Diary of a Samskrutian!

What to expect in 2013 for Bangalore resl estate?

Bangalore had always been one of the favorites for real estate watchers and investors. Karun Verma of JLL writes about the possible outcomes for Bangalore. Here is an excerpt from the article.

In 2013, North Bangalore will continue to grow thanks to its massive potential for capital appreciation. On Outer Ring Road, projects under construction on Sarjapur Road will reach the completion stage and will see incremental sales because of the preference for ready-to-occupy projects by end users. This area’s advantageous proximity to the IT growth corridor will also be a contributing factor. This area will thrive on the back of increasing Information technology investments and the Aerospace SEZ being planned by the Government over the coming 3–5 years.

Whitefield will continue to yield considerable residential sales, thanks to its affordable prices, proximity to important workplace centres and the enhanced retail and social infrastructure in this location.

Hydrophonic Gardening explained!

In most of our projects, we are looking at using hydrophonic gardening to make efficient use of space, water and time! Here is a way to find out most of the info about hydrophonic gardening!

Water at Indus Valley!

Samskruti Indus Valley stands out as our special project as we have been able to achieve what many people dream of. From 1100 feet deep borewell about a year back, we could get water at less than 200 ft now! All this is due to rainwater harvesting.

You might ask, everybody these days is doing rainwater harvesting. What is different with your project?  Here are some of the points that differentiate Samskruti Builders from others.

1. We planned, designed and developed the layout as a massive water collector and storm water retainer
2. We have more than 220 wells(in phase 1 and about 450+ wells in phase 2) which perform a dual role: Hold water that is collected from the layout, replenish the ground water
3. As all the wells are connected, water is retained at the same level in all the wells

We are planning efficient systems to reduce, recycle and reuse most of the water in the property and making it a sustainable endeavour. Apart from appreciating the value of the project, we also believe this goes a long way in promoting sustainable and responsible living.

A couple of good rains and we have enough and more water at our natural stream. Here is a before-and-after-photograph. (click to enlarge).

Speak to us to know more: Call 99162 17777
visit us: www.samskruti.in
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Home healthy home!

Your home can be the denominator of your health. Here is how your home can cause illness and the care we take in designing, building and maintaining our homes!

This image is from yesterday's ET Focus and the link to online version.

Click to enlarge

Bamboo magic

Elora Hardy had it all as a designer working for Donna Karan in New York, with her prints walking the world's runways. She left it all to return to Bali and build a sustainable construction company. Hardy builds visually stunning homes out of bamboo, fantasy abodes that look derived from Hollywood movie sets.

 In this striking talk, Hardy explains the versatility and durability of bamboo, and convinces us all to become advocates of bamboo as the choice building material for construction in the tropics.

Happy diwali

Grow your own!

Now that we are clear about the importance of growing our own vegetables and food in our homes, here are some interesting points!

Banks wooing home loan customers?

Here is an article from Business Today about banks lowering charges, giving discounts and waiving off fees to woo home loan customers.

ICICI Bank on Friday launched a limited period offer of one per cent cash-back on gross EMI (equated monthly instalment) value as part of a festival scheme. "Under this cash back offer, one per cent of every EMI will be returned to the customer, apart from providing the option of renewable fixed interest rate for the entire tenure free of cost," the bank said. 

 Customers can choose to avail of this cash back offer either in the form of a credit to their account or in the form of a principal pay-down, it added. The offer will run through the end of December for new customers. The scheme covers renewal/switchover of fixed/floating rate loans without any processing fee, ICICI Bank Executive Director and Retail Business Head Rajiv Sabharwal told reporters in a conference call. 

The cash back money could be credited to the borrower's account or adjusted against the principal outstanding from the third year including the first two years' dues, and by the end of the fiscal from fourth year onwards, Sabharwal said. When asked whether the bank has priced in the impact of the new offering on the margins, he said, it will be negligible and that the focus is on customer retention by rewarding loyal customers. 

As credit pick-up remains lukewarm, many banks have launched attractive schemes to woo customers in. Last month, its rival Axis bank launched a scheme wherein a home loan borrower will get 12 EMIs waived if he/she remains with the bank for 15 year or more. 

Many state-run banks, including SBI, UCO Bank, Vijaya Bank, and Central Bank, have hit the market with combo loan offers, wherein a home loan customer gets a car loan without the process fee, apart from slashing interest rates by up to 0.50 per cent and the processing fee by half.

Smart Communities of the future

Today's ET Focus...

Smart communities of the future.
The Samskruti Way!

(Click to enlarge)

Importance of indoor air quality for dentistry!

Found this on the smart living blog. 

Indoor Air Quality Assurance has been in the spotlight and already gained awareness especially among medical practitioners and healthcare providers in Malaysia. Dr. Yogesh Sharma, BDS (UM) is a dental surgeon in an established  dental specialist center in Kuala Lumpur. He shared about his opinion regarding  this matter in his article:

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY FOR DENTISTRY.

Indoor Air Quality Assurance (IAQA) isn’t a new field in the modern science world today. The quality of air we breathe influences our health tremendously. Having a major impact on us, it has no longer become a luxury but a necessity. We assume the air around us is free from infectious disease. Why? The answer is because we simply choose to ignore them. What the eyes doesn’t see, the brain does not believe. Only when we are up against diseases such as H1N1, bird flu, SARS, and even to the feared tuberculosis, we start taking precautions and protecting ourselves from the environment we are leaving in.

