Sunlight Developers
Editorial Team
Sri Raghavendra is one of the most prominent residential projects we have completed in Sembakkam. It has been handed over to its owners and is now a lived-in home for families — and one of the clearest examples of how we think about a building's face to the street.
In this post we look at the design details you can see in the finished building, and why they matter. It is part of our series on each of our completed projects.
Sri Raghavendra at a Glance
| Detail | Sri Raghavendra |
|---|---|
| Location | Sembakkam, Chennai |
| Type | Residential apartments |
| Status | Completed and handed over |
| Parking | Stilt floor, behind a sliding gate |
| Developer | Sunlight Developers |
Design Details You Can See
A Lit Decorative Screen
The most striking feature of Sri Raghavendra is the tall decorative screen at the centre of the facade. With a leaf-pattern cut-out and lighting behind it, it glows in the evening and gives the building a clear identity on the street.
Contrasting Materials
The facade combines warm tones and wood-finish panels on one side with a textured blue-grey finish on the other. Breaking a facade into blocks like this makes a building look lighter and more considered than a single flat colour.
Stilt Parking and a Clean Frontage
Parking sits on the stilt floor behind a slatted sliding gate, keeping cars off the street and the frontage neat. The homes start on the floor above.
Why Facade Details Matter to Owners
- A well-designed facade makes a building easy to find and describe to visitors
- Good lighting at the entrance adds a sense of safety in the evening
- Durable exterior finishes keep the building looking cared for over the years
- A distinctive building is easier to remember — useful if you ever rent or sell
Exterior finishes need to stand up to Chennai's heat and monsoon. We explain the paint and materials we use today in What Goes Into a Sunlight Home.
What a Completed Building Tells You
A brochure shows what a building should look like. A completed building shows what a builder actually delivers. If you are considering one of our current projects, looking at buildings like Sri Raghavendra is one of the best ways to judge us — we share a checklist for doing that in Completed Homes Across South Chennai.
More From Sembakkam
Sri Raghavendra is one of many projects we have delivered in Sembakkam, alongside Sri Geetham, Sri Guru, Sri Lingaa and Sri Jyothi. See them all together in Sembakkam: The Neighbourhood We Keep Coming Back To.
Looking for a new home nearby? Sri Guru Rayar in Selaiyur is about 800 metres from the Sembakkam 150 road junction — read A Closer Look at Sri Guru Rayar.
Lighting a Building Well
Sri Raghavendra shows how much lighting adds to a building after dark. Wall lights wash the upper facade, the decorative screen glows from behind, the name signage is lit, and the stilt floor is bright. Good exterior lighting does three jobs:
- Safety — residents can see the entrance, gate and parking clearly at night
- Identity — visitors can find the building easily
- Appearance — the building looks cared for at every hour
At our current project Sri Guru Rayar, common-area lights switch on and off automatically and run on solar power — see Safety and Everyday Convenience at Sri Guru Rayar.
Keeping a Facade Looking New
| Feature | Simple care |
|---|---|
| Painted walls | Repaint every few years; wash off algae after the monsoon |
| Wood-finish panels | Wipe down and check fixings periodically |
| Decorative screens | Dust regularly and check the lights behind them |
| Gates | Oil hinges and rollers; touch up the finish |
| Windows | Clean tracks and seals — see this window maintenance guide |
A Walk Around the Building
Seen from the street, Sri Raghavendra reads from bottom to top. A slatted sliding gate with patterned inserts opens onto the lit stilt floor, where cars are parked out of the sun and rain. Above it, the building's name appears in lit lettering on a wood-finish band, with a Sunlight Developers board alongside. The name also appears in Tamil at the top of the central panel.
The homes rise above in two distinct blocks: warm tones with wood-finish panels and framed windows on one side, and a textured blue-grey finish with recessed windows and balconies on the other. The glowing screen ties the two halves together.
What Owners Look After After Handover
Once a building is handed over, the owners take charge of its shared spaces, usually through an owners' association. A simple yearly routine keeps a building like Sri Raghavendra in good condition:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before the monsoon | Clear terrace and balcony drains; check waterproofing |
| Every few months | Clean the overhead water tank and sump |
| Regularly | Check common-area lights, gate rollers and pump operation |
| After the monsoon | Look for damp patches or algae on the facade |
| Every few years | Repaint the exterior and refresh the terrace waterproofing |
Buying a Resale Home in a Completed Building
Homes in completed buildings are sometimes sold by their owners. If you are considering a resale flat — in Sembakkam or anywhere else — check these before you commit:
- 1.The seller's sale deed and the earlier title documents for the property
- 2.A recent encumbrance certificate, which you can view on TNREGINET
- 3.Property tax and electricity bill receipts in the seller's name
- 4.A letter from the owners' association confirming there are no pending maintenance dues
- 5.The approved building plan, to confirm the flat matches it
- 6.The physical condition of the flat, the common areas and the terrace
Have a lawyer review the documents before you pay an advance. If you would rather buy new, our ongoing projects are sold directly by us.
