Rational Interior Design Ideas – Where to Spend, Where to Save

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Spending on interiors is relatively new to Indian lifestyle which leaves a lot of questions unanswered when it comes to decisions making on where to spend and where to save. We do enough reviews and research to buy a mobile phone which we use for a couple of years, but unfortunately not enough resources are available to review the materials and finishes we’re going to live with for a considerable amount of time in our life.

Hiring a consultant or interior designer can help you solve half the trouble. It is essential that you appoint a good interior designer first, before handing over the job to an interior contractor because both these agencies have to be independent of each other for the good of the project. In the other case, when a contractor is asked to appoint a designer, the design starts with cost-cutting methods but the benefits are generally not transferred to the client. Insist on 3d views to visualize the space before starting execution.

Once the design part is over, and you’re clear with the final proposal, insist on making a Bill of Quantities for which the interior contractor will quote. This saves a lot of trouble later, in terms of overshooting budgets and leaves less room for ambiguity.

Talking about design, one has to be clear about where to cut a line between function and aesthetics. The layout and functional ideas are more important that the materials that go under them. Tastes are always subjective and you might have opinion differences with your designer in certain aspects of design. Come to a common decision, equating the choices to its current cost implications and later maintenance costs.
There are quite a few items where you have to be budgets conscious, for they really don’t make a huge difference to the interiors at the end. Some of them are

  • Floor Tiles / Marble (just make sure if its vitrified in case of tiles, or if they’re less porous in case of marbles)
  • Toilet floor tiles and wall tiles (good combinations of modestly priced tiles can beat poor combination of expensive ones)
  • Wall paper (how much ever you spend on it, end of the day, it’s just a wall paper!)
  • Laminates (thickness and design matter more than their cost)
  • Fabrics (stick to small shops when choosing these, big showrooms are expensive just for the sake of it)

There’re a few places where you have to spend, which your contractor might not advise you on. Some of them are

  • Mechanism (hinges, door handles, locks, sliders, electricals)
  • Lights (after all, they’re going to show things in the space, look better, when rightly planned)
  • Custom made furniture (they’re more expensive than china imported bought out furniture, but worth the cost, since its tailor made for you and the space potentials / constraints)
  • Paintings, artworks and crafts (They create a dramatic difference to the space when planned in advance)
  • Skilled labour (carpenters, tile layers, marble layers can make a huge difference with their skill levels)


On a general note, budgets overshoot in interiors for a standard few reasons which you can avoid to an extent. Try to stick to the decisions taken, even during the execution phase of the design. Don’t try to emulate some space you recently visited, since it might not really fit you or your space that well. Also, don’t try to cut costs at every item, especially with the skilled labour, since what you get is generally what you pay for.

How to appoint a character to the building.. A universal perspective..

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The role of an architect is to work on many scales, thoughtfully designing public spaces, to build on the unique local characters and the best qualities of the forms inherent in that geographic region.

Reluctantly, many large cites are somewhat hostile towards humanity and nature. Our spaces should have these pedestrian urban spaces where the quality of life in a particular space clearly perceives the tangible and intangible elements.

- the power of anticipation and surprise
- the pull of waterfront
- the excitements of arcades
- the appeal of public space etc.


Context :

The context is the environment settings which includes bioclimatic,soil,socialogy and other physical settings.These factors play an important role setting the geomentry of the building physics and other immeasurable qualities.There could be the physical contexts like, roads,market, tree,rocks,climate,local economy,social values ,attitudes etc which even will account to set a environ. Sensitive creative responses to the numerous existing context can lead to a successful contextual design.

Language :

Language is basically the phenomenon which is found to have a reason with environment and people.They include right from the color to the intricate details added.And they make sense only when they are needed.They are very essential to mark the character unique to a context.These languages have their places even in today’s fashion and building fabrics.

Environment :

A design to a site ends up giving a setting to the environment.A environment responsible designer would have places for the sufficient air,light and greens in their layouts.There are hundreds of ways to do them merging the elements to bring up a another environ form.

Context,Texture,Proportions :

Elements like color , texture,shape, form concludes the character at the end when they are put up in the collective form. The collective form of element of architecture are catogerised in to two ways.They are REPETITION and RHYTHM. Though they are the basic terms used in the leanings of architecture, they really make some value when we experience their presence.

These elements and their geometry can actually influence the psychology of the people dwelling inside.

(ie). Buildings in the rennaisance period had their geometry in symmetry everywhere to induce the sense of situation under mentor of values and rules. They actually controlled the emotions of the people lived.

 

Green building ideas

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Green ideas are the very essential aspect which has to be taken serious and considered important. We have done enough for the mother earth and now its time to feel in charge and responsible. Being environmentally responsible right from the building we are going to live will make us nature friendly and economically efficient . The returns are to both of us.(Nature and you).

Green Ideas :

There are hundred of green ideas which are taken in account with respect to the context. The design team has to be well updated with mater of identifying the best possible solutions or green technique which will support the context.

