Factory-made Homes

Buying a ready-made modular kitchen or bathroom is now par for the course for a number of Indians. But what if you could go to a store, buy a house and get it assembled on your plot? With pre-fabricated, or prefab, technology becoming popular, this might become a reality in a few years.

REALTY INNOVATIONS

Timely delivery of properties is important for both builders and buyers. From the buyer's point of view, early possession of an apartment means early freedom from rent payments

If the buyer is an investor, he can start earning rental income early. Also, once its project is complete, the builder can invest the ca
pital in new projects and earn more profits.

"Given the requirement of 26.5 million affordable housing units in India and project execution challenges and shortage of human resources, the traditional 'brick and mortar' construction is giving way to prefab structures and materials. Prefab technologies can be used to build homes quickly and cost-effectively, especially as traditional construction costs continue to rise. As the cost of borrowing is steep and developers are facing a liquidity crunch, time means money. Modular construction is faster and adds to the revenue stream of builders," says Sachin Sandhir, managing director, RICS South Asia, a self-regulatory body of real estate professionals.

Prefab technology involves use of factory-manufactured components in buildings. Some commonly used prefab materials include steel frames for structures, panels made of wood, cement, gypsum and other materials for floors, walls and ceilings, factory-made doors, windows and ventilators.

In large construction projects, various modules of the structure are cast off-site in factories and then assembled on the site.

In the process, prefab materials such as wall and terrace blocks, wall panels, steel frames and plaster boards are used along with innovations such as the dry-wall technique. In prefab technology, the entire building can be designed using architecture software. Later, components such as steel frames, wall and ceiling panels and floor tiles can be custom-made.

The components are then brought to the construction site and the structure is assembled on-site. Houses using steel frames for structure can have multiple stories without pillars, beams and concrete. Alternatively, the main structure and outer walls can be constructed using the conventional techniques and inside partitioning and interiors done with prefab materials.

STRONG FOUNDATION

Developers have already started using prefab materials in buildings.

"We are using pre-fabricated concrete panels as shear walls and roof slabs, which are assembled like Lego blocks. Apart from prefab panels, complete kitchen and bathroom units are also being assembled as separate units with complete electrical and plumbing systems. These kitchen and bathroom 'pods' are then fit into place," says Nayan Raheja, executive director of Raheja Developers, a New Delhi-based builder.

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"Prefab construction reduces construction time and improves the quality of the building. Though prefab materials are 15-20% expensive than the traditional ones, higher efficiency and less wastage and labour costs can bring down the overall cost substantially for large buildings. They also eliminate the need for auxiliary activities such as plastering, electrical wiring and plumbing as these are done at the casting stage itself," says Raheja.

The use of prefab techniques can also result in better cost efficiencies over the life span of the buildings.

INDIA CONCEPT HOUSE

In an attempt to offer an affordable housing solution for small cities where residential land is available for construction, pre-engineered buildings are being developed by US-based architecture firm KieranTimberlake in partnership with RICS South Asia, Sam Circle Venture, and ProjectWell.

India Concept House is a housing solution under development where the entire house will be designed and manufactured in factories and then assembled into a house at the construction site. The concept targets an affordable cost of Rs 9,500-12,000 per square metre.

Currently, these houses are being designed as single-storied expandable housing units in sizes ranging between 32 m2 and 98 m2. Owing to its modular design, the houses can be expanded according to owners' financial capability and changing needs over time.

A 98-m2 house can be assembled and built on site in six weeks. These concept homes have been designed to suit varied climates in the country. Natural and solar-powered ventilation systems maintain interior temperature between 21 degrees Celsius to 29 degrees Celsius. It also provides for water harvesting and recycling of wastewater. Solar heaters are used for hot water supply.
"By opting for pre-fabricated building solutions over traditionally constructed homes, one can achieve savings both in the short term and over the life of the structure. Usually, pre-engineered or pre-fabricated houses show better performance, as factory- or assembly-line-produced homes are manufactured to stricter norms. Such building solutions use cutting edge technology and reduce the number of manufacturing defects given the strong quality checks that can be put in place," says Sandhir.

