The Timeless Legacy Of
Bungalows
by Mr. Kishor Pate, CMD –
Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd.
Pune’s residential real estate market has come a long way – especially in formats. From huts to ‘wadas’, and from there on from individual, owner-built units to modern apartments, the landscape has been changing constantly. Today, tall, modern apartment buildings reach for the skies all over Pune, jostling for space with commercial developments and older, smaller buildings.
However, none of the
residential formats available now and in the past have had such enduring appeal
as bungalows. There are good reasons for this. To begin with, Pune is a city
with a unique blend of individualism and solidarity.
This is evidenced by the
properties being maintained by the city’s more prominent families – private and
beautiful, they provide a safe haven for the inhabiting families within while
sending out a clear message of their social status.
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| Kishor Pate, CMD – Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd |
Secondly, a bungalow
is the only residential format which offers complete and unequivocal ownership
– no part of it is part of anyone else’s property. As such, a bungalow owner is
a true ‘lord of the manor’. There are no society rules to crimp one’s
lifestyle, and every part of a bungalow is a firm possession. This factor was
aptly brought out by a renowned spiritual master from Coimbatore who held a
discourse in Pune several years ago.
A man who had grown up
in and among the highly individualistic homes that defined many South Indian
cities back then, he had been invited to dwell in the home of one of his
disciples in the city.
This, he recalled, was his first encounter with the
modern ‘flat system’. He quizzed his disciple about the flat format, and was
perplexed to discover that no part of the flat was really wholly owned. The
walls were common to other flats, the ceiling was somebody else’s floor and the
floor was somebody else’s ceiling.
Simplistic though it
may seem, this evaluation is actually quite accurate. A bungalow is the only
format of built residential real estate that is an owned asset in the truest
sense.
Thirdly, a bungalow
offers the ultimate work-life balance option for those who have made it in
life. The bungalows of most of Pune’s elite function as homes as well as
workplaces for their owners. With enough space to separate work from family
life without overlap, bungalows offer the highest form of luxury and
convenience to business owners.
Fourthly, the security
of a bungalow is matchless if it is part of a modern township in Pune.
While
isolated bungalows on the outskirts definitely face security threats, bungalows
in avant-garde townships such as Bloomfield – a luxury residential project
based on the Singapore theme – have the advantage of the highly efficient, yet
non-intrusive security of the project.
This unique blend of security, privacy
and autonomy in bungalows is the result of Pune’s rapid progress towards
Western living concepts.
Finally, a bungalow
offers the ultimate bridge between generations, allowing large families with
members of all ages to cohabit is a perfect harmony of space, privacy and
safety.
Despite their unique
characteristics, bungalows are becoming very scarce in a city that treasures
individuality as a tradition and a life value.
Because of the economy of scale
that residential developers in Pune must pursue as a business model, most
available plots are now being used for the development of apartment buildings.
However, Pune still offers a limited number of exclusive bungalows to those who
will not compromise on the right to privacy, total ownership and a lifestyle
above and beyond the common denominators.
About
The Author
Kishor Pate, Chairman
& Managing Director of Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd. is the driving force
behind one of the most successful real estate development firms in Pune and
beyond.
Apart from its signature luxury projects like Montecito in Sahakar Nagar
and other premium gated townships, AEHL has also launched highly successful
affordable housing projects like Astonia Classic and Colori in Undri and the
Mediterranean-style township Astonia Royale in Ambegaon.
For media contact
Jay Kalghatgi
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