Volume 1 Issue 6 September 2010www.apreda.org

A P ’ s c r e d i b l e r e a l e s t a t e t a b l o i d

If one goes by the quantum of growth invarious sectors and the expansion ofthe city over the years , Hyderabad canbe bracketed with Delhi as the most

happening city. Having weathered therecession, the IT and hospitality sectors,which are gradually regaining the lostground, coupled with medical tourism,thanks to the ever- increasing number ofsuper speciality hospitals, and not to speakof the thrust being given by thegovernment to creating world-class facilities,the push has jettisoned Hyderabad aheadof other metros or cities.The possibility of Hyderabad emerging asthe second national capital cannot be ruledout given the growth in terms ofinfrastructure facilities and connectivity.While the geographic location of Delhitouches three States, Hyderabadis bereft of any such clash ofinterests.Incidentally, the HyderabadM e t r o p o l i t a nD e v e l o p m e n tAuthority whichwas constitutedby mergingH U D A /HADA/ CDAis the secondlargest in terms ofjurisdiction in thecountry. Witht h egovernmentapprovingthe revisedMaster Planfor theHMDA CoreArea alongwith the LandUse Zoning &DevelopmentP r o m o t i o nR e g u l a t i o n st h r o u g hG.O.Ms.No.363,Dated: 21.08.2010, theHMDA is now focusingon finalising the master planfor the extended area of HUDA.To channelise development in a phased andplanned manner, the draft Master Planprepared by CEPT University, Ahmedabadfor the extended area of HUDA aims atintegrating the peripheral areas with the coreand intermediate areas so that the entireHyderabad Metropolitan Region becomes asingle entity.The extended area comprises 635settlements, including 26 uninhabitedvillages and 7 urban settlements spread overan area of 4,920.53 sq. km.With the projected population of HMDA setto touch the 1.84 crore mark by 2031 andthat of extended HUDA 47 lakh. theauthorities plan to create multiple centres tobring down pressure on the core city area.

Each centre will be a self-contained zonehaving employment hubs and higher ordersocial facilities.The draft Master Plan has taken into accountthe population and employment projections,proposed land use, environmental suitabilityand land potential analysis.In formulating the concept plan certainprinciples were adopted as guiding factors.For instance, the planners have paidattention to settlement hierarchy, rural urbancontinuum, transit-oriented development,delimitation of urban services, lung spacesand provision of social amenities. Theproposed master plan would have about 25urban pockets.The plan suggests contiguous urban areasto serve

different scales of population withHyderabad as the primary nucleus to othersub nuclei centres.The core city with 60 lakh population willserve as the main central business districtwhile Shamshabad (airport), Cyberabad,Jawaharnagar and Patancheru (25 lakh) willserve the HMR urban population as sub citylevel centres.The plan identifies several urban growthpockets in the extended area of HUDA along

1. Creation of compact cityto achieve sustainabledevelopment

2. Multiple centres to reducepressure on core city area

3. Transit-orienteddevelopment along majormovement corridors

4. Integration of peripheralareas with core andintermediate areas

5. Protection ofenvironmentally sensitiveand fertile agricultural landfrom urban developmentpressures

6. Creation of an urbanagriculture zone aroundthe proposed urban area

7. Provision of properconnectivity

8. Second order urbansettlements havingpotential to grow proposed

9. Provision of urbanamenities and employmentopportunities in surroundingrural areas to checkmigration

10. Creation of multi modeltransport hubs around thenew stations andintegrated freight terminalsproposed by South CentralRailway

11 Two loop roads proposedinside the existing ORR andone Peripheral Ring Roadplanned for the extendedHUDA area

12 Rs. 2,500 crore required towiden all the radial roads tofour and six lanes dependingon the feasibility and thenumber of private propertiesto be acquired

Development in harmony with environmentKey features of

proposed extendedHUDA areamaster plan

the major highways. The future growthpockets, according to an analysis, are alongthe linear corridors.With regard to road network, the Master Planproposes a road hierarchy of 45 mts atregional level and 60 mts, 45, 30 and 18 mtsof width at growth pocket level.

