Why architects can't predict the future

Abu Dhabi has recently announced plans to turn itself into a sort of Arabian Left Bank, with cultural venues designed by Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and Jean Nouvel. Beijing, meanwhile, is completing the giant steel bird's nest of Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron's Olympic Stadium, and also has Paul Andreu's titanium-egg National Theater, and Rem Koolhaas' unusual state television headquarters, which locals have dubbed "the twisted donut." An obscure sheikhdom on the Gulf and the world's largest Communist dictatorship have unexpectedly become the latest hotbeds of avant-garde architecture.

Avant-garde is a French term that originally meant the advance guard of an army, and in the late 1800s came to refer to pioneering painters, particularly the Impressionists, who considered themselves to be at the forefront of art. Since that time, the concept of an avant-garde has become popular in architecture, where "mainstream" has become a term of opprobrium, and anyone worth their salt is "experimental," "innovative," or "cutting edge." The clear implication is that buildings designed by avant-garde architects are ahead of their time. But are steel bird's nests, titanium eggs, and twisted helixes really a portent of the future?

In some ways, the term architectural avant-garde is an oxymoron, since an architect, unlike a painter, is able to experiment only within relatively narrow bounds. Buildings are expensive, and they are intended to last a long time, so the people who build them tend to be risk-averse. But even an architect who finds a patron—like the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, or the Chinese government—willing to take a chance, still faces the limitations of building regulations and existing construction materials and techniques. True experiments in building are few and far between.

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Dutch artist paints 1000 meters of road blue

The artist Henk Hofstra painted 1,000 meters of road blue to create an urban river with about 4000 liters of paint. Hofstra wants the work, to show up on Google Earth.

Now you can hire a foreign broker

Home buyers in India can soon hire the services of branded property consultants from abroad. India’s $12-billion real estate market is expected to witness the entry of top foreign consultants who would act as brokers on a franchisee basis for those wanting to buy homes.

According to sources, US-based Century 21, ColdWell Banker and Canada-based Remax are planning to arrive big time in India in 2008. This follows the recent entry of Australia’s $30-billion LJ Hooker.

Says Ramneek Bakhshi, principal, LJ Hooker, “We are planning to set up 15 franchisee-operated branded home-broker offices in India in 2008 for buyers in cities such as Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Delhi and Mumbai, and recruit fresh young talent (from the national and international markets apart from the gen-next within the traditional brokers’ community) for buying and selling flats.”

Explains Bakhshi, “In India, there are 5 lakh brokers and sub-brokers who charge about 2% brokerage both from buyers and sellers in a residential property deal. But LJ Hooker will spare buyers brokerage and charge sellers 95% of the usual fees. This will encourage the young to buy 3 to 4 properties that can get them good returns on investments in the long-term.” In Australia, LJ Hooker has around 500 offices. Close to 1.5 million home buyers visit the company’s site every month, Bakhshi adds.

“Once these international home brokers enter India, the traditional brokers will either have to become branded brokers, or enter some other business,” he said.

LJ Hooker also plans to provide rental services to its clients staying abroad — clients who just don’t know how to maintain their existing properties in India. “Plans are also on the anvil to provide services such as selling home loans, property management and project management.”

(via Financial Express)

How to paint kitchen cabinets

AsktheBuilder.com shares some tips for kitchen cabinet refinishing to save you frustration and give you professional results.

Sell you house the Feng Shui way

Have a house to sell or looking to buy a new one? We hope you know feng shui can help you. If you plan to sell your house, or have been trying to sell it for a while, here are some proven-and-true tips to get the energy moving:

1. GO OUTSIDE. You duplex, your condo, your house, whatever it is that you are selling, and look at it from a bit of a distance. Better yet, do it with a friend who has not seen it for a while. Jot down all the thoughts that come to mind in the first 2-3 minutes.

Do not censor it or get defensive; the more open you are to criticism, the better off you will be when presenting it to other people. You might think the big purple frog looks cool by your main door and is even good feng shui (no, it is not) but potential buyers will not appreciate it.

As with every sale, it is a lot about selling a specific emotion, rather than the commodity itself. Make your main entrance look fresh and inviting.

2. GO FRESH AND GO GREEN. If you own a house, definetely invest in some landscaping; it will increase your property value. Do some research and make a call to a good landscape professional; it may create a totally new energy around your home.

If you live in a duplex or a condo and there is not much "outside" to work on, focus on the main entrance and bring vibrant chi, or energy, right as you come in - a big elegant plant or a vase with fresh cut flowers, good lighting, beautiful art and a feel of spaciousness/expansion the strategic placement of mirrors is the secret here!

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China puts twist on traditional skyscraper

As Beijing races to radically redesign its skyline for the summer Olympics, one of the most striking new structures is the headquarters for China's national TV broadcaster. It's billed as the second-largest office building on Earth -- second only to the Pentagon.

Last month, China Central Television (CCTV), the venerable voice of the communist government, celebrated the formal joining -- or "shaking hands" -- of the two leaning legs of the building. Those structures have defied gravity for the past three years of construction, and critics for far longer.

At 54 stories tall, the more than $600 million headquarters is far from setting a record for height. The Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan holds that title with 101 stories until the Burj Dubai skyscraper in the United Arab Emirates is completed with more than 160 stories and snatches it next year.

"You can only lose that race," says Ole Scheeren, the German architect-in-charge of the new CCTV headquarters. Instead, Scheeren, a partner with Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, says they reinvented the traditional skyscraper by turning it into "a tube folded in space."

The structure "breaks every single building code in China," a beaming Scheeren says, but still won the official go-ahead for construction. "The approval authorities were not able to judge if it could function, so the government formed an expert group of the 13 most senior structural engineers -- the people who wrote the codes!"

The green light came in 2004, one of several high-profile victories for the Western architects who have turned China's capital into a playground of experimentation.

Scheeren says the CCTV headquarters, when complete, will be "the second-biggest office building in the world ... (in) usable floor area."

Despite repeated protests by local architects, huge, asymmetrical designs of glass and steel by Koolhaas' Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and others have been plopped amid Beijing's Stalinist government buildings and the golden-tiled imperial city.

City makeover

Winning the Olympics has spurred Beijing into spending $40 billion on stadiums and improvements to the airport and subway, more than double what Greece spent on the Athens Olympics in 2004. The massive makeover magnifies one of Beijing's headaches -- dust from hundreds of construction sites adds to the chronic air pollution.

