India’s Ten Best Homes

Home Trends Vol. 2 No. 1 2011

Shibanee and Kamal did not allow the limitations of a high-rise deter them from building a duplex complete with natural beauty and a water body in Bangalore.

Total Architecture

Forbes India - May 6th 2011

Shibanee and Kamal Sagar show that green homes can exist even in today’s metros. By keenly observing and listening to the needs of individuals and families, Total Environment is able to design apartments that are thoughtful and elegant.

Garden homes - Natural extension

Home Trends - INDIA - Feb 2011

Urban Haven - Apartments graced with garden environments infuse crisp design with serenity of nature. Natural elements in this high-rise duplex create the ambience of an independent home.

How to bend it like Beckham in work space design

DNA Property | 5th Feb 2011

Not many can break the bounds of conventional design and yet achieve functionality in a building. DNA Property showcases two buildings in the city where creativity and practicality have been mingled to create right ambience at work place.

Quest for an Unique Identity, Building a Reputation, Brick by Brick

No Money Marketing by Jessie Paul | May 2010

A good example of a firm that has flourished because it is clear of what it will NOT do is Total Environment Building Systems.

PERSONALISE YOUR SPACE

Times of India - Times Property - Pune | 27 March 2010

Developer firm Total Environment, which is bringing Orange Blossom Special and Songs from the Wood projects, to the Pune buyer, has gone one step further with a patented software called eBUILD – that the customer can use to design their home. It provides all the options available and with a mix and match approach, the buyer can tap into the expertise of the builder as well as retain individuality.

Q&A – CEO TALK

Facility Management - FM INDIA – FM Trends - Jan 2010

Kamal Sagar, talks and shares his thoughts on his organisation and its core strengths and future strategic growth plans....

Total focus, Absolute intent

Forbes India – Enterprise | Oct 2009

Shibanee and Kamal Sagar, on how to get quality, being focused and other lessons for entrepreneurs.

It’s never too late to go green

DNA Sunday – Super Citizen | 11 Oct 2009

It’s his determination to create something new that’s got him where he is now, despite facing a few hiccups on the way. Kamal Sagar, Principal Architect and Director, Total Environment, feels that thinking big and thinking design will take Bangalore places.

Total Effects | Winning Formula

Indian Express

The CNBC International Property Awards is the most prestigious competition in the world for real estate design and development. Last month, at the Asia Pacific ceremony in Singapore, among entrants from 22 countries a Bangalore-based company Total Environment won two awards.

Simply Chic

Living | May 2009

Your foremost steps into the model apartment of Windmills make you fall into a reverie – one wants to be reassured if his feet are still tucked tightly in India. Offering a flawless international style in this home, Bangalore based Architects Kamal and Shibanee Sagar have created a chic...

Made to Order

Outlook Business | 04 April 2009

Rock Bands Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead and Social Distortion may not have much in common, but their songs Cirrus Manor, Scarlet Begonias and Reach for the Sky sure do.

Interplay of Interior and Exterior Spaces

Design Speak | Jan 2009

We have really come a long way if we’re discussing trends in luxury apartment design, considering that apartment living was never a luxury only a transformation that collective housing had undergone.

A Modern Vocabulary

Indian Design & Interiors | November 2008

The 10' 5" x 9' 7" bathroom attached to the master bedroom of this home at Windmill Apartments in Whitefield, Bangalore conveys a sense of tranquility through its spacious and open feel. The warm honey colour of the Corian flooring and the dark cabinetry in natural veneer or laminate create a harmonious contrast.

Windmills of Your Mind

Inside Outside | November 2008

As homeowners, some of us are only too aware of the pain of breaking walls and re-doing interiors to meet our needs. Others have to adjust to an existing house with all its drawbacks. But here is a residential development that takes away all the pain...

Customised Living Spaces

Deccan Herald | 24 October 2008

From one century to another, architectural styles have been influenced by changes in the art scenario and vice versa, and availability of new building materials. Stone, brick and wood were used from 1180 to the late 16th century.

The Present Projects since the Millennium

Time Out | 03 October 2008

A corporate campus built on a 2-acre site elongated on the north-south axis. All construction is done with materials from the earth. The exteriors, in a combination of hand-dressed granite masonry and wire-cut brick masonry, are defined with rows of glass bricks and wire-cut bricks with soldier bonds.

The Green Warriors

The Bangalore Monthly Magazine | September 2008

A quiet start. An initial investment of Rs.10000, 4 people and the simple idea of giving Bangalore buildings that blend with its natural landscape, preserving the charm of the city. Eleven years on, Total Environment has managed to stay true to its vision...

India's Most Luxurious Apartments

Business Today | 15 June 2008

Private swimming pools, elegant gardens en suite in your 22nd floor apartment, elevators to bring the Merc up to your floor, exclusive health clubs for your family and mini golf courses just in case you feel like swinging the five iron on a Sunday morning—Indian developers are redefining luxury beyond imagination.