As we know it, there are many diseases related to the quality of air that we breathe. On an average, we breathe about 7 to 8 liters of air per minute, 166 gallons of air in an hour, 24 000 breaths in 24 hours… in TOTAL giving us around 12,000 liters of inhaled air per day! Can you imagine in that one day, how much bacteria, fungus, and viruses we could and would have been exposed to? That’s just one day, now multiply it to the number of days you have lived. That’s about the amount of subtle damage we have gradually suffered over the years, not wondering why we kept falling sick, suffering from chronic sinusitis, headaches, unresolved coughs, allergies and lethargy. Well that is actually your body telling you how much damage you are undergoing. 

In a dental environment, indoor air quality is very crucial. Having a clean disinfected air is important in terms of creating a healthy environment free from contaminants. This is important to prevent post operative complications after dental treatment. Contaminated air in the clinic could introduced bacteria into open wounds during surgical procedures such as Wisdom tooth removal, implant placing, minor surgical maneuvers, deep scaling and others. The quality of the air inside a dental clinic could determine the outcome of many dental procedures, in terms of success rate of the treatment. It it’s very important to work in a healthy environment, for both healthcare workers and patients. As a dental practitioner, we confront hundreds of patient everyday from different countries, lifestyles and sociodemographic background. We are exposed to all sorts of infections brought in by the patients whom we are totally unaware of. All we have to depend on is a very good history taking and our 3 ply masks to protect us against any air borne diseases. Even after which, we are still unsure of the health status of these patients walking into our clinic.

Studies indicate that about 70 % of the patients treated by healthcare professionals aren’t aware of their underlying medical conditions. That puts us in a very vulnerable state; not knowing how safe the air around us that we are breathing is. The spread of infectious air borne disease in a closed air-conditioned environment such as a dental clinic could prove to be critically serious. It could spread via direct air inhalation, patients sneezing or coughing, and evaporation of the infected droplets into air usually during treatment. The infected particles introduced in the dental environment can spread from one surgery room to other areas within the clinic, via air conditioner circulation, negative pressure, air vents, or the patient and dentist himself. The sick building syndrome works on the very same concept, affecting everyone within the building radius. 

The spread of infectious disease is quite aggressive. The walls, dental chair and ceiling are easily contaminated with the microorganisms. This could harm not only the patients but any individual who enters the room. The spread of infection is unbelievable. Virulent diseases such as Hepatitis B and C could easily be contracted from one individual to another, resulting in multiple systemic diseases. Without a proper Indoor Air Quality system, cross contamination of air borne diseases between patient to staff, staff to patient, and patient to patient is merely inevitable. The implementation of state of the art technology and protocols to prevent the spread of nosocomial infection is pointless if we are still exposed to virulent air borne diseases. A good infection control system is only complete with the use of a certified IAQA system in a closed environment. 

Ever tried cleaning your air conditioner filters? The amount of dust that gets trapped inside could surprise you. Imagine if that air conditioner could suck up that much dirt from the clean air in their house, how much filtering your lungs and body has been enduring for years… without any servicing ! Similarly,  microorganisms from the air get trapped in these air conditioner filters, causing it to become a hub for bacteria growth, which later gets reintroduced back in the so called filtered air. Together with the increase in moisture level in the room, it becomes a heaven for bacteria to live in. Over time in a dental environment, molds could develop. This could affect the materials stored in the room; changing its properties and quality and thus affecting the treatment outcome.

Sustainability and the Mahatma

Found this on TriplePundit.com.

There are some sharp parallels between Gandhian philosophies and the sustainability movement.

Localism

Gandhi was a strong proponent of localism, be it food, clothing or anything else. At the time of Indian Independence, he recognized that Indians were being enslaved by their dependence on British products, especially clothing. This not only stripped Indian farmers, yarn dyers and indigo growers of their jobs but also financed the British empire. His solution was for people to spin their own cloth and wear only Indian made clothing. He believed that locally produced yarn would give people their pride and their livelihoods back.

In Gandhi’s ashram, he grew his own vegetables and kept goats for their milk, demonstrating the need to cut down our dependence on  global supply chains and cheap labor. He also had supreme respect for local knowledge when it came to agriculture, calling India “a collection of 700,000 villages” — this for the most part still holds true, but local knowledge everywhere is fast being usurped by optimization technology.

Sustainability will come a full circle only when local knowledge is recognized and given its due importance. Gandhi recognized back then that outsourcing jobs can only create a viable economy in the short-term and sooner or later the bubble will burst. I believe we are now in the reverse-globalization era and its implication for sustainability are numerous.

Austerity

In this age of consumerism and creature comforts, austerity is a concept that is often not even comprehended. Living a simple life has it benefits because it keeps you focused on your purpose. His “simple living and high thinking” philosophy is what sustainability is all about.

Civil resistance 

Gandhi’s non-violent, civil resistance movement is very much like sustainable consumption. By simply standing up to atrocities, Indians everywhere came together. Consumers everywhere, similarly need to stand up against those companies that are not ethical and stop endorsing their products.