In 2007, Beijing's new look included the opening of the space-age "Eggshell," the French-designed National Theater just off Tiananmen Square.

Olympic projects nearing completion include the "Bird's Nest" and "Water Cube," nicknames for the Swiss-designed main stadium and the Australian-designed swimming center.

Visitors will fly into the swooping new terminal at Beijing Capital Airport designed by British architect Norman Foster.

The CCTV building is the one that will "blow the minds" of American visitors to the Olympics, says site project manager David Howell of San Francisco.

The 10,000 people who will work there won't move in until Oct.1, 2009, to coincide with the 60th birthday of the People's Republic of China.

"There are many new projects coming on line in Beijing, and each has an exciting concept, but this one has more power," says Howell of the U.S. firm Turner International. "It has generated a lot of conversation, which is good for architecture."

CCTV's costly new home kicked up protests from several Chinese architects and divided opinions among ordinary Beijingers.

The design "is a fundamental mistake. It's too strange, does not suit Chinese perceptions of beauty and makes people uncomfortable because it is not straight," says leading critic Xiao Mo, an architectural historian.

Xiao says foreign architects don't understand China's complex culture, while native architects lack sufficient confidence in their own culture. The result is free-form projects such as the CCTV building and the "Eggshell" -- two "strange and shocking designs" that are "stains on Chinese history," Xiao says.

Howell acknowledges the negative local reaction. "Over time, things soften. It will be embraced by the Chinese," he predicts.

Vertiginous views

On the bridge where the two leaning legs of the office building meet, an additional 11 stories will go up, with nothing but the Beijing smog below. People with vertigo should avoid the glass floor Scheeren plans for the viewing deck 525 feet above the city's bustling Central Business District.

"I wanted views both horizontally and vertically," Scheeren says. "Being 30 meters (99 feet) up feels more frightening, but at this height, it's so abstract that I find it calming," he says.

Laborer Tian Yanping, one of numerous workers in China's building boom, says the height doesn't bother him. On the structure's overhang, Tian, a migrant worker from Henan province, says he is "very proud" to have risen with the project, floor by floor. He says the salary of $275 per month, typical for migrant laborers, is "OK" for the risks of working on the skyscraper.

China's construction industry is a major contributor to the more than 100,000 deaths in the country last year from workplace accidents, according to the State Administration of Work Safety. There have been no casualties to date at the CCTV building, Scheeren says.

Scheeren hopes the "new symbolism" of his building will inspire change in a society obsessed with symbols.

The design will have CCTV employees working together in a "loop of interconnected activities," while the senior management's offices will be "somewhere in the middle," not at the top, as "we are deconstructing the classical hierarchical system," Scheeren says.

"I couldn't imagine it going up anywhere else," the architect says. China is a "combination of willpower, enthusiasm and courage that could not converge similarly anywhere else in the world."

(via Building Design and Construction)

The rise and rise of high end

By this time of the year, most people have begun to expect that the residential real estate prices in 2008 are only going downward, more so in the high-end real estate segment. The developers in Delhi-NCR are continuing to focus on the premium luxury segment, even though the segment is oversupplied.

Gurgaon-Sohna Road is one such area where more and more premium projects have come up in the recent times. This area, in general, has good infrastructure and the projects here are loaded with amenities. This is probably one of the main reasons that projects here command a high premium in the resale market as well.
On this road, in the list of all the existing projects, Central Park has added a new set of luxury apartments by the name Belgravia. The project, Central Park II, had been launched much earlier. Since then, the developer has been selling the apartments in phases. Apartments in the Belgravia towers are priced between Rs 1.70 and 2.73 crore. The area of the apartments ranges between 2,350 and 3,820 sq ft.
In the current phase, 3- and 4-bedroom apartments are being offered. B K Chaturvedi, CEO, Central Park says, “We are a little selective about the people who buy here. We target senior corporates, NRIs, people who have achieved excellence in field like literature and painting, business chiefs, and entrepreneurs.”

Tracking prices
Property consultant S P Tanwar of Varsha Propmart says, “Residential rates in an up-market area of Gurgaon like Sushant Lok are high. Prices on Gurgaon-Sohna are comparable to any of the high-end localities of Gurgaon.”
The current average rate of residential apartments in Gurgaon range between Rs 3,500 and 6,500 per sq ft. While the current average rate of the residential apartments on the Gurgaon-Sohna Road is around Rs 3,500 to 4,000 per sq ft. And for Belgravia at Central Park II, the basic sale price stands is Rs 6,250 per sq ft. But the developer has added preferential location charges, external development charges, and car parking charges, as extras. Thus the total rate for these apartments is roughly Rs 7,000-7,250 per sq ft.
Another real estate consultant in the area Bhavjot Singh of The Property Mart says, “The commercial as well as the residential prices are bound to increase in the area.” The plot rates on this road are high, around Rs 26,000 to 35,000 per sq yd. Singh adds, “These rate will touch new highs by the end of 2008.” Real estate consultants in the area predict that by the end of 2008, the prices, whether commercial or residential will rise 10 to 15 per cent.
Industry experts have a different opinion. Aditi Vijayakar, national head, transaction services - residential, India, Cushman & Wakefield says, “Areas with excess supply and ordinary quality, like some projects on Gurgaon-Sohna Road, might have to compromise on the pricing the sell the project.”
If one believes the experts, it is expected that the area might see some correction in the near future.
Yet, there is already an excess of supply in the premium category. There are many locations in Delhi-NCR where one would now find premium projects catering to the upper-middle class and the elites.
On the Gurgaon-Sohna Road one can find the high-end projects catering to the classes as well as apartments catering to the masses. This mix of quality and quantity makes the road a residential hub.
At present there are some 14 to 15 residential projects here, some of these are nearing completion and others are yet to be launched. To add to this there are some 10 to 12 commercial projects too. However, most of the commercial projects have not yet started.

