We have some much-awaited news!

Grounded will soon be launching 2 new luxury villas for sale in North Goa. Set within beautiful Aldona, the house is surrounded by peaceful green vistas and the rustic charm of the Goan countryside. With expansive living spaces, intimate pockets that look out to the pool, and nearly 3500 sqft of open space, the house seeks to offer seamless indoor-outdoor living. Like all our other residential projects, the villas will be sustainable, architecturally relevant, and closely connected to nature.

To know more about the villas,

It is such a joy to see our project House with Three Pavilions find beautiful space in print and on the cover of Livingetc Magazine’s June 2022 issue. Aptly titled - ‘A Home with A Verandah’, the article draws attention to our countryside Goan house’s tangible connection to nature. It throws light on our tropical modern design approach and celebrates our efforts to create seamless indoor-outdoor spaces that allow our clients to take everyday life outdoors.

Read the published story here.

If you are considering buying a house in Goa, read our blogpost: What to Look For While Buying A House in Goa

To know more about our design process, take a look at: Designing A House in Goa

Life in Goa has a laid-back, luxurious simplicity that is hard to come by in most of our cities today. People who move here are typically looking to leave the rat race behind in pursuit of a slower lifestyle that offers infinite and diverse opportunities to live in harmony with the land, to embrace the local culture, to enjoy the natural abundance as well as savour the bounties brought by changing seasons.

While Goa is a small state, each of its neighbourhoods offer different and unique living experiences. For anyone who is considering moving to Goa or buying a house in Goa, here is a detailed analysis of what one can expect from the neighbourhoods of North Goa.

PANJIM & ITS SURROUNDINGS

Image sourced from The Culture Trip.

PROS:

As the capital city, Panjim is extremely well connected and relatively easier to access. It is a quaint and small town that bridges the old and the new - it offers modern residential amenities while also retaining historic neighbourhoods such as Fountainhas. Panjim, is at its core, a residential area primarily and therefore also has a robust presence of schools around. It is also close to the beach stretches of Miramar, Caranzalem, and Dona Paula.

CONS:

It may not be easy to get a large, spacious house with a backyard in Panjim. The houses available are largely present in apartments and the availability of outdoor space within a plot is hard to come by.

ALDONA, MOIRA & POMBURPA

Image sourced from Tripoto.com

PROS:

Located to the east of the highway, these are quaint villages in North Goa that are positioned at a distance from the beach belt and are therefore saved from Goa’s maddening tourist crowds. The villages offer a quiet lifestyle meant for people who want to coexist with locals and enjoy the real Goa. However, these areas have been gaining popularity over the last ten years as prime locations for countryside vacation homes. These areas typically contain vacation houses built by expats and Indians who live abroad.

CONS:

It is a bit of a trek to the beach from these areas. The closest beaches are about 40-45 minutes away. These areas are also sought after for their pristine and undisturbed natural habitats. Thus, one should expect to entertain the local flora and fauna in their home.

ASSAGAO & SIOLIM

Image sourced from Ghoomophiro.com

PROS:

These were traditionally well-to-do villages that today have some gorgeous and large heritage houses. These villages are closer in proximity to the beach belt and see a lot of local as well as tourist activity. The neighbourhood hosts multiple restaurants and stores of different kinds, so it is charged with buzz, life, and movement throughout the day.

CONS:

Unfortunately, the quintessential quietude of Goa is no longer to be found in these areas. Commercial activity has taken over and most parts of these villages are overbuilt in the name of development.

NERUL, BETHE & REIS MAGOS

Image sourced from Alvira-Ventures

PROS:

These are pictureque villages that are steeped in history. They are also strategically located. Positioned midway between the Candolim beach belt and Panjim, they make the beachside as well as the townside easily accessible.

CONS:

Gentrification has rapidly taken over these areas as well. It may be possible to get a beautiful row house in these areas, however, bigger houses and larger plots will not be easy to come by.

To compare North Goa and South Goa, visit our analysis here.

To know more about building a house in Goa, read our series: Designing a House in Goa

I recently conducted an IG Live on taking A Site Positive Approach. As a follow up to that, I conducted another video session to get into details and answer pertinent questions about Rainwater Harvesting. I discuss the elements that make up a RWH system, compare the differences between rural and urban water management systems, and introduce some of the various options available for harvesting water. I also speak about the Goan monsoon patterns and the site specific methods that are useful in tropical areas. As an example, I explain the simple but effective well system created at Navovado, our completed vacation house in Goa. I also explore natural water systems such as ponds and bioswales which we have physically implemented at our project The House with Three Pavilions in Goa.

