Mantri Agara, a reveal of a big dreamer

In the year 2012-13, we were successfully moving upright in our business with handful of fit-out jobs, somewhere we felt that our company branding is missing in the market. It may be true that working with MNCs would get a good fast revenue, besides gaining a close rapport with the interior architects but we would be off from the mainstream building design engineering.

One day, we got a call from Mantri group, for the project interest, which was started design with by then spectral consultants. We left with no choice than saying yes to accept the project design consultancy but a request with Mantri group to get the clearance letter from Spectral consultants. Our YES was mainly because of two reasons: one is to enter the market of building/builder segments for gaining popularity and the second reason was for the volume of business it was offered to us.

Th project is of 79 acres of land, very close proximity with outer ring road, with a development of 9 million square feet mixed development in nature! We had never imagined grabbing such a mass project, which would be an iconic complex in the IT corridor for sure.

We started with office complex with a built-up area of 5.5 million square feet on one go. The day has been given to us to present our schemes, particularly on electro-mechanical services, to the CMD Sri. Sushil mantri. Almost, we have spent 16 hours a day for 20 days continuously to complete our MEP presentation. On the day of presentation, we were excited to showcase our design capabilities in MEP design engineering service.

Started our presentation with district cooling, Cogen plants, power feasibilities, different grade of substations, analysis on generators with higher voltages, cable less power distribution, etc.,

CMD got attracted to one point which we were confidently saying that the project demand can be reduced to 50% without doing any magic in the project. They were very curious about achieving this as they were in the prediction of exceeding power demand as concluded with previous consultants.

The presentation was concluded with few options as against 56 different schemes presented by us with detailed cost analysis including life cycle analysis. It was made very clear to all of us that the project would not run in a conventional way as any other projects does. It was concluded that the drawings and the tender related technical spread sheets would be completed before initiating the building construction.

We’re back to drawing board, conceptualized the schemes and layout, reached to Architect for their concurrence on spaces again back to drawing board, prepare a spread sheet, reach to client’s QS team, discuss with them with cost sheets, back to studio for fine tuning the document and drawings. This went on for many months before we could submit finalized, mutually agreed drawings and document at project site, which was constructed just few weeks before but still it was under finishing stage.

Our final submissions were signed off by all the stake holders for the commercial buildings and we moved on to the residential building design. The design process went smoothly due to amalgamation of bonding between the team of client, Architect & structural consultants for many months prior to this. We thought the printing of these deliverables which are in 1000s can be taken up later as & when the construction progress. But to our surprise, we are told to print all the GFCs of drawings and documents in multiple ((9) copies.

The printing of 750 drawings and 60 document in multiple of 9 copies was a mammoth task as the timeline given was very tight. I still remember those days; our studio was working whole nights on rotation basis for few weeks to complete the printing and packing. We could send those stuff in a goods auto for multiple rounds before we could complete our committed assignment.

Although I had worked mass projects earlier with similar capacities, but this project design & deliverables will remain with me as a professional journey of one of its kind!

What inspires you and why?

Sticking to our goals, irrespective of its realization on ground, with passion and integrity is an emotional connect with the project, always.

What is your guilty pleasure?

I could see thousand of our drawings and document resting on the bare floor of the client’s office in one of the room for several months, without being used, was a painful scene to digest by a designer and recalling our guys efforts towards printing for many days!

My takeaway?

Having big dream is always a thrilling but a risky journey to accompany but absolutely no limits on your learning curve going upward with a narrow slant.