-Prananda Navitas

Three towers stand tall, cranes still attached to them, unfinished.While directly next to the three towers, a shopping-center-to-be stands. These projects are only two among many abandoned projects in Surabaya; eyesores in the metropolis. They stand as if monuments of economic mis-management, and the powerlessness of our urban authorities against private investors and project developers. What can be done about these unfinished structures?

Urban Authorities

Being the citizens’ representatives, urban authorities should invite project owners to discuss the future of these abandoned buildings, and whether they will re-commence construction/development.

Project owner says “yes”: authorities should define the strictest of deadlines, and apply taxes that multiply each time the project exceeds the agreed deadline. Failure to pay these taxes give urban authorities the right to seize the project and put it on auction.

Project owner says “no”: authorities may charge him with disturbing the public right of vista (will be discussed further in this post), and bring the case to the court of law.

Project has been seized by banks: urban authorities charge the bank with disturbing the public right of vista and apply a (very large) fine. Should the bank refuse to pay, then authorities may bring the bank to the court of law. Failing to pay the fine or show up in court may result in the bank having its permit revoked and its assets seized by urban authorities.

Regulating Large Construction Projects

It is an inevitable fact that cities must have regulations concerning large construction projects. Then it is also a must that cities have regulations concerning city beautification; protecting the citizens’ rights of vista. In its implementation, and to put pressure on investors and developers, multiple taxes should be applied to large projects, and that those taxes multiply even more if the project exceeds the deadline.

A Little Something for Investors and Developers

If a new project is proposed, then it might be a good idea that urban authorities force developers to continue abandoned projects. Should they refuse, developers may be charged with disrupting the public right of vista.

Examples

A new shopping center can occupy the abandoned Carrefour structure. All developers need to do is finish the building; most of the infrastructure has been provided.

A new hotel or apartment may come out of the abandoned Adistana towers. Same as the afore mentioned, all developers need to do is finish the building!

In The End

This message goes out to designers and developers: we should consider finishing an unfinished project as a challenge. We all know that conceiving something totally new is much easier at times rather than to build on what is already there. It’s up to us all to make our cities a pleasant place to live in; thus it’s our responsibility to beautify it.

People who stay in big cities with much activities today desperately need more space. Unfortunately, in some of the big cities of the world, there are lack of empty space that can be built and its price has just rapidly increased.

So, the needs of additional space today can be done in a vertical way, not just by acquiring land for property horizontally, but also with the addition of spaces in the line of terraced housing. This is of course makes some impact on the changes of the people’s lifestyle inside. These examples can be seen in the form of studio housing types.

This type of housing is a large room which is empty without a partition as part of the strata building units. This room can be used for various activities. In Indonesia, this type of dwelling can be found in many forms, from the smallest to the largest unit row houses, apartment units, and Condominiums.

The difference between this three types of housing is about the graded as follows: in apartment, each level of floor has two or more dwelling units. While in Condominium, the floor can only be filled with one dwelling unit. Another thing to consider is, condominium also referred to as the ‘luxurious or strata title residential’. Condominium unit is lot more expensive than the price of apartment units, because Condos have been arranged only to be filled with only one single dwelling unit for each level of the floor.

Apartments can be distinguished from their price, prestige, and completeness of the facilities inside. Flat house is cheaper than apartment from the selling price and rental rates, but the facilities inside each flat are not as complete as an apartment. Usually Condominium or apartment is already well equipped with the interior furniture (all-in), and also has been equipped with air conditioning systems (AC), which is set in a central, while the flat house does not have such facilities.

The Limitation of space and the era of progress and technology was already make changes in the use of residential spaces of this studio house. In addition to use besides for resting or sleeping, people can do lots of different types of activity in this house, such as studying, working on tasks, and even have office in this type of housing. People today just use their tools: notebook  and modem while lying on a soft mattress, and can perform various activities; online shopping, transaction in banking, monitoring the stock prices, or even later can control the world away from this room.

]]> http://ar-chi-tect.org/2009/01/what-is-a-studio-house/feed/ 4 http://ar-chi-tect.org/2007/12/indonesia-the-rapid-estate-developments-growth/ http://ar-chi-tect.org/2007/12/indonesia-the-rapid-estate-developments-growth/#comments Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:31:17 +0000 Gitadevy Zuchrufi http://ar-chi-tect.org/archives/26 Indonesia, the former Nation in south east Asia developing countries has just rapidly grown their real estate developments. This archipelago celebrity like nation has just spreads the property developments in several of the province. Jakarta, the capital city, held several Giant projects like the development of Regatta, in Pantai Mutiara.

Also in several cities (means: kota) there we can see a lot of new architectural buildings, landscapes, and nodes of attraction. A lot of malls, shopping centers, hotels and public spaces also can be seen in Semarang, the capital city of Jawa Tengah, Makassar, Manado, and Surabaya, like developed by tycoons like Ciputra, Carrefour’s, the Swiss Belhotel chains, Novotel’s, and more.
Don’t forget with the Paris van Java, Bandung, that has just became the most favorable tourist attractions and shopping destinations with their Factory Outlets (FO) those spread like mushrooms in the rainy days there, even beating the other cities in other countries like Kuala Lumpur and even Singapore.
This is just also a good sign of quality and symbolizes of the nice jobs from their good governance, lead by the President Yudhoyono. The Indonesian government was re-constructed their financials sides aspects and provided secure lands and hopes for their people. The mass traffic and public transportations also become the main priorities to handle. New healthcare and the provision for better health for the common people are also the main points of the recent concern. Indonesia also become a new tour and travel destinations, because of the shock from the 1st and 2nd Bali Bomb Tragedy, the goverment has just try their best to turn down the bad aspects and obstacles, re-constructing the tourist atractions and provide a good influence for the land ownerships and investors.

As always like investor said, only search for the best property to earn the passive income. Whether location is also make the important key for real estate factor, building size and design was proven to be important, not just the location ahead. News from forbes.com said that these are some of the world’s most expensive properties, and the prices are as unique as the homes. Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan’s Aspen ski lodge lists for $135 million, while 6,000 miles away, a 64-room Istanbul waterfront mansion asks $100 million. Along Australia’s Gold Coast and across the French Riviera, they sit above the beach offering extraordinary views of the sea. In the U.K. they are palaces that humble the Queen’s Belgravia mansions.
There are also several concepts to be the highest city property price will be next. Though it hasn’t yet been built, Tim Blixseth is asking $155 million for his planned Montana lodge. He says that several members of the Forbes 400 have already expressed interest in what will be a 53,000-square-foot stone-and-wood mansion in the billionaire’s members-only Yellowstone Club. But until Blixseth finishes construction in 2008, this year’s top property can be found in Beverly Hills, Calif. For $165 million, a buyer gets a 75,000-square-foot villa once owned by William Randolph Hearst. Refer to : property price drop and London 2007 best house, also architecture world.