“Poverty is the worst form of violence”

Gandhi recognized that poverty is the root of all ills and the reason why progress cannot be made. He said that unless peoples’ bellies are filled, there is no way their minds can be filled. The world faces the same struggle today and although sustainability is a way out of poverty, poverty is also a deterrent towards sustainable development.

Consolidated, joint effort 

Indian freedom was not won overnight. It started with the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 and ended in 1947 – it took over a century of resistance and turmoil before the freedom revolution saw fruition. The sustainability movement is pretty similar – it is very young and needs a tremendous amount of momentum for it to become a revolution. If the Occupy Movement and 350.org are anything to go by, we are getting there and the tipping point is well in sight.

Humility and hope

This is especially for sustainability practitioners. This line of work requires vast amounts of both humility and hope. One can never rest on laurels of past achievements and similarly one cannot also be without hope. As the field continues to evolve, so must practitioners

“Be the change you want to see in the world”

This is probably one of my favourite quotes by the Mahatma. It implies individual responsibility, accountability, and resourcefulness. To be the change, whether big or small requires grit and gumption and the most miraculous thing is that it can come from anywhere.

Picture is from here.

Go outside!

Found this picture on facebook. Computer games can never give you what a real game can. More than the physical activity, sports help in developing behavioural skills, people management and develop mental health.


Encourage your children to play outside and spend time with people than online entities.

Samskruti Builders

5 cluster towns to decongest Bangalore

TOI: The government is getting its act together to get the pressure off Bangalore by developing towns on the city's periphery and connecting them via expressways.

The Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation ( KIUDFC) has proposed to develop about 8,005 sq km area coming under the jurisdiction of Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) as a "city cluster development project".

"BMRDA has planned to set up five satellite townships and develop them as self-sustainable cities. The state government had approved a BMRDA proposal in this regard in June 2006," said Suresh Kumar, minister of law and urban development department.

The proposal is now before the Centre for its approval.

Under the city cluster development project, Bidadi (in Ramnagara taluk) will be developed as Knowledge City. Ramanagara will be developed as Healthcare city, Sathanur in Kanakapura taluk will be developed as Textile/Apparel city, Solur in Magadi taluk will be a Manufacturing city and Nandagudi in Hoskote will come up as Hardware/Manufacturing city. These five towns around Bangalore will be connected to the Outer Ring Road (ORR) of Bangalore through four-lane expressways.

Nandagudi, a Hardware or Manufacturing City?

Re-orienting the growth of Bangalore, the State government will now focus its efforts on developing the City’s western and southern suburbs.

A concept note prepared by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) states: “Some of the developments, especially the establishment of the international airport at Devanahalli, would put a number of urban settlements such as Nelamangala, Doddaballapur, Vijayapura, Hoskote and Malur, on the path of rapid development, especially on  the completion of the proposed peripheral road. With the exception of Nelamangala, the other centres are in ground water deficit areas.”

Future growth

As a result, the “future growth” of Bangalore, according to KUIDFC, “should logically be re-oriented towards the west and the south, rather than continue the past trend of development toward the east and the north”.
So, the KUIDFC will now embark on developing ‘cluster cities’ around Bangalore. In the wake of these plans, the authorities are mulling over construction of seven outer ring roads (ORR) around seven towns on the outskirts of the City.

According to Suresh Kumar, Minister for Urban Development, the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority has been authorised to submit a proposal to build the seven ring roads to facilitate the growth of the cities listed under the project.
The project will cover the towns of Kanakapura, Anekal, Hoskote, Devanahalli, Magadi, Nelamangala and Ramanagara.

Four-lane roads

All the proposed roads will be four lane. Asked whether these roads will be interconnected, Kumar said: “The roads will eventually be connected to the NICE or the Peripheral Ring Road when required.”

“The basic idea is to ensure that the commuter traffic need not enter these towns to reach their destinations. The ORRs will help in bypassing these cities which can become the hubs of various industries,” said Kumar.

The roads have been envisaged after the State government proposed to create hubs in these taluks for various purposes and develop the cluster cities.

As per the proposal, Bidadi is proposed to be developed as a Knowledge City,  Ramanagara a Healthcare City, Sathanur in Kanakapura taluk Textile/Apparel City, Solur in Magadi a Manufacturing City and Nandagudi in Hoskote a Hardware or Manufacturing City.

Line dry your laundry for better health!

Five reasons to line dry your clothes:

1. Saves money
2. Saves clothes
3. Saves water, energy
4. We go through less laundry
5. It's therapeutic



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Pay online

Pay as many bills as possible online.
Saves time, fuel, paper & is simply smart!

Water: The blue gold

Water is being called the "Blue Gold" of the 21st century. Thanks to increasing urbanization and population, shifting climates and industrial pollution, fresh water is becoming humanity's most precious resource.

Conserve | Reduce | Recycle #the_samskruti_way

At Samskruti, we respect and treat water as the most important resource and we ensure maximum saving and restoring the balance by providing low usage outlets, efficient designs to collect and store rainwater, recycle water, etc.

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Unlearn the technology

Do you realize that you are addicted and dependent on technology for everything? From playing games, reading news and sometimes even how to spend your free time?

