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Hello team, I have a mango tree in my lawn. It is very close to the retaining wall of the lawn. Now the retaining wall has started to crack, which I think is due to the tree roots. I am posting a few pics of the same to get a better idea. Any suggestions to repair the damage and also preventions so that it does not occur again after repairing. Obviously I don’t want to cut the tree :)

The tree will keep spreading its roots and damage the walls near it. If you want to save the wall you have to cut the tree down.

If you want the tree and the wall, replace the masonry wall with a steel fence. A sturdy fence made of galvanised angle irons and a heavy dutu galvanised steel mesh will be strong enough.

You can go for Gabion retaining wall using same stones in Gabion wall there is no mortar and in steel mesh structure stones are filled to give weight.
Roots of tree will come from the gaps between stones and you can trim them also since there is no mortar stones can be readjusted.
You can see at link below how it looks

https://www.totallandscapecare.com/l...lls-pros-cons/

You can also consider replacing the concrete wall with Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) blocks. Just google for images.

Basically interlocking concrete blocks that dont need adhesion. If a portion of the wall is uprooted few years down the lane, you can remove some blocks, prune the roots, and rearrange the blocks. Definitely need to have some blocks on spare for maintenance.

We are going to start constructing a new house and have been working with an architect to prepare some initial sketches for the floor plan et al.

We need to now finalize the plan and come to a mutual agreement with the architect on different aspects. I'd appreciate if the members can shed some light on what should be part of the discussions with the architect.

• What all is part of the deliverables from the architect? (e.g. floor plan, 3D Model etc.)
• Do i need to engage a structural engineer separately or will the architect cover that as well?
• Is there any standard payment structure or is it project specific? (e.g. payment upfront vs at different stages in the project)
• How hands-on will an architect actually be in terms of site visits once the project is started?
• Anything else that should be negotiated at the start to avoid disagreements as the project progresses?

Thats all i could think of myself but please feel free to highlight if i have missed something critical. :)

I went through the previous posts on this thread and some members have shared that they were able to document different expenses over the course of their house construction.
It would be really helpful if you can share them(after removing any personal details of-course) as that would give me an idea on what sub-activities will be part of this mammoth exercise.

Thank you in advance. :thumbs up

Hello everyone,

Any recommendations for furniture shops in gurgaon? Is there a way to check the quality of furniture say sofa or bed?

Thanks in advance.

If you're looking at non-branded furniture, have you considered Panchkuiya furniture market near Karol Bagh? Quoted prices there are ~40% lower as compared to Gurgaon. Also a plethora of options to choose from. But make sure you negotiate hard and you might get up to 60% lower in comparison to Gurgaon.

There are a few furniture markets in Delhi that bear a visit.
1. Kirti nagar
2. Panchkuya Eoad
3. Amar Colony - they have old, antique and new furniture.
4. There are a few high end shops on MG road also.

I prefer Teak wood for all my furniture - Beds, Sofa, Tables. But now a days a lot of furniture is made of plywood and covered with fabric. Your best bet will be to visit the markets and check the following
. Type of wood used - Teak, Sheesham, Maeandi or Kail. Assam Teak is the best but the most expensive, running at Rs.4,000 per cubic foot. Kail is cheapest at around Rs.500. Teak will last a life time.
. Regarding Plywood, check the thickness of boards used. 19mm is preferred for bed. Ask for marine grade waterproof variety. That will last longer and generally has anti termite treatment.

After you finalise, ensure that they will show you the furniture before polishing/upholstery. Be very clear that you will reject if they do not, as rhe polish masks a lot of defects and inferior materials.

If you don't want to get into hassle of survey, haggling and anxiety you can try a few online retailers. Many acquaintances have opted for pepperfry furniture. They have showrooms every where and you can visit them, tryout and order.

Thank you so much anantpodder and aroy for the information. I am more concerned about the quality of the furniture as transporting furniture from delhi to gurgaon( sohna road) will cost me more than what i will save in shopping from delhi instead of gurgaon.

I hope this whole covid situation improves by october so that i can start the renovation work. Hope for the best.

Thank you both of you once again :)

• Your requirements and lifestyle, number of members in family who are going to stay and probably of guests.
  Also search on Pinterest the architecture style and designs you like. Take pictures of kind of house and facade you like and give them to architect so he has fair idea of what you want.
  Based on this usually he will come up with 3/4 design choices and based on your finalization project will proceed.
  
  
  Quote:

  What all is part of the deliverables from the architect? (e.g. floor plan, 3D Model etc.) Do i need to engage a structural engineer separately or will the architect cover that as well?

  Full drawing set including plans ( top view) elevations ( side and front view) , Electrical, Plumbing , facade designs etc.
  Normally architect co-work with structural engineer so for you architect will be front man and internally he will engage a structural design team for structure
  So architect also delivers foundation, footing , plinth, column, beam and slab design.
  
  Based on what kind of contract you have with architect it can be either turnkey ( design + execution) or just design and limited number of site visits and you engage another contractor.
  