Buildings constructed using prefab technologies have a life span of 30-50 years, equivalent to the lifespan of structures using conventional methods.

Using prefab materials in buildings also gives flexibility in terms of expansion and modifications. Most of these buildings are modular with independent blocks that can be added or removed.

"Computer-aided design and certain materials produce structures which can be easily assembled and dismantled a number of times without damage. Additionally, changes in the structure can be made on-site in a short span of time," says Sandhir.

GROWTH POTENTIAL

Pre-fabricated construction is not entirely new to the Indian construction space. Office and commercial buildings have been using prefab wall panels, ceiling panels, plasterboards and flooring systems to create interiors of offices and other places such as hospitals.

"Prefab panels and boards are eight-ten times lighter than brick-and-mortar walls. This reduces the load on the structure, which lowers the building cost," says V Subramanian, managing director, Saint-Gobain Gyproc India, a manufacturer of prefab construction materials.

The use of prefab materials gives the option of customising buildings for specific needs such as fire and water resistance and sound-proofing. Most of the demand for prefab materials is from large developers and for commercial spaces such as offices. Use by individuals for their homes is yet to gain popularity.

{table}"Individual home owners will become comfortable with prefab construction when they see it over a period of time in offices and commercial spaces. Individuals need to be sure about the viability of the technology before they are ready for the transition from the conventional method. In the West, only prefab materials are used in construction," says Subramanian.

Experts say prefab construction techniques, quite common in developed countries, will become popular in India too.

"The use of pre-fabricated materials and methods is on the rise in the US as the construction industry has begun to adapt to changing market conditions, new materials and methodologies. Within India, one of the greatest obstacles is within the construction industry-the long periods for which projects are stuck, with delays in the supply chain. Off-site fabrication can reduce delays, free up the supply chain and help projects move ahead more rapidly," says James Timberlake, partner, KieranTimberlake, a US-based architecture firm which is developing affordable pre-fabricated houses in India.

Rising demand for housing and improvement in techniques will increase acceptance.

"As building inventories with developers become bigger, delivery becomes a priority and skilled labour replaces unskilled labour, we will see more and more construction companies following these practices," says Raheja.

Who knows factory-made houses might soon become common across the country, providing affordable as well as luxury homes to lakhs of families. Or, the next time you relocate, you might be able to hire a transporter to move your entire house to a new city.


Homes with Steel Frames

Prefab houses

DESIGN PROCESS
An architect designs the building using computer applications.

Prefab houses

STEEL FRAMING
Customised steel frames are manufactured for use in the buildings structure as the core frame.

Prefab houses

ASSEMBLY
All components are assembled together to form panels and trusses. This can be done at the factory or at the construction site based on the requirement of the project.

Prefab houses

FINAL CONSTRUCTION
The panels and trusses are assembled together to create the building structure. Final touches are given to include the desired features.

Strength and Power: An Overview

What is Strength?
In my view Strength is the ability of a person to make things happen as per his desire. You can dream about a lot of things, but none will be come true until and unless you have the required ‘Power’ to accomplish that particular objective.

A man in his life requires playing different roles. The role of a son, brother, boss, employees, father, nationalist, student, teammate, team-leader, teacher, player, coach, entrepreneur, and more. Therefore, the kind of strength required by the same person will also vary as per his role and environment.

For example, to get good marks in competitive examination one will require emphasizing on mental abilities than on the muscles. On the other hand when it comes about winning a sprint race the greater emphasis will be on physical strength. Also, there are numerous scenarios where you will require a combination of mind as well as muscles.

The other important fact is that there exits different strengths that are neither muscular nor mental in nature (Like social, spiritual, political powers). Whether you call it ‘strength’ or ‘Power’ the stuff remains same.

Different States?
The terms like inner power, outer power, potential, kinetic etc fall in either of the categories.