Man is a social animal is becoming the statement of yesterday! More and more children are gravitated by tablets, phones and other electronic devices. This results in the development of individuals so engrossed int he 3 inch screen that they do not know how to respond, behave and even worse, communicate effectively with other kids, elders and family.

Unlearn this dependency and learn to spend time with people. Encourage your children to play outside, like we were privileged to do. This would not just help them shape up physically but also encourage healthy emotional and physiological behavior.

At Samskruti, all our homes are designed to encourage communication, people mingling together and promoting community and bonding.

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Not a drop to drink...

Water is a precious resource. Clean drinking water is a luxury!

Follow us on facebook here to know how we strive to conserve water in our communities.

The most important visitors to our office!

What do kids do when they come to our office at Samskruti?

They take control! See this beautiful art by a 2.5 yr old visitor to our office! While his parents discussed the floor plans and other details with us, he chose to decorate our conference room board.

We treasure moments like this. By the way, if you haven't deciphered what this is, it is an elephant fending off a tiger.

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Technology as a facilitator

Technology in Samskruti Maurya is a good facilitator. With smart meters to gauge and monitor usage of water, power, gas and to ensure smooth functioning, most of the components are designed to be automatic.

Tele-presence ensures you are connected to the rest of the world with your dear ones and intense organic farming, water conserving systems, solar panels and the specifications aimed at ensuring less usage and maximum productivity, Samskruti Maurya explores the definition of a self-sustained-smart-community.At Samskruti, all our properties are designed to have an easy access and control using technology.

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What a lemon can do for you?

Lemon is an inexpensive, easily available citrus fruit, popular for its culinary and medicinal uses. It is used to prepare a variety of food recipes such as lemon cakes, lemon chicken and beverages like lemonade and lemon-flavored drinks. It is also used for garnishing. Lemon juice consists of about 5% citric acid that gives a tarty taste to lemon. Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C. It also contains vitamins like vitamin B, riboflavin and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium as well as proteins and carbohydrates. Lemon is generally consumed in the form of lemon juice or lemon water. Lemon water makes a healthy drink, especially when taken in the morning. Daily consumption of lemon water provides a number of health benefits.

1. Good for stomach:  Lemon can help relieve many digestion problems when mixed with hot water. These include nausea, heartburn and parasites. Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently. Lemon acts as a blood purifier and as a cleansing agent. The intake of lemon juice can cure constipation. It is even known to help relieve hiccups when consumed as a juice. Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic and helps you digest your food by helping your liver produce more bile. It decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones 
2. Excellent for Skin Care: Lemon, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can participate to cure problems related to skin. Lemon is a vitamin C rich citrus fruit that enhances your beauty, by rejuvenating skin from within and thus bringing a glow on your face. Daily consumption of lemon water can make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin. It acts as an anti-aging remedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads. Lemon water if applied on the areas of burns can fade the scars. As lemon is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin
3. Aids in Dental Care: Lemon water is used in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the areas of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. The massages of lemon juice on gums can stop gum bleeding. It gives relief from bad smell and other problems related to gums 
4. Cures Throat Infections: Lemon is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections, sore throat and tonsillitis as it has an antibacterial property. For sore throat, dilute one-half lemon juice with one-half water and gargle frequently 
5. Good for Weight Loss: One of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it paves way for losing weight faster, thus acting as a great weight loss remedy. If a person takes lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and honey, it can reduce the body weight as well 
6. Controls High Blood Pressure: Lemon water works wonders for people having heart problem, owing to its high potassium content. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea as well as provides relaxation to mind and body. It also reduces mental stress and depression 
7. Assist in curing Respiratory Disorders: Lemon water assists in curing respiratory problems, along with breathing problems and revives a person suffering from asthma 
8. Good for treating Rheumatism: Lemon is also a diuretic and hence lemon water can treat rheumatism and arthritis. It helps to flush out bacteria and toxins out of the body 
9. Reduces Fever: Lemon water can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration
10. Acts as a blood purifier: The diseases like cholera or malaria can be treated with lemon water as it can act as a blood purifier

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it does otherwise." 

Aldo Leopold 

Pic

Gerrit Botha's 15 ways to reduce food costs

Found this beautiful article to reduce food costs. A must read.

How’s your monthly food bill? Is it sustainable? We’re a family of five on a limited budget from a single income, so we are hawks on food costs. And we’re living in a world of increasing food insecurity, so that it becomes more and more important to consider how we obtain our food and at what price.

1. We keep a whiteboard on the fridge and as we run out of things, we put it on the board. This is the basis of that weeks grocery list and we don't buy things that are not on the list
2. We look at the sale flyers from the newspaper for the items we use and are out of to make up the grocery list and we clip coupons
3. We make up the grocery list by aisle
4. We try to stay to the exterior of the grocery store, where we buy diary, fresh fruit and veggies, frozen vegetables in bulk. Instead of bread we buy the flour, and now the wheat to mill, and make our own bread
5. And we stay away from the processed food and the junk food aisles
6. We don’t buy anything with pretty labels, we buy the no name brands in large quantities
7. We make stuff: we make our own pasta for example
8. We eat vegetarian: it's amazing to bypass an entire aisle
9. We buy strawberries and other fruits pears, blueberry, currants in season and make jam
10. When tomatoes are in season we buy bucketfuls of plum tomatoes and can them. We make salsa, spaghetti sauce, and tomato chili
11. We use a big chest freezer to store food
12. We grow anything we can, even in containers. This past summer we accidentally grew a squash in a container full of marigolds
13. We pickle cucumbers, beets, carrots and beans
14. We make cucumber and other relishes
15. Oh, and we eat out very rarely

Food security is such a big topic and we'll come back to it regularly. But it is important to start somewhere and this is our start. We have a long way to go and much more to do. I'd be very interested in what others are doing to keep food costs under control.

