Interiors

January 11, 2022

Italian Marble and Natural Stone Selection in Delhi NCR

In January 2022, we did a market survey to find Italian Marble, Onyx and other natural stones in Delhi NCR. Some of the markets visited were the Sector 34 Marble Market near Hero Honda Chowk in Gurugram, the marble market in Rajouri Garden and the market after Chatterpur temple area. Our key concern was that with the increased cost of shipping containers, the cost of imported natural stone would have gone up too. We often have to quote for imported stones listed in tenders and BoQ’s, so it was important for us to keep a tab on the prices and availability in the markets.

Uses of Italian Marble and Natural Stones

Natural stone is a thing of beauty, it is mined from the earth and each stone has a unique pattern. Imported natural stones like Italian marble are often used in office reception and lobby floors. Other stones like Onyx are used to create tables and counters. Natural stones are also used in washrooms, collaboration areas sometimes in specific meeting rooms too. This is, of course, for commercial projects whereas natural stones are an item of choice in residential drawing rooms, washrooms etc.

Wide Range and Choice to suit budgets

As of January 2022, we did not see any reduction in the availability of Italian marble and other stones. A very wide range is available, probably over a 100 variety of imported stones can be found in stock in these markets. The price also varies, from Rs. 200 per square foot to 8000 per square foot. Between suppliers, we noticed a variance in prices of similar products too, so negotiations need to be done in these markets.

Lot and size restrictions in Italian marble

Most stores had one or two lots of a particular type of stone. For example, when we liked a particular Botticino marble, the supplier only had about 2000 sq feet of that lot. The pattern and shade in the next lot was very different and would not match the other lot. Therefore, it is important to discuss the quantity required and find lots that exceed the quantity. The size of imported stones available varies from 6 feet to 10 feet in length and 2.5 feet to 6 feet in breadth. Most marble slabs were about 8 feet long and 3 feet in breadth, with thickness varying from 16 to 19mm. The look and feel of the installed floor would change based on these sizes, so while selecting the right stone, we need to know the size of the floor and number of joints required to cover the floor.

Polished Italian Marble Stone

While the markets have a very wide variety of stones, including stones from Oman, Turkey and other places, Italian Marble is the most sought after. The lighter shades are very suitable for lobbies and receptions. Some beige Italian Marble varieties are available in a price range of Rs. 300 to 500 per square feet and are quite good for commercial purposes. On the other hand, whiter varieties like Statuario can go up to Rs 5000 per sq feet.

Here’s a list of over 50 stones we saw, along with their images. None of the stores have a fixed price-list on offer, the list is only a reference to identify the kind of stone required. Whether the stone would be available or not, in what quantity and what price, will keep changing. That is often what is exciting about buying natural stone, you have to find the perfect lot and that lot will be the only one of its kind that nature has made for you.

Italian Marble and Natural Stone

Natural Stone Name	Natural Stone Image	Natural Stone Name	Natural Stone Image
Atlantis Beige		Arabescato Black Orobico
Armani Grey		Black Forest
Botticino		Brescia Aurora Dark
Burberry Beige		Calacatta Statuario
Champagne Onyx		Crema Valencia
De Martino
Ebony Grey		Elegant Grey
Feather Grey		Fior Di Bosco
French Black		French Brown
Georgian White		Green Onyx
Grey Chianti		Grey Orobico
Grey Sanata		Grey William
Hermes Grey		Ice Onyx
Jungle Concrete		Lilac White
Mango Onyx		Morocco Beige
Nero Saint Laurent		New York White
Orange Onyx		Orobico Classico
Pebbles Grey		Perlato Royale
Picasso Blue		Picasso Grey
Pink Chianti		Pluto Grey
Premium Grey		River Black
Rosso Orobico		Saran Collin
Silver Wave		Statuario
Statuerietto		Swiss Gold
Swiss Grey		Tassellato Grey
Tiger Onyx		Timber Onyx
Travonyx		Turbo Onyx
Venetian Blue

January 8, 2022

Design-Build or Design-Bid-Build: Which works better for you?

The construction of the Taj Mahal, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, was started in the year 1632. While the main mausoleum was completed 11 years later in 1943, work in the rest of the 42 acre complex eventually finished in 1653. It is said that over 22,000 labourers, guided by a board of architects, worked for over these years to complete the construction. Was the contract for building the Taj Mahal a Design-Build or Design-Bid-Build, we will probably never know.

Decision on the method of execution of a project today is taken at an early stage. While there are several delivery systems to execute construction and interior projects, the two most popular ones – Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build are the topic of this post.

Who decides which system to choose for a project?

For any client, the completion of a project has many ramifications. They need to plan the finance, timelines and the use of the building once completed. The quickest way to get it executed is with the Design-Build system while the Design-Bid-Build system can save some costs but add extra time to the project delivery. Therefore, it is the project owner who must choose the system before starting the project.

The Design-Build System

In the design-build project delivery system, a single firm, usually a construction and interiors company like Newton®, enters into a contract with the client to handle the entire project on a turnkey basis, including the design and execution of the project. The company then employs it’s inhouse architects or partners with other architectural firms to create the design. The design is executed by its teams or subcontractors and a finished project meeting the design intent is handed over to the client.

There are several advantages of the design-build system:

Single ownership and responsibility of the project
Open and transparent communication, better coordination between client and contractors
Adversarial conditions are avoided
Design intent is not diluted
Faster project delivery

In the design-build process, the company that owns the contract bears all the project risks. They are therefore responsible for delivering the project on time to avoid penalites.

