Chandrasekharpur

Renovation is the local specialism

A flat built fifteen or twenty years ago was designed for a household that used its rooms differently. Kitchens were sized for cooking and not for eating in; there was no expectation that two people would work from home at the same time; storage assumed furniture would be bought separately. Renovating means unpicking those assumptions without touching the things you cannot touch — columns, shear walls, risers and the society's rules about all three.

Society rules are a real constraint

In an established society the constraints on working hours, lift use, debris removal and structural alteration are set by the association, and they differ from block to block. They affect the programme more than most clients expect. We establish them before finalising a schedule, because a fit-out planned for six weeks and permitted to work five days a week is not a six-week fit-out.

Independent houses

Chandrasekharpur also has plot-built independent houses, where the questions are architectural rather than interior: how much can be built on the plot, where the setbacks fall, how to get light into the middle of a deep plan, and how to shade the west face without losing the evening ventilation. Those are answered from the plot documents and the applicable building rules before any plan is drawn.

Approvals

New construction and additions go through the Bhubaneswar Development Authority or the municipal body according to the plot and zone, with the statutory charges payable at application. We prepare drawings to the required format from the start and confirm the current schedule of charges when we apply.