The one-stop e-solution to all your architecture and home furnishing needs has now arrived. Designcentre.com.pk is the first online portal that connects architects and vendors. This concept website aims to bring interior designers and architects with vendors supplying a variety of products that go into building and making a house.
“In the Western world, there are centres that specialise in these sorts of products and allow consumers a one-stop solution,” says Zain Chinoy of Design Centre. “This was not available in Pakistan and [now] we have decided to bring contractors, architects and vendors together online.” They came up with the concept in 2010 but launched the revised model in April 2013. Primarily focused on architects, the website is now branching into smaller and larger vendors for furniture, fixtures, floorings, cables, sanitary fittings, kitchens, lightings and fans.
“There is an inherent lack of trust on the web when it comes to Pakistani consumers and vendors,” continues Chinoy. “That was one of the main difficulties [we faced] to get people on board.”
To make the concept even more comprehensive, the website has an in-house blog that connects consumers to the world of interior design and architecture. “Our blog has various ideas of what you can do with a space and [how you can] utilise it properly,” he says. “If you have an empty wall and you want to know what you can do with it, not only will you get ideas on what to do, but suppliers and materials available in the market will be just a click away.”
In its initial stages, Design Centre is focusing on vendors from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad but also envisions representing vendors from far flung areas of the country; vendors such as Phillips, Interwood, Shabbir Tiles, Pakistan Cables, Jotun, Bombay Lighthouse, Z’mario and Green Center are on the website. One can view their latest products — everything from industrial, residential and commercial solutions providers — to industrial equipment, commercial and residential materials and furnishings vendors and their products and services.
Apart from being like the Yellow Pages of the architectural community, Design Centre serves as a medium between the vendor and the consumer, be it an owner of a commercial outlet or an industrial manufacturer.
“We have a very cool function called My Projects, which can basically be used to create wish-lists of products during the renovation/building/design/conceptualisation stage,” explains Chinoy. “You can basically use My Projects as a living mood board that can then be emailed and shared with your friends, architect, project manager client, wife, husband, boss, etc.” Futhermore, according to Chinoy, it’s a very user friendly function — you can log in using your Facebook account.
In order to make it a one-stop design shop, the website also provides an evening with the architects online. It features new young architects every month, who can put up their portfolios for potential clients to view. “We do not sell anything online. It is just a way to survey the market and get connected to different people in the industry through one single forum,” Chinoy adds.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2013.
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