Ceramic Bangladesh Magazine

HABITATION

9TH ISSUE

CONCORD The Pioneer in Construction

Concord is the only Bangladeshi company that has completed a 720-foot tall, iconic and technically challenging structure abroad. The SINGTEL Telecom Tower in Singapore was built by Concord in collaboration with Sumimoto Mitsui Construction Company Japan. Concord is proud for the National Martyrs’ Memorial (Jatiyo Smriti Soudho), the national monument of Bangladesh, set up in the memory of those who laid down their lives in the country’s War of Independence in 1971. The monument is located in Savar, about 35 km northwest of the capital, Dhaka. It was designed by Syed Mainul Hossain and built by Concord in 1982 in only 89 days.

Read More
8TH ISSUE

Rancon’s green housing push works marvels in Chattogram

Imagine a time when greenery and what is called green growth were everywhere with the touch of green fingers. Unfortunately, we have to paint a picture in our mind to relish the green landscape of the past. Unlike in the countryside, greenery is like an oasis in the midst of concrete jungle in this time and age. Now, towns people have to escape to a distant village in the hope of relishing a piece of green nature. Greenery and foliage are fast losing out to modernity, urbanisation, and industrialisation. The port city of Chattogram is no exception. This city now abounds with bricks and mortar, stones, and concrete walls that green activists regard as a concrete jungle. If you stand on the balcony or peep through the window, it is hard to see even a piece of the sky. There was a time when a flower garden was an absolute necessity in the courtyard. Also, there used to be a fruit or vegetable farm in the backyard. However, it is time to return from the flashback to the present, as those things of the past are revisiting the urbanites through Rancon FC Properties Limited ­RFCPL‑. The realtor is working relentlessly to develop sustainable green structures, for both residential and commercial purposes in the port city to feed the growing customer demand for healthy and environment-friendly apartments. The city development authority has mandated setbacks in design to make the home environment healthy. If a building is designed according to the setback, it is sure to have space in front and back in proportion to the size of the land. As a result, it is possible to maintain adequate sources of light and air after the building is constructed. The RFCPL began its journey in Chattogram back in 2010 with an eye toward managing accommodation for the city’s growing population. However, the property developer changed its business philosophy in 2018 as it aspired to create innovative designs, maintain the finest building quality, and establish sustainable living through its creative green establishments.Since its inception, the RFCPL has been transforming the skyline of Chattogram with superior landmarks. It has an array of commercial and residential projects in various central locations such as Agrabad, Khulshi, South Khulshi, Nasirabad, Katalgonj, Halishahar, Mehedibagh, and Panchlaish. The real estate leader has always pledged to ‘Explore Excellence, and, as such, it has strived to keep its promise to meet clients’ expectations of an abundantly green living space. Tanvir Shahriar Rimon, CEO of Rancon FC Properties Limited, says his company attaches great importance to environment-friendly housing as the changing climate patterns, mostly due to reckless human interventions, are impacting lives and livelihoods across the world. “Our company aims to create lifestyles at all stages of the process, from design to construction and beyond.   It has set the benchmark for premium commercial and residential real estate in Chattogram. The RFCPL is the optimal choice for customers’ real estate demands in the port city. Each of our projects includes rooftop solar and rainwater harvesting systems. Apart from that, the building is made only after leaving enough space as per the setback to maintain the complete system of light and air,” he pointed out. RFCPL attaches great importance to environment friendly housing as the changing climate patterns. Building temperature is less than 2.0-3.0 degrees celsius than any other buildings in the country. He added, the company is crafting the art to uphold the vertical landscape in different projects, one of their specialities and attractions. Building temperature is less than 2.03.0 degrees Celsius than any other buildings in the country, thanks to use of green materials in line with their green policy, he pointed out. Major Features of Rancon Projects Green materials and equipment, renewable energy, energy-efficient technology, automation, water recycling, rainwater harvesting, and curbing the waste of building materials are the key features of Rancon’s projects. Every unit has natural light and ventilation. A green entrance and water fountain have been set up. Many buildings have special fire hydrant facilities. In the case of any fire incident, there are two types of systems: detection and prevention. Apart from home automation systems, there is a video intercom system and 24-hour security. Wi-Fi facilities are also there in many compounds. Several elevators, as well as generators, are available. Inspace, another concern of Rancon, is designing all of the projects. Wahidur Rahman, Inspace CEO, and principal architect, told Ceramic Bangladesh that international standard design, modernity, and aesthetics have been combined in all of their building projects.Additional facilities are available for exclusive projects. Facilities include, multiple basements and open ground floors with parking, reception, waiting area, gym, prayer space, community space, driver’s lounge, and laundry. An adequate green system has been built, Mr. Rahman pointed out. Eco-friendly Projects Chattogram city has been facing various problems in recent decades, such as a lack of green space, recreational facilities, and disasters. So, the RFCPL is running a total of 23 projects related to commercial and residential schemes with its green goal. White Oak White Oak, handed over recently as a green project, boasts an exquisite oak theme and is the first of its kind in Chattogram. The rainforest welcomes a visitor at the entrance. Three different lounges were purposefully made to engage the community, while space for a gymnasium and a mindfulness zone reduce stress and have a positive impact on the mental health of the dwellers. This white structure, standing sublimely in the tranquil Mehedibagh Residential Area, has not only transformed the surrounding area but has also revolutionised the lifestyle of its inhabitants. The RFCPL’s main objective of “Creating Lifestyles” has been achieved through this holistic approach.   Park Terrace Park Terrace is another project that the RFCPL has recently handed over to its sophisticated clients. It was designed to foster a sense of calm and well-being with thoughtful features that promote relaxation, focus, and connection. From the serene vertical garden and meditation place to the lush rooftop terrace spaces, they are carefully crafted to enhance