In this IG Live, I delve into the factors involved in taking A Site Positive Approach. I speak about how design can contribute to the land it stands on as well as simple measures that can be taken to ensure the site is preserved and that resources are managed well during and after construction. Over the Live, I explain the importance of the water management systems at our houses in Goa, and the natural systems we have implemented such as a pond and bioswales. I also answer questions about site positivity in the rural and urban contexts, speak about the opportunities offered by certain materials and the feasibility of creating a positive impact. Tune in to watch the entire session.

To know more about taking a site positive approach, you can read our blogpost on the subject which looks at the strategies implemented at The House With Three Pavilions.

To the jaded, the mention of green buildings implies a marketing gimmick, and to an idealist, it conjures images of buildings built with mud and bamboo with compostable toilets. Invoking a strong response either ways, we recently concluded a Q&A session on Green Buildings on Instagram. The session had over 300-people join over the course of a 30-minute session. 

The first question that we tackled was, ‘What is a Green Building’? My answer, ‘A green building is one where you’re trying to reduce the impact of the building on the environment.’ It is about making the right choices at every stage of the project, with the ultimate goal to minimise one’s footprint on the environment. To make a building green, the architect must treat the environment as a key design criteria from the first step of the design process right until the occupancy stage. 

It is our commitment to build sustainably and we green certify all our houses in Goa. Our first home, Nivim was the first green certified residence in Goa. It received a gold-level certification and our project Navovado has recently been awarded the platinum-level certification by the Indian Green Building Council. Platinum being the highest level available in the ranking system.

While a building can absolutely be green without a certificate, a green certification is a great way to stay accountable to oneself throughout the design and construction process. It provides the involved professionals with a detailed list of checks and balances with specifications and design criteria that need to be considered and incorporated at every stage of the design and construction process.

In India, TERI (home-grown) and IGBC (offshoot of USGBC) are the primary agencies that issue green certifications. Both these organisations use a credit based system for the evaluation of green building design and performance. The credits fall under the following categories: Site Planning, Water Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Indoor Air Quality, and Materials among others. Throughout the process, extensive documentation with detailed calculations are required which is then reviewed and tested by the certification body on site. While the system is elaborate, it proves effective as a way to stay true to one’s goals of sustainability. However, it is important for architects to avoid incorporating design elements or features, just for the sake of securing points and focus instead on strategies that are feasible for that specific project life cycle and use.

Demystifying Green Building

I would like to cut through the clutter on this topic. Specially as I would like to demystify the concept and express that green building design is not necessarily a specialized science, nor is it forbiddingly technical where only certain qualified professionals can build green buildings. On the contrary, it is my strong belief that a building built with the basic principles of good architecture would do very well on the green scorecard. The process of green building design starts with a deep understanding of the site, local climate, wind patterns, local materials and resources. Once a building is sited to take advantage of the sun and wind to maximize daylight and cross ventilation, is designed to be responsive to the weather patterns and is built using local materials, then that in itself is a great start towards making the building green.

In the predominantly hot and humid climate in India, one can further think of reducing the heat gain through an informed design of the building envelope. This will have a tremendous impact on the thermal comfort within a building and hence reduce the energy use in the building. Water is another key natural resource that is dwindling with increased human activity on our planet. Rainwater harvesting provides a simple (sometimes ‘no-brainer’) solution to this problem. The idea is simple, instead of allowing rainwater to drain away from your site, one can design systems to either collect it and reuse on the site itself, or feed it back to the earth to recharge the underground aquifers. In addition, a simple introduction of dual flushes can reduce water use by 50-60% and aerators to taps, which can reduce the water use by upto 70% percent. Aerators mix the water from the taps with air, and as a result the water pressure feels the same even when the amount of water flowing through the taps are reduced.

When it comes to building materials, it is wise to use local materials. In most cases, the vernacular building techniques and the local labor would be well versed with the local material. The green quotient of buildings can be further increased by choosing materials with a higher recycled content, higher recyclability, reusing salvaged materials and materials that are rapidly renewable such as bamboo.