Indoor Air Quality

In Indian conditions, at our homes, primary source of pollutants that cause IAQ problem -

• Smoking
• VOCs from paints
• Vehicular pollution that gets trapped in our house
• Hair from pets
• Dust accumulated on the curtains, furniture, bed
• Fungus formation/growth in utility room and bathrooms
• Pesticides used for mosquitos, cockroaches
• CO from cooking is also a bit of concern
• VOCs from aerosols such as air-fresheners and body deodorants
• VOCs from household cleaners

What we can do to address this -

• Clean, clean, clean (we often ignore the drapery and curtains)
• Get fresh air (but unfortunately, fresh air contains lot of pollutants from vehicles etc...)
• Add plants/trees around the house (these will also filter the aerosol pollutants)
• Add as much indoor plants (such as money plant) as possible
• Use low/no VoC paints, cleaners, fresheners, deodorants
• Use mosquito nets and take proper care during evenings so that you don't have to use pesticides

While constructing your home -

• design for passive air-circulation --- very important
• proper design to take care of mosquitos, insects from entering your house
• proper construct property so that radon won't enter through flooring/walls
• avoid carpet
• Use cleanable drapery
• Add internal courtyard
• Add plants, plants, and plants...

Closer than they appear!

10 reasons to eat local

Click on the images to load full size.

What the world can learn from India!

Article by our intern Michael Duspiwa from Austria.

When people in the “Western World” talk about India, in terms of pollution, waste handling, and environmental awareness, usually the perception of those persons is really bad. This has to be understood by Indians, because the main impression foreigners get in the country is that there are less concerns about the environment in India. This article does not aim to attack a people, it should show that Western countries, which are considered as the good guys in the above mentioned terms of pollution, waste management and environmental awareness, can effectively learn and copy some habits and issues from India. 

Pollution of air and land is an essential topic for every single person on the planet, it therefore should not be considered as the matter of one nation or someone else’s issue. This is a problem, which has to be addressed and it is led into the wrong direction by Western countries, as they think they are already doing enough for the environment, and argue like: “The others should do also something.” This is not the right attempt. Of course everybody has to contribute to make the world a better place, but can someone do too much for the welfare of the society?

The idea of this article is to show that not judging the others for doing something wrong is the right way, but rather that the things done by the individuals in a better way count and matter the most. We decide about our environment by the way we live, eat, communicate and go from point A to point B every day. 

Thus addressing especially western people, the following YOU can learn from people in India:

• People in India use less wrapping for food, such as buying fruits and vegetables on the street simply involves no plastic bags and other wrappings. This is a common habit of Indians buying fruits, whereas in Europe people tend to buy everything in the supermarket, which in the end results in more waste. Just because you cannot see the garbage in Europe, does not mean it is not there
• Another issue, closely related to the food is water. Do we really need a bottle for our water, all the time? A thing I observed is that drinking water is available in one bottle for re-use, at all food stands, shops and bakeries. An Indian therefore is more used to drink water there, whereas for a European it is much more common to bring your own bottle of water everywhere, and after use throw it to the garbage
• What Indians do better than any other nation in the world is actually what they do not do, namely eating meat. This point will be examined in detail in another article, but so far it can be said that by not eating meat, India is having more food available in general which results in less starving people. This is due to the fact that for producing 1 calorie of meat, 4 calories of wheat or other food for the animal has to be sacrificed
• What I am trying to say is that not just countries like India should improve their environmental awareness and the need for environmental friendly businesses, but also the Western world has to do on a constant basis. All the time there are just talks about the others which have to be more “green”, the other countries which have to do more for the environment, but in the end it is the individual contribution to the above mentioned suggestions, which make a difference. And yes it does make a difference, if just one starts to do so

The best dish in the world

Is it really the ingredients which matter most?

Article by our intern Michael Duspiwa from Austria.

If you ask a person, what is the best food in the world, what answers do you get? This is of course not predictable as the individual preferences largely vary. In the United States some people may say “burger”, in Italy the majority might tell you “pasta” or “pizza”, and on the other hand in India some people may say “dosa” is the best food in the world. But what do all this dishes of the individual persons all over the globe have in common? 

From the outside it looks like those dishes have nothing in common, one is with meat and grilled the other is made in an oven and the third one has a similar shape to pizza, but is something completely different. Thus without further examination those have nothing in common, and a comparison among them might not lead to proper results. 

But what the majority of the people asked, will tell you is that it is the pasta cooked by their mum, the burger grilled by their father or the dosa prepared by their grandmother which is the most delicious food on the globe. Thus we associate food with much more than just eating and the taste, it is the person who prepares it and the environment of the meal which contributes its essential part to the perfect enjoyment. It is much more important with whom you eat the meal and who prepares it than the actual meal. 