Two loop roads are proposedinside the existing ORR andone Peripheral Ring Roadproposed in the extendedHUDA area to provideconnectivity to the proposedcontiguous urban pockets andurban centres.The draft master plan indicates developmentof 33 radial roads connecting the core city

(Inner Ring Road) to the ORR. It is learntthat the HMDA plans to

develop only seven of theproposed 33 radial roads byDecember 2010 and is

planning to request theGovernment to direct

GHMC, R&B andPanchayat Raj

Departments to

bear thecost of the remaining 26 radial

roads as these stretches fallunder their respective

jurisdictions.About Rs 2,500 crore is required to

widen all the radial roads to four andsix lanes depending upon the feasibility

and the number of private properties to beacquired.For the first time climate change concernsfind a mention in the Master Plan. Broadranging strategies are recommended forpromotion of clean energy andconservation. The extended region will notonly tackle global warming but ensure thatthe infrastructure, facilities and servicesplanned are ready to adapt to the projectedimpacts of climate change.These concerns are amply reflected in theMaster Plan’s proposals with regard to landuse and their spatial distribution likerecreational, lung and open spaces, use ofnatural resources and clean energy, efficientbuildings and environment friendlytransportation choices.

Inner Ring Road

Outer Ring Road

Peripheral Ring Road

September 2010

Auspicious daysin September 2010

Date Day Time (IST)

11 Saturday Full day12 Sunday Noon: upto 2.00 p.m.21 Tuesday Full day

E D I T O R I A L

Home loan rates

2S n i p p e t sS n i p p e t s

CRISIL launches real estate ratingsRating agency Crisil Ltd announced the launch of real estate ratings that will “enable buyers to

identify and benchmark quality projects.”“CRISIL Real Estate Star Ratings” is intended to bringgreater transparency to assessing real estate projects.

The ratings given would be city-specific and based on five parameters – the quality of legaldocumentation, construction-related risks, the financial flexibility of the project, and the backgroundand track record of the project sponsor. “Most homebuyers look within a city to identify potentialproperties for purchase.

CRISIL Real Estate Star Ratings will benchmark real estate projects within each city and thusprovide meaningful information to buyers on a city-specific basis,” according to Roopa Kudva,Managing Director & CEO, CRISIL, at a news conference in Mumbai.

The star ratings will be different from credit ratings, which only focus on the creditworthiness ofthe borrowing entity.

The rating system will be an eight-point scale – 7-star ratings, with seven being the highest andone being the lowest. The last one would be a non-deliverable rating (ND).

Two critical needs of the sector will be addressed by these ratings – improved transparency andobjective benchmarking of the projects, according to CRISIL.

CRISIL released ratings for 21 real estate projects from Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore,Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Vishakhapatnam.

Post offices to accept propety tax soonThe GHMC will soon facilitate payment of property tax in post offices also. A modality has been

reprotedly worked out following a series of meetings between the GHMC Commissioner SameerSharma and Postal authorities. In the first phase, the GHMC plans to introduce the facility in 190post offices having online facility. Of the 11 lakh propety tax payers only 2 lakh consumers havecleared the tax and the GHMC is now issuing demand notices to the remaining 9 lakh property taxpayers.

Infrastructure investment to growIndia’s core sector, comprising six major infrastructure industries, accelerated by 5.1 per cent year-

on year in April 2010, compared with 3.7 per cent in April 2009, according to the data released by theUnion Ministry of Commerce and industry.

Infrastructure investment in India is expected to grow dramatically. According to Union Ministerfor Finance, Pranab Mukherjee, India would require to develop a rupee-denominated long-term bondmarket for funding the infrastructure sector that requires an investment of around US$ 459 to US$500 billion by 2012.

A committee on infrastructure under Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will conduct quarterlyreview of development of power, road, ports, civil aviation and railways sectors. The Cabinetcommittee on infrastructure (CCI) will handle specific infrastructure cases that may requirenecessary policy correction or solving issues affecting projects.

NHAI proposes 8-lane roadsTo decongest entry points into the city, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has

proposed eight-laning on two important stretches of road — Erragadda-Patancheru and Malakpet-LB Nagar. The NHAI released Rs 100 crore for the project which will also have service roads on bothsides of the highway.

A meeting of high-level officials of various departments convened by R&B principal secretary,Lakshmi Parthasarathy discussed the plan of action for implementing the project. Officials of GHMC,metro water works and Central power discom were also present.

The NHAI informed that it was ready to lay the road provided the land is alientated by the Stategovernment. Currently, the road width on these two stretches varies between 100 ft and 120 ft. “TheNHAI proposed to make the width a uniform 200 ft,” a senior official said. According to a preliminarysurvey, about 600 structures would have to be either partially or fully demolished.