Total Elegance

The Telegraph | 24 August 2008

When Bangalore-based builders and architects Total Environment Building Systems were starting out, they worked on a housing project for employees of a software company. Total Environment's founder-director Kamal Sagar had named the project Green is the Colour.

Total Elegance

E-Version | The Telegraph | 24 August 2008

We have really come a long way if we’re discussing trends in luxury apartment design, considering that apartment living was never a luxury only a transformation that collective housing had undergone.

Spaces

Stark World | 2008

Developers of residential and commercial property. Total Environment buildings are typically graced by ivy-covered walls and terrace gardens, and blessed with a lot of light and ventilation. Use of natural materials, like wire-cut bricks...

Creating Innovative Lifestyle Projects

India Abroad USA | 21 December 2007

Total Environment is a multi-faceted, real-estate development organization. Its projects range from residential apartment blocks to corporate campuses. The core strength of Total Environment is the ability to understand and meet the needs...

Made In India

Made in India Architectural Design | November 2007

In Bangalore, architectural practice established itself within a tradition of the background. However, this first generation also contained an Achilles heel that prevented their legacy from having its deserved impact.

Will Bangalore Walk the Electric Talk?

Bangalore Mirror | 25 August 2007

Don't be surprised if you see many electric cars, scooters in your residential areas in future. Alarmed by the rise in traffic congestion, several initiatives are being planned by builders, residents and environmentalists to tackle the menace.

Shine On: The Soul of Music

Indian Institue Of Architects | August 2007

Moving on from cantilevered terrace gardens and indoor gardens, in this project, Total Environment, a Bangalore based Developer firm promoted by Architects, decided to provide larger, open-to-sky gardens that were stepped back on every floor.

The Million Buck Home

Business Standard | 16 June 2007

Remember the song, ''Windmills of Your Mind", from The Thomas Crown Affair? Now did you know that a large, high-profile residential development, spread out over 24 acres with a built area of about 1.7 million sq ft, was coming up by that name in Bangalore?

Choose Your Home at the Realty Show

The Hindu Property Plus| 28 April 2007

Karnataka Ownership Apartments Promoters Association (KOAPA), a trade body of organised real estate developers and builders in Karnataka, has flagged off its two-day real estate expo, "Realty 2007", at The Grand Ashok today (April 28).

The Dhananjay Residence

Society Interiors | 2007

The Dhananjay residence is located in a small, gated community consisting of independent plots, and has been crafted with the same vernacular philosophy. "With a thicket of silver oaks spread across the site and a fairly generous plot size of 56 ft. x 86 ft., the project offered immense architectural scope," says Shibanee Sagar of Total Environment.

The Habitat Award for Apartment Planning

Architecture + Design | March 2006

Large units were designed in the project utilising the available depth of the site for a single unit. The common facilities were introduced between the two blocks of eight units each to provide a volume for air to flow through the site.

High-end Apartments Become Dearer

Times of India | 19 October 2005

The grander your flat, the higher the guidance value. In other words, the guidance value fixed by the stamps and registration department for apartments will vary depending on the quality of construction, facilities offered and the location.

Standing Out While Blending into Nature

Business Gyan | January 2005

He creates apartments, homes and offices that are distinct in the context of modern Indian architecture. Meet Kamal Sagar, principal architect and director, Total Environment, who uses only natural materials and finishes, with great emphasis on landscaping and eco-friendly technologies.

Laying a Foundation

Outlook Home | 2005

The home I live in has a pink-and-white mosaic-tiled chequered floor in the living room, very lovingly installed by my landlords. But besides being an effective chessboard and the subject of many coffee-table conversations...

The New Lake City

The Hindu | June 2004

Less glass, less concrete, more natural material, more attention to natural lighting, and of course, good design. These are the new watchwords in building houses.

In Harmony with Nature

Financial Express | 18 April 2004

Unimposing, harmonious, organic. That best describes the latest in the business of construction even as being eco-friendly takes on a new meaning. Bangalore-based builder Total Environment intends...

J K Awards Commendations

Indian Architect and Builder | April 2004

Nestled in a quiet neighborhood in Bangalore, The Good Earth housing scheme designed by Shibanee and Kamal Architects exemplifies a harmonious balance of social, sensual and spatial response in its design.

Eco Friendly Buildings the Norm Today

Deccan Herald | 12 March 2004

The city expands; destinations, which were hither to far away, suddenly become accessible with vast expanses tarred, expressways laid, connecting you to the fast-emerging high-rises that are touted as "the" place to reside or work.

Garden City

Jetwings | March 2004

The intervention of the Public Affairs Centre (PAC) and the institution of a citizen's report card has further bolstered the case for timely execution of projects that would otherwise stagnate industy bureaucratic files or remain incomplete for years together.

Are Indian Software cos. Ending up as Copycats?

Deccan Herald | 25 January 2004

Do you know why software companies want buildings with an all-glass facade? They think the look is "cool." The fact that the design will probably double their energy costs never occurs to them.

The Habitat Award for Apartment Planning

Architectural + Design | Jan 2004

Well, the week-long jury deliberations for the 'A+D and Spectrum Foundation Architecture Awards 2003' were no doubt, full of architectural vigor and excitement.

