Tamil Nadu   

Duplex catches suburbs’ fancy

— Photo: A. Muralitharan.

CATCHING UP: Southern suburbs are becoming home to many “gated community” housing projects. A project being developed at Narayanapuram in Pallikaranai.

TAMBARAM: V. R. Ananthoo was a senior executive with a multinational telecom firm in Switzerland. Two years ago, he decided to return and settle in Chennai and live with his parents. “I wanted to move into a house in a decent neighbourhood amid greenery and safe environs,” Mr. Ananthoo explains his decision to move into an individual duplex house in Heritage Jayendra Nagar in Sembakkam near Tambaram.

Today, hundreds of families such as Mr. Ananthoo’s are moving into such houses within “gated communities” that provide a lifestyle which pigeon-holed apartment complexes cannot offer. Duplex houses have become an integral part of the housing sector in the southern suburbs of Chennai, where property development is happening on a scale never seen before.

Along with Maxworth Nagar in Kovilambakkam, Jayendra Nagar was among the first “gated communities” to come up in this part of Chennai about eight years ago. Detailing the concept of “gated communities” and reasons for the popularity of duplex houses, a representative of Heritage Property Development Company said every unit was “fully loaded”. The “gated communities” have all facilities that families could ask for. And unlike apartment complexes where some amenities were common, in the “gated communities”, each house has its own independent car park, borewell and a choke pit, among others. Moreover, each unit had a compound wall surrounding it.

Duplex houses are constructed by leading architects in “gated communities” spread over several acres and also by small-time builders over a few cents of land. Such houses are usually constructed on plots measuring 1,000 square feet onwards and do not exceed one ground. But occupants manage to get two or three bedrooms, a couple of living rooms, attached bathroom and toilets, and balconies thanks to an efficient management of space.

Suresh Krishn, managing director of Isha Homes, that has completed a project in Sembakkam and currently developing Signature Villas in Perumbakkam, said the key advantage of such independent houses was complete privacy as owners need not share their compound walls with others. Such houses could be customised, modified and even improved upon later, he said.

The finished houses are elegant and promoters take care of proper landscaping to ensure greenery, a luxury that comes as a bonus. Other facilities that are commonly provided within the “gated communities” are round-the-clock trained security personnel, adequate play area, an auditorium and an ample space for senior citizens to take a stroll. Further, handling and disposing of garbage and keeping the entire community clean and green was easy, as residents too contributed a great deal to it.

Some years ago, the cost of such houses was competitive as a basic unit built on 1,020 square feet with two bedrooms cost about Rs 8 lakh and people could prefer them to an apartment. But now the prices have escalated to a level where owning a duplex house has become a preserve of the upper middle class and the richer sections.

Large “gated community” projects with duplex-style independent houses are currently on in Perumbakkam and Narayanapuram in Pallikaranai and near Medavakkam, while smaller projects with about a dozen dwelling units by small-time builders are on in many pockets of Tambaram, Urapakkam and Pallavaram .

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