Electric poles and water and sewerage lines would have to be shifted and trees translocated. Theexact cost the State has to bear will be arrived at after thorough inspection property-wise, an officialsaid.Widening the two roads would help the Metro Rail project as one line passes through thesetwo stretches.

Tenure Rate of Rate of Interest Processing(in years) Interest Fixed Floating Charges

SBI Up to 5 years 12.25% 10.75% 0.50% of loanamount

5-20 years 12.25 % 11.25 %ICICI 0-20 years 10.5% 9.5% 1% of loan amount

LIC HFL 0-20 years 10.5%- 11% 9.5% 0.5 per cent of theamount (max. Rs.5000)

HDFC 0-20 years 13.25% 11.25% 1% of the loanamount +applicableservice taxes andcess)

HSBC 0-20 years 10.75% - 1% of loan amountCitibank 0-20 years 9.75% 9.00% 1% of loan amountCanara Bank Up to 5 years 10.75% - -

Above 5 yrsUp to 10 yrs 11.00% - -

Welcome move, but questions remain

It was heartening to know that the ball has finally been setrolling by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to conduct acomprehensive transport survey for the Hyderabad

Metropolitan Region and that seven top-rung national andinternational firms had thrown their hats in the ring to bag thisproject.

Initially, 11 firms had shown interest, but only seven wereshortlisted for conducting the survey in the HyderabadMetropolitan Region spread over 7,146 sq. km. According toHMDA officials, the chosen firm from among the sevenshortlisted ones will be required to submit the study reportwithin 18 months.

The move, which has come a bit late in the day, is likely tothrow up critical questions that need definite answers and thattoo immediate ones to address one of the most vital linkages ofurban growth and infrastructure — transport.

Yawning gapThere seems to be a yawning gap in the demand and supply

position, vis-à-vis transport facilities, for the burgeoningpopulation of almost seven million of Hyderabad andSecunderabad. To sit back and think that there is still no viablerapid mass transport system in place is in itself a dreadfulproposition. The authorities need to act expeditiously.

The lack of an inexpensive, safe and viable mode of publictransport can really be a debilitating factor for growth anddevelopment.

Notwithstanding Hyderabad’s frenetic pace of growth overthe past two decades, its “IT moment”, juxtaposing it amongthe top IT destinations in Asia, the blooming of several world-class educational and research institutes and rapidinfrastructure development, the city somehow seems to havemissed the bus on the transportation front, if one may say so.

Problems galoreThe fact that a large percentage of people have to rely on

personal transport to reach their workplaces itself reflects onthe dismal state of affairs. According to AP TransportDepartment sources, some 600 vehicles are registered daily inHyderabad, adding to the traffic chaos, noise and air pollution,parking problems, accidents on the roads and the appalling fallin ambient air quality.

Not everything has been lost, though, as only in Julyinfrastructure giant L&T was awarded the prestigious Rs.12,132-crore Metro Rail project. Proposed to be taken up onthree key routes in the city – Miyapur-LB Nagar (29.87 km),JBS-Falaknuma (14.78 km) and Nagole-Shilparamam 26.51km) – this transport system, one hopes, would end the woes ofthe harried citizens of Hyderabad.

September 2010

On a clear but somewhat balmySaturday morning on August 14,2010, APREDA launched a path-

breaking mission to translocate about 30big trees from the premises of the ESIHospital at Erragadda to Green Grace,an S&S Green Projects site atNanakramguda, which is an Indian GreenBuilding Council (IGBC) Platinum Pre-certified Project. The translocationinvolved plucking out the trees, roots etall, with caution and care, preserving thesoil intact, transporting them andplanting them at the new site, again witha lot of care.

Bonhomie, cheerIt was a small gathering at the eventwhere the chief guest was GHMCCommissioner Sameer Sharma whereamid much bonhomie and camaraderieAPREDA’s green channel chairman andS&S Green Projects Pvt. Ltd. ManagingDirector Vijaya Sai set the ball rolling byrecounting how APREDA hadendeavoured to save greenery aroundthe twin cities by preventing their“balding”.He recounted how his passion for thingsgreen had begun early in life and howhe wanted to spread awareness andimplement his ideas so that theenvironment could be protected.Launching its “Adopt a tree – save atree” programme at the event, APREDAalso promised to help in the physicaltransportation of trees, sharinginformation and providing technicalexpertise in conjunction with the Forestand other departments.

