From Constraint to Choice: Material Innovation Driving Indian Design to Global Standards

By Manoj Singhal, Managing Director, Space Combine

In the world of large-scale development - from High-Rise Residential towers to expansive Townships - every material choice is a strategic decision. However, to truly understand the freedom and opportunity architects have today, we must look back at the incredible journey of the Indian real estate sector from the 1990s to the 2020s.

At Space Combine, we have witnessed and actively contributed to this dramatic evolution, where the constraint of cost once limited vision, and now, market maturity demands world-class quality.

The Defining Constraint: The ’90s Cost Paradox

The era preceding the 2000s presented a starkly different financial framework for builders. While the Floor Space Index (FSI) cost was relatively low, allowing for less vertical constraints, the total sale value of projects was commensurately modest - often around ₹5,000 per sq ft.

This low sale price created an unavoidable choke point for construction quality. In a typical project, a builder allocated only ₹2,000 per sq ft for construction, with the structural shell costing ₹1,000 and the finishes constrained to a mere ₹1,000 per sq ft.

This reality meant architects had severely limited material choices within budget. The focus was on functional completion not innovative design. This inherent constraint prevented Indian architectural design and construction quality from competing on an international level.

The Global Shift: Owner Awareness Drives Better Materials

The real transformation began with the Indian consumer. Increased foreign travel, digital connectivity and the influx of global businesses gave owners immense international exposure. Today’s buyer is sophisticated - they are fully aware of the latest parameters and can easily relate to global design standards. They demand a building that reflects their international lifestyle.

This change in owner preference coincided with a dramatic shift in market economics:

1. Rising Cost Base: Both FSI cost and general construction costs are now substantially higher than before. The cost of land is now a premium.

2. Affordability of Quality: Critically, the selling rate of projects has surged—often reaching ₹20,000 per sq ft or more in key markets. This inflation in sale value is the engine that has enabled the absorption of the cost of better quality construction.

Where finishes were once budgeted at ₹1,000 per sq ft - projects can now comfortably afford ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 per sq ft on finishing materials.

The Liberty of Material Choice: A Design Revolution

This increase in budget has not only led to better finishes but has fundamentally elevated the quality of construction and architectural output. For firms like Space Combine, the new economic reality offers liberty to use better materials and truly innovate:

• Elevated Design: The increased spending allows us to ensure better finishes and materials, which in turn enables the building design to be far superior and comparable to international buildings. We can now execute complex architectural forms and designs at an international level.

• Global Supply Chain: The demand for high-end quality prompted international building supplies companies to enter the Indian market, making previously inaccessible materials readily available. From high-performance façade systems to sophisticated interior fixtures, these materials enable the finishing budget to create the desired international aesthetic.

• Virtuous Cycle: This increased construction quality creates a virtuous cycle: the better finishes justify the higher sale value, which in turn fuels the market's demand for high-quality projects.

Space Combine’s Mandate: Value-Driven Innovation

The new financial environment does not negate the need for optimization; it elevates it. Our role is no longer to deliver the cheapest building, but the best possible building within the project's financial capacity.

Our integrated Architecture and Project Management Services ensure that this higher available budget is spent intelligently:

1. Sustainable Investment: We prioritize material innovations that pay long-term dividends. For our Green Buildings projects, we invest in high-performance glazing and sustainable concrete mixes because these materials, while costing more upfront, drastically reduce operating expenses (OPEX) and fulfill the modern owner's sustainability mandate.

2. Strategic Planning: From the Master Planning phase for Commercial & Mall or Hotels & Offices developments, we lock in specifications that maximize durability, visual appeal, and energy efficiency, ensuring every rupee of the enhanced construction budget adds tangible, saleable value.

The journey from the cost-constrained 90s to the quality-driven 2020s has been transformative. The fusion of international owner demand, increased market liquidity and an integrated global supply chain now allows Indian design to compete with the world's best. At Space Combine, we are proud to be executing projects that leverage this new liberty to define the next generation of the built environment.

To explore how our integrated approach can maximize the value and quality of your next large-scale project, visit our new website.