Why is it hot
As one reaches the Sohna Road, next to the Central Park II, there is a mall being built by Omaxe. Construction of the mall is almost complete but possession has not been given to the retailers.
Other than this, there are certain other commercial projects coming up from Unitech, Spaze, and Vatika. The location of Central Park II is unique in the sense that it can be accessed from the main Sohna Road as well as the Netaji Subhash Marg. The main entrance of the project is from one the Netaji Subhash Marg.
The area will come up in a big way, once all the projects are completed and handed over. Right in front of the Central Park II would be projects from Unitech and JMD’s projects.
Apart from these there are many cooperative societies in the area as well. By 2009, it is expected that all the projects near the Central Park II would be complete.
As Chaturvedi of Central Park says, “There is no property on the Sohna Road that matches our standards. There will not be any correction on this road as most of the experts think.” He further adds, “Investors are a little shy and worried about investing in our property as only long-term investors can only survive in the market for such high-end apartment. Also, since we are selective about the buyers, more end-users are showing interests in our project.”
The developer is also planning to build service apartments inside the Central Park II. It will target business travelers and tourists. The apartments would be called Oakwood Apartments, the company has tied up with Accor Group for the management of these service apartments.

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Rise of the Tier III and IV cities

Widespread economic activity and rampant urbanisation has led to the transformation of smaller towns and cities into vibrant growth centres, says The Emerging Growth Centres-II, Q4 2007 a research report prepared by Knight Frank India Research. The report focuses on tier III and IV that are emerging in India. The tier III and IV cities have been demarcated based on per capita income levels, infrastructure, and population base.

These cities are state capitals and other commercially important cities that are experiencing improving quality of life, infrastructure thrust, and positive economic sentiments. The improving economic conditions have impacted the demand for residential, commercial, entertainment and hospitality sectors and this has led to considerable alteration of the real estate landscape of these cities. The change has attracted many national as well as foreign developers to these small towns to offer lifestyle-oriented services and products. While the residential sectors in these cities are on an upswing, most of the smaller towns are yet to have an organised or defined office and retail market.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that India is getting urbanised at a faster rate than the rest of the world and by 2030 about 41% of the country’s population will be living in urban areas.

Quite evidently, several cities with population of less than or equal to 1 million are expected to emerge are major real estate hubs over the next few years.

However, the accelerated pace of urbanisation has already begun to strain the capacity of the Tier I and II cities (currently having a population of more than 1 million), thereby leading to a spill-over effect on the Tier III and IV cities. These smaller cities, which present tremendous potential for economic and social development, now need to gear up to provide for increasing population by expanding their infrastructure and housing capacities correspondingly. In anticipation of the pent-up demand, a number of prominent developers have already launched township projects in various smaller cities.

The Knight Frank India Research report charts the growth scenario in 10 upcoming cities of India. Following are some of them:

Thiruvanantapuram
A major milestone in the city’s recent history was the establishment of Technopark in 1995. Technopark has developed into one of the largest IT Parks in India. The real estate market is primarily driven by the IT/ITES sector. Prime residential areas of Kowdiar Chowk, Jawahar Nagar, Velayambalam, Sasthamangalam and Medical College Road have many projects under construction.
Most of these projects are redevelopments of existing bungalows into multi storied apartments. Expansive residential complexes are also mushrooming on Kovalam-Kazhakuttam bypass to meet the increasing demand generated by new jobs at Technopark. Knight Frank research estimates that 4 mn sq ft of residential space will enter the Thiruvananthapuram market by end of 2009-10.

Mangalore
Mangalore has the presence of some of the industry leaders including Infosys, ONGC, MRPL, MCF, BASF, KIOCL, Suzlon, Nagarjuna Power and the GMR group. Some of the factors contributing to the growth are the proposed Coastal Special Economic Zone (C-SEZ) where ONGC is to invest Rs 250 billion in the next five years and the development of 3 IT-SEZs at Mudipu, Ganjimutt, and Thumbe.

Amritsar
The town has at least 27 new upcoming residential projects along the Airport Road, GT Road, and on Amritsar Bypass Road. A few are also being planned on the Loharaka Road. Real estate market in New Amritsar (GT Road) is in an upswing and is primarily end-user driven. Despite the size of the market, a few projects are offering service apartments and luxury apartments.

Dehradun
The major residential projects are being developed towards south-east and south-west of Dehradun city. About 14 residential developments, which include two integrated townships, are coming up. Service and fully furnished apartments are catching up here. Currently, there is a shortage of residential options and this has resulted in appreciation of rental values in the city.

Rudrapur
The town has attracted investors from the NCR and other neighbouring states. Majority of the apartments in the upcoming projects have been pre-committed by the business houses. The current supply is extremely inadequate for meeting the current working population. The current market is therefore investor dominated.

Nashik
With nearly 2,000 students passing out of Nashik’s engineering and management institutes every year, the government is looking at using this enormous resource to attract the IT industry to the city. Nashik with its good human resource pool and low real estate cost is picturing in the radar of IT/ITES companies looking at diversifying in smaller towns and cities.

Haridwar-Rishikesh
Presently majority of the development in Haridwar is taking place in the form of residential projects in the outskirts of the city along the Delhi-Haridwar highway (NH-58) and NH-73 as well as in the vicinity of the SIDCUL area. A number of residential projects are coming up near Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Nagar, located on the way to Roorkee on NH-58. Like Haridwar, Rishikesh too does not have a commercial real estate market. Of late, an increased demand for serviced apartments has been witnessed in Rishikesh, which can primarily be attributed to the domestic and international tourists in the region.

Bhopal
It has been observed that, while the neighbouring market of Indore largely consists of plotted land, in Bhopal the market is predominantly of built structures or developed plots, mostly bungalows. This lends sustainability to the real estate market as developed plots can be marketed faster, unlike plotted land which involves a long gestation period.

(Express Estates.)

How to handpaint kid's furniture

Hi, my name is Danielle Lessovitz for About.com, and today I am going to show you how to liven up your children's furniture with paint that is eco-friendly, non-toxic, and made from the kid-friendliest of all ingredients: milk. That still doesn't mean they can eat the paint chips.

Supplies Needed to Paint Furniture

Milk paint is a great alternative to oil-based paints and latex-based paints and can provide a safe and permanent way to add color, fun, and personality to your children's bedroom. Here's what you'll need:

• a piece of furniture
• medium-grit sandpaper
• milk paint. I purchased mine from the Real Milk Paint Company
• a paint brush

Choose the Piece of Furniture

First, you're going to want to find a great piece of furniture. It can either be from your home, or it can be like this chair, something you find at a flea market.

What's important is that it is made out of wood and is a manageable size. You might want to start out small at first, and then as you get better, work your way to larger pieces.