Where does your family have lunch or dinner, always together or in front of the TV? Especially for kids it is an important part in their education and essential in their way to become a grown up. Thus this has to be preserved as it sticks with every person for the whole life. The dinner together is an important place to talk about school, work, problems, feelings and all other issues. Now imagine how much information among the family members will be exchanged, while eating in front of the television. Nearly nothing, right?

As on the whole world things are getting faster and faster, also the time available which is required preparing a full course meal decreases. Who is usually cooking for the whole family? Yes, most of the time the women in the house. Now the question comes up why they do not like to spend so much time anymore on cooking. The answer is rather simple: Because the father is at work and the kids sit in front of the TV, and the only person in the kitchen is the mother. 

 

By simply not making the kitchen a closed room and by removing all the walls, people are going to enjoy cooking much more as it was in former times. The meals get better, the time is used more efficiently and the community feeling is fostered. Summarizing, by removing your walls and by making one huge room out of living, dining, sleeping room and the kitchen, the best dish of the future generations is assured. 

Remove your walls, it does make a difference, just one single person has to start doing so!

Water struggle

Clean water is a luxury. 

Use diligently!

Culture of walking!

With the Indian real estate market expected to grow at about 30% over the next decade, private housing sector currently contributing to about 5-6% of the country’s GDP. And with the National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy of 2007 stating that at least 50% of the population will live in urban areas by 2041, there is a need to guide sustainable mobility and infrastructure within townships that are coming up in peripheral areas.

In a workshop organised by Embarq India, town planners, architects, mobility experts as well as developers discussed the concerns with regard to sustainable mobility and special residential zones. According to the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), an SRZ is a notified region with special development rules to promote large scale, Greenfield, affordable housing projects for the country’s masses. SRZs would have a minimum number of dwelling units in a maximum prescribed size and each would require adequate social infrastructure.

According to Embarq, the concern is in the question: How are these developments envisioned? With townships being located in an area ranging from 60 acres to 500 acres, it is important that they encourage a culture of walking, bicycling and public transport.

Source: DNA & pic

Keep it clean

Found this pic on Facebook and it stirs several points in my mind. We are blessed with beautiful nature and its our responsibility to retain them in their true glory. What will you answer when your children find out you have used all their resources.

Living sustainably is our responsibility. The need is close. The need is now. Choose a cleaner, smarter and sustainable way of living because.... The Future Begins Now.

Teach every child about food

 

It is important to teach your kids where food comes from. At Samskruti, we facilitate this by ensuring accessibility to a garden where you can grow and show your children about the food they eat. This teaches, respect, knowledge and help children eat more vegetables and is therapeutic too.

Ask our team for more details on the terrace gardens, roof top gardens and living spaces that are designed to bring ancient customs, traditions and values back to our concrete jailed lives.

Subscribe to our facebook page here for more updates: http://www.facebook.com/Samskruti.in

Outdoor games are best for your kids

If you are a parent who is terrified of letting her child crawl on the floor out of the fear that he will eat dirt, then you may be doing him a disservice after all. Many doctors are of the opinion that exposing kids to dirt may have health benefits.

Outdoor games are best for your kids.

Find a neighborhood which is safe, clean and has lots of space for your kids to play.

At Samskruti Builders, we design communities your kids would love to be a part of. Huge spaces with open lawns, gardens, natural habitat which invites birds.

 Read more here:  http://bit.ly/KfLEEv

Window farming!

Do you really want a neighbor? The importance of collaboration is shown here.

 

Besides the benefit of food, the cultivation of plants in the house is fairly relaxed and helping several mental health. For the millions of people who live in apartments and are really disconnected to the origins of their food, this model of production is excellent. Not only to help create more local food sources, but to bring a greater awareness among urbanites with respect to agricultural and environmental issues.

At Samskruti, we believe in community being the ultimate fibre that holds the families and cities together. Join us in rediscovering the value of citizens united, and to declare that we are all still pioneers.

Re-localizing the global food supply: The Samskruti Way

What we need is a network of people taking a hands-on approach to re-localizing the global food supply.

@Samskruti, we believe in producing most of the food in your own garden, terrace or on your roof. Ask us for more details about how this simple change can change your life and redefine how you look at food and sustainability.

Visit: http://www.facebook.com/Samskruti.in for more updates.

Green is our lifeline!

Green is our lifeline!

Bengaluru: The water connection

Terrace Garden

Tossing and turning? With a plant in your bedroom/balcony, you’ll fall asleep faster, have fewer nighttime awakenings and enjoy a deeper sleep. Scientist say sleeping in space with lots of oxygen in the air increases the duration of deep sleep by 10% and even helps cure sleep apnea.

Most plants emit oxygen during the day, but some work night shift, absorbing toxins and carbon monoxide and giving off more pure oxygen at night, when you need it most!

We can help you select from plants that will accentuate the look and feel of your apartment. Apart from the oxygen, plants provide a rich, aesthetic and luxurious visual comfort and feel that is also natural and healthy.

At Samskruti, we ensure your indoor air quality is better by using materials with lower emissions, ample day-lighting, free air flow and lot of other factors. This allows a lot of fresh air to your rooms and more oxygen with lots of plants in your balcony.

