The pandemic has certainly accelerated certain trends and affected many of the underlying demand drivers in the real estate industry. Aspects like affordability, understanding the significance of home ownership, and the importance of living in green and wellness-infused homes, are driving real estate developers to help the industry ‘build back better’.
For too long we have accepted our built environment the way that it was: capital intensive assets with little attention to sustainability and flexibility. But it’s time to ask for more. It’s time for our spaces to help us live healthier, more productive and connected lives, all within an efficient and affordable setting. And the industry is ready to deliver the same.
Metropolitan cities are becoming overcrowded and have clustered housing with exorbitant residential rates. Plus, there is a dire need for environment and budget friendly housing. Constructing energy efficient yet affordable homes while respecting natural resources is the way forward to achieving a low carbon footprint and a sustainable environment.
The choice of materials for construction is based on cost and efficiency to combat the loads and stresses acting on the structure. During the construction of a real estate project, architects, developers and builders are actively involved in the process of deciding the type of Construction and Building Materials to be used in the project.
At Roha Realty, we believe that we are also accountable for the ecological impact on the environment. Selecting green building materials can take us a step closer towards attaining a green real estate future.
Harshvardhan Tibrewala, Roha Realty
Concrete, steel, and wood have varied properties like weight, strength, toughness and valuation making them apposite for certain applications. These raw materials used in construction are natural resources often transformed to appropriate forms through modifications by numerous processes. These raw materials along with up-to-date technology of construction create exceptional residencies and commercial spaces. In fact, the construction domain is witnessing many technological progressions, including the use of ground-breaking construction materials.
AAC blocks: At Roha Realty, there is minimum use of steel and cement. We use AAC blocks for the internal block works. An excellent substitute for red blocks, AAC blocks are made of fly ash (by-product of coal) and cement. The weight of AAC blocks is about 80% less than conventional red bricks which leads to a decline in the usage of cement and steel, thus, saving costs. Furthermore, being ecologically-friendly, AAC blocks enable more sturdiness, better workability, and faster construction. They are also earthquake-resistant, offer thermal insulation and energy-efficiency, fire-resistant, sustainable, sound and moisture-proof, and cost-effective.
WPC: The doors and door frames in our projects are of the eco-friendly WPC. This is the most preferred sustainable building material because it uses minimum wood and plastic and is recyclable and has a longer shelf life. Despite not being very well-known and equated to the typical building materials, WPC does offer numerous advantages like being water-resistant, easy-to-maintain, durable, and slip resistant.
Ready mix plaster over conventional plaster: Ready mix plaster is a mixture of cement and fine graded sand mixed with polymer additives in appropriate proportions and obtainable in a ready-to-use form. Ready-mix plasters are used widely in brick, block, and plastering works. A superior quality plaster material, it acts as a skin of the overall structure and safeguards the structure from rain, heat, and moisture. It is applied by just mixing water in accurate quantities. It offers the built structures benefits like less application time, minimum shrinkage cracks, negligible wastage, minimum rebound wastage, and is easy to handle and store.
Fire-retardant: Fire-retardant materials that help prevent fires and slow down the spread of fire, are present in building materials, textiles, and electronics. All the electrical cables that we use in our projects are fire retardant for safety.