Significance of treesMr. S.Raghupathy, Senior Director andHead of IGBC, gave an insight into howtrees, particularly in a dusty place likeHyderabad, could provide an effectiveprotective sheet against dust and how

After coming to the aidof tsunami and floodvictims, APREDA nowplunges into savinggreenery

SAVE a tree, SAVE the world

they produce oxygen and help maintain thequality of air. What is more, trees also reducethe tremendous noise pollution in and aroundthe twin cities, he said.APREDA presidentP.Prem Kumar said it was the association’saim to spread awareness among people toprevent the merciless cutting of trees andtell them how the loss of greenery would beharmful for the city’s environment.According to Mr P.M. Choudhary of GreenRevolution, an expert involved in thetranslocation of trees, the survival rate oftranslocated trees was over 90 per cent.

Dr. Sameer Sharma, (second from right) Commissioner of GHMC, launching APREDA’s tree translocationinitative at ESI Hospital on August 14. First from right is APREDA president Mr P.Prem Kumar.

The Greater Hyderabad MunicipalCorporation proposes to hike property

tax for both residential and commercialproperties by 30 per cent from the nextfinancial year of 2011-2012.It has also proposed to enhance the propertytax by five per cent every year henceforth.However, the standing committee whichdiscussed the issue at a meeting recentlyrejected the proposal for now and wantedthe GHMC officials to submit preciseguidelines of rationalising tax for residential

Hike in property tax likelyand commercial purposea.GHMC officials maintain that since themunicipal corporation was going in for a Rs.600 crore loan from banks or financialinstitutions through competitive bidding, itwas vital to mobilise resources for repayingthe loan.Another contention was the tax forresidential buildings in core city has notbeen revised since 20 years whereas thesurrounding 12 municipalities which are nowpart of GHMC went in tax revision in 2002.

However, Mr Choudhary cautioned thatwhile shifting the trees care should be takento ensure that the roots are not damagedand are covered with enough soil.The leaves must be cut and once the tree isshifted to a new place it would take 15-20days to recover its growth, he said.GHMC Commissioner Dr Sameer Sharmaannounced that the corporation, on its part,would help develop a green channel aroundthe city.By next month, 70,000 trees would be plantedwith focus on road medians and their upkeep

would be entrusted to a private agency,he said. Unveiling the GHMC’s greenplans, he also mentioned that differenttypes of parks would be provided tocitizens such as walkers and children’sparks.Meanwhile, APREDA threw openthe forum for the adoption of trees whereMr Yoganand of ManjeeraConstructions announced his decisionto adopt 100 trees for translocation.For mre information or further assistanceon adoption of trees contact throughe mail: adoptatree@apreda.org

Agricultural land conversion cess to be reduced

The State Government will soon reduce the cess on conversion of agricultural land inurban as well as rural areas for other purposes like housing, industry, business, etc.

Making this announcement in Hyderabad on August 20, Revenue Minister D. Prasada Raosaid that the move to bring down the cess was in response to representations from thepublic and to reduce the burden of people from the one-time 10% cess of the “registeredmarket value” of the land now being collected. APREDA has been representing to theGovernment time and again for reduction of nala tax to 1%.

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4 September 2010

About APREDA

The Andhra Pradesh Real EstateDevelopers Association (APREDA),founded in1996, is a proactive organization with400 members. Having made significantcontributions in helping frame policyfor conducive development in AndhraPradesh through its regularinterventions with the government,APREDA is currently strengthening itsportfolio. It is pursuing this by networking withnational and regional organizations and

Making its services tomembers easily accessibleSoon launching B2B and B2Cservices for procurement andmarketing through itswebsiteCarrying out its corporate socialresponsibility projects such as:Building the ‘Tsunami HousingColony’ in 2007 and handing itover free to those hit by thetsunami at Bingenipally inPrakasam districtConstructing houses for flood-affected families in KurnooldistrictLaunching tree translocation inHyderabad on August 14

The four-day auctions of residential plots conducted by the Visakhapatnam UrbanDevelopment Authority (VUDA), which concluded in the last week of July at Vizag,were a runaway hit, so to say. The auctions reflected a clear spurt in real estate within

the city in recent months and even in some areas on the outskirts where the prices havegone up considerably.Some 195 plots were put under the hammer and 178 of them were sold for Rs 43 crore in Vizagand Vizianagaram. It may be a little premature to predict a boom on the basis of the VUDAauctions, but they certainly indicate that the realty sector in the city has gathered steam oflate.Record priceA plot in the Muvvalavanipalem Colony (MVP), a well-developed and coveted area in thecity, fetched a record Rs 50,000 per sq. yard. Another plot in the colony fetched Rs 48,000 asquare yard. The minimum bidding price was Rs 21,000.