Why Sembakkam Keeps Drawing Families
Sembakkam lies along the Velachery–Tambaram Main Road, close to Selaiyur and Camp Road. Schools, hospitals, parks and shops are close at hand, and the main road links residents to both Tambaram and Velachery. Our site map for Sri Guru Rayar, about 800 metres from the Sembakkam 150 road junction, marks many of these places — see the Selaiyur location guide.
Signs of a Well-Built Building
Whether you are looking at Sri Raghavendra or any other completed building, a few signs tell you a lot about how well it was built and how well it has been looked after:
| Look at | Good sign | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| External walls | Even paint, no wide cracks | Large cracks, damp patches or peeling plaster |
| Stilt floor | Dry, clean and well lit | Water stains or poor drainage |
| Staircase | Firm railings, even steps | Loose railings, chipped steps |
| Terrace | Clear drains, intact waterproofing | Standing water or cracked surface |
| Water tanks | Covered and clean | Uncovered or leaking |
| Gate and compound | Smooth operation, painted | Rust and broken rollers |
Why Sunlight Developers Signs Its Buildings
The Sunlight Developers board on Sri Raghavendra is more than branding. Putting our name on a completed building is a public commitment: anyone walking past can see who built it and judge the quality for themselves. It is one of the reasons we encourage buyers of our current projects to look at our older buildings.
From Completed Homes to New Ones
The lessons from buildings like Sri Raghavendra shape our current work. Today's projects publish their full specifications — see Sri Guru Rayar and Sri Narayanaa — and follow stage-wise payment plans so buyers can see progress before each instalment. Read How the Stage-Wise Payment Plan Works.
Our aim is simple: that a new building we hand over today will look as good in years to come as our best completed buildings do now.
How Decorative Screens Are Made
Patterned facade screens like the one on Sri Raghavendra are usually cut from metal sheet or cast in a durable composite, then fixed to a frame a short distance in front of the wall. The gap behind the screen leaves room for lights, which is what makes it glow at night. When choosing a screen for any building, ask what it is made of, how it is fixed and how the lights behind it can be reached for maintenance.
- Metal screens need a rust-resistant finish in Chennai's humid air
- Composite screens resist corrosion and can be cast in detailed patterns
- LED strips or spotlights behind the screen use little power
- Easy access for cleaning keeps the pattern crisp
Sliding Gates for Stilt Parking
Sri Raghavendra's stilt floor is closed by a sliding gate in wood-finish slats with patterned panels. Sliding gates suit narrow frontages because they do not swing into the road or the parking area. Rollers and tracks need oiling now and then, and the track should be kept clear of stones so the gate runs smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use a sliding gate instead of a swing gate?
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A sliding gate does not swing into the road or parking area, which suits narrow frontages.
How can I tell if a completed building is well built?
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Look for even paint without wide cracks, a dry and well-lit stilt floor, firm railings, a well-drained terrace and clean, covered water tanks.
What should I check before buying a resale flat?
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The sale deed and earlier title documents, a recent encumbrance certificate from TNREGINET, tax and utility receipts, a no-dues letter from the owners' association, and the approved plan.
Who maintains a building after handover?
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The owners, usually through an owners' association that looks after shared spaces such as the terrace, stilt floor, water tanks and common lighting.
What is the decorative screen on the Sri Raghavendra facade?
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It is a tall panel with a leaf-pattern cut-out, lit from behind so it glows in the evening.
Where is Sri Raghavendra?
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Sri Raghavendra is in Sembakkam, Chennai.
Is Sri Raghavendra completed?
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Yes. It is a completed residential project that has been handed over to its owners.
Are homes available at Sri Raghavendra?
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The project has been handed over. For available homes, see our ongoing projects.
See every project we have completed across Chennai.
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Sunlight Developers
Sunlight Developers has been building homes and commercial buildings across Chennai since 2013, and is a member of the Builders Association of India, Southern Centre. More about us
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