Prepare the Furniture

But before we begin, let's make sure the floor is well protected. I'm using packing paper.

Now we'll want to remove our furniture's original finish. To do this, take your sandpaper and gently rub it back and forth over the surface of the furniture until the wood beneath emerges.

Remember, when sanding you want to move with the grain, not against the grain. Make sure to get every part as best you can.

Milk paint works best on porous wood ,so we're not going to use a primer. After you've sanded down the entire piece, take a damp rag and wipe away any remaining dust.

Paint and Decorate the Furniture

Now we are ready to paint. Dip your brush into your milk paint and apply to the furniture. Long, even strokes work best.

Once you've completed the first coat of paint, wait one hour before applying the second. Once your chair is dry then you can start decorating it.

I think I'm going to draw a chess board along the seat of the chair. Now we've taken an old shabby piece of furniture and have turned it into something that any kid would enjoy.

Thank you for joining me. To learn more, please visit us on the web at homegarden.about.com.

Real estate developers fear Mumbai prices may shoot through the roof soon

Real estate developers fear 30% to 50% increase in prices as well as demand for property in Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Chennai and Bangalore, compared with the ongoing steady demand and prices in Delhi and the NCR region from March 2008 onwards. According to industry experts, with Indiabulls (14 lakh sq ft of commercial and retail) and Peninsula II (5 lakh sq ft) properties under construction in Lower Parel in Mumbai, the demand for residential properties is expected to rise by 30% from March 2008. While Indiabulls property is expected to be operational this year with a parking space for 3,500 cars, the Peninsula II properties will be completed next year.

According to Abhinandan Lodha, director, Lodha Group, "The commercial property rates in Mumbai are expected to rise by about 50% with more premium buildings getting constructed. Besides, India is emerging as a leading hottest destination for premium commercial establishments whereby builders would be setting up huge number of commercial buildings situated in one location."

Property prices has already touched the roof since the past two years when the booking for Ashoka Towers started at Rs 4,000 per sq ft. However, now the prices have shot up by an additional Rs 18,000 per sq ft. As a result, home buyers have started eyeing Pune, Nasik, Chennai for setting up second homes instead of buying a second home in Mumbai for weekends.

This is also because of the requirement of 90 lakh homes in Mumbai, only 30% homes have been built so far. For example, investors have bought many flats in Kharghar, where 70% of the buyers have still not resided.

In Chennai and Bangalore, dual income families have started spending more on EMIs on buying big homes. Although currently Chennai is not considered a very active property destination, with the mixed used development under construction by Hirco (15 mn sq ft), Chennai will also see boost in prices and demand as well. Besides, there is already overbuilding been happening in Bangalore. Hence, the huge demand. On the contrary, NCR region and Delhi has already seen developments of this size.

(via Financial Express.)

Color and Feng Shui

Hi, I'm Rodika Tchi for About.com Home and Garden. Color is one of the easiest ways to shift the energy in your space with feng shui.

However, how do you know which color to paint your bedroom, or your kitchen, or your living room? Here are some basic feng shui tips.

Definition of the Fire Feng Shui Element

There are five elements in feng shui, and we need a balanced presence of all five in order to create a harmonious home environment.

The first element is fire. The fire elements in your space activates your own personal energy. It brings support in your career efforts and helps bring recognition to your work.

Where to Position the Fire Colors

Fire elements colors are red, orange, purple, pink, and strong yellow. Feng shui-wise, your house needs fire colors in the south, southwest, and northeast areas of your home.

You can paint a feature wall in your choice of a fire color, or you can bring the fire elements with décor accessories, such as a red painting, a vase, or a red piece of furniture.

Definition of the Earth Feng Shui Element

The second feng shui element is earth. A balanced feng shui earth element in your home will help create stability and harmony in all your relationships. Earth colors are light yellow, all sandy, and all beige colors.

Where to Position Earth Colors

Feng shui-wise, earth colors are recommended for the center of your home, as well as northeast and southwest.

You can bring the earth energy with the wall color, or maybe the color of upholstery fabric or art.

Definition of the Metal Feng Shui Element

The next feng shui element is metal. Metal element brings the energy of clarity, preciseness, and focus.

Metal colors are whites, grays, and all metallic surfaces. Metal energy is recommended in the west, northwest, as well as north area of your space. Paint your wall with a coat of fresh white paint, or go for predominantly white furniture.

Definition of Water Feng Shui Element

Water feng shui element is the symbol of abundance. A balanced water energy in your space will bring a refreshing energy of calm, purity, trust, and renewal.

Water colors are black and blue. Water energy is needed in the north, east, and southeast areas of your space. A gentle light blue wall color can considerably refresh and uplift your space. Or you can choose to go for an art depicting colors, or a representation of the water element.

Definition of the Wood Feng Shui Element

The fifth feng shui element is the element of wood. A balanced wood element in your space will bring the energy of vibrant health and lush abundance.

Wood colors are brown and green. Use wood colors in the east, southeast, and south areas of your space. A light green wall color can be an excellent choice for a home office or a family room.

So there you have it, a basic feng shui guide on how to use color in your home to create good energy. To learn more, visit us on the web at homegarden.about.com. Thanks for watching.

How to sponge paint a room

Sponge-painting a room can transform a boring space into an exciting area. This is one decorator look that can be achieved without a great deal of experience or know-how. Here's how:

1. Because sponging adds the look of texture and depth to the walls, this is a good technique for walls that have some irregularities in the finish. Prepare your walls for painting and select your paint. Be sure to practice this technique with your color choices on a piece of board before applying it to the walls.
2. Paint the walls in your room with the base paint color of your choice. Choose a flat, eggshell, satin or semi-gloss interior paint.
3. Thoroughly mix 1 part of your second (top) color of paint with 4 parts of faux glaze in a big bucket. The more glaze you add, the more transparent the top coat will be. If you want the top coat to be darker or denser, use less faux glaze.
4. Using a damp, natural sea sponge, dip into the bucket of glaze and blot or wipe the excess off.
5. Start by lightly pressing the sponge into the corners. Tamp the sponge onto the wall in a random pattern, leaving a thin coat of glaze on the surface of the under coat of paint.
6. As you work do not press down too hard, or you will get too much glaze on the surface.
7. Roll the sponge over the surface to achieve a random appearance.
8. When the glaze is depleted on the sponge, re-dip it and continue working around the room. Work on a small area at a time, always keeping the edge of the painted area wet.
9. A small piece of sponge can be used to touch up small areas and help create a consistent and random finish.
10. Stand back from the wall to and make sure that the whole area has the same portion of undercoat and glaze showing.

