An image of a project coming up in the city.
“Our aim is to build homes where the residents should enjoy peace. We are not constructing just buildings but we are trying to breathe life into spaces,” says Vikram Mohan, Director of the Pricol Property Development Ltd (PPDL).
Basically an industrial engineer, Mr.Vikram feels that there is hardly any commercial building in Coimbatore which is ‘world class.’ “Only when one of my close friends chose to skip Coimbatore for want of such a building, my journey for world class buildings began.” He met a number of top-level builders in Pune, Bangalore, etc., and a three-man team was assigned the task of how to go about. It took almost a year to create a land bank.
As he realised that quality buildings could come only with experience, he thought of a tie-up with a quality builder like Pune-based Vascon Engineers.
“Its Managing Director, R. Vasudevan, shared my value system. We are not interested in FSI (floor space index) but quality of life of our customers and we are building not urban jungles but urban living spaces. Thus we joined hands. And the result is the proposal for two major projects – a 150-room hotel, close to Coimbatore airport, and a modern-residential cum commercial project at Neelambur, near here, at a total cost of about Rs 700 crore.”
Adverting to Vascon, he points out that it is one of the top ten construction companies in the country with experience in various segments .As the economy continues to grow, the pressure will be more on commercial spaces. The challenge, then, will be to integrate quality construction, intelligent design and latest technology to optimise space utilisation, maximise user comfort and preserve the environment.
While Vascon would use the PPDL’s “local knowledge of the market, administrative liaisoning and day-to-day administration,” it would offer its engineering skill.
Explaining why he has chosen such an experienced partner, Mr. Vikram Mohan declares: “I want to get it first time right instead of learning though trial and error. This effort will help me grow faster.” The work for the hotel project would be launched “no later than January next and it will take another 18 months for occupation.”
The work for the residential and commercial complex project would begin by March-April next and the first phase of it would be handed over by December 2009. The total project period would be four years.
This project would have 38 row houses\villas meant for “very senior management personnel” and 700 to 750 apartments in the 1,800-sq ft range. Besides, there would be 120 service apartments of 650 sq ft to 700 sq ft each. A hotel would be constructed in this project itself with 80 to100 rooms.
He points out that this is the first time a Coimbatore company has tied up with an outsider for its expertise.
The PPDL already has seven projects while Vascon, a company with a turnover of Rs. 382 crore last fiscal and which hopes to achieve double this financial year, has orders for several million sq ft.
Explaining some of the interesting features of his buildings, he points out that all of them will have handicap access, stretcher evacuation facility and fire tender access. Besides, 30 per cent of the area is meant for green zone and there are projects wherein “we did not even consume the specified FSI because of our interest in green zone.” In his Crimson Dawn project, off Avinashi road, almost 80 per cent of the space has been left for green zone.
He got this “green experience" from certain constructions, in Pune, Gurgaon, and even Chennai. Similarly, even in major cities like London, New York, Barcelona and Frankfurt there are “massive green oases,” all in the heart of a city, which make living a pleasure. “Customers should enjoy quality time at the building for which they invested their entire life-time savings. Homes should become havens of peace and prosperity and there should be warmth and security.”
Pointing out how children living in apartments get hooked on to TV or computer, he has planned a special playing area. In addition there will be a petting zoo (which is found in London and New York) and it will have pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.
“This will de-stress the child. The children can take them home for a couple of hours and there will be trained veterinarians to take care of them. Whenever the parents go out for shopping, the children can be left in these zoos.”
Vikram Mohan
Cost-wise, it would include Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 30 lakh more per project as it would occupy half an acre. And the subscription would be just about Rs. 250 a month. But this will add a lot of value and the children will start “sharing and caring” with and for others.
Besides, there will be partially covered swimming pools.
For the aged old people, there will be a centre where readings of Bhagavad Gita , debates, bhajans etc., could be organiszed.
In some of his projects, “there are no common walls for apartments, and not a window opens into another apartment.All the bedrooms will have window on two sides for cross ventilation.”
The balconies will be so large that they can be fully used. He is also planning sky garden of 1,000 sqft in every floor.”
He admits that he is “just copying” these features because “ I believe they will help the residents lead a quality life.”
“All that we are doing is to go an extra mile.”
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