Objective of green design :-

  • Protecting occupant
  • Improving productivity
  • Make the resources efficient
  • Optimise the performance
  • Quality indoor spaces

Various ways to make green design:-

  • Sustainable site planning , with bio climatic considerations.
  • To have passive cooling techniques to minimize load on HVAS systems.
  • Low energy consumption and renewable materials.
  • Materials with low or zero emission to improve indoor quality.
  • efficient water management systems. etc

For example if it is through bio climatic architectural principles, these could be the objectives :-

  • Orientation
  • Thermal mass
  • Surface to volume ratio
  • Positioning of windows,shading devices.
  • Selection of materials for walls roofs , windows , including insulation
  • Landscaping

(ie) Orientation on cooling load :-

  1. North-South orientation would reduce cooling loads by 1.5 %,
  2. Effect of the effective materials could reduce the cooling load upto 25 %,
  3. Insulated windows reduces cooling load by 9%. etc.

At specific, these techniques are available for roofing, Flooring, Painting, Water management, HVAC etc. These studies branches out large if discussed in detail.

Buying a house vs Building a house

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The matter of deciding how to own a space is not left with a lot of options.

You built one or buy one,but a confusing thing to conclude upon.

To talk for buying one, it is the most convenient with respect to time and commercial strategy.You go ,see and buy. But there is no space for dream house to come.The option of customizing are there but at an extra cost. We still have the option open to see how much ever options which suits our needs or at least close to it. But its not soo easy to get such an atmosphere which suits your requirements like:-

  • location
  • needs
  • price
  • neighbourhood settings
  • design

Where as Building one has got all the options of doing the best to the site. But not at the cost of previous option, unless you get a contractor who is ready to do the project at the very high discount on his buffers.

The advantage which lies worthy is that you decide your space and the options that your needs require with the fullest availability of very basic requirements like:-

- ventilation
- lighting

Errors taken less serious in option of buying can be resolved here.(ie) design issues like circulation problems,furniture layouts , functionality etc are taken more serious. It always depends upon the person who decide “which is the best”.when one gives prioroty to :-

  • commercial advantages
  • time line
  • A ready settings

Will have to go for buying one.

Where as who gives more priority to :-

  • building the best for the site.
  • planning the best for own.
  • having a building which is unique.

Last but not the least the very question one forgets to consider is that , what is the property going to return you back after the life of the building.

Creating ur own stuffs – water bulb

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This word WATER BULB makes you think of a bulb made of water, but this a closer guess to it. This water bulb in terms knows as the “solar water bulb”.Here is a picture of it.

As a closer picture of this.

The next image can make u surprised and the thing that happens.

This method of illuminating light inside the room is widely being used by all south asia and Africa for people settlements with lower level of living. I being in India like to share this method, which might be useful for people in villages and slum. I have clearly explained this working process in the following picture.

You might wonder the water inside the bottle might get evaporated due to sun’s radiation. That is the nature and the solution for this that they cover the bottle cap with photo film cover( used to avoid sunlight to protect film) which avoid the sunlight from entering. The water is mixed any bleaching agent to purify the water and make it clear.

This stuff works good as you can see as follows.This one is very cost effective i.e it doesn’t cost at all. Everything concerned to nature as itself. wow incredibly thanks to the inventor. I have post the process of making and installation this through pictures.

Material required : A Bottle , Reqd. Amount of water, Bleaching agent (Chlorine) and photo film cover. water sealant to fix in the roof (to prevent water leakage).

going with step by step process

You might ask how is the method far beneficial than normal method. This advantage is listed below:

1. totally eco-friendly

2. lowers electricity bill

3. In this method, light produced is equivalent to 55 watts bulb, experimentally proved.

4. No cost at all.

More than this, it works even in rainy days.

Well! this might be useful for our Indian families at lower level of living and more importantly can be used in villages.

Some sample picture of this method

Stairway Cinema

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Not just us, people all over the world thinks that they are perfected to have stoop culture. A lot of experimental projects are carried out in institutions and researchers to vitalize these pockets for a beneficial policies to enhance a better settings. But in Auckland, New Zealand, one such experiment on St. Paul street has shown a conversion  of the public’s retreat into smart isolation, the Stairway Cinema creates a communal node for obvious.

 

 

 

Tensile Tents…Architecture in Travel…

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Green dream Architecture developed the “Tensile Tents” range to provide a comfortable sheltered accommodation independent from ground condition.

Combining the hammock concept with a usable space, the structure provides separation from wildlife, storms, wet ground or debris. The tent is also ultraportable: maximizing usable space while minimizing material usage.

The structure includes a collapsible frame of webbing straps with fire retardant, UV PU and water resistant polyester fabric infill panels. It is held in tension by elongates collecting at each of the anchor points and at the base to form internal spaces.

The inverted pyramid shape offers a single point of ground contact. This covered porch area also provides a suspended seating place leading to a double hammock bed with storage space underneath. Unlike conventional hammocks, the material is also stretched outwards to the sides so that the inhabitants don’t roll into each other.

This may be suitable for fancy travels through rainforests. This can occupy about three to four person at a time. This requires a little of labour. Inspiring works for travel and architecture.

Interiors : Wall Shelves

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Wall Shelves

Wall Shelves is a concept of modular wall storage reproducing the pattern foot pool. Installation is possible even in a very cramped, due to its exceptional modularity

Due to its original graphics, it represents a new vision of wall storage for both aesthetic and practical. And all this for a small fee which will vary depending on the number of items desired.

Low manufacturing cost due to the materials used: wood veneer and laminate ecological.

Easy installation, with two screws.

DETAILS : METHODOLOGY

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