Utilizable: Which can deliver you results in a short while.
Inert: The strength/Energy/power which exists, but cannot be utilized. This means that the kind of strength is useless until transformed to utilizable form.
This can be understood from example of carbohydrates and fat in the body. Carbohydrates deliver instant energy, while fat acts a sustainable somewhat slower source of energy.

In the Holy Ramayana is the story of lord Hanuman who was unaware about his strengths. When Jamwanta Ji reminded Hanuman about his powers then he made the historic jump from India to the beach of Lanka.

It’s time that you realize your true potential, increase it, and turn it into utilizable-form. The smart reader like you must not require any extra explanation.

Necessity of Power?
In every type of society, is prevalent the universal principle of dominance. One who has power is likely to be treated with more respect and is likely to receive more benefits.  Here, the kind of respect can be external or internal depending upon the capability, nature, and good-will.

The big fish will consume the smaller fishes be it a pond in the United States, India, Russia, Sweden, China or any other part of the world.  The simple truth of life is that the level of acceptance (natural or forced acceptance) will be directly proportional to the amount of power you have.

Rich getting richer and poor getting poorer is nothing, but the derivations from this simple equation.

What Increases Your Strength?
The factors like your knowledge, wealth, social influence, expertise, friends & family, your skills, your ideas etc add to it.

Also, other people will support you only when they will see some sort of profit. Therefore, a helpful person is likely to receive more help than an ordinary or a troublesome person.

Required in Conflicts and Retaliation:
It might sound inappropriate, but in time of a minor dispute among individuals or a fully flinched war between nations; it is the power & strength that comes handy. A wise man will never initiate any kind of trouble. Anyhow, when the situation arises he will retaliate or might attempt to end the conflict in its initial state.

Retaliation is a very serious act and must be done with extra precaution, caution and care. There are situations when you are not left with any other option. In Chanakya Neeti it has been said:

What Is Business Simulation ?

Business simulation is a technique for developing, testing, and evaluating business strategies in a virtual environment before committing real money and effort in the marketplace. With the latest computer technology, state-of-the-art business simulations can manage hundreds of variables simultaneously and provide tremendous realism. AIMA creates business simulations using its unique and powerful software model, Chanakya®.

Why Business Simulation?
The Philosophy behind the management simulations is “learning by doing” i.e. if you want to learn dance or play an instrument, or fly an airplane, you must practice. Airline pilots practice on flight simulators likewise the business simulators assist the managers to hone up their skills for making smarter business decisions.

What Will Be The Learnings?
You will have a realistic and enjoyable learning experience, where you actually manage a muti-million company and benefit with :

Understanding the cross-functional relationships among various management functions.
Exposure of running a company in a simulated environment without causing damage to a live company.
Honing operative and strategic decision making skills under constraints of time, finances and information.
Understanding the financial implications of the decisions taken.
Helping in finding and employing the available information for the data analysis of their own and competitor's business.
Understanding the importance of team work under trying business situations and above all
Gets a synoptic view of a company's operations and experience the thrill of running a company in a competitive environment.

Being Straightforward in life? Good or Bad

Straightforwardness is a quality appreciated by many, followed by a few, and understood by even fewer. Well! That was my observation and yours might be different from mine. Still, we will agree that the confusion regarding acceptance and rejection of this human trait is quite huge.

We hope to be straightforward in life. No lie, no bending of facts and no diplomacy. I mean, if the situation doesn’t force, then who will desire to do all that? That’s straightforwardness in one form. The other side is that people relate it with rudeness, arrogance, and several other unpleasant attributes.

The people in favor will appreciate you for being a straightforward man. On the other hand the people who are not in support of your ideas will criticize you for doing so.

Now let us take the expert’s opinion. Chanakya said that “A man must not be too straightforward because the trees standing straight in forest are chopped out first”

Does this means that it’s bad to be straightforward? Well! It depends on the circumstances and a wise man cannot afford to do it the wrong way.

Actually, the straightforwardness is a quality to be admired. Anyhow, when you implement it the wrong way then it becomes a quality to repent. On giving a little thought I was able to conclude it’s applicability. Hopefully you will agree to that.