Residential plots at Kurmannapalem in thevicinity of the Vizag Steel Plant also fetchedhigh prices. The highest bid was for Rs38,000/square yard. Only the plots atKapulauppada on the Vizag-Bheemli stretchfetched Rs 6,000-Rs 8,000/sq yard.The minimum price set by VUDA for theseplots was Rs 6,000 a sq. yard. The maximumbidding price touched only Rs. 9,000/sq yardin the layout jointly developed by VUDA anda private company.SpeculationAs various software companies like EncoreIndia, Satyam Computers and TataConsultancy Services unveiled plans fordevelopment projects in the city, speculationtriggered a hike in real estate prices in Vizag.NRIs investing in Vizag property furthercontributed to this appreciation.

Unprecedented growth

Vizag has seen unprecedented growth of23.36% in real estate since December 2006,

recording the highest in the State after Rangareddy and Hyderabad districts.Property transactions in Vizag were close to Rs. 6,000 crore during 2006-07, with the Stampsand Registration Department collecting a whopping Rs. 210 crore on the deals. The quickappreciation of land rates in Visakhapatnam has led the department to review the figuresonce in six months.Commercial properties in Visakhapatnam around the Asilmetta junction have been peggedat Rs.28, 000 per sq. yard, as against Rs. 22,500 per sq. yard a couple of months ago.

The Green Building movement has gainedtremendous impetus over the past six

years. With a modest beginning of 20,000sq.ft. green built-up area in the country inthe year 2003, currently more than 567 greenbuildings with a built-up area of over 377million sq.ft are being constructed all overIndia.The table alongside indicates the steadygrowth of the green built-up area in thecountry.Meanwhile, the Green Building rating systembrings together a host of sustainablepractices and solutions to reduceenvironmental impacts.The Green Building design provides an

integrated approach considering life cycleimpacts of the resources used.

The serene Umamaheswarastatues atop the picturesqueKailasagiri hills inVisakhapatnam.

India’s first Green airport, the Rajiv Gandhi International Airportat Shamshabad in Hyderabad.

To facilitate the adoption of green buildingpractices relevant to the local climate andregional practices for various building types,IGBC has developed new ratingprogrammes.These rating systems are voluntary,consensus based, market-driven buildingprogrammes and are designed to addressnational priorities.An important development in the growth ofGreen Building Movement has been thelaunch of Green Building rating system forNew Construction and Core & Shell. Thelaunch of ‘IGBC Green Homes’ and ‘IGBCGreen Factory Building’ rating systems isanother important step in this direction.

No Criteria 2001 Till Date

1 CEOs & senior people involved 50 H” 5,500

2 No. of professionals trained onGreen Buildings rating 10 H” 6,000

3 No. of registered Green Buildings 1 567

Built – in Area (sq.ft) 0 377 Million

4 Green Building products & equipment 5 90

5 IGBC Membership 0 856

6 IGBC Accredited Professionals 0 153

Vizag - thehot, newdevelopmentdestination

Growth of the green built-up area in the country

MAN OF THE MOMENT

P. Venkat Reddy, MBA, managingdirector of Tirtha (India) ProjectsPvt. Ltd., launched his businessonly in 2003 but his enviable recordreads as though he has been in thebusiness for a long time. He seemsto have “packed in a lot” in a shorttime.Mr. Venkat Reddy has successfullycompleted 60 houses in phase I ofFriends Colony, a gated communityproject at Upparpally and 90 housesin phase II of Friends Colony atHyderguda.His current ventures include FourSeasons Apartments, comprising 75flats at Attapur and Rock CliffApartments near the AndhraPradesh Police Academy (APPA)junction. APREDA wishes him goodtidings for the future.

