"YOLO Life is a path-breaking residential concept offering 'smart' living units with all the conveniences of a modern, enabled lifestyle, and are very affordable. These plug and play homes only require their owners to move in, so there is no time or money involved in setting them up," says Yogesh Mehra, Co-founder & CEO - Radical Spaces and Director of Better Homes.
With a focus on coupling luxury with convenience, ultra-modern amenities at the fully furnished, automated homes include a food court, 24x7 concierge service, bar, gaming room, gymnasium, community hall, a business centre, and round-the-clock unit-level facilities management.
Partnering real estate developers get a readymade model and their only responsibility is to build the project according to YOLO Life's specifications. Radical Spaces then manages the end-product properties along with brand-level marketing and sales support to the developer. Radical Spaces is also deploying 20 Mobile Experience Centres which will take the concept directly to the target groups.
It has tied up with leading residential developers in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Baroda, to deliver YOLO Life homes in their respective cities. All projects will be strategically located close to IT and business parks, schools and colleges with fast access to main roads and public transport points.
Understanding the Smart Home Concept
According to Mehra, most developers of 'smart' homes have miscalculated the demand for technologically-enabled properties. "People who consider such homes are not looking to buy into a social stratum of luxury defined by massively expensive homes - they are looking to buy into a lifestyle," he says."For this reason, the desire for 'central' locations has given way to 'well-connected' locations, while the focus on 'size' has yielded to a focus on 'lifestyle quotient'. They want in-house services which reduce the demands that day-to-day maintenance puts on their time and energy.
"Specialist agencies are now partnering with developers to provide just that. Since standardization is essential to reduce costs without compromising on quality, they give developers a model that provides high lifestyle performance in smaller spaces at well-connected locations. The size parameters are inflexible so this model cannot be juxtaposed on existing buildings with varying apartment dimensions. Therefore, such agencies partner with developers right from the project design stage."
The result is an entirely new breed of homes. The response from nuclear families, working individuals and even buyers nearing retirement is understandably unprecedented. This is ultimate value in every sense. Such lifestyle-oriented residential offerings are still few in number, but the demand for them indicates that rapid growth in this segment is assured.
The Architect Behind YOLO Life Homes
Along with modernity, the firm has focused on sustainable and cost-effective solutions by using a host of eco-friendly and locally sourced building materials. Fly ash bricks, manufacturing of which saves energy, reduces mercury pollution, and costs 20% less than traditional clay bricks, are used as the core building blocks. The exterior of the structure is a confluence of plaster, cement and paint, with the façade highlighted by vibrant colors. The lighting design ensures optimum ingress of natural light and ventilation in each apartment, while photovoltaic cells generate energy to power the public areas.
"The key architectural feature of YOLO Homes is that the concept remains uniform across locations, that is, the sizes, elevations, and amenities will be similar across all projects with a few additions and deductions depending on the local context," informs Kabul.
Each fully equipped, ready to occupy apartment is furnished by IKEA, and pre-fitted with an air conditioner, television, refrigerator, microwave, water purifier, burner hob and chimney, and tiles for flooring. All apartments come with a terrace and a fully done up kitchen. Security solutions include CCTV surveillance, security alarms, video door phones, and IP access control. The hangout spaces have large LCD screens, areas for playing pool, football, virtual golf, watching movies and match screenings, holding events, etc.
The upcoming property at Bhugaon, Bavdhan Annexe located on the outskirts of Pune, will be the first of a series of YOLO Homes, offering a combination of regional convenience and handcrafted selection of facilities and services. The design of YOLO Homes is such that it can be adapted locally with certain contextual changes. With this business model YOLO Homes implements the entire concept, along with selection of architects, furniture and accessories, vendors, landscape designers and interior designers. It also creates design elements that brand and market the product. Furthermore, the business model offers project management services for 10 years which includes resale, leasing, property management, and on-site events.
