Next gen Homes

With monumental changes marking India’s real estate landscape – from high-end designer structures with top-of-the-line features in every corner to the growing acceptability of green technology in buildings, e-homes, or the homes for the future, are the next best thing to have happened to the sector and these too are at ours doorsteps now

With more and more people having realised the importance and positive impact on the quality of life by high-end designer structures and green buildings which are sufficiently commonplace now, it is time now for the future to step into our present. E­ homes are the homes for the future. They are homes which are electronically savvy, environment-friendly, and earthquake-resistant besides being entertainment hubs.

The basic feature of an electronically friendly home is where lights, TV and air conditioners etc can be operated using one’s mobile phone, remote control or even touch screen. Of course, the home, or for that matter the entire complex, needs to be Wi-Fi enabled. Another prime requirement for such homes is the existence of automatic glass sliding doors in the lobby and automatic boom barriers with wireless car identification at the entry of the complex. Finger-print scanner security at guard rooms and car locks with standby key access are other equally essential features fora home to bean e-home.

And to cater to the peppy ones or to the younger generations, e-home sales on need to provide mood lighting, juke box, TV on touch screen, free SMS and internet radio etc.

To complete  the electronic requirements, e-home must also include  hassle-free e-card system for  electricity bill payment, LPG  leakage detector, letter  box  and  sensor lighting,  e-surveillance with weather-proof  motion recording, sunlight sensing street lights, intelligent water management and an automated car parking.

• To cater to the peppy ones or to the younger generations, e-homes also need to provide mood lighting, juke box, TV on touch screen, free SMS and internet radio etc
• Among the parameters for fulfilling eco­ friendly and non-toxic requirements, the first and foremost is that an e-home should be built using ‘green building’ technology. There are various regulatory bodies which have prescribed norms that need to be complied with to qualify for a green building tag
• The home also needs to have provision for use of fly-ash (by-product) and better hygienic conditions and indoor air quality. Proper garbage disposal and waste management should also be provided for in the complex.

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Other interesting features that can be packaged into an e­ home can be mirror TV, piped vacuum, wireless touchscreen, inter-flat video conferencing, kitchen waste­ crusher and automatic curtain devices.

Among the parameters for fulfilling eco-friendly and non-­ toxic requirements, the first and foremost is that an e-home should be built using ‘green building’ technology. There are various regulatory bodies which have prescribed norms that need to be complied with to qualify for a green building tag.

The next is recycling facility of water used for gardening in the complex. The home also needs to have provision for use of fly-ash (by-product) and better hygienic conditions and indoor air quality. Proper garbage disposal and waste management should also be provided for in the complex. Also required are sky gardens, terrace gardens, central lawn and shaded pergolas.

Japanese, Ayurvedic, fragrant. Textured and coloured gardens with fountains and water cascades can surely add value and beauty to the greenery of such homes. Water management and integrated rainwater harvesting is an absolute must.

The e-home complex needs to be surrounded by parks on its three sides along with a central lawn. It should also be designed to adapt to sun and wind directions. Water heating facilities is also necessary besides the all­ important environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

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To be earthquake and fire-resistant, e-homes must be designed according to the latest IS codes. Use of shear/RCC walls for extra strength and richer mix of concrete can add to the safety aspect. Such homes need to be built by using treated water for construction.

Digital integrated fire-fighting panels and fire escapes in each tower are also mandatory. Regular cube testing, sieve analysis, slump cone, core testing and cement strength analysis are the other required features in this context.

For entertainment and commercial activity, the two vital ingredients of modern-day living, an e-home complexes incomplete without multiple swimming pools with water filtration, amphitheater, TV lounge, and a party hall. Clinics, healthcare facilities, laundry, guest rooms and department stores are equally important requirements. Gym, health club, sauna steam-bath, Ayurveda and yoga centres with banks and ATMs are the other common features which any e­ home complex can’t do without.

• Water management and integrated rain water harvesting is an absolute must
• The idea is to set the process rolling. Once someone starts the concept, everyone tries to follow. We have had builders like DLF and Unitech showing keen interest in our project
• E-homes at this stage certainly don’t come cheap. But, the prices will come down eventually with more players joining in

E-homes is an area we builders are yet to explore. So far technology in Indian real estate can be seen only on security features rather than on comfort and convenience

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We at Design arch feel privileged to have delivered the country’s first e-home projects called the Design Arch, in Vaishali, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida. And with this, the stage has been set for the next generation homes. The idea is to set the process rolling.  Once someone starts the concept, everyone tries to follow. We have had builders like DLF and Unitech showing keen interest in our project.

E-homes is an area we builders are yet to explore. So far technology in Indian real estate can be seen only on security features rather than on comfort and convenience. These innovations are already there abroad, but somehow the Indian family set-up is such that the necessity has not been felt so far.

While Design Arch’s Vaishali complex looks like an ordinary home from outside, what the interiors boast of make them particularly impressive and smart and even your mobile phone becomes a central tool to control your home appliances. These are over and above the advanced security and other highly automated features.  The company has initiated another such project ‘The Jewel of Noida’ in Sector 75, Noida, where the construction is in full swing

What some may call it a drawback, e-homes at this stage certainly don’t come cheap. But, the prices will come down eventually with more players joining in. We are a cost­ conscious, savings-driven economy. Over a period, the costs have to come down and e-homes are bound to become a necessity for urban professionals

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