P. Venkat Reddy

GREEN PROJECTS on the rise in country

5September 2010

An occasion to cherish

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In an effort to produce professionalarchitects in tune with the changingtechnology and needs of the

construction industry, Vaishnavi EducationalSociety has set up ‘Vaishnavi School ofArchitecture and Planning’.A colourful function marked the opening ofthe college at Gafoor Nagar (V). Madhapur.Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal NehruArchitecture and Fine Arts University(JNAFAU), P. Padmavathi - inaugurated theschool in the presence of NATA convener,Dr. D. Vijay Kishore, Chairman, IndianInstitute of Architects, - Mr. D. T. Vinod,Vaishnavi Educational Society presidentBavanam Srinivasa Rao and other membersof the society.According to T. Srinivas, general secretary,VES, the institute is recognised by Councilof Architecture and affiliated to JNAFAU.Admission to B. Arch. course is throughcounselling by Andhra Pradesh State

Council for Higher Education.The school promises to offer hands-onexperience on reputed projects besidesproviding facilities like earn while learning,study tours, guest lectures, air-conditionedhostel facility for girl students. An exchangeprogramme with a foreign university is alsoon the anvil. Objective of VSAP is that thestudents should be equipped to understandthe complex societal issues that wouldincreasingly confront on them when theybegin their professional life and cope withthem successfully, says Mr. Srinivas.While the Architecture programme is for 5years, planning course and B. Design isspread over four years.Besides a well equipped library, the schoolhas excellent laboratory facilities whichinclude a survey lab with latest instrumentsalong with traditional survey instruments.For details contact 040-2311-8699 or emailvaishnaviarchitecture@gmail.com

New school of ARCHITECTUREinaugurated at Madhapur

1) Mr. Dasrath Reddy, secretary general of APREDA, congratulating Mr.Ravindranath Tagore, president of APREDA Vizag branch, after hedonated Rs. 6.5 lakh on behalf of Vizag APREDA to the Hyderabadbranch. Looking on are Mr P.Prem Kumar, Mr. Bhanwarlal Jain andMr Venkat Reddy.

2) Mr Sreedhar Reddy and Mr Prem Kumar with Mr George Johnson,City Head Firm Management of property consulting firm Jones LangLaSalle, after he gave a presentation on July 27.

3) Dr. G.B.K. Rao, chairman and managing director of Pragati ResortsLtd., releasing the fifth issue of APREDA’s newsletter Horizons.

HumourCorner

6 September 2010

HERITAGE WATCHHERITAGE WATCHHERITAGE WATCHHERITAGE WATCHHERITAGE WATCH

In the hierarchy of the nobles ofHyderabad, the Paigah family rankedonly next to the ruling family of the

Nizams. The Paigahs were also theforemost palace builders of Hyderabad.Their monuments, rich with architecturalbeauty, reflect the traditions and culturalheritage of the Hyderabad State.Fortunately, some beautiful palaces ofthe Paigah nobles survive to this day —the most prominent being the Falaknumapalace.

Golden period

The 1880s and 1890s were considered agolden period of palace constructionwhen a large number of palaces inEuropean and Indo-European style ofarchitecture were built in Hyderabad. ThePaigah palace is a double-storiedbuilding, built on a four-acre site. It ispredominantly influenced by Europeanarchitectural features such as beautifulcarved woodwork, a neo-classical facade,a grand portico with entablature, semi-circular arches, unfluted Corinthiancolumns and deep, arcaded verandahs onall four sides. It is one of the cluster ofpalaces in a vast wooded area spreadover 150 acres. As seen in the thenEuropean structures this palace has highceilings too (22 ft in the ground floor and26 ft on the first floor), four huge hallsand over 20 spacious rooms. Theelevated central portion (56 ft) of thebuilding has rectangular vents at the topwhich helped in keeping the rooms cool

PAIGAH PALACEanother name for grandeur

by allowing the rising warm air to escape,and at the same time allowing in light andfresh air. The walls of the palace are upto 24 inches thick, insulating the buildingfrom extreme weather conditions outside,specially the heat. Projection windowsare a specific feature at regular intervalswhich help bring the outdoor greeneryinside.The entrance doors are animposing 7 to 10 feet high, with stuccowork resembling the facade of thebuilding marked by entablature.

