Is there space for all in Bangalore?

Residential Sector

With an unrestrained number of residential complexes surfacing in the garden city, Bangalore has surged forward in absorbing the highest residential space in the country after Mumbai.

Whether it’s design, new concepts or functionality, a higher standard of living or affordable housing, automated homes, mixed use developments, gated communities and integrated townships, Bangalore has something for everyone.

The architecture has shown remarkable escalation in terms of quality, refined urbanism, infrastructure and latest technologies. It is also giving birth to design wonders like the Aquila Heights at Jalahalli, touted to be the city’s tallest residential building at 105 m or Bangalore 47 at 165 m on Residency Road, envisaged to be the tallest residential building in India outside of Mumbai.

These could usher in a more balanced growth in terms of residential developments, which presently are skewed and concentrated towards the southern and northern parts of the city.  The number of expos in the city has shot up and judging by the number of people at these events, one can smell a revival of homebuyers in the market.

Luxurious housing

Bangalore-based architectural firm Venkataramanan Associates has designed Prestige Southridge Apartments (completion - 2010 end) at Banshankari and Purva Venezia Apartments at Yelahanka. A carefully planned network of roads and walk ways awaits residents in these 350 apartments. Over 21 acres amidst waterway, gondolas, bridges, piazza and gardens, the 16 towers of Purva Venezia have been clustered into four blocks in the shape of crescents, the first of which is going to be completed in another two months.

Affordable housing

Affordable and low-cost housing has hit the residential scheme. Experimentations with pre-fabricated products, fly ash, concrete and cement are being done to bring down construction costs. Serviced apartments are also emerging as cost-effective alternatives in this city.    

Provident Welworth City (completion - 2011 end) on the Yelahanka Doddaballapur Main Road is a secured gated community including a shopping mall and club house and flats priced as low as 14.9 lakh and 18.9 lakh.

Housing for all

Project developers like Akme, Salarpuria and Mantri are known for building houses which would fall in the category between luxurious and affordable housing. Mantri Astra (completion-December 2010) located off Hennur Main Road promises to offer a private retreat with its exquisite floor plans and beautifully landscaped gardens and pathways. In the Sienna Silk Apartments (completion-July 2010) at RT Nagar, the architectural firm - The Design Firm, Bangalore, has laid emphasis on usability, aesthetics of the 21 apartments.

Green housing

Bangalore is increasingly being perceived as a city that promotes green buildings.
Many big estate developers are concentrating on the green aspect. Dutta and Kannan Architects, Bangalore, are designing the Nitesh Columbus Square (completion - 2012) on Bellary Road. This green enclave with 400 apartments has green walls (vertical lawn) and a large green roof. All along the 2m setback of the project, the rain water and surface runoff water will be retained and reused.

Biodiversity Conservation India Limited (BCIL), an alternate technology enterprise is coming up with BCIL RedEarth and BCIL BackWoods both on the Yelahanka-Doddaballapur road. The RedEarth project, a high-end green villa project will have minimal dependence on municipal infrastructure and power. The first phase would be over in two years and the second phase in about 30 months. The high-end luxury apartments at BackWoods (completion - Nov 2011) would be part of a campus which would have a unique centralised natural air conditioning system. Both the campuses will be independent of grid for their water requirements.

Automated homes

Mumbai based architectural firm Prem Nath & Associates are designing e-Node (completion - 2012-13) at the Electronic city. This complex is fully electronically fitted. Through an IP code, the owner will be able to monitor activities in and around his home sitting at a remote location. The elevators will be programmed to recognise the owner and will be able to update information on visitors (during their absence) at that level.  

Mixed use development

Prestige Shantiniketan (completion - 2010 end) at Whitefield and designed on 105 acres is expected to be India’s biggest township ever. Soul Space, its residential project will provide a distinctive New York City skyline view.  The Central Park, over 10 acres, on the lines of New York’s Central Park would provide ample greenery.

Venkataramanan Associates, the architects for the Brigade Gateway residential blocks (at Malleswaram-Rajajinagar) have laid focus on master planning, zoning, transport access and space management areas of the project.

Villas/gated communities

Bungalows and independent villas with their unrestrained charm are becoming favourites of a number of people settling down in Silicon Valley. Gated communities like Epsilon offering different styles of designing are also surfacing in a major way with the same security provided as in apartments.

Edifice Builders are coming up with high-end exclusive villas at Yelahanka known as Villa Valley (completion - 2010). A gated community, this Greek inspired project is being designed by a French architect.  Sylvan View and Manhatten at Electronic City Ph- II and Ph 1 respectively are Concorde initiatives.

The Sylvan View with 250 designer villas over 12.5 acres caters to floor plans ranging between 1674 sq ft and 3700 sq ft. As many as 120 villas are still under construction.
Manhattan is a gated community to 229 villas.

Chaithanya Smaran (completion - Oct 2011) at Whitefield is being designed by CPG Group, Singapore.  With 121 villas of site areas 4700 sqft-7000 sqft, their two-sided elevation is striking. Almond Tree in Yelahanka by Edifice builders is a luxury row housing and gated community. A split level design results in abundance of light. The structure which is 50 per cent completed is due for interiors by March 2010.

(The author is an architect)