Read More
7TH ISSUE

Rupayan leans towards building more green apartments Says CEO

Rupayan leans towards building more green apartments, as its demand is going up in the country. But, higher construction material prices and apartment registration costs make a challenge for realtors, CEO of Rupayan Housing Estate Ltd. Md Alinur Rahman told Ceramic Bangladesh (CB) in an exclusive interview. Bangladesh’s real estate sector, Md Alinur Rahman said, has boomed in recent years but today it’s going through a challenging situation due to a variety of issues. The sector has earlier flourished, thanks to the self-motivated venture of Developers and realtors.   Since housing is a basic need of people, the entrepreneur said, “we lean to taking big projects on huge pieces of land to build accommodations for more people.” Despite the sector’s huge contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP), we don’t get a business-friendly policy or support from the regulatory authorities, he said in an interview. “I believe if the government and other authorities concerned are caring about the sector, it would be the best booming sector in the country.” The Rupayan Housing’s journey of 24 years has been glorious and through this journey, he said, “we have fulfilled the dreams of a lot of people by building apartments and implementing commercial projects” in the country. “We build strong and quality buildings. We have a strong and innovative culture and we maintain the aesthetic design through our creation.” Mr. Alinur Rahman added, “We are such a developer who lead from the front. We’ve created the country’s first township project (Rupayan Town) in Narayangonj and one of the biggest and first premium mega-gated community projects (Rupayan City Uttara) in Uttara in Dhaka.” Rupayan Housing’s strengths are said to be unique products, excellent efficiency, and productivity. It is a customer-centric organisation, he pointed out. “Our services create raving fan customers. We can scale sustainably and have high adaptability. We continuously work on the diversification of products and services. We are also blessed to have robust and decisive leadership.” He said their ongoing projects are in Motijheel, Naya Paltan, Mirpur-1, Tejgaon, West Dhanmondi, South Badda, Bashundhara R/A, Mirpur DOHS, and Savar in Dhaka, Sylhet, Kanchpur, Cumilla, Chattogram, and Narayanganj. “We look forward to creating more so that the Rupayan group continues to create history in the Bangladesh real estate sector,” he said. The foundation work of its green paradise in West Dhanmondi on 102 Katha would start soon. “Our first satellite town at Narayanganj will be environment-friendly.” Now both job holders and businesses are going through a challenging moment. So, apartments between 1500 and 2000 square feet are of higher demand. In such a situation, Rupayan brings to the market apartments worth Tk1.5 crore to Tk2.5 crore. Buyers had once used to look for just an apartment, but nowadays their test has changed, thanks to increased income and change in lifestyle and they want wellness, communities and condominium apartments, he said. Clients want multiple facilities together for their family members in the apartments. They want such an environment that kids and elderly people can enjoy together, he added. RHEL is a pioneer in Bangladesh providing condominiums, gated communities, and satellite towns. Considering social responsibility, “we always try to build environment-friendly housing where all aged people can be beneficiaries,” said Mr. Alinur Rahman. The Rupayan CEO mentioned that the green apartment concept came to Bangladesh about seven years ago. There are a lot of issues in green apartments such as water reusing issues, waste management, huge open space, a percentage of greenery, and soil quality. “We are seriously working to include such facilities in all our projects,” he said adding that several companies such as BTI, Sheltech, SEL, Concord, and Rangs Properties Ltd are doing it. Rupayan Swapno Niloy in the Siddheswari area of Dhaka was built as per green apartment concept. It is a high condominium project, he said. Besides, Rupayan Town in Narayanganj Bhuighar has huge open space and greenery. “Our ongoing project named Rupayan Lake Castle in the Bashundhara area will be a proper greenery building. And, Rupayan green paradise project in West Dhanmondi will be made into a natural pond.” He said, “We don’t think only financial issues before setting up a building. Our priority is to ensure a livable and quality building for our clients. As we build an apartment on our purchased land, we can provide it at a reasonable price.” The entrepreneur pointed out that of the many challenges in the real estate sector, the key one is higher price of construction raw materials and apartment registration costs. He is also concerned about the reported plan to ensure apartment registration in a full-value system. “If it is implemented, the flat registration cost will go up from Tk8-10 lakh to Tk25-30 lakh for a Tk1.0 crore apartment. “The registration process should be at a minimum rate; otherwise buyers will suffer and that will be a new challenge for the sector.” Also, the construction area will be reduced by 30-35 percent due to the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) and in such a situation, developers will make buildings jointly with land owners, he said adding that in that case, the apartment prices may rise around 30 percent. So, he recommended amendment to the DAP. There are around 250 sub-industries in the real estate sector and he felt that all should work together to ensure that the sector flourishes. He also emphasized that they try to uphold the rights and privileges of the customers from the land process to apartment handover. “We are firmly committed to ensuring our clients’ rights.” He recalled that once labours used to carry raw materials on their heads to cast the roof of a high-rise building but the trend has changed. “Now we use different type of modern machines in all our work, like foundation piling, and roof casting in buildings. We also use ready-mix concrete (RMC) to maintain qualitative value and speed up the work. The mechanism is also used in civil work, sanitary, and painting.” Now, most companies use machinery to construct their projects.

Read More
6TH ISSUE

Designing Dreams with Precision

Momen Real Estates Ltd. has been in the real estate market for a while building a successful national company. The company’s founders have been actively involved in property development since 1987. After completing a few projects with business partners, they founded their own private business house, MRS Properties Ltd., as a family-owned private company in 1995. In 2001, the business was renamed as Momen Real Estates Ltd.

Read More