Zaha Hadid designs Experimental Shoes

Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas’ designer nephew Rem D Koolhaas of United Nude have teamed up to design a limited edition shoe. The metallic Nova shoe features intricate striations and a cantilevered system that allows the 16cm heel to appear completely unsupported. Injection and rotation molding, as well as hand-molded methods such as vacuum casting were combined to create the design. Zaha Hadid explains: “I have always appreciated those who dare to experiment with materials and proportions. Our collaboration with United Nude reinterprets the classic shoe typology; pushing the boundaries of what is possible without compromising integrity.

Astonfield Earns India’s First CRISIL ‘A’ Credit Rating for Solar Power Plant

Astonfield Renewables, a leading provider of affordable renewable energy, announced today that Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL), a division of the McGraw Hill Corporation and whose majority stakeholder is Standard & Poor’s, has given an A- credit rating on loan facilities for its 5 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in the state of Rajasthan. Astonfield is the first company to receive an A class rating by CRISIL for a solar power plant in India

. The “CRISIL A-/Stable” rating was given on long-term loan facilities. According to the agency, Astonfield has “a comfortable financial risk profile, marked by healthy debt protection metrics.” Furthermore, CRISIL noted Astonfield’s debt service coverage ratio “is expected to be healthy.” The A- rating reflects the strong revenue visibility of Astonfield’s 5 MW solar power plant, driven by its 25 year power purchase agreement with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. with “better realisation [sic] per unit and sound operational performance.” The plant has been in operation since 2011. “Astonfield is focused on developing renewable energy projects that earn a profitable return on investment, and this rating reinforces that core strength,” said Ameet Shah, Co-Chairman of Astonfield Renewables. “As a long-term owner of renewable power-generating assets in India, we are able to deliver healthy returns to our investors while maintaining a lower risk profile.Having established ourselves early on as a premier developer of renewable energy power plants in India’s solar market, Astonfield is well positioned to capitalize on the latent emerging market demand for solar power in India, especially as the cost of diesel and other fossil fuel-based electricity generation rises,” added Shah.

World Architecture Festival Awards 2013

Shortlist of 302 projects highlights the global strength of architecture and design
Organisers see big increase in entries from Europe and North America  A giraffe house in New Zealand, a monastery in Taiwan, a treehouse in the USA and a research station in Antarctica are among the 302 projects that have today been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2013 – the world's biggest architectural awards programme.

http://www.v2com.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1717:world-architecture-festival-awards-2013-shortlist-announced-singapore-&catid=35:projetsarchitecture&Itemid=142

Litolier Marble celebrates a 30-year run!

Converted land to landmarks

Litolier Marble, the first to introduce international marble in India by bringing in exquisite products from Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Norway in 1983 completes a successful 30 year run this year. Litolier Marble firmly invests in ‘Quality’ and ‘Innovation’ serving the evolving lifestyle needs of customers. Today, Litolier Marble offers over 100 exclusive colours and types of international natural and composite marble from around the world especially for you!!

Litolier Marble is known to combine beauty with fluidity as we see exquisitely decorated buildings like the iconic Taj Palace Hotel Mumbai, shining with Litolier Marble. These vibrant natural stones are used as flooring surface, wall cladding, as a building material or even in artistic furniture. The USP since 30 years has been its durability in terms of strength & style. Marble matches with the latest design aesthetics and is a practical choice to increase longevity of the look. Over the decade, marble offers rustic and traditional elements to create unique interiors. These qualify as building materials for architects who require them in hospitality projects, luxury homes, and commercial spaces as well as to create artefacts. Projects are undertaken for Reliance Industries, Raheja Builders, Balaji Telefilms, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Godrej Properties, Priyanka Chopra, Vijay Mallya.

Litolier Marble adheres to strict quality control measures with its state-of-the-art stone processing and trading factory at Daman, Gujarat. The latter is equipped with the latest technological innovations and has a skilled workforce thereby ensuring high-quality polished slabs. These finished products can be viewed at their sprawling 2 acre stockyard in Goregaon East, Mumbai with over 5,00,000 sq. ft material in ready stock at any given time. To view their complete range of natural stone samples, you can visit their South Mumbai Kemp’s Corner showroom. Colours play a significant role in the upliftment of the decor of interiors but the twist comes with unusual colours which create an impact on the living environment. An expansion in the colour options by Litolier Marble has led to connotations that calm the eye as well as visually enlarge the space. Layering reflective polished surfaces with matte and antiqued elements gives a design depth as the light plays across different textures. In the interior decor world, Litolier Marble has managed to set trends, embraced by the global way of styling spaces with marble.