(via About.com)

The world's most stunning solar building

(Click on image for bigger view)

Sanyo in Japan has constructed an amazing solar-collecting building that embodies both clean-energy ideals and awesome architectural design strategies.

The so-called Solar Ark has over 5,000 active solar panels generating over 500,000 KWh of environmentally friendly energy. Nearly 500 multi-colored lighting units placed between the various solar panels can be activated to create a variety of shapes and letters on the sides of this enormous structure.

Tips for green living

In your Home

• Turn off equipment like televisions and stereos when you're not using them.
  Choose energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.
• Save water: some simple steps can go a long way in saving water like for e.g: you should always turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth. And try to collect the water used to wash vegetables and salad to water your houseplants.
• Let clothes dry naturally.
• Keep lids on pans when cooking to prevent your cooker having to work extra hard. Prefer to use gas ovens, Geysers etc in place of the electric ones.
• Recycle your paper, glass, plastics and other waste.
• Use rechargeable batteries.
• Send e-greetings instead of paper cards.

In your Garden

• Water the garden early in the morning or late in the evening. This reduces water loss due to evaporation. Don’t overwater the garden. Water only till the soil becomes moist, not soggy.
• Explore water efficient irrigation systems. Sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation can be adapted to garden situations .
• Make your garden lively - plant trees and shrubs which will attract birds. You can also put p nest boxes and put food.
• Try growing sturdy grass in bare patches of land , and convince people in your neighbourhood to do so too.
• Put waste to work in your garden- sweep the fallen leaves and flowers into flower beds or under shrubs . This will increase soil fertility and also reduce the need for frequent watering.
• If you have little space in your garden , you could make a compost pit to turn organic waste from the kitchen and garden to soil enriching manure .
• Don't use chemicals in the garden - as they will eventually end up in the sea and can upset the delicate balance of lifecycles.
• Organic and environmentally friendly fertilisers and pesticides are available - organic gardening reduces pollution and is better for wildlife.

Reuse and Recycle

• Use washable nappies instead of disposables if you can.
• Recycle as much as you can.
• Give unwanted clothes, toys and books to charity shops or jumble sales.
• Use mains electricity rather than batteries if possible. If not, use rechargeable batteries.
• Use a solar-powered calculator instead of one with a battery.
• Instead of a plastic ballpoint, use a fountain pen with bottled ink, not plastic cartridges.
• Store food and other products in ceramic containers rather than foil and plastic wrap

While Shopping

• Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season to help reduce enormous transport costs resulting from importing produce and, where possible, choose locally produced food.
• When buying fish look out for a variety of non-endangered species and buy local fish if possible.
• Prefer vegetarian options for your meals.

On-line Shopping

• Purchase solar powered products.
• Send e-cards, if you can, rather than buy paper cards.
• Shop online, not only will this reduce fuel consumption and emissions by not driving to the shops, but each time you buy something on-line WWF receive a donation. You may even buy products from the nature shop.

At your workplace

• Use printers that can print on both sides of the paper ; try to look into this option when replacing old printers.
• Use the back of a draft or unwanted printout instead of notebooks. Even with a double-sided printer there is likely to be plenty of spare paper to use!
• Always buy recycled paper - for your business stationery and to use in your printers.
• Switch off computer monitors, printers and other equipment at the end of each day. Though in standby mode they're still using power - and that adds to global warming.
• Always turn off your office light and computer monitor when you go out for lunch or to a meeting.

(via WWF India)

Connecting rooms with color

As every home decorating enthusiast is well aware, color has an enormous impact within a space. With the increasing number of new and remodeled homes reflecting open floor plans, carefully considered color schemes symbolize an integral part of the ambience within the home. Without investing a small fortune for upgraded design elements and furnishings, color can be manipulated as the powerful ingredient that may be used to create a fashionably cohesive open styled home interior.

The carefully considered repetition of color represents a simple way to unite open concept spaces. Repeating the same hue throughout an open space is a common way to cohesively join connecting areas. For example, implementing same color molding throughout an open space can successfully tie together adjacent areas that boast different floor or wall coverings. The use of identical trim colors on built-ins, (such as shelving units or book cases) stylishly integrates adjoining areas that are used for distinctively different purposes. Although color still remains strong for 2003, experts are forecasting that white will make a major comeback this year.

Returning with fresh diversity, this non-color represents an abundant array of practical and neutral selections for repetitive moldings and trims. Remember: white is not just white! Prior to selecting the white tone to be used within the open concept space, carefully consider the tremendous selection of available whites to verify that the tone you have selected harmoniously blends with existing surface coverings.

Another method of effectively blending open spaces is by incorporating a limited palette of color that represents the same intensity of hues. Select the same tones consisting of two or three favorite colors that you would not easily tire of, and fashion two side by side spaces with the desired color palette. Utilize the desired color palette in varying amounts within each area. By limiting the color palette to a smaller number of colors that share the same intensity, the entire space maintains cohesiveness.

Consider implementing any of these color concepts to help beautify and unify your open floor plan. The application of any of these tips can yield a custom touch that is often apparent within upscale homes that have been fashioned by designers that command high price tags. Applying paint to various interior surfaces is a budget-friendly way to blend open space living areas together. A savvy do-it- yourselfer can produce attractive results that rival those belonging to the professional designer with an active imagination, a healthy dose of paint and color.

Bandra Kurla Complex: Rentals rise in line with record property prices

Rentals at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the financial hub here, seem to be dovetailing its record-breaking property rates. A sudden spurt in rentals post-MMRDA auction of a 7,107 sq metre plot for Rs 5.04 lakh per sq m has forced the commodity exchange NCDEX to relocate part of its operations elsewhere.

The NCDEX plans to move its back office operations from Exchange Plaza in BKC to Kanjur Marg.

“Rentals have been more than doubled from Rs 175 per sq ft last year to Rs 450 per sq ft this year. So we are moving our back office operations on the ground floor to Kanjur Marg and vacating the fourth floor,” said Mr Ravi Kumar, Managing Director, NCDEX.

