Sunday, June 20, 2010

Elevation for the house

For the same plan there can be several possibilities for Elevation.When you ask an office of an Architect for an Elevation of the house,naturally the junior most person will prepare an Elevation using usual Elevation techniques.Chief Architect or the person with proven creative capability in that organisation may give general guidelines for the junior.The thumb rule in this case is simply that it should look good when presented to the client.Sometimes even works which may not be possible to do or which may be difficult or costly to do also will be included in the Elevation.As long as it looks good  for the eyes of the Client,it is fine.

Same Elevation when drawn in three dimensions with photo like qualities just like the picture at the top of this blog, will be pleasing for the client.Nether the client nor the Architect office do not bother much about practical difficulties for building like that and cost implications and other technical problems involved.In short Elevation prepared can at best be a gimmick to fool the client.

With over 200 houses directly built by me and that too most of it with excellent external appearance,I have to admit that not even one of these actual good elevations developed by me were exactly same as the Elevation I gave to the client initially(usually within a week of finalising plan).

For developing a good Elevation I need time to think and dream.I cannot give such an Elevation within a week or two.During the progress of work I think about various possibilities and then slowly I develop a good Elevation.For doing such a work,I need a client who trusts in me and give me time and freedom to develop a good Elevation as the work progresses.

I have given a desktop Elevation(Elevation prepared immediately after finalisation of plan to satisfy and impress client) to my client at Edappally who was very particular about the Elevation.Luckily as the work progressed he went out of India on assignment and I got freedom to develop a real good Elevation for the house in his absence.On coming back after his trip abroad,what he saw was impressive enough.So he did not bother to enquire about difference with original Elevation given.My clients at Kalady,Nilambur and Chengannur wanted to see completed picture of the house in advance.So I simply given them a copy of Edappally house.

At Irinjalakuda,client did not know much about house construction and so did not bother me much about Elevation.So I developed a real good Elevation which gave different appearance from different angles of view and still retains exceptionally good appearance for the building.At Vyttila,client was a Civil Engineer working in Construction industry but in Africa.Even though he pestered me a lot on giving an Elevation in the beginning,I some how convinced him to give me freedom to do Elevation slowly and he was happy about the final result.At Cherthala,just like Irinjalakuda I slowly developed a good Elevation with excellent result.At Koratty client after seeing Cherthala work,wanted me to copy it for them.

So I will not suggest you to get a desktop Elevation prepared by your Architect simply to fool you.Give time to the Architect..Let him dream enough to get you a real good External appearance for the building.At least I need that freedom if I am your architect to get you the best possible Elevation for your house.

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