Elvy Lifestyle presents understated elegance with its ‘Snowflake collection’

Elvy Lifestyle induces the gentleness of the snow into its latest collection called the “Snowflake Collection”. The collection encloses a range of ceramic handle servers. The pure white handle of the servers in brass with nickel plating enhances the muted elegance of your dining area. These servers are embalmed in attractive gift boxes that make for appropriate gifting for various occasions. The range entails several type of servers’ viz. a set of two salad servers, a set of three cheese spreaders, a set of four spoons and forks and a cake server and knife set. The price range of each product is between Rs 2000 to Rs 2500. Add a touch of purity and subtlety to your table with Elvy’s Snowflake collection.

Log on to www.elvy.com to place your orders.

Availability:  

Square One Mall, Saket, New Delhi

MGF Megacity Mall, M.G. Road, Gurgaon

Silver Arc Mall, Firozepur Road, Ludhiana

Main Door Handles from Tattva. Etc

Tattva.etc – the Door and Cabinet hardware product range of Tattva Art Hardware has introduced large sized main door handles.These 36” Handles are made in cast brass and come in six glorious finishes. All Tattva Art Hardware comes with matching screws and the Tattva promise of unmatched design, quality and finish.

Conceived and Designed by Mukul Goyal, Tattva offers one of the most wide-ranging Home Hardware selections to the customer in terms of Designs, Finishes, Combinations, Styles, Materials and Budgets. Appropriate both in contemporary and traditional settings, Tattva add to the allure and elegance of the décor through its various ranges of curtain accessories (Tattva.utsav, Tattva.classic,  Tattva.chrome,  Tattva.pret), Bathroom hardware (Tattva.spa), Door Cabinet Hardware (Tattva.etc), and Lamps and Specialty furniture and Home Décor products (Tattva.aura)

retail availability Information: www.tattvahardware.com

Dress up your walls in style!

Surprise Home Linen brings you wide range of imported wallcoverings

It’s amazing how adding a dash of element to the empty walls of your home or office can now transform it from boring to a completely chic and stylish ambience!

The new range of European wallcoverings at Surprise Home Linen offers a wide range of wallpapers with flowery prints and motifs and magical themes that give a theatrical effect to your rooms. 

Nirav Meswani, Director, urprise Home Linen says “We are happy to introduce these exclusive brands of wall coverings for the first time in India. The collection is very new to the Indian market for their designs and material. With several brand options now available with us, the customers would be surely spoilt for choice”

There are washable varieties by Elitis, a collection from France which has a wide range of wallcoverings with a perfect blend of innovative designs and bold colours. To make every corner of your house come alive, there are geometric and masculine designs from Abstract collection of Casamance (a brand from France). If the tough leather look suits your style, Cristal collection of this French brand are the best for you.

The wallcoverings can either be used on all the four walls by choosing colours that go well with your furniture or you can simply use it on one wall for an elegant look. Wall coverings from UK based Cole and Sons dramatically transform your four walls with the stunning array of co- coordinating wallpapers. Cole and Son produce beautiful and innovative collections inspired by its vast archive representing all the styles from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. The eccentric motifs of fantastical flying machines, architectural details, playful monkeys, keys and owls all evoke a theatrical and magical space.

For flowery designs there is Contarini collection of Designers Guild which has romantic displays of the floral prints and Persian Garden wallpapers by Osborne and Little. Osborne and Little range has patterns inspired by the glamour and mystery of ancient Persia in the embroidered linens, cotton and silks.

If that’s not enough, UK based Harlequin range specialises in imaginative finishes, visionary techniques and mouth-watering colours – guaranteed to make your walls a work of art.

All these collections are available at prices starting from Rs 90 to Rs 700 per sq.ft and can be availed from the Surprise Home linen stores where experts would suggest you the wallcoverings that would best suit your requirement and taste.

So, don’t cover up your walls, instead dress them up in style!

Price Range of Wall-coverings :

·         Casamance- Price Range Rs 110 to 250 per sq ft

·         Cole and son- Price Range Rs 110 to 650 per sq ft

·         Designers Guild- Price Range Rs 90 to 300 per sq ft

·         Elitis- Price Range: Rs 150 to Rs 700 per sq ft

·         Harlequin- Price Range Rs 90 to Rs 350 per sq ft

·         Osborne and Little- Price Range: Rs 150 to Rs 700 per sq ft

The new wall paper collection is exclusively available at Surprise Home Linen stores located at 7, Ratnavali, 1st Gauthan lane, Santacruz (West), Mumbai – 54. Tel.No. 26493123 and Hughes Road - 2, Kohinoor, 29 Hughes Road, Mumbai – 400007.Tel. No.: 32972125

For more information on Surprise Home Linen, you can visit: www.surpriselinen.com.