EmbellishmentsFloral patterns decorate the top mostborders of the four walls of the highceiling both in ground and first floors. Aquaint, carved wooden spiral staircaseleads to the first floor. The spaciousnessof the halls and rooms is another markedfeature of this and some other palaces.This building can be cited as one of thefinest examples of adaptive re-use in theGovernment sector. The office of theHyderabad Urban DevelopmentAuthority shifted to this palace in1981and modified the structure to suit itsrequirement of housing over 300employees. A four-storied modernannexe building (two floors eachmatching with the ground and first floorsof the old one) were added in 1999 at therear end of the building, after permissionfrom the Heritage ConservationCommittee. The old and new styles blendwithout affecting the European features.Landscaping has also helped preserveold trees on the premises, one of which,it is said, still attracts migratory birds.Recently, however, the palace buildingwas handed over to the US Consulate tohouse its offices, which is the currentstatus of this grand edifice.

If you are one of those facing financialproblems for a considerable period oftime, spending a lot without a cause or

going through a patch of bad luck leadingto monetary problems then try placing thethe Feng Shui frog or the three-leggedmoney toad at your place of work or home.This mythical money frog is one of theChinese holy creatures also called “ChanChu” that protects one against misfortunes,drives away evil and protects wealth.From Egypt to China, frogs have been anancient symbol of magic, herald abundanceand fertility throughout time. They are alsoknown for their connection to water whichis also linked to lunar energies (the moonmoves the tides of water) and thegoddesses associated with the moon.The Chinese believe this frog (toad) is asymbol of your cash flow, so the bigger thefrog the bigger the flow of money. In FengShui the belief is that the money frog issinging out to the universe “My moneywishes and dreams have come true”.The Chinese frog is said to emerge near allthose homes which will be receiving goodnews pertaining to monetary gain andincreased wealth on every full moon.This frog is often portrayed sitting on a bedof treasure made up of gold ingots, coinsand jewels and bearing a coin in its mouth.The back of the money frog often shows 7diamond dots depicting the Ursa Major

The Feng Shui frog is an ideal symbol to be kept inhomes, restaurants, offices and places of business toenhance wealth and luck

It should never be placed inside the bedroom, bathroom or kitchen. Also do not placehim facing the main door which is symbolic of money leaving home. First consider the size when choosing a Feng Shui frog for your home or office space.For an average size home or office select a frog about three inches high and threeinches wide. The important thing is that whereever you put your money frogs they should be out ofsight, i.e. behind books on a book shelf.They should not be on the ground, up too high, or above the height of the pockets ofpeople coming into your home or office.You can use as many as nine money frogs (the number of completion), but if you dothey should be smaller frogs.

For WEALTHLUCK

&

Stars on which Chineseastrology is based. This is anideal symbol to be kept inhomes, restaurants, officesand places of business toenhance money and luck.The money frog has beennamed such because of itsphysical type as it bears thepakua (the baby) on the back justbelow the crown.The symbolic meaning of the frog iswealth and that of the pakua is protection,and as such, this mythical creature – theking money frog represents the unison ofthe best of both these. The money frog mustbe placed in one’s living room or the mainbusiness room, specifically at the diagonallyopposite corner of the door of the entrance.The corners are the most suited place forthe chi (ancient concepts of the Chinese thatteach the constant flow of energysymbolising health, positivity andprosperity) to concentrate.That is why this Feng Shui cure is uniqueand has great value.Although there is no limit to how many toadscan be kept it is advisable to keep a maximumof nine toads or multiples of nine.This 3-legged Feng Shui money toad apartfrom being a lucky charm has a decorativevalue and also is a good gift article.

The stately Paigah Palace in Begumpet which now houses the AmericanConsulate.

By Rachna Gupta

7September 2010

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which way do you want yourbusiness to grow?

For further details on space/stall booking, contact :Mr. Vijay Sai: 98851 15567Mr. Sunil Chandra Reddy: 92465 31642Mr. G Ravi Kumar: 98488 92000

# 102, Tirumala Shah Apartments,Yellareddyguda, Ameerpet ‘X’ Road,Hyderabad - 500 073Tel : 65572184

Nivasa 2010The ThemeWith the increasing number of commercialand residential projects taking off,competition has indeed become quite keenin the real estate domain. Costs ofadvertising and promotion too haveescalated dramatically Keeping in viewthe need of the hour, the theme of Nivasa2010 is “Challenges of Real EstateMaking.”The event will kick off with a conferencewith eminent personalities from industriesranging across real estate, construction,green engineering, finance, advertising aswell as officials from governmentdepartments addressing the participants.

