Here is a video of what it feels like to spend a day at Nivim as the light changes from morning to evening.

Goa TL Full Compressed 03 from Anjali Mangalgiri on Vimeo.

Welcome ! This is the view from the main entrance door towards the pool and deck at Nivim

Ever wondered why the house is called 'Nivim' ?

'Nivim' is the name of the land the house is built on. We found it on the historic land records for the house and it only made sense for us to continue to use it as our commitment to the history and legacy of the land and our love for the inherent beauty of Goa !

We are the first green certified residential building in Goa !

Nivim was awarded a Gold level green homes certification from the Indian Green Building Council. We are celebrating !

Read about the green features at Nivim Goa, at our previous blog post.

We are so happy to report that post completion, we find ourselves being published as 'House of the day' in The Wall Street Journal.

Here is my favorite excerpt from the publication,"Ms. Mangalgiri said she loves how light in the house changes throughout the day. 'The rooms are flooded with moonlight (at night)', she said, 'It is magical'".

It really is !!

Hi Y'all

If you are wondering where we have disappeared after April and how is the progress on Nivim, then we apologize for the disappearing act... but wrapping up the project was super hectic and we needed to recharge...

The good news is that we completed the construction of Nivim in April/ May of this year. After that we were frantically trying to push the construction crew out, get the house cleaned up, setup the furniture and lighting, start the pool and perfect the landscaping. All this effort was to be able to get the architectural photography done asap.

Here is a link to the final photos of the house !

The house is now on the market for sale and is listed by SaffronArt. You can find the property listing here.

We would like to thank you for following the progress of the house, supporting us through your comments and being engaged in the process.

We will continue the blog with news on Nivim, our design inspirations, sustainability best practices and the charms of living in Goa.

Best

Anjali Mangalgiri

and the Nivim Team.

It is romance, pure and simple. The love with which each detail for Nivim has been thought of, designed and executed is beginning to shine through in the near final product. As we install lighting, we did a tiny test one night last week and the results here to share.

I will also like to mention that the existing Scholar's trees (3-5 in number) on our site flower in November- December and have this intoxicating cardamom like smell at night that envelopes the entire site in the cool winter evenings. In addition, we are planting Jasmine, known as the 'queen of the night' in the entrance courtyard so it will scent the living room entrance and two bedrooms at night. Imagine walking to and from the main house to the pool and pavilion and every time you do so feeling the breeze of sweet floral smell welcoming you....

Photo from site before starting construction (the window and old wall has been preserved as part of landscaping)

First post on Nivim in the new year and we are almost at completion... This is the time for numerous lists, for close inspections and several walk throughs, all to determine any mistakes, forgotten details, and bad workmanship...

When I say completion, I mean completion of all building works. The only major work remaining is the kitchen cabinets and the closets which will follow right after we are satisfied with the building works.

This is also a time for us to begin the installation for our furniture, lighting and landscaping. We have already bought most of our furniture and it is a combination of period pieces and very contemporary designer ones. Most interior lighting is purchased from Delhi and already installed. And then there is landscaping... Who would have thought that something so simple would be such a nightmare.... We can always execute ourselves but I was hoping to hire a sub-contractor so I don't have to run around crazy from nursery to nursery sourcing the right plants and mostly because I don't feel that I am right judge for the health of the plants, species and quality of soil, forget about the right way to plant, transplant and care for the plants. Now the tough thing about building in Goa is that first you pay a premium for all your services and material. Most material is brought into the state from elsewhere so there is usually a wait time and several delays. Also, the number of service and material providers is so limited that the good ones have too many projects and they are unable to manage their time effectively. We started our quest for a landscaper and landscaping about 6 months back and by now, we have been stood up by two landscapers after multiple site visits, advance payments, etc. etc. What really gets upsetting is when the service providers don't answer their phones... I mean really dodge your calls after agreements and after advance payments have been paid. I mean how does one deal with that?

Existing trees before construction

Same existing trees after construction

Landscaping is so critical for a project like ours that is built around nature. We have 13 existing trees on the site that we have incorporated in our house plan so the site is already quite green but then we have created really deep planters on the peripheries to we can plant fruiting and flowering trees making the site even greener and add a layer of privacy to the property. We have also chosen to plant mostly local indigenous species so once they are mature they require minimal irrigation and maintenance. Indigenous species have adapted to the local climate and therefore are accustomed to the dry and rainy spells in different seasons.

In any case, our quest for a landscaper continues. I am giving myself another week or 10 days then I guess we will have to jump in and figure it out ourself...