Social Straightforwardness:
When dealing with a second person, third person, or a group of persons; we must be careful. The simple rule is that you can only act straightforward when in a situation to bargain. When you are the Boss and things are under your control.

If the situation is opposite, speak with lots of sweetness on your tongue. That sounds wicked, but in fact is the simple truth of life. Accept it!

To prevent misinterpretation I would like you to go through the following lines:

Straightforwardness has nothing to do with rudeness, impoliteness, anger, or frustration.
It has definitely to do much with clarity.
Always, think about the consequences and the outcome. It’s not a good idea to invite trouble for the sake of looking bold in front of others.
Personal straightforwardness:
Despite of all that confusion you must be very clear and straightforward  with yourself. I mean your priorities must be crystal clear in your mind. No fog of any sort.

The ideal situation will be where you can answer a question in ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The problem is that in many real-life-situations it won’t be possible to do so. When such situation arises then you will require using the ‘discretion‘.

When you know who you are, what are your priorities, what you desire to accomplish, and how to accomplish; then most of the problems will get solved automatically.

* Be straightforward with yourself and don’t allow yourself to cut corners.

Trying to Prove, What you are Not?

Denial of reality has become the new trend. More and more people are falling prey to this disease. I am sure that you must have encountered people who are good at nothing, but dialogues. The problem is that instead of relating themselves to real physical world, they dwell in some wonderland.

They are the most hopeful people who believe that things will turn better with time and they will achieve everything they desire. On the other hand their actions might not be compatible with their goals.

We Humans Have a Tendency To Compete:

It is primitive human nature to compare & contrast own status and possessions with that of others. In the same manner others do it as well. This creates a kind of competition among us to be richer, powerful, influential, and happy than others. This tendency creates the complex system of hierarchy with conflict for dominance at different stages.

* The top-most reason for people to be sad is nothing but happiness of others.        

Why People Pretend and show-off?

The reasons can be many. The most prominent ones are:

As an attempt to fulfil pride/ego.
To gain acceptance.
To create safeguards.
In this world people are bound to believe as things appear to them. Someone might be very good at something, but no one will notice until and unless he shows/proves his skills in-front of others.

Considering the message in previous paragraph we can easily understand the reason for so many people trying to prove themselves as someone they are actually not.

Lets take example of a student, who after watching a movie gets inspired from the character and tries to copy him in his life. This kind of approach can be beneficial in few cases, but proves disastrous in most of them.

Your life and your surroundings are unique and same is the case with person standing next to you. The best (and perhaps the simplest) advice will be to adapt and adjust as per your environment.

* I mean how difficult is to accept this simple and life-transforming reality of life?

There is no point in Trying to Prove, What you are Not? Instead, you must get engaged in the tasks that you perform best. On doing so for a while you will realize that there absolutely no requirement to be anyone else.

* Steve Jobs never tried to act like Steve Jobs because he himself was Steve Jobs.

Conclusion:

Be yourself.
Focus on things you can do best.
Don’t just Hope, better make plans and act upon them.
Better become someone-who-matters (in Reality).
Showing-off, jealousy, unjust comparisons etc. will not take you on the path of true glory. Work for satisfying yourself instead of proving something to others. Work and act in a manner that you will have nothing to regret upon, when you will begin the journey for next world.

Useless Education

Chanakya Neeti says that

Education will be considered useless until it is not put to some practical use. The life of an uneducated person is a total waste. Similar is the case with an army without a commander…

Everyone says that there exists a great power in knowledge. The fact is so true that all of us will accept it without any sort of objection.

Knowledge is Like Fuel:
What we don’t realize is that knowledge is like fuel. Its true potential is hidden and you won’t be able to utilize it until and unless you set fire to it.

Another interesting fact is that fuel comes in multiple shapes and sizes. We have coal, gasoline, LPG, and even rocket propellants. Same is the case with knowledge.