All apartments at Samskruti Hoysala have a private designer family area with planters and green space which allows you to breath better, feel better and live better.


Pic is from here.

Control indoor pollutants

Tips that will help control indoor pollutants:

1. Test for radon and fix if there is a problem
2. Reduce asthma triggers such as mold and dust mites
3. Do not let people smoke indoors
4. Keep all areas clean and dry. Clean up any mold and get rid of excess water or moisture
5. Always ventilate when using products that can release pollutants into the air; if products must be stored following use, make sure to close tightly
6. Inspect fuel-burning appliances regularly for leaks, and make repairs when necessary
7. Consider installing a carbon monoxide alarm

At Samskruti, we ensure your indoor air quality is better by using materials with lower emissions, ample daylighting, free air flow and lot of other factors.

You live better when you breath better.


Read more tips here & image is from here.

Pay bills online

Pay as many bills as you can online. This saves your time, fuel, energy and is a smarter way to keep track.

Image is from here.

Samskruti Indus Valley

A video shot at Samskruti Indus Valley, a residential eco-friendly plotted development in Bangalore. This is a video shot in March, 2011 @Phase I.

Say no to the plastic spoon!

Lot of effort goes in to the making of a plastic spoon(which is very inefficient and clumsy) that you hardly use for 15 mts. It is not biodegradable easily and ends up polluting.

Refuse | Reuse | Reduce | Recycle  # Samskruti Builders


Image by maxistentialism.com

Dream neighbourhood

Just a dream home isn't the goal now. A dream neighbourhood where you know people around you and share the values and beliefs you share, think on similar lines and grow together.

At Samskruti, we strongly believe likeminded people will make the community vibrant. In all our properties we ensure that most of the points discussed in the video above are taken care of in order to ensure a healthy and smart way of living.

How to grow tomatoes in your garden!

Home grown!

My grandfather was a freedom fighter and lived most of his life in a village barring few trips to a nearby town for an occasional movie. Yes, the good old black and white movies where the script and lyrics were more important than actors and music.After settling all his children he still stays in his village despite all of us inviting him to our homes. Every morning he wakes up early, takes a walk, collects milk from his cattle yard and then is fresh and ready by the time we usually wake up. He has a small piece of land where he grows paddy and toiled on his own. You might not believe it but he is more fitter than I am now!

Change of scene when he visits his daughter, my mother and it is fun to watch him fuss around the house with our comfort, if we are misguided to think it is, and keeps telling us what to do and what not. A part of him still looks at us as grand children who grew up on his shoulders in summers and accompanied to the fields for trips constantly asking him lots of questions to which he patiently answered. I love spending time with him as he is better than wikipedia!

When he saw our small home garden my mom tends to, he gets going. He cleans it, touches the plants, rips off leaves, adjusts the angles, provides support and weeds it while continuously telling us which plants to keep and why we should have tulsi leaves with tea, keep digging the soil and what natural manure we should use and so on. He doesn't mind eating brinjals every day of the week if it is from our garden. Every time he has the first morsel, we know what happens. If it is from our garden for him it tastes better and if it is from the supermarket, it doesn't. He can even taste plastic in which it is packed and pesticides and overall unhealthy feeling.

Over the years after I moved out of home for studies and years of living in hostels, I yearn for my mom's food. Don't know how many times, I had posted about my mom's food on facebook and orkut and how many likes I got :)

Every once in a while when someone is coming from home, I get a dabba. Home cooked food from mom and trust me there is nothing better. May be I have grown to appreciate it more now but it tastes 100 times better than the food I have had in the best of hotels. I don't have the measure but it tastes much better when the vegetables are from my home garden. I know it is healthy, tastes better, is cooked with love and affection. I also know it is smarter and more eco-friendly than what I buy from the supermarket.

At Samskruti, we want you to get an opportunity to have small happy moments that you miss or have no time for. Every home @Samskruti, either in Maurya or Hoysala or Indus Valley, have an option to have a terrace garden or a roof-top garden where you can grow vegetables, flowering plants and even fruits. This is not just for decorative purposes but for more aesthetic purposes than one.

You can teach your children, like we learnt and appreciate now more than ever, where their food comes from and how much effort goes into that. Research suggests that gardening is an excellent therapeutic tool and if it comes with several advantages, then why not! Skip the supermarket option and see if you can grow something in your backyard. More than the money you save, the joy you would get out of this would be priceless.

Improving Indoor Air Quality

Steps to improve Indoor Air Quality:

• Environmental asthma triggers: are found around the home and can be eliminated with simple steps
• Don’t allow smoking in your home or car
• Dust and clean your home regularly
• Clean up mold and fix water leaks
• Wash sheets and blankets weekly in hot water
• Use allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers
• Keep pets out of the bedroom and off soft furniture
• Control pests—close up cracks and crevices and seal leaks; don’t leave food out

At Samskruti, we ensure your indoor air quality is better by using materials with lower emissions, ample daylighting, free air flow and lot of other factors. You live better when you breath better.

Read more tips here & image is from here.

Unplug!

Most of the devices still consumer power when in standby/off mode if plugged. Unplug to save power and ensure a longer life to the appliance.

Watermelon, The Healer!

Summer is fast approaching and you are already observing the first signs of dehydration. Water alone cannot quench thirst. You need to supplement that with many more interesting ingredients and nothing is more easy and simple than the watermelon!

