some breeze inside your home. Do not keep any heat generating appliances like television,lamps near the air conditioner. If you do so, then it makes the room more warm.

• Avoid cooking during noon hours as most of the home appliances generate more heat during that time. In case if you have to cook during that period, then use a fan that directs the heat outside the window.

• Stick to fans rather than air conditioners. Before you switch on the ac, it's better to put on the fan as it allows your room to cool down. Open your windows in the night when it’s coolest.

• It's good to use white colour or light shades for your ceilings as it makes your room cool.

• Avoid landscaping with rock or cement on the south-west sides of your home as it radiates more heat towards your home.