Every type of knowledge is meant for a specific or multiple tasks. You need coal for a barbecue, gasoline for your car, and nuclear fuel to run few special aircraft carriers. Now, considering the same in terms of knowledge we can say that an accountant needs knowledge of accounts, a doctor needs knowledge of medicine, and a soldier requires knowledge of combat. The list can go on and on.

Effective Utilization:
Today, the major concern is not about acquiring knowledge. You can easily get desired information on any subject. Be it science, philosophy, religion, history, geography, computers, or any other field of study.

Usually the problem arises when you are unable to find any means of utilizing the knowledge that you acquired.

* It’s not sufficient to have gasoline. You also need a car.

Please Don’t misinterpret:
I don’t mean to say that one must restrict himself from acquiring more and more knowledge. This type of approach will prove nothing, but a self-sabotage.

You can understand this by going through a simple daily life example. When your car runs out of Gasoline, then what you do? Yes! We refuel it. This way it can be concluded that no matter what, more and more fuel will be needed. There is no harm in stocking it (the knowledge) and it’s not illegal to do so.

If driving a car is your key area of concern then too you will need other kinds of fuel. Why? Because life is a combination of different activities i.e. you not only drive a car, but cook your food as well.

Different fuels for different tasks and in the same way you will need different types of knowledge for handling different kind of jobs.

* Excess of knowledge is a perfect means for building safeguards.

 Conclusion:
The world will consider your education to be a useless education, provided you gain success in finding a practical implementation for it. (Especially, for your major area of concern)
Knowledge is like fuel and it’s up to you to utilize it in the way you desire.
There is no problem with stocking fuel i.e. gaining more knowledge and upgrading your skills.
Knowledge related to other fields is also important because in life you require playing multiple roles.
The easy means to support or reject this approach is to utilize the comment box placed below.

Your Attitude Towards Your Mistakes?

Almost all people perform Mistakes in life. Any mistake done by any person is either the outcome of his unplanned activities, sub-consciously planned activities, or sometime it just happens. The good thing is that every failure comes with a great lesson for smart individuals, provided it’s not too late.

Here, I have tried to share my observations about the attitude & approaches that people reflect towards the mistakes done by themselves and ones those were performed by others.

One of the most commonly observed approach is that majority acts like a judge when the mistake was done by others. However, if the same mistake was made by them, then the same person acquires role of a qualified lawyer. Truly! An impressive attitude … (Not really).

The fact remains “You must lie in your bed, the way you made it“. A mistake is a mistake irrespective of the explanations and theories you have. The most damaging things that you can do to yourself are:

Becoming habitual
Committing more mistakes to justify the mistake that was done in past.
Denying reality
Keep on arguing at the complain counter of life
Taking them lightly
In my society, the consumption of alcohol is considered bad. I am sure that no society loves drunkards and drug-addicts. A person begins with single shot a day and then comes the time when his whole day finishes in taking shots one after the other. A person must be more cautious about making smaller mistakes that are hard to identify and might lead to some very serious trouble.

There exist a few people who can be anything, but never be wrong. This attitude provokes them to do more and more inappropriate tasks. If you have a point to prove then better prove it to yourself. Prove yourself that “You are a wise man with a very high self-esteem and not that damaging-ego”.

I have seen men arguing for hours in an attempt to prove that they were correct and it was the time, situation, somebody, or something else that was responsible. Maybe or maybe not. Still, none cares.

The million dollar question is whether the person learned something from his mistakes or not. Learning is just the part of the process and it becomes justifiable only after a proper implementation of the idea that was acquired.  Denying the reality will not have any effect on the truth other than making the situation even worse.

Some say that everyone gets a second chance. How can you be so sure about the second chance? If you are, then you might not be playing wholeheartedly. Having a casual attitude towards your mistakes is “An another Big Mistake”? I know that am not sounding sweet, but please bare with me.

You need not to say is loudly that you were wrong; because the more important thing is that, you feel it from inside. What I am trying to say has nothing to do with acquiring depression or feeling low from inside. Just be in the right attitude and be aware about the reality.