Rentals in BKC, on an average, range between Rs 450 and Rs 500 per sq ft depending on the facilities offered, while it is between Rs 350 and Rs 450 per sq ft at Nariman Point.

“Rentals in BKC are charged on built-up area, but in Nariman Point it is on the carpet area. This pushes up the cost further for the corporates,” said Mr Sanjeet Narain, Managing Director, Narains Corp, a Mumbai-based property consultant and realtors.

Given the prevailing rates in BKC, some corporates prefer to be located on the nearby localities of Bandra or Kurla and this in turn pushed up prices in these areas, said Mr Anand J. Gupta, Chairman, Builders’ Association of India, Mumbai Chapter.

The high rate in BKC has also stoked up real estate prices in adjoining areas such as Kalanagar, Gandhi Nagar and Khernagar in Bandra and CST Road in Kurla.

“Builders are offering Rs 30,000-35,000 per sq ft for old buildings in Bandra and property rates in Kurla are between Rs 15,000-20,000 per sq ft,” Mr Gupta said.

Read more.

Tier-II cities the best bet for real estate investors

The upcoming tier-II cities across the country would still remain the best bet for real estate investors, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj. The real estate consulting company that recently announced an investment of more than $1 billion in the Indian property market says cities such as Chandigarh, Guwahati, Nashik, Indore, Dehradun, Vadodara and Vizag would be the hottest real estate destinations for 2008.

US-based Jones Lang LaSalle, the world’s leading integrated global real estate services and money management firm, recently merged with Mumbai-based property consultant Trammel Crow Meghraj. The saturation of metros and other tier-II cities is one of the factors for the drift. However, in addition to this, the proliferation of IT companies despite the poor performance of IT stocks in the latter half of 2007 would be the other impacting factor.

According to Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj chairman and country head Anuj Puri, IT companies — the primary drivers in Indian real estate market, are not dependent on central business locations. Since it makes more sense for foreign-based companies to offload back-office functions and even serious research processes to India than to undertake these in situ, IT/ITeS companies can operate from anywhere in India, as long as there is access to skilled manpower and necessary resources.

Therefore, MNCs would want to benefit from cheaper real estate prices and set up shops in tier-II and III towns, driving up the retail, residential and infrastructure sectors wherever they go.

Read more.

Real estate growing at an unprecedented rate

Year 2007 was good for real estate market. Because of the rise in the interest rates, the prices of residential real estate corrected by 10% to 15% in most of the suburb markets of National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai , Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata.

Consultants feel that as the economic growth will continue to be strong, demand will outstrip supply in 2008. Ernst and Young partner and national leader in real estate sector, Ganesh Raj, said over the past few years, the real estate sector had grown at an unprecedented rate of about 30%, and is expected to continue growing at 25% for the next 3 to 4 years. Year 2007 saw the sector clocking $48 billion , which is expected to reach $140 billion by 2012 — projecting a growth of 21% per annum.

The sector is currently on a high — mainly because of the high economic growth, shortage of residential spaces, growth in IT/ITeS and retail. The focus though would now shift more towards smaller cities since the metros are getting saturated. Also, we can now expect growth to trigger off in other sectors like biotechnology , warehousing, logistics and the financial sector. Similarly , hospitality sector would also witness an upward curve since there is an overall shortage of around 110,000 rooms, says Ganesh Raj.

As the demand is likely to outpace supply, consultants feel the prices will firm up in the short-to-medium term - but, price rise will not repeat the peaks it scaled in 2005 and 2006. A senior consultant said prices in suburbs would hover at the current range or would go up by around 10% in 2008.

The growth in demand is likely to be strong as the economy is all set to cruise around 9% in 2008-09 . Commercial activities will further grow in the area. The development in road and metro infrastructure has brought a large area within easy commutable range of Delhi. In particular, better connectivity to Manesar, Koundli, Sonepat, Greater Noida and Hapur will enable the developers to increase supply of commercial real estate.
This, in turn, would create demand for residential space in the region.

Commercial

According to Cushman and Wakefield, the major Indian cities of NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore , Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata witnessed a rise in demand for commercial real estate by approximately 20% in the year 2007, indicating a bullish trend in the country. However, high quality properties continued to be in short supply. But, at the same time, because of increased economic activities , the demand for these resulted in large precommitments , along with steady or appreciating rentals. According to market sources, at present, there is almost no availability of large plate area of commercial space in cities like Delhi and Gurgaon. Almost all the builtup areas to be constructed and delivered in the next two years have already been sold or leased out.

However, as Haryana government has notified the Gurgaon Manesar Master Plan in 2007, the availability of land will go up. Besides, better connectivity has also brought regions in Faridabad, and up to Hapur on National Highway 24, within the development range of Delhi. This is likely to increase the supply of office space. Planned supply of commercial space is likely to stabilize the rentals in the area in 2008. According to one estimate, after the development of Manesar, the rentals in Gurgaon are likely to stabilize in the range of Rs 70 to Rs 90 per square feet per month.

Read more.

Modern notions of art and color

The development of art is linked to our interest in vision. Modern art emerged in France by artists such as Paul Gauguin(1848-1903), Paul Signac (1863-1935), Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) and Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) in the second half of the 19th century. During the same period, scientists began to explore how we see. The new understanding of vision influenced the development of art and our understanding of it.

With the artistic and scientific revolutions of the 19th century, the tradition of sublime history painting, inspired by political, spiritual or mythological subjects, lost its dominant position. Likewise the unsparing vision of modern portraiture shows an interest in ‘truth’ rather than formal ‘high art’ values, or presenting an ‘image of power’. Artists now engaged with the depiction of modern life with its sometimes less sublime subject matters, which were increasingly depicted in non-naturalistic colors and forms. By the early 20th century, artists such as Henri Matisse (1839-1954) claimed that color and form could only achieve their full potential if they become independent from the objects they depicted. Importantly, modern artists emphasized the view of each individual artist, and hence, vision.

(Webexhibits)

Infrastructure woes may hit economic progress

Infrastructure (or the lack thereof!) is probably the biggest issue that affects the economy as a whole as well as the day-to-day life of the common man. Power cuts, water shortages and traffic snarls are now considered the norm in India.

It is estimated that inadequate infrastructure is responsible for holding back GDP growth by roughly 2% points, or an annual hit of approximately $20 billion to economic progress.