World Trade Centre Mumbai felicitates Mr. Mahindra

On behalf of World Trade Centre Mumbai, Mr.Kamal M. Morarka, Chairman, WTC felicitated past Chairman Mr. Keshub Mahindra, Chairman Emeritus, Mahindra &  Mahindra Ltd. for his outstanding contribution to World Trade Centre Mumbai. Mr Morarka lauded the various efforts of Mr Mahindra during his tenure as President and for his significant contribution in spreading the WTC movement and trade and investment promotion. Mr. Morarka said that World Trade Centre Mumbai is carrying on the legacy of the Founders of WTC Mumbai Dr. M. Visvesvaraya, Mr. S.K. Wankhede and Past President Mr Keshub Mahindra for setting up the World Trade Centre Mumbai to promote trade and investments and enhance India’s competitiveness. Mr. Keshub Mahindra was pleased to receive the appreciation memento and recalled his good old days and fond memories and association with World Trade Centre Mumbai. Mr. Vijay Kalantri, Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre Mumbai, Mr. Sharad Upasani, Vice Chairman, Mr.Y.R.Warerkar, Executive Director and Ms. Khyati Naravane, Asst.Director, were present on this occasion.

Marvel EDGE ranks 1st in best energy conserving project by the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency

Marvel Realtors’ Pune based project Marvel EDGE has won the best energy conservation project in the state by MEDA (Maharashtra Energy Development Agency) in the architects and builders category. Marvel EDGE scored 84.5 points out of 100 on an assessment based on energy efficient design, design procedure, scientific methods adopted in construction and design. Marvel realtors participated with some of the best companies in the industry such as Tata Consultancy Services, Kirloskar Oil Engines, Bajaj Auto, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co etc to compete for this honour.

Marvel EDGE features some of the most unique and innovative design and construction procedures that result in higher energy efficiency. The nine storey tall building combining state of art infrastructure with an environmentally sustainable design, along with Marvel EDGE’s unique curvilinear facade with perforated envelopes reduces heat exposure and minimizes power consumption.

Rain water harvesting is an integral part of Marvel EDGE and has resulted in high ground water levels in the area. Treated waste water is used for flushing, air conditioning and gardening, supporting the plantation around the project. The plantation within the project has also been chosen based on its lower requirement of water; drip and sprinkle irrigation further contribute to water conservation.

During the construction of Marvel EDGE, local materials were used extensively thereby reducing transportation and footprint costs. The paints and adhesives used have low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) which reduces cancer risk caused by the harmful fumes of paints.

Marvel EDGE’s indoor air quality is 30% better than the prescribed Government standards for fresh air. Not just that, the top floors are heat insulted to prevent excess heat absorption and the reflective tiles further enhance the insulation effect. Staying true to its essence of being energy efficient, Marvel EDGE also offers electric car charging points and special parking for car pools.

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About Marvel Realtors

Marvel Realtors is one of Pune's most widely recognized names in real estate circles for creating premium lifestyle apartments for the up market segment. With over 24 million square feet of overall construction, Marvel has now forayed into commercial spaces that offer the best in innovation, luxury and technology. Striving to make everyone else's 'superior offering' just a standard amenity and constantly thinking ahead to create differentiators over the competition is the challenge set by the company.

Mosaico by Nitco

‘Mosaico’ by Nitco is an art of creating designs with small pieces of various materials like ceramic and vitrified tiles, stones, marble or any other material. Using the product, beautiful mosaic masterpieces can be created. NITCO offers large variety of Mosaico ranging from Mosaico tiles, wall cladding, carpets and medallions. It specializes in crafting Inlay products which needs advance technical knowhow for its production. Through its various Mosaico offerings, Nitco helps one to add that 'special spice' to the space - be it a residence or an elite hospitality project or any other commercial project. The product help designing dream spaces with personalized signature touch using Mosaico. One can visit any of Nitco's Design Studios, i.e. Le Studio or call their Design Consultant to explore all the Mosaico options. Their professionally trained staff will help to choose or create Mosaico to match all the interior needs.

uPVC doors and windows play a great role in developing the interior designing

The right kind of doors & windows can make a lot of difference in the way your interior looks. It can, in fact complement the interior design and can also make your home look spacious and elegant. ENCRAFT offer a seemingly endless number of specifications that you can try; it includes tilt and turn windows, bay or bow windows, residential doors, French windows, composite doors, patio doors. However, as far as windows are concerned, whatever the final design you choose, you should try to get double glazed UPVC windows. Not only will they look very beautiful but they will also improve the thermal insulation of your home unlike any other windows. You can easily choose a stylish frame or opt for something simple and functional as per the home décor. EnCraft profiles are available in various colors which match your interiors.

