If promises are kept, SmartCity Kochi will have a four-storied building with 22 lakh sq.ft spread over 50 acres on the banks of the Kadamprayar at Edachira near Kakkanad, two years from now.
For a project, the foundation stone for which was laid almost six years ago, the first building that will be completed at a cost of about Rs. 350 crore, will not have come a day too soon. The initial construction works for the structure marking the first phase of the project will begin next month.
The first building will be completed in two phases. Initially, work on six lakh sq.ft will be launched and six months after, work on the remaining 16 lakh sq.ft will also be taken up.
SmartCity (India) MD Baju George said though it would take 22-24 months for the completion of the first phase, the company has set itself a target of 18-20 months. He was addressing reporters at the company pavilion on Monday about the progress made since the last meeting of board of directors in April.
Mr. George said that the proposed building would be unique compared to other structures in the city. “It will have one lakh sq.ft on each floor as against the built-up area of 30,000 to 50,000 sq.ft in most buildings in Kochi. International companies prefer such spaces. The number of floors has been limited to four so that the beautiful view of the Kadamprayar from the building is not hampered,” he said.
The construction will utilise the waterfront to the optimum to attract and retain skilled knowledge workers for whom lifestyle amenities are a top priority. There will be boat jetties, cafeteria, health club.
Sufficient parking facilities, including basement and multi-level parking, means there will be no need to park vehicles outside the campus as in the case of Infopark. The energy efficient building proposes to utilise solar energy and will confirm to green construction norms qualifying it for LEED Platinum certification, a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to encourage energy and resource-efficient buildings.
“The building will have some unique courtyards that will ensure free flow of natural light from all possible angles. Not a single tree will be cut for the construction of the building. If a tree comes in the way of construction, it will be relocated and preserved,” Mr. George said.
Servers on each floor and intelligent building management system are some of the other features. The design of has been prepared by the Canada-based architectural firm B + H.