In contrast, infrastructure is one of the reasons why China enjoys 10+% GDP growth. China spends five times as much on infrastructure compared to India. Ports in China handle 5.6 billion tons of cargo compared to India’s 650 million tons.

Chinese industries pay less than half of what their Indian counterparts pay for power. Logistics costs in India are among the highest in the world at 13% of GDP. It is no surprise then that Indian companies find it hard to compete with China in large-scale manufacturing.

The benefits of infrastructure need no elaboration. Put simply, infrastructure reduces the cost of doing business, thereby expanding trade. The impact can be felt even at the grassroots level. For example, a farmer who used to be dependent on the nearest market to sell his produce (for lack of information and transportation), can now ascertain the prevailing prices in multiple markets and access the one that offers the best price.

Credit should go to the telecom revolution as well as recent improvements in the road transportation network (which still has a long way to go). We need to replicate these positive experiences on a much larger scale, in areas such as power, ports, irrigation and urban infrastructure, to name a few.

The country has no alternative but to invest heavily in infrastructure in order to compensate for decades of under-investment, especially with the economic engine humming and the cost-benefit being evident. In an ideal scenario, better infrastructure would lead to stronger economic growth, which in turn, would be able to fund and support additional investments in infrastructure, creating a virtuous cycle.

Read more.

Commercial space at reasonable rate is important for growth

Do you know the rentals of some of the commercial properties in Mumbai and Delhi are more than even upmarket areas of New York? A few may take pride thinking atleast we are ahead of America in one area! However, there is nothing to boast about it. In reality, high rentals are likely to adversely affect the Indian economy.

Consider the rentals of up-market areas like Bandra Kurla complex, Nariman Point in Mumbai and Connaught Place in Delhi. The current rentals in these places are as high as Rs 350 to 400 per sq ft. Whereas, the rate of similar space in America is not more than Rs 250 per sq ft. These facts came to the light in a recently published report by Ficci and real-estate consultant, Knight Frank.

It's not only the retail sector which is feeling the pinch of high rentals, BPO are also complaining about the same. Pranay Vakil of Knight Frank said, high rentals are putting heavy burden on BPO companies not only in big cities, but also in tier-two and tier-three cities.

Endorsing the views of Vakil, spokesman of the BPO Asso ciation of India Deepak Kapoor said, "The large number of global BPO companies started their operations in India mainly for two reasons. The first reason was that they could easily get large number of english speaking employees at a cheaper cost as compared to what they pay them in the any other part of the world. And the other major reason was that the cost of operation in India was much lower than any other country. When the companies started their operations some seven years back, rentals of commercial space - which constitutes major portion of the total cost of operations - were reasonable. It was then far cheaper than any place in America, England or Singapore. But unfortunately, today the scenario has changed."

Chairman of Aditya groups, Uma Aggarwal said both BPO and retail companies require huge space to start their operations. And in present scenario, the going is really tough for them. The rentals have gone up by almost 300% in areas like Gurgaon, which had emerged as the hub for BPO business. The rental in these area has gone up from around Rs 25 per sq ft per month in 2000-01 to Rs 100 per sq ft per month at present.

What's worse is that there is no space available for the next two years. Most of the areas which are under construction and would be ready for delivery in the next two years, have already been leased out.

Read more.

Kochi is the new realty hot spot

The queen of the Arabian Sea is now a hot destination for real estate giants. What is unique to Kochi is, the city has attracted almost every domestic property developer worth its salt, and a slew of foreign companies, mostly from the Middle East.

Leading real estate developers like DLF, Sobha Developers, Ansals, Purvankara, Confident Group, Oceanus, Unitech, Nitesh Estates, Housing Development and Infrastructure (HDIL), Prestige Group, Emaar MGF and Parsvanath Developers have all descended upon Kochi, the financial and industrial capital of Kerala, during the last 6-8 months with a cumulative investment of over $2.5 billion. Prominent among the Middle East-based business groups that have forayed into Kochi are KGA Group of Kuwait, EMKE Group of Abu Dhabi and Indroyal. Some of them are also investing in the hospitality sector to set up luxury hotels chains.

Property prices in the city have appreciated by around 60% in 2007. During the past six months, half-a-dozen developers have announced their plans to enter Kochi; many have already acquired huge parcels of land. “Property development and real estate activities have overshadowed the state’s booming tourism sector. This boom witnessed the emergence of many developers and projects,” an industry observer and a former builder said.

Recently, HDIL purchased a 70-acre plot from the government-owned HMT and announced its plans to set up an IT park at Kalamassery, near Kochi. HDIL is also setting up a Cybercity in the HMT land, which will have IT space, hospitality, retail and entertainment projects. The total investment in the project is estimated to be around Rs 2,000 crore.
According to Kerala Builders Forum chairman George E George: “Till a decade ago, real estate activity of each city was driven by local builders.” The bigger players acquired the financial muscle to launch multi-city operations after they raised resources through public issue route. “Even then, many of them missed the bus in Bangalore and Chennai as the rates peaked before their entry,” he said. “I think they have spotted the opportunity in Kochi and are moving in early,” he added.

Sobha Developers is setting up the largest township in Maradu, Kochi, called the Sobha Hitech City. Maradu is a high-potential suburb of Kochi with commercial projects, 5-star hotels, shopping malls and IT projects. The total investment in the project is estimated at around Rs 5,000 crore. Nitesh Shetty,CMD of Bangalore-based real estate firm Nitesh Estates, said the Kochi skyline has changed dramatically over the last few years and today it is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. “The city offers grand investment opportunities for real estate mainly due to reasons such as large NRI population who want to buy homes in Kochi and increasing IT jobs in the city,” he said. His company recently acquired around 5 acres of land in Kakkanad near Kochi.

Similarly, in 2006, India’s real estate giant DLF purchased 3.78 acres in Kochi from the state government for Rs 78 crore. The DLF Group is planning to build a shopping mall, a multiplex and a 250-room deluxe hotel in Kochi. “Cochin is poised for a quantum leap. The commissioning of Vallarpadom international container terminal and numerous IT parks will make Kochi the preferred destination for highly-paid executives,” a senior HDIL official said.

