KY Two Tone: From cookie-cutter neighbourhoods to Bangladeshi homes

Among Bangladesh's waves of multi-coloured buildings, the white picket fence American home is hard to imagine. In a city of maximalist buildings, such a minimalistic home almost feels audacious.

However, this year at the trade fair, you will find a stall of one such house. With its triangular roof, the charming little house looks like it was pulled straight out of suburban America.

The front side is lined with a small open porch area where you can find visitors taking pictures while leaning and talking to their friends. Even though the whole area is bustling, people take their time around the porch. It is the only space that truly makes this model house feel like home.

Though the house is quaint, it might surprise some to know that it only takes the company - KY Two Tone - 45 to 60 days to build such a home.

The homes are reminiscent of other ready-made, cookie-cutter home projects in Bangladesh, however, KY Two Tone claims to be one of the first to be conducting this with Light Gauge Steel (LGS).

The house itself is modelled after the suburban homes we see abroad, otherwise known as cookie-cutter homes. As companies want to cut down on time and resources, they build all these homes with the same materials, colours, etc. It is what lends to the uniform aesthetics in such suburban areas.

What is KY Two Tone?

KY Two Tone is a company that provides housing solutions. The company promises to build your dream home within a few months.

Moreover, it is a venture under KY Steel, allowing KY Two Tone to introduce LGS to your home's structure.

Usually, it takes up to a year to complete building a one-floor home but KY Two Tone promises to complete the construction process within 45 to 60 days. For a two-storey home, it promises to complete construction within three to four months.

"Considering the design, the structure is very lightweight so we have to keep its load-bearing capability in mind. As an architect, we want to implement a large opening space, however, due to the structure, we can't."

- Sonia Khan, lead architect, KY Two Tone

Structural integrity of the house

One of the points the company emphasises on is their use of LSG. This lends the structure its strength, although the steel is lightweight.

On its own, metal structures are not great for insulation. To combat this, the building uses glass insulation alongside 9 mm fibre cement boards.

Sonia Khan, lead architect of the company elaborates on its uses, "we use glass insulation to protect the inside of the home from extreme heat outside."

Furthermore, the other materials such as fibre cement board and glass insulation prevent fires from spreading. The part that catches on fire might burn, but the fire does not spread beyond that.

"Many establishments have to be made fire-proof and they are using fibre cement boards too," she explained.

One of the weaknesses of steel is its possibility to become corroded in the long run. To prevent this, the company uses a galvanised or galvalume coating, which is a layer of zinc or zinc and aluminum respectively.

The company also claims the buildings can withstand forces from wind gusts, storms, and earthquakes.

"We use a specific Australian software. The product itself is a sample of European or Australian work. There are some specifications according to the software to design the structure," said Sonia.

"When we input information according to the BNBC (Bangladesh National Building Code), for example, if we need the wind load to withstand 180 km/h, the software will give us the requirements. Even to insert a screw, we don't have to make the hole, it is made from a machine itself."

Overcoming hurdles

Constructing a lightweight structure comes with its own challenges, which are most prominent when it comes to the design of the house.

"Considering the design, the structure is very lightweight, so we have to keep its load-bearing capability in mind. As an architect, we want to implement a large opening space, however, due to the structure, we can't," said Architect Sonia.

According to her, as many clients are interested in building luxurious or vacation homes, having a large opening space is preferred, but it is not possible for the sake of the structure's integrity.

Since Light Gauge Steel is used, the structure comes with many such challenges. These houses cannot have windows that are more than six feet. Furthermore, for two-storey buildings, there is not as much freedom with the design.

Sonia elaborates on this, "for two-storey buildings, the parts where there are walls upstairs, we have to try to ensure there are walls nearby on the lower floor too. As there aren't separate beams or columns, we have to pay attention to the wall positioning."

Yet, as KY Two Tone's team prioritises safety, they opt for transparency with their clients.

"We always tell our clients that a large opening won't be possible. After a six feet window, we have to have three to four feet of wall. After that, we can add another window."

Cost and design rules

To construct your own home with KY Two Tone, it will cost Tk1,900 per square feet. Furthermore, if you opt for a two-storey house, it will cost around Tk2,600 per square feet. Within this cost, the company will provide everything from tiles to fittings to complete your home.

However, the costs do not really end there. One of the conditions of the company is that the client has to construct a solid floor before the company can start their work, which is an additional cost for the client.

On the other hand, KY Two Tone offers after sales services to ensure that the product they hand over is of good quality.

"After delivering the home, we give a warranty of one year. In case there is any problem, if we are informed, we will fix it."

So, how legitimate are these houses?

Architect Sonia clarifies this, "When the architectural design is completed, when the structural engineers design the house, we implement and follow the rules of BNBC 2020. The code has everything specified."

She added, "For our two-storey buildings, whenever we need approval from Rajuk, Pourashava, or others, we always inform the client that we need approval first. In that case, we provide the drawings or other materials required."

Price:

One-storey house: Tk1,900 per square feet

Two-storey house: Tk2,600 per square feet

For more information, call +8809610800080 or email info@kytwotone.com