In long term, uPVC windows and doors are a cost-saving solution. As these are almost maintenance free, Energy efficient, termite proof , better insulation of sound and dust, give wider sightlines, uPVC Door and Windows Profile systems are also non conductor of heat  with highly efficient sealing system which saves around 30% Energy cost. UPVC is highly durable and are easy to maintain. You can get them in different styles and easily get the one that complements the aesthetic beauty of your home. One can get these doors and windows frame in different colors also and match them with their interior. When you choose the UPVC frames it helps you to keep your home insulated and help in bringing down the energy bills. They enjoy a good life and can be cleaned easily. You don't have to worry about regular paint jobs as the frames don't fade. The UPVC door frames are weather resistant and do not allow rain water to enter your home also thus keeping your house clean.

EN CRAFT's precision engineered UPVC door and window systems offers a lifetime of style, strength and security in a range of customized contemporary designs. En Craft profiles are designed to match Indian tropical conditions and are extruded and tested, conforming to the most stringent benchmark. EnCraft profiles are lead free and are approved in green building concept; also we are the member of Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

EN CRAFT uPVC Door and Window profiles are specially designed and developed as per Indian Tropical conditions. UPVC doors and windows fabricated with EN CRAFT profiles have welded joints and superior seals which are highly effective in blocking noise. When used in conjunction with appropriate glazing, it results in an impermeable barrier that will shut out all ambient sounds, even that of low flying aircrafts, allowing you to decide what you want to listen to.

Beyond Brick and Mortar

Building a house is an intelligent and a complex process and home buying traditionally has been an important factor in one’s life. Very rarely there is thought given on what actually happened behind the construction façade to make a dream home into reality The construction phase of the home-building process is when all your dreams and plans come to realization. It is the easiest, most gratifying and most enjoyable part of the process. The methods and materials used to build a home vary from region to region, but the following are the eight basic steps must be completed for most newly built homes:

Site Cleaning: After a developer purchases land the site needs to be cleaned. The site cleaning may include removing of trees and leveling the surface, placing stakes to mark where the house will be situated on the lot and hooking up temporary electricity service. 

Excavation and the foundation of the structure: After site cleaning the land is dug to create a strong foundation, setting and pouring the foundation, installing plumbing pipes, pouring the concrete floor of the home, digging trenches for utility lines, waterproofing the basement walls and grading. A developer must ensure that his building has a strong foundation in order to sustain earthquakes, storms and so on.

Framing: This is when the structure is rising above the ground level that includes installing steel beams, erecting a wood structure and installing windows and exterior doors. During framing stage of construction, Column, beam, slab, staircase and walls are constructed. This may be execute with steel, concrete, wood etc. majority cost of your structure may consumed here only. Foundation and framing take approximately 60 to 65 % cost of your entire house.

Roofing and Exterior Work: Roofing and exterior work, which may include applying roofing materials and installing siding, an outdoor deck, rain gutters and a garage door etc.

Mechanicals Electrical and Plumbing work: This step may include installing plumbing, electrical and heating/cooling systems, pre-wiring the home for a security system, running wiring for telephones, cable television and an intercom and placing pipes for a central vacuum.

Interior finish work: This includes installing insulation, installing and finishing drywall, painting and staining, and installing cabinets, countertops, hard surface floor coverings, baseboards and built-in appliances.

Trim: It include hanging interior doors, attaching window trims, installing fireplaces and mantles, setting plumbing fixtures, installing light switches and electrical outlets, hanging electrical fixtures, setting heating registers, thermostats and heating/cooling unit and installing faceplates for the central vacuum, intercom, cable television and telephone outlets.

Final work: Includes installing carpet padding and carpets, cleaning the exterior and interior of the home, finishing the driveway and landscaping and completing any miscellaneous fix-up work on the entire home.

Get involved in your home building from the beginning and take an active interest in the pricing of materials and accessories/fittings offered to you. Home buying does not end by signing a mere contract but one must closely monitor the various stages of construction. A buyer must approach a developer and ask questions in case of discrepancies since many aspects of your home, such as structure and foundation, will be unchangeable after a certain point.