Though builders have been focusing on Kochi, the supply is still grossly inadequate when compared to the potential demand, according to builders. For example, in Kakkanad, the city’s IT destination, the Infopark alone will create close to 30,000 to 40,000 jobs in the next 3 years. But the supply by all builders put together would be just 10,000 to 12,000 apartments by 2010. Apart from this, the Smart City Project is expected to provide nearly 90,000 IT jobs in the next one decade. Several private developers are also developing IT parks in Kakkanad and nearby areas.

(via Economic Times.)

The new Mumbai airport: What will it be like?

G V Sanjay Reddy, 45, wears many hats. He is the vice chairman of GVK, one of India's largest infrastructure developers; MD of the Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd, which operates India's busiest airport; MD of GVK Jaipur Expressway, which operates the six-lane toll road project on the Golden Quadrilateral; and CEO of GVK Biosciences.

He is also on the board of the Hyderabad-based TajGVK. It's obviously helped that he is the only son of Group Chairman G V Krishna Reddy.

The GVK Group is working at a breathtaking space. It is constructing power plants and special economic zones, will build a port in Dahej, is bidding for the Ganga Expressway project in Uttar Pradesh, the Navi Mumbai airport and the Metro Rail Phase II.

These days, however, Reddy is mostly wearing the MIAL MD's hat, as the upgradation of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai is one of the most challenging tasks any CEO can ever dream of, Reddy says. The job also involves taking decisions on hundreds of acres of land around the airport which is located in the prime area of Santacruz -- a reason why he has now got 24-hour security (a plain clothed guard is his constant companion).

He also doesn't take any call on his Blackberry if he can't recognise the number. "It's just a professional hazard," Reddy says, trying hard to be nonchalant about these "small" changes in his life.

We are at Masala Bay on the first floor of Taj Lands End in Bandra. The steward ushers us to an exclusive corner, which gives the ambience of a private dining hall. And the reason is quite obvious: the Reddy family is the owner of TajGVK, which runs the Taj hotel properties in Hyderabad. Reddy leaves the choice of food to the steward ("it's better to leave the job to experts," he says) and opts for buttermilk to start with. The steward looks mighty pleased.

The Mumbai airport project, which MIAL bagged in February 2006 in the face of stiff competition, has already completed its first phase of work. And the impact is visible. Take Terminal 1B, which now has gleaming granite, newly-planted waving palms, kalzip roofing (a rainscreen system) and substantially more personnel and counters. The airport now also has a rapid exit taxiway called India, which is saving around two minutes per aircraft movement.

GVK has also managed kerbside improvements, demolished over 600 toilets in the area to upgrade them and even imported furniture from Spain to improve the look and feel of the airport.

Surely, that must be the easier part of the whole airport modernisation plan? Reddy disagrees vehemently and says that it has been, in fact, one of the most difficult part of the job. "If we have managed to do this within the targetted deadline, the rest of it should be easy," he says.

Reason: GVK found that the Airports Authority of India didn't have ownership rights on over 45 per cent of the area within the airport premises. That involves over 400 litigation issues which kept his formidable team of lawyers busy throughout last year.

But they did a damn good job, Reddy says, as the starters arrive. The steward has been most generous indeed as the plate contains grilled chicken, lamb chops and chicken kebabs. For a moment, I mistake it for the main course.

Reddy looks pleased and proceeds to give a fascinating account of how the GVK Group met the formidable challenges that came its way. For example, the airport had given out 35,000 entry passes to all kinds of people who had very little to do with the core function: to make the airport work.

That posed a huge risk to security apart and streamlining these things take a lot of patience and hard work. "We run the risk of treading on too many toes," he says.

Besides, the country's busiest airport is spread over a mere 1,850 acres (the operational area in fact is just 1,450 acres), which is "peanuts" compared to Delhi's 5,000 acres. And apparently, the airport was violating 76 of the 77 universally recognised standards for international airports in the areas of runway rules and security distances to be maintained for smooth flights.

"In no part of the world would you be allowed to function with such non-compliance."

Quickly realising that this should not upset the powers-that-be, Reddy says the state government and the AAI have been most constructive in their suggestions and extending all help.

Another problem was that encroachments were far higher than what was initially indicated. Surveys conducted by MIAL found that the actual encroachments were in excess of 262 acres. But one of Reddy's crowning glories has been in managing slum rehabilitation. Hindustan Development Infrastructure Ltd, which is overseeing this aspect, has already identified 100 acres of land within three kilometres of the airport site.

The immigration system at the arrival area of the international terminal has been overhauled with additional counters making it amongst the fastest in the world. With additional check-in counters at Terminal 1B (80 in all, which is more than double of the earlier capacity) the entire area has been decongested.

The Mumbai airport also became the first airport in India to launch free Wi-Fi internet service throughout the domestic and international terminals. Free internet kiosks will also be set up in all terminals, with each terminal having at least one kiosk with four computers.

The main course -- rotis, chicken curry and baked fish -- looks appetising, but Reddy talks non-stop and eats little. The Mumbai airport makeover is clearly a passion for him -- something which has forced him to stay alone in Mumbai (he visits his wife and two children in Hyderabad only on Sundays) and skip scuba diving and trekking, reasons for his slender frame, for almost two years now.

Reddy's plan is to expand and upgrade the Mumbai airport infrastructure to cater to 40 million passengers per year in two years (against 17 million now) and double cargo movement to one million tonnes per year. In the second and third phases, the international and domestic terminals will be merged and the current domestic terminal will be converted to a dedicated cargo terminal.

With the parallel runway that is being planned, the airport will be able to handle about 60 flights per hour, compared to the current 500 flights per day.

The company is also looking at developing an elevated expressway that directly connects the Western Express Highway to the airport. A monorail system to facilitate passenger movement internally is also on the cards. Besides, talks are on to link the Mumbai airport to the Mumbai Metro.

The project cost till 2010 is Rs 5,200 crore (Rs 52 billion) inanced through a debt-equity mix of 80:20. The debt has already been tied up with Indian institutions led by UTI Bank and IDBI Bank.

The company has also submitted plans to the state government for extensive city-side redevelopment which will include the commercial development of hotels, convention centres and a recreational area in the proximity of the airport.

The main course is over fast -- a consequence perhaps of the rather heavy starters -- and Reddy is clearly in a hurry to leave. As his black Mercedes rolls in to take him to his office at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport, he says his group is also planning to bid for airports in other parts of the world. "If we can succeed in Mumbai, other parts of the world will hopefully be a cakewalk," he says.

(via Rediff.com)