Until then let us just celebrate our special 13 trees. The existing full grown trees include:

1 Mango tree

2 Jackfruit trees

2 Tamarind trees

1 Kelful tree

5 Scholar's tree

1 Drumstick tree

1 flowering local tree

Existing trees before construction

Same existing trees after construction

Existing trees before construction

Same existing trees after construction

Existing trees before construction

Same existing trees after construction

We have been at final finishing stage for the last three months and at this point I feel like I can see the finish line, feel it but just can't reach it... so here is me venting...big time....

We have had a major exodus of labor at Diwali... All labor went home for the festival and we are left with 2 labor + 2 painters on our site for the past 3 weeks ++ our electrical sub-contractor has been sick, has had a surgery and has disappeared with zero contact... Add to this inefficiency from the landscaper, a slow plumber and stubborn painters... the result is that we are just weeks away from completing the project before FF&E but just can't seem to wrap it up.

FF&E stands for Furniture, Fixture and Equipment, in our case that includes the kitchen and closet cabinetry, movable furniture and equipment. Only once we complete the messy construction phase can we move to the next. Most light fixtures are already on-site waiting to be fixed and most furniture has already been bought and is waiting in warehouses to be delivered....And that makes the situation even more frustrating... when we have planned ahead and made sure that all pieces from our end are ready, but we just can't move ahead ....

The other frustrating aspect of this situation is my inability to control the situation.. I had no inkling that labor would leave, and now have practically no control in the time it takes to get them back on-site. Lessons learned, more control, more communication.... ?? is that possible ?

Below are pictures of the spaces as they look now. I almost feel like picking up the paint brush and broom and clean the place up myself.

LIVING ROOM INTERIOR @Nov. 2012:

BEDROOM INTERIOR @Nov. 2012:

BATHROOM INTERIOR @Nov. 2012:

MASTER BATHROOM INTERIOR @Nov. 2012:

PS: there is a surprise element above the wash basin counter in master bathroom... which we hope to reveal soon !

Living room front facade

Here we are close to week 100 of construction and closing in on completion. These are some photos from last week that we thought we will share in the festival spirit to get you excited about the soon-to-be final product.

We had a friend visit the house a few days back and he said that the trees appear as if they have been planted in place after the building is built. Keep in mind, the trees that he was talking about are the 13-14 existing full grown trees that have been carefully integrated in the site planning and building design for the house. Knowing that, his comment was a great validation for our efforts and hopefully the success of achieving our core concepts. 

View of the master bedroom among the trees

View of the sunset from the master bedroom deck

Partial view of the roof among the trees

Continue reading more updates for the project.

View of the pavilion block from the main house with the driveway on the right

After much attention has been paid to the main house, we have decided to do an entire post on just the pavilion block. To refresh your memory, the house is planned in a L-shape configuration, with the main house sited at the back of the site, also the highest point on the site with a separate pavilion block that is located adjacent to the pool and is connected with the main house through a series of courtyards. (See previous post of Site Planning Concept)

View of the pavilion block from the access road. The idea is to have this translucent box be the only elevation seen from the road, that gives the idea of what lies within but maintains the privacy of the main house

The pavilion block is designed to create spaces that have the ability to be even more open than the main house and offer flexible use based on the whims of the owner depending on need, season and/ or time of day. As required, it can function as a separate guest cottage; or an inspiring office; workshop space; a pavilion to the pool, or entertainment space.

Following the theme of grand (and barefoot) luxury in the project, the pavilion block is an expanded version of a typical pool pavilion. It is comprised of a separate bedroom, bathroom and covered sitting area, and is located adjacent to the swimming pool. It is designed to be an airy pool pavilion and at the same time can be the fourth bedroom when needed or used as an independent guest cottage that can maybe be used by friends when the owners of the house are not around and the main house is locked and unavailable for use.

View of the pavilion block from across the pool with the existing trees in the pool deck

The general design of the pavilion follows the design vocabulary of the main house. It is a linear block that appears to float from the pool deck. We have chosen to leave most of the steel structural frame and the underside of the aluminium roofing exposed to give the pavilion a more raw-authentic feel. The doors are a combination of sliding wood and glass panels along with some wood louvers.

View from the pool deck with the louvered pavilion block 

Other things that we love about the pavilion block are the old existing trees that have been retained between the pool and the pavilion. These trees provide relaxing shade, play of light, bring birds and butterflies and provide excellent visual drama from the pavilion block. For the flooring of the pavilion block, we have chosen to do a combination of wood (in bedroom) and grit finished terrazzo (in sit-out and bathroom). This flooring once again provides the textural element to the pavilion that is meant to bring it closer to nature. Lastly, the bathroom in the pavilion is extra special and we are doing something very exciting there… but I think I will not let the secret out just yet and put up a photo when it is completed.

Continue reading  more updates for the project.