The Good Earth

IIA J.K.Cement Aya | 18 December 2003

The Good Earth is a residential building with 24 apartments, a gym and a swimming pool situated in a quiet neighbourhood in Bangalore. The project is planned as two wings with three apartment on each floor.

Winners for Aya - 2002

J.K. Cement Patrika | November 2003

Details for Award Winners for AYA 2002

Building An Ethnic Alternative

Routes The Gateway Magazine | November 2003

Showy Italian marble and Spanish tiles are making way for ethnic materials in some of Bangalore's luxury homes, says Sreya Urs

Laying a Foundation

Outlook | October 2003

The home I live in has a pink-and-white mosaic-tiled chequered floor in the living room, very lovingly installed by my landlords. But besides being an effective chessboard and the subject of many coffee-table conversations...

The Big

Business Today | July 2003

Five million homes sold every year Rs 65,000 crore in mortgages + money spent on furniture and accessories = ONE HAPPENING MARKET

India's Most Expensive Apartments | With It

Business Today | July 2003

Time Was, When it was considered infra-dig to live in apartments. Today, however, condos across the country have redefined fine living.

Gleaning Information

Society Interiors | June 2003

It gives you a feeling of space, it gives you vision and, most importantly it brings the outdoors in. Read on to find out more about GLASS in the context of exterior cladding in building structures.

Work Hard for Cuccess

THe Asian Age | 13 April 2003

If hard work was the only criterion for heaven, then Mr Kamal Sagar would definitely be the first to enter paradise, when the pearly gates open. Right from his days at architecture school at the Indian Institute of Technology to his present job as...

Architects Sweep Awards

Times of India | March 2003

Apart from excellent architecture, Mathew and Ghosh's projects have intriguing names - "House of Fragments," and "Boxes on the Floor." Shibanee and Kamal's is "Reach for the Sky," an apartment building, the underlying theme being a desire to interact with nature.

The Habitat Award For Apartment Planning

Architecture + Design | March 2003

The home I live in has a pink-and-white mosaic-tiled chequered floor in the living room, very lovingly installed by my landlords. But besides being an effective chessboard and the subject of many coffee-table conversations...

Are you Getting a Fair Deal?

Economic Times | 21 February 2003

Investment in immovable property is by no means a simple exercise. One should be wary of legal terminology used to understand the intricacies and ensure a fair deal in the bargain, says R Nirmala.

Corporate Real Estate Challenges for Growth

Economic Times | 21 February 2003

Most industries are currently confronted with a fast changing environment internally as well as externally. These changes are expected to have a tremendous impact on the functioning of a company's facilities and on the organisation of it's real estate management.

A Conscious Revival

Indian Architect & Builder | January 2003

Reviewing the works of Bangalore-based architectural firm Shibanee and Kamal Architects, where the design focus is on the integration of the built form with nature while unveiling the graphic potential of the material language they use.

Habitat Award for Best Planning

Architecture + Design | November 2002

Reach for the Sky is a rectangular apartment building, housing twelve apartments with each level comprising 3-bedroom apartment and two 2-bedroom units. The underlying theme reflects a desire to interact with nature.

Get a Home, Get a Lifestyle

Times of India | 04 September 2002

Just 1,200 sq ft of living space isn't enough. For Rs 20 lakh-plus today's buyer wants it all, including a club house, swimming pool and play-ground for the kids and a gym where he can work out.

Blending Buildings with Environment

THe Hindu | 18 March 2002

Green is the colour, Life is beautiful, Footprints, Shine on ... These are the creations of Kamal Sagar and Shibanee. Wait a minute. They are not music compositions or paintings. They are brick and mortar buildings that are home to many Bangaloreans.

Green is the Colour of their Buildings

Times of India | 11 January 2002

There's something about Pink Floyd that fires Kamal Sagar's creative instincts. His buildings prove that, for they do all the talking. So there's Green is the colour and Sagar hasn't forgotten Cirrus Minor either.

Green Architecture

Times of India | January 2002

Let's try to demystify the term 'green architecture' The simplest explanation would be to realise that if you build your home as an intuitive response to your environment and culture, you would automatically break through the empirical tenets that separate 'green architecture' from the mainstream.

Let a Garden Invade your Balcony

Economic Times | 24 December 2000

Imagine reaching home, having driven through a haze of smoke, noise and heavy traffic. You have reached home, and what would you like to do? How about a cup of coffee, a magazine, a reclining chair...

Architect Shibani Sagar picks out what appeals and what repels in the city

Times of India | 18 April 2000

If you have noticed the granite pergola that stands at the junction of Central Street and MG Road, then you've probably also realised how effortlessly nature can be incorporated into our built environment.

Architect Kamal Sagar on the Buildings that please him and those that don't

Times of India | 04 April 2000

Among the thousands of eyesores being built at a frightening pace in Bangalore - one of the exceedingly ugly structures is the Kemp Fort building on Airport Road.