Game of drones
By capturing aerial images, assisting, virtual walkthroughs and inspecting the site, drones are helping homebuyers make informed decisions, giving realestate a topdown view
There’s finally some clarity on the use of drones in India, and the real-estate industry is among those waiting for the December norms to kick in.
Drones have considerable potential as a marketing tool, as well as for supervision of underconstruction sites in the real-estate industry. Aerial photography and videos will be able to provide precise details of a space to potential buyers.
“They can also be used to keep a schedule on track and reduce downtime, ensuring efficiency of workers on-site. Detailed shots taken from a drone can keep project managers and promoters up-to-date on progress, especially in large construction sites like townships, highways and airports,” says Devang Varma, director of Omkar Realtors.
It’s an exciting idea for developers because CAD drawings and graphic simulations can now be replaced by real, on-site visuals; buyers can track their building as it comes up.
“Drones are invaluable when it comes to 3D imagery and virtual walk-throughs, which can help buyers of residential and commercial real-estate make more informed decisions,” says Anuj Puri, chairman of Anarock Property Consultants. “Drones have already seen wide-scale adoption for marketing purposes in Europe and America. In India, drone-based property marketing has been nascent and can now be expected to grow.”
What we are about to experience is a complete transformation of how real estate projects are marketed, says Amit Wadhwani, managing director at Sai Estate Consultants. “So far, buyer involvement in the building process has been relatively low. They could have only a vague understanding of what their future home would look like. With the new drone policy, it will now be possible for buyers see, for instance, the exact distance between two buildings, existing infrastructures, amenities and everything else.”
Drone technology in marketing will allow consumers to create an emotional connect with the property. “Instead of still photographs and blueprints, drone videos will let the buyer experience the project, access minute details of layout and design. Aerial photos will capture more too,” says Manoj Asrani, executive at Brick Asset, real-estate consultants.
Effective photography is one of the key elements in the selling process, Asrani adds. “It is more impactful to show a bird’s eye view of a property and allow potential buyers to take a 3D tour of the neighbourhood as well.”
The impact isn’t going to be restricted to real-estate marketing but also influence the construction process. Construction activity can be measured and surveyed more comprehensively and accurately. “Going ahead, we believe drones will play a key role in 3D mapping, surveillance of projects etc,” says Prasoon Chauhan, CEO at Homekraft, a real-estate development company.
“Drones can help in qualitycontrol and inspection on site. When it comes to planning, the technology has helped immensely to conceptualise what development is going to be, because more often it is difficult to do so just from a set of plans,” says Amit Ruparel, MD of Ruparel Realty.
Safety and workflow surveys, digital photography and documentation, monitoring and improving worker safety will get a boost too. “The data collected using drones can also be used to compare original plans with the ongoing construction work to show customers how a site is progressing,” adds Ashish Shah, chief operating officer at Radius Developers.
The buyer’s expectations are on the rise and the use of drone technology is going to aid the developers and builders to meet them in a more creative and rewarding way, says Wadhwani. “We believe it won’t be long before potential buyers are asking for drone videos instead of brochures.”
FORM MEETS FUNCTION
The style is often characterised by clean, modern, balanced, geometric lines, overlaid with a sense of the eclectic to create pieces that are luxurious and timeless. “Don’t be surprised to find man-made materials like plastic, resin and metal combined with natural materials like jade and wood coming together to create a coffee table or console. Eclectic influences from Africa, Egypt and Mexico have resulted in patterns like zig-zags, chevron stripes, animal prints, and sunbursts in furniture and upholstery,” says Deena Rodriques, owner of Chairs and Company.
Just like the 1920s, when the style first made its way into the public eye, the new avatar keeps the look simple. This makes it easily incorporated as an overall concept or as accent elements in an urban home.
MATERIALLY SPEAKING
Look for high-quality, high-shine and luxurious materials. “Wood, tinted glass, silver, jade, ivory and lacquer, from the era of the Roaring Twenties, are mostly used in art deco designs,” says Shibani Jain, CEO and founder of Baaya Designs. “Today, it’s possible to substitute more affordable veneers, stainless steel, aluminum and plastics.”
Make sure you select pieces and motifs that display geometries and symmetries in design. The themes play with shapes and colours that are staggered and repetitive. “This is easy to do with porcelain tiles, plastics, glass, mirrors, chrome, and lacquer,” says Vikas Kesarkar, CEO of Lioli Ceramica. “Steel and aluminium are also used to complement and highlight the décor elements.” Other common textures include stucco, smooth stones in varying colours, concrete and terracotta.
Need a short cut? Just remember to keep everything in the home minimalist but with lush workmanship, fabrics or colours. “LED lightings are a craze these days which are a very good way to incorporate contemporary elements in your existing space,” says Ankur Shingal, founder of Ansavv.inc. “Pendant lights are a very stylish option for corners if space is limited.” Careful use of metals, like gold, symmetrical patterns that define areas and lines all symbolise the art deco age. “The Art Deco magic can be created easily in home interiors with shiny fabrics, metallic paints and animal prints,” says Priyank Varshney, founder of Handikart. Ashish Gupta, director of Inliving recommends you opt for “ebony, marble and rare woods” for your pieces. “Perfect contrast is important in art deco. Don’t mix and match too much.”
COLOUR CODED
In terms of colour, think vibrant and high-contrast. Gold accents, black-and-white, bronze and neutrals work well. Namrata Dutt, curator and stylist at maison15 says they “love dove gray, flat silver, brilliant red, soft lilac and emerald green” for a basic palette. “Fan patterns, dashes of chrome and elements of cubism, are some elements of this style.”
Art deco-themed ceilings are also getting popular. “Warmer shades on ceilings such as yellow, orange and red communicate an energetic atmosphere while cooler shades such as turquoise blue create a calming ambience in home interiors,” says Sudeep Kolte, vice president of sales and marketing at Saint Gobain India – Gyproc Business. “They can create an illusion of space if you use graphic prints, especially vertical stripes,” he adds.