Yes. No other fruit says summer quite like thirst-quenching watermelon. This member of the Cucurbitaceae family owes much of its health-giving powers, as well as its fetching blush, to an abundance of the phytochemical lycopene. 

"By helping counter oxidative stress, lycopene may play a role in taming certain cancers and maintaining healthy eyesight," says Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, coauthor of The SuperFoods Rx Diet. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women with the highest levels of lycopene in their blood were half as likely to develop cardiovascular disease as women with low amounts. 

Watermelon is also rich in citrulline, "an amino acid used to make arginine, which relaxes blood vessels to help maintain a healthy heart," Bazilian adds. And those seeds we tend to discard? They're packed with magnesium, a mineral vital for nerve function, blood pressure regulation, immunity, and bone health.

Sweet, juicy watermelon wedges are perfect fare for a picnic snack. Try pouring puréed seedless watermelon into ice cube trays, freezing, and adding to your favorite beverage. Watermelon also livens up salsas, chutneys, compotes, vinaigrettes, and spinach or watercress salads. A carved-out watermelon filled with seasonal fruits can create a colorful centerpiece. I also found a watermelon pickle in Namdari's last year! As for the seeds, try roasting them, then tossing into oatmeal, soups, or salads.

Research suggests that keeping whole watermelons at room temperature can increase their lycopene levels by up to 40 percent. Once cut, watermelons should be refrigerated to help preserve freshness and flavor.

Now you know a healthier choice for quenching thirst and not adding to your calories.

Pic is from here.

Minus one project

I saw this video sometime back and makes sense. Just by reducing a font size, if you can reduce paper consumption, then why not? It is easy to carry, exchange and simple.

Eat Smart. Your Food Choices Affect the Climate

(Click on the image to see full size)

GHG data based on lifecycle assessment by www.CleanMetrics.com.

Take shorter showers

Spending only 5 minutes in the shower saves up to 30 litres water each time!

Go out and play!

If you think your children are glued more to the computer or tablet then it is time to worry. Encouraging more physical activity can help in reducing risks like obesity and improve better health. Playing outside the house also encourages social interaction, improves problem solving ability and confidence as they learn to negotiate, cooperate, and share.

So outdoor play area has always been an important component in all our designs. At Samskruti Indus Valley, we have a spacious play area coming up with all the modern amenities. At Samskruti Maurya, we have a 4.75 acre playgound which would cater to the 525 villas in the property. 

Top 5 ways to Live Green

Living Green isn't difficult. It starts with making a decision to start changing and then making one small change every day to your lifestyle.

Small changes like disposing waste in a proper manner and using less of water and energy which we usually ignore can make small but imortant choices. You would end up not just saving money but also healthy.

@Samskruti we ensure we make a smarter decision by choosing the eco-friendly way. Our systems, choices and decisions are dominated by the conscious choice of being a greener, smarter builder.

The Future Begins Now!

We are on facebook now!

You can sign up for more details and it is an easier option to stay updated on what is happening at Samskruti!

Samskruti Hoysala Concept

(Click on the image to expand)

Smart sprinkler

Installing a smart sprinkler controller that adjusts watering based on weather, soil type, amount of shade and plant type can save water.

Organic gardening

Samskruti Indus Valley

Samskruti Indus Valley derives its name from world's earliest urban civilizations. Like Indus Valley civilization, we at Samskruti, believe in living with in consistence with the nature. Samskruti Indus Valley offers eco-friendly residential plots

To see the development in Phase I and most recent pictures, click here: https://picasaweb.google.com/108136643320625464867/IndusValley?authkey=Gv1sRgCPS6xpf3uvbM1gE

(Click on the image to expand)

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The water cycle

Roof-top garden

"What is a roof-top garden?"


"Please come here and look at this model here. You can have a small garden on your roof. You could grow some vegetable plants, fruits and creepers here."

This is how discussions at our office go. If there is a lady, then she would ask some more questions about the type of soil, plants she could grow and so on. If it is a gentleman, he would like to know if water will seep, will the garden increase the weight on the ceiling and so on. But people appreciate the concept.


Rooftop gardens can also help absorb heat and act as insulators, reducing the energy needed for cooling or heating; provide low-cost food and also a refuge for bird, bees and insects. These benefits are clearly transferable to your locality and urban agriculture can play an important role in strengthening the resilience of cities and their populations against the impacts of climate change. According to the UN Population Fund, about half the world population already lives in urban areas with the number expected to reach some five billion by 2030.

Being able to supply their own fruit and vegetables is clearly an advantage in a time of food scarcity and rising prices. And it’s also not impossible. Hong Kong and Singapore, for example, both produce more than 20% of their meat and vegetables within the city limits. As well as the environmental and economic benefits, rooftop gardens also bring a much needed splash of colour to our rather grey concrete jungles so lets get gardening!

All the villas in Samskruti Maurya have access to a small garden, most of them being roof-top. Only the ones who experienced it will know the joy of eating something from your own garden. It not just tastes better but also is an healthier and smarter choice. If you could grow only 5-10 kgs of vegetables depending on the space you have after allocating a small space for the good old Tulsi, you could still save around 700-1000 rupees a month.

What do you think?