TheExhibitionAn Exhibition will be organized as part ofNivasa 2010, which offers a great platform forthose involved in real estate as well as alliedindustries to showcase their products andservices to an interested audience of local &international property investors and homebuyers.On its part, APREDA will leave no stoneunturned to promote the event in order toattract the maximum number of visitors to theExhibition. Advertisements, billboards, pressconferences, media coverage and a host of BTLactivities have been planned to ensuregrabbing of eyeballs and the assurance offootfalls.

Benefitsat a glanceTo a partcipant, Nivasa 2010 means an incredibleopportunity as it enables you to:

Market directly to credible property buyersMeet interested investorsShowcase latest products and servicesBuild a client databaseGenerate new partnerships and joint venturesIncrease media exposureBuild the brandGet an edge over the competitionProfile of Participants

Nivasa 2010 is the ideal arena for real estate developers,builders, project promoters, project consultants,manufacturers of home accessories, interior designers,landscapers and associated businesses.

real estae exhibition30TH & 31 ST OCTOBER 2010 HITEX, HYDERABAD

APREDA-EENADU

8 September 2010

Compiled and Published by AP Real Estate Developers Association# 102, Tirumala Shah Apartments, Yellareddyguda, Ameerpet ‘X’ Road, Hyderabad - 500 073 Tel : 65572184 For feedback/suggestions email to

apredahorizons@gmail.com (For private circulation only.)

AnalogousThe analogous colour scheme uses colours that are adjacent toeach other on the colour wheel. One colour is used dominantly,while the others are used to enrich the scheme. The analogousscheme is similar to the monochromatic one, but offers morenuances. The combinations of these colours give a bright and

cheerful effect in the area and are able to accommodatemany changing moods.

ComplementaryThis scheme is made of two colours

that are opposite each other on thecolour wheel. It looks best when

you put a warm colour against acool colour. For example, redversus green-blue. Thecomplementary scheme isintrinsically high-contrast.When using thecomplementary scheme, it isimportant to choose adominant colour and use itscomplementary colour foraccents. Using one colour

for the background and itscomplementary colour to

highlight important elements,you will get colour dominance

combined with sharp contrast.Split complementary

The split complementary scheme is avariation of the standard complementary

scheme. It uses a colour and the two colours adjacent to itscomplementary, which provides high contrast without the strongtension of the complementary scheme.TriadicThe triadic colour scheme uses three colours equally spacedaround the colour wheel. This scheme is popular among artistsbecause it offers strong visual contrast while retaining balanceand richness. The triadic scheme is not as contrasting as thecomplementary scheme, but looks more balanced andharmonious.

Colour, colour, what colour?This question must havetroubled many of us while

trying to choose colors for a building.Be it for the interior or exterior walls,colour schemes are used to create styleand appeal. Colour plays an integral part ofany decor. It has the ability to alter theperception of space in many ways - byenhancing a beautiful detail, by subduing anundesirable feature, by imposing scale or by simplecompensating for the lack of architectural character. Colours that create an aesthetic feeling when used together willcommonly accompany each other in colour schemes. There aredifferent types of colour schemes one can follow to create amood and ambience in the room. They are often described interms of logical combinations on a colour wheel.The different types of colour schemes commonly used are:Monochromatic schemeThe monochromatic colour scheme uses variations in lightnessand saturation of a single colour. This scheme looks clean andelegant and always looks balanced and visually appealing. Theprimary colour can be integrated with neutral colours such asblack, white, or grey. They do, however, lack the diversity of huesfound in other colour schemes and are less vibrant. A specialcase is a two-colour black-and-white scheme.

CCCCCOOOOOLLLLLOOOOOUUUUURRRRRthe essence oflifeBy Asha G Acharya

(Asha Acharya is an architect and interior designer practising inHyderabad for over two decades. She has been a consultant to largecorporate houses and teaches part time at JNTU)

MAN TO WATCH

In a way, some individuals arefortunate enough to not just carryon the legacy handed down to themby their predecessors, but toimprove, strengthen and grow thebusiness that has come to them byinheritance.Sunil Chandra Reddy, 41, an MBA,seems to be one such man who tookover the construction firm set up byhis father, B. S. Krishna Reddy,about 22 years ago, and has till datesuccessfully completed 18 venturesin and around the city.His company, Sunil Constructions,today is a byword for quality andreliability and his project atNarayanaguda, Tarajit Residency, isa testimony to the principles hebelieves in. Here’s wishing him allthe luck in his future endeavours.

Sunil B. Chandra Reddy