  
  Quote:

  Is there any standard payment structure or is it project specific? (e.g. payment upfront vs at different stages in the project)

  depends on contract
  a. Some architect wants percentage of total cost of construction for turnkey contract ( range can be 5 to 10% , 7% is more typical figure in bangalore)
  b. fixed price design contract , based on amount of work involved he may estimate from your briefing a fixed price payment schedule and stages when he will visit site is agreed.
  c. Per square feet based charges.
  This is typically followed in big projects and most clean way based on complexity of design architect quotes different rates.
  
  Typically architect cost for stand alone house would be 5 to 7 lakhs.
  There are cheaper and costlier architects as well.
  
  
  Quote:

  How hands-on will an architect actually be in terms of site visits once the project is started? Anything else that should be negotiated at the start to avoid disagreements as the project progresses?

In turnkey contract where you agree for a fixed percentage of total expenses you should expect architect to be totally hands on as construction team is his and you should be doing minimal visits to keep disturbance minimal.
If you are kind of guy who is not technically minded and not too much enthusiastic about construction this will work best.

However if you are like me who goes in to each and every material example reads up on net if slag is more eco-friendly and better than river sand and find pains to search supplier or checks specifications of various TMTs don't go for turnkey contract as anyway you will end up doing job yourself.
lol:

Check mindset of architect and if it matches your mindset.

Example if eco-friendly construction is at top of your mind and all your architct has done is typical RCC redbrick walls you won't gel very well.

Similarly check his previous work generally speaking modern unconventional architect won't be good for traditionalists and vice versa

My problem was there were lot more traditionalists in industry and many architects whose work I liked were finding design of independent house not worth their time.
Finally achieved a balance and found and architect for design consulting who listened to what I want.

Are you in bangalore ? If yes can give you lots of contacts and gyan I have collected during course of my ongoing house construction

All these tremors in NCR in past 2 months have really spooked me. I'm thinking its better to insure home for such a calamity. Does anyone know how home insurances work and which one to go for? I stay in a independent home.

Congratulations and all the best for this adventure 😃
May I know the plot size ? I hope you will be able to capture the all info and events either here or on a new build thread if possible.

I'll probably get slandered for saying this, but you need to also identify a good contractor to execute the architects plans. In the end, the quality of the finish is going to be as good as what the contractor/skilled workers give you.

Good luck on the house, and remember it's your house so the more info you give the architect upfront on your lifestyle and likes/dislikes it's easier to arrive at something that both the owner and the architect are happy with.

1. Complete Design Concept (including Sketches / 3d views, etc), Design Detail, all Construction Drawings, Specifications including sample boards etc and Bills of Quantities and Supervision. Also, assistance in getting sanction and completion from Municipal Authorities (although, mostly, the Design Architect and Municipal Architect are different because a different set of talents is required to get these government clearances!).

2. Architect will hire structural engineer and pay him (you can convince yourself of his structural engineer's capability and demand to change him if necessary). Ditto for other engineers for electrical, etc.

3. Yes, there is a standard payment structure. It is given here: https://coa.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1...kid=294&lid=81 (see point no 4 scale of charges and stages of payment for architect)

4. Unless you give the architect a separate contract for project management, he will typical visit the site once a week as per 'Occasional Supervision' clause in his contract. (The Scope of Works, Conditions of Engagement and other responsibilities are given in the same website. Go to coa.gov.in and look for these details under 'professional practice'. Your category of contract is called "Comprehensive Architectural Services". All details are provided).

5. Let the architect draw up a proper contract which is based on the guidelines of the CoA (Council of Architecture, India). Secondly, don't try to enforce the conditions as per CoA if you do not want to pay at par with their terms. Make sure the number of iterations of design are clear. Make sure the architect has a CoA Registration. Most importantly for a house, make sure you are clear of how much of 'interior design' is included in the architect's scope and put it in the contract.

Architects are not legally allowed to do 'turn-key' i.e. build the building. They are liable to lose their registration if they are found carrying out contracting. Instead, focus on a good architect who will draft the correct contracts with the contractors and enforce them on your behalf. Establish a professional mechanism of daily supervision at your site. Your architect won't do it as part of the regular contract. Work out the terms with him to ensure quality. No amount of perfect design can compensate for poor execution and your standard architect's contract only covers occasional supervision.

In conclusion, You can do it two ways, either pay your consultant properly and get him to do his stuff properly and act on your behalf (though it involves identification of an honest architect first!) or pay him badly and encourage the culture of architects taking cuts and commissions from contractors. Choice is yours.

A word of advice: the Council has taken a lot of effort to put down all the details on its website. They evaluate and register professionals and so far it is mandatory. Kindly go through the website and trust a professional registered architect rather than engineers or other building professionals telling you about how architects work. Half of them haven't even seen the CoA website ever. Also, should your architect and his consultants (structural engineer) cheat you, you can complain in the council.

This is very helpful and comprehensive information @architect . I did not know that there is a CoA and they have a registry etc.