THE JOURNAL
From the Studio, page 9
Cost Guides
Budgeting for the Costs Nobody Quotes You at the Start
The hidden costs of building a house in Kolkata that no quote includes: approvals, soil, utility deposits, interiors and the settling year, explained by a New Town architect.
Decision Guides
How Design Decisions Affect What Your Home Is Worth Later
How design decisions affect your home's resale value in Kolkata: layout efficiency, sanction compliance, waterproofing and parking choices that hold value for years.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Ramp and Accessibility
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar breaks down NKDA rules for ramp gradients, accessible entrances and lift access in New Town, with a worked example and what actually gets plans rejected.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on the Most Common NKDA Setback Miscalculation
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar breaks down the setback miscalculation that stalls NKDA sanction most often, with a worked example, a real cost breakdown, and how to avoid it.
Local Guides
Building or Renovating in Lake Town: What the Housing Stock Demands
Building or renovating in Lake Town, Kolkata? A practical architect's guide to the ageing housing stock, structural surveys, sanction paperwork, damp and budgets.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Boundary Wall Height
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar breaks down NKDA boundary wall height rules for New Town plots, covering setback zones, road-width tiers, gates, and the drawings that get compound walls sanctioned on the first try.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Staircase Width and Headroom
Studio Contour's principal architect Sumana Kumar breaks down NKDA staircase width and headroom rules for New Town homeowners, with worked examples and sanction-process context.
Practical Guides & Ideas
The Real Sequence of a Kolkata Self-Build, Month by Month
A month by month guide to the real sequence of a Kolkata self-build, from plot papers and feasibility through sanction, structure, services and final handover.
Hiring Guides
Who Is Sumana Kumar? The Principal Architect Behind Studio Contour
Sumana Kumar is the principal architect and owner of Studio Contour in New Town, Kolkata. Here is her practice, her approach to NKDA, KMC and Bidhannagar sanction, and what it means for your plot.
Local Guides
Designing for a Narrow Plot in Baguiati
Designing for a narrow plot in Baguiati: real usable width after setbacks, stair placement, light courts, sanction steps and indicative costs, from a Kolkata studio.
Hiring Guides
How Sumana Kumar Runs an NKDA Sanction File From Drawing to Approval
How Sumana Kumar of Studio Contour runs an NKDA building plan sanction file from site survey to approved drawing, and why most delays are file-assembly problems.
Local Guides
Renovating an Old Bungalow in Behala Without Losing Its Character
How to renovate an old Behala bungalow in Kolkata without losing its character: condition surveys, damp and structural repair, rewiring, approvals and indicative costs.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Balcony Projection
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar breaks down how NKDA actually measures balcony projection in New Town, what gets plans rejected, and how the math works on a real plot.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Lift Provision
Studio Contour's principal architect Sumana Kumar explains how NKDA treats lift provision in New Town, from when a lift becomes mandatory to shaft clearances, fire norms and common rejection traps.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Septic Tank Placement
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar explains how NKDA-facing septic tank placement actually works in New Town: setbacks, sizing, soak pits, and the plot layouts that get plans rejected.
Hiring Guides
Sumana Kumar on What 330+ Buildings Actually Teach You About Kolkata Sites
Sumana Kumar of Studio Contour on what 330+ buildings across New Town, Salt Lake and Kolkata teach you about soil, setbacks, FAR and hiring the right architect.
Hiring Guides
Meet the Principal Architect: Sumana Kumar's Approach to New Town Projects
Meet Sumana Kumar, principal architect of Studio Contour in New Town, Kolkata: how she reads a plot, works within NKDA, KMC and Bidhannagar sanction processes, and designs.
Local Guides
Renovation Realities in a Ballygunge Cooperative Building
Renovating a flat in a Ballygunge cooperative building in Kolkata: society approvals, old RCC structures, plumbing risks, timelines and realistic costs from a working studio.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Basement Ventilation
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar breaks down what NKDA actually expects for basement ventilation in New Town homes, from shaft sizing logic to the mistakes that get plans sent back.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Compound Wall Setback
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar breaks down NKDA compound wall setback rules for New Town plot owners, from boundary height limits to corner-plot traps and rejection risks.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar on NKDA Rules for Terrace Coverage
Studio Contour's Sumana Kumar breaks down how NKDA calculates terrace coverage in New Town, with a worked example, common rejection triggers, and the sanction sequence plot owners actually need.
Local Guides
What Makes Building in Howrah Different From Building in Kolkata Proper
Building in Howrah versus Kolkata proper differs in sanction authority, plot geometry, soil, site access and paperwork. A Kolkata architect explains what actually changes on site.
Commercial & Workplace
Designing a Small Clinic in New Town: Flow, Privacy and Compliance Basics
Designing a small clinic in New Town, Kolkata: patient flow, three kinds of privacy, services and waste planning, accessibility and the compliance basics that decide your layout.
Local Guides
Designing Around the Water Table in Rajarhat
Designing around the water table in Rajarhat: how high groundwater affects foundations, plinth level, basements and underground tanks, and what to check before you build.