There are some disadvantages of the design-build system.

The clients feel they may end up paying a slightly higher price than the Design-Bid-Build system.
The risk of the entire project is in the hands of one company, and if that company is not trustworthy or capable, the project can suffer.
Very less involvement of the clients in the execution process

The Design-Bid-Build System

In the design-bid-build system, the clients usually hire an architectural firm to do the design. The firm submits the drawings and tender documents to the client, who invites bids from multiple companies like Newton®. There are rounds of negotiations and the firm that offers the best value is awarded the contract to execute the project.

Some advantages of the design-bid-build system include:

The client is assured of a lower cost of the project and can negotiate better terms
Specialist design firms, that do not involve themselves in execution, can be hired for design
The architects look out for the interest of the client, and ensure contractors deliver to specs.
The client has more involvement in each stage of the design-bid-build process.

However, the design-bid-build process also has disadvantages.

The architects fee, when added to the construction cost, sometimes takes the overall cost higher than what a design-bid system would have delivered.
Often, clients choose the lowest bid and get contracts who do not have capabilities to deliver high quality.
There are conflicts between the clients, architects and contractors which delays decision making and overall project timelines.
Cost escalation and delays in such projects is quite common.
When the overall project execution turns out to be sub-par, there is finger pointing between contracts and architects.

So works better for you – design-build or design-bid-build?

While both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, here are some pointers based on our experience of the past 25+ years, that might help you decide which system to go in for:

For civil construction of large buildings, that needs specialist consultants like structural and MEP consultants, it is often better to go for a design-bid-build system. For smaller residential buildings, a design-build firm would be able to execute faster and at a lower cost.
For interiors, of any size and type, it is better to opt for the design-build system as this eventually leads to time and cost savings.

The above pointers might not apply in some specific projects that have complexities. We would be happy to discuss your project and give proper guidance on the best way forward, do contact us.

September 22, 2021

Planning Office Interiors: 3 key focus areas

When planning office interiors, there are many considerations a design and build firm needs to look into. From the discovery and analysis of user requirements to project costs and visual appearance, there are many areas to focus on. In this detailed and complex process, many firms often reduce or miss the focus on the very basics areas that are essential to a well-planned office. In this article, we look at 3 of those basic areas, which we feel should always be focus areas:

Air Quality

While planning office interiors, designers and architects often leave the planning of air quality to external consultants and accept their recommendations without looking at ways to improve it. While air quality in itself is a vast subject, here are some key points that should be incorporated while planning air quality:

Maintain a constant temperature during the year – this will require mechanical heating and cooling of air.
Add fresh air to a closed office space. As a rule of thumb, planning for the addition of 15 to 20cfm of fresh air per person is essential to keep oxygen levels high in the office area. Before inducing treated (heat/cool) fresh air, dust particles can be filtered out from it.
Plan for ventilation of air, especially in areas that could have a smell, like washrooms, pantries etc.
Distribute the air evenly – ensure that ducts throw air evenly across the office space and the return vents are planned in such a way that air can flow across the space.

While this is a very brief pointer to planning air quality in office interiors, other details such as heat load calculations, noise levels due to HVAC etc should not be ignored. A good design should be compliant with ANSI/ASHRAE or equivalent standards for ventilation system design and acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ).

Sound

Office interiors require proper acoustical planning. There may be areas in a plan that will have higher noise levels, such as a collaboration space, coffee stations or the reception area. There will also be areas that have very low noise levels, such as office cabins or meeting rooms. We know that sound travels within a confined space, so it needs to be controlled or managed. Here are some pointers to planning sound levels in office spaces:

Measure or calculate ambient noise. The location of a building can cause a variance in the ambient noise in the area, knowing the base value and then planning the space helps.
Dampen noise from equipment. No one in the office wants to hear the humming sound of air conditioning or the noise from coffee machines etc. Creating partitions around such equipment or areas can vastly reduce noise.
Consider the acoustic performance of materials used in creating spaces. Partitions, doors & windows and openings need to be planned with the right level of acoustic performance so that each space has lower ambient noise. Low noise levels could have acoustically treated ceilings while high noise level areas could have exposed ceilings.

Noise levels above 85 dBA are considered hazardous. Open-plan offices should have noise levels of 49-58 dBA as per ASHRAE standards. The aim should always be to reduce ambient noise as much as possible.

Lights

In addition to Air and Sound, Lights are the key to office interiors planning. While the focus should be on creating an equal lux level across large spans of office spaces, it doesn’t end there. These are some key points to keep in mind while planning the lights of office spaces:

Color Temperature of lights can vary between 2200 and 6500 Kelvin degrees. Neutral to cool color temperatures (3000-4000K) are generally appropriate in office spaces.
The brightness of the lights is essential in workplaces. Maintaining lux levels of 400-500 is the ideal practice in offices. Focus areas can be brighter while some spaces can have warmer, dimmed lights
LED lights allow for different kinds of control, sensor-based, time and season-based as well as environment-based. The aim is to vary the light color or brightness to match ideal requirements.
Use Mood lighting, cove lighting and various other techniques to create an interesting environment.

Dimmable lights or color-changing lights in certain areas of the office allows the same space to be differently experienced. Lights can be used very effectively to plan office interiors in a creative and innovative way.

With Air, Sound and Lights sorted, you can plan the next 3 major elements of your office space – floors, ceilings and walls. It is assumed that space planning, seating plans and other requirements have already been designed.

To plan your office design or to renovate your office, do contact us.