simplicity!!!

class!

a dear friend designed this logo for my architectural consultancy.

been using it since 2009.

a constructor of worlds

Architecture and war are not incompatible. Architecture is war. War is architecture.

I am at war with my time, with history, with all authority that resides in fixed and frightened forms.

I am one of millions who do not fit in, who have no home, no family, no doctrine, no firm place to call my own, no known beginning or end, no "sacred and primordial site."

I declare war on all icons and finalities, on all histories that would chain me with my own falseness, my own pitiful fears. I know only moments, and lifetimes that are as moments, and forms that appear with infinite strength, then "melt into air."

I am an architect, a constructor of worlds, a sensualist who worships the flesh, the melody, a silhouette against the darkening sky. I cannot know your name. Nor you can know mine.

Tomorrow, we begin together the construction of a city.

from: War and Architecture by Lebbeus Woods(1940-2012)

H-31

yeeehaaa!!!! :)

the new house is almost complete... cant wait to shift there soon.

old dues

all the efforts were long done, the knowledge multiplied two fold since,
how happy do you feel when you receive Rs50000 that you were supposed to get 2yrs and 5months ago!?
feeling drained and elated at the same time...

as it is, i never feel real great once the money finally gets to me.

eyewash!?!

we know real-estate has been sluggish lately, fdi and investors(without black money) are not coming on board as earlier...

this mall project in indore restarted their construction after work was on hold for quiet some time.

the sign board though isn't fooling anybody!?! :)

switched-off

it's began as another morning of purpose.
follow ups to start/finish things in the ultimate goal of finishing my house.

called up the plumber to make chambers at the rear of the house. this chap was coming on 21-09. both mobiles of santosh bhaiya are switched-off since then.
called up the painter who left his putty at site on 20-09 to start work, ajay ji's phone switched off since yesterday, when 4 calls at different times of the day were left unanswered.
called up the waterproofing guy(he takes the cake). both numbers switched off. ashfaque bhai has started work since more than a month. has done 10% of it in 2 days. he has met me 3 times at site, spoken to thakur and me umpteen times, promised work in sudden appearences after a gap of a week at least twice. but the jigsaw remains unfinished.
the electrician, shakir bhai, is expected to reach site at 1030.
fabrication for pergolas, railings and grills is a complete standstill. the developer at the colony has under performed and i have to get electricity at site courtesy a 300mtr cable from the nearest MPEB pole. voltage drop is such that the welding machine refuses to melt metal. a cost effective solution is still awaited. very easy for the developer to say, wait for a couple of months (have been hearing the same since atleast 8 months).
the flooring guy has visited the site, but waits for the primer coat and water proofing and also me finalising the tiles!
i ahve almost given up on mr thakur (just that i won't). his priorities and wants are known to none.
the carpenter remains a distant dream of follow-ups.
i can fairly say, no project will give me greater reward than when i finish this one. house number h-31.

come to think of it, over the past week, i must have let 7-8 calls go unanswered. but as the week comes to a close, i have replied to everyone of them. and loads of professional commitments are through and done with. a week of heavy working leaves me satisfied, maybe that's why i get to ponder upon the unfinished...

wait to see the sunrise from my new house!

heading into town

mumbai infuses motion in the mind >> coming from my native city to this behemoth during vacations at school, i experienced the 'local train' first hand. standing at the door of a moderately occupied coach as the rhythmic clatter of the wheels filled my ears and the evening sea breeze permeated the humid sun, i dwelt upon the 'greater purpose' of life. the pursuit of man for mere survival stood along side the pursuit of glory.

the giant city has immense movement patterns >> not that the grid doesn't lock up, in fact it comes to a standstill with amazing swiss like precision. the patterns collide at will and stagnate. on the expressways, the potholes and bottlenecks add no more to the rush hour than the lane changing and unpredictable driving. alas we indians carry on cursing each other and always wondering why the other lanes are moving fast.

was in mumbai recently and was heading into town. the skyline visible from reclamation on the western expressway is quiet breathtaking, and i agree with my cousin that it definitely is better than the famed skyline at marine drive. the bandra-worli sea link was a pleasure and so were the traffic cops checking for speeding on the link even on a sunday. but the fate of the original plan for the link remains in the balance, possibly forever. it was conceived to go further than the bottleneck at worli all the way to marine drive. with unprecedented cost escalations for getting up till worli, only time will tell if exemplary dedication and motivation(?) can get it any further in the near future. mumbai trans harbour link better watch out!

the delay(if i may call it) did help in refreshing landmarks, albeit with stunning new additions. a worli sea face penthouse would be a pleasure to own. a bright yellow ducati gleamed inside its showroom, haji ali dargah was seen at high and low tide. then came the big daddy of new landmarks. was on dr gopal rao deshmukh marg (a.k.a pedder road) and my vision is filled by a monstrosity. antilia, home for 6, as high as a 60 floor tower but having only 27, believed to have cost 1 to 2 billion US dollars(as if there ain't much of a difference there), 4 lakh sqft of living space, assaulted my view. you can see glimpses from the sea link itself and it is a sight to behold closer up. we can debate on the capitalism/socialism aspect forever, as we can about the building being an eyesore/marvel, the fact is that it stands there alright. maybe capitalism is the best way out, but it should be coupled with some moral initiatives. they have to come from within. i work for myself and i earn money for myself, who am i to question mukesh for what he does with his money. how much will i need to earn before i start helping others i cant really say at this age and time. 

a little further stands kanchanjunga towers, a charles correa masterpiece. completed in the eighties the tower, a personal favorite of mine, houses 28 luxury apartments. there are a variety of units and the sectional changes within the apartments are a delight to study. the garden verandahs among other features sheild the tower from mumbai's relentless weather very effectively. i have heard that owners of the apartments have a hard time selling their much loved homes and moving somewhere else. why was this correa's only high rise project in the city? why did others not try and continue/evolve the design? because everywhere else in the city, the template for new residential high rises remains more or less the same, with maximum exploitation of space the foremost priority, glorified facades the norm and sustainable design being irrelevant.

has the contemporary(antilia) gone downhill after the modern(kanchanjunga)?

getting into hardcore 'town' is an automatic mood up-lifter. nostalgia, the colonial charm, the skyscrapers, marine drive, the maidans, the bullet hole still preserved at cafe leopold from 26/11, kala ghoda and everything else makes it a memorable experience. not to forget the gleaming black porsche 911 carrera that had heads turning. was at the garware club house for lunch with family, the same compound as the refurbished wankhede stadium and i couldn't help feel immense pride. not long ago at this very place mr dhoni hit a smashing six to deliver the world cup to india.