The choices to go green are not always straightforward. Cement for example presents a big conundrum in the building industry. The production of cement produces large quantities of CO2, a greenhouse gas with a lasting impact on global warming and climate change. In fact, the production of every kilogram of Portland cement produces an equal amount (one kilogram) of CO2. This presents a huge challenge for our industry where the widely accepted structural material is cement. Wood is another material that presents a difficult choice with sustainability. On one hand, it is a naturally renewable resource and is biodegradable, and wood can be used and reused multiple times. But at the same time, we are cutting irreplaceable virgin rainforests at an alarming pace with long lasting disastrous impact.

Finally, a green building doesn’t have to cost a lot more. Majority of green building strategies are common sense and based on sound architectural principles, which do not come with an additional cost. In addition, there are simple systems that are available at extremely reasonable prices. The aerators mentioned earlier are a free addition offered by most companies that sell sanitary fittings. The difference is for the architect, client and the vendor to be aware of these systems and integrate them into the building design in a timely manner. 

We must as a community of architects pledge to make green building design as important as aesthetics in our projects. A simple change in the thought process can have a long lasting impact on the quality of life for our future generations, which is a cause worth fighting for.

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How does one build in a rural location with the objective to have minimal or zero-impact on the environment?

This question is the primary driver behind the site planning strategy for The House with Three Pavilions located in Goa, India.

The project site is located on the edge of rice paddy fields with a dense cluster of local forest trees on one side and a coconut grove in the middle. The following diagram illustrates some of the critical measures taken as part of the site planning strategy.

WHY IS AN ECOLOGICAL RESPONSE ADOPTED?

• As Goa gentrifies, rampant new construction threatens to rock the delicate balance between nature and man. This project is our attempt to showcase that the built form can tread lightly on the land with conscious design and measured planning. 

• The design focus is to leave a minimal or zero-impact on the functioning natural ecological cycles at the site that pre-date the new construction. 

• The site is geographically located along the path of the watershed from surrounding higher elevations that finally drains into the Arabian Sea. The design planning is oriented to support and improve the water movement through a comprehensive water management plan.

• The water management plan is implemented to address three primary concerns around the site - to recharge the depleted underground water table, to increase water availability for the paddy fields bordering the site, and to reduce the water load on the Municipal Draining system.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?

• During the survey, a natural depression was found at the center of the site with a perennial wetland hosting diverse flora and fauna. This existing depression was dug out (until the underground water level in the driest month) and integrated with the existing well on the site. Today, this natural wetland feature is preserved and developed into a seasonal waterbody which also forms the focal point for the landscape created using a native planting strategy.

• All the roof rain water runoff is captured and along with the site surface runoff, it is directed into the central seasonal pond for rain water harvesting. The edges of the pond were formalized with mortar-less retaining walls built in local laterite rubble. This was done to reduce the erosion of the pond edges and to retain the water as a permanent feature in the landscape

• The pond was further connected to a newly planned system of bioswales that spread the collected runoff water over a larger site surface area increasing the rate and extent of percolation on the site. This keeps the level of our underground water table high throughout the year and the soil moist, reducing the garden irrigation requirement in the dry season.

• The bioswales use no cement in their construction and can absorb water through the walls and the base. The construction of the bioswales and the pond without cement, also allows for the water to remain clean without any toxicity of the cement leaching into the landscape.

HOW DOES THIS CREATE A POSITIVE IMPACT?

• The water management was a critical part of this project and offsets the load on the rudimentary public storm water systems found in the Goan villages especially during the heavy monsoons.

• As a result of our efforts, the underground water levels have been improved hence negating the impact of the house construction on the environment. We have been able to prevent any additional flooding at the neighboring fields or any other low-lying area in the village. 

• The project also prioritises the enhancement of the site’s resources and biodiversity. In doing so, it also creates a positive impact on its surroundings by protecting the agrarian viability which is constantly threatened by new construction and increased human activity. Our success can be measured by the number of birds, reptiles, butterflies and insects that can be found on the site today. We have uncovered peacock eggs, cuckoo eggs and baby parrots on our site. It is a win to see that the animals continue to find the site a safe space even as they come in close contact with the human life around, making this truly a space for all seasons and species.

(Water Management Plan in consultation with Pallavi Latkar and team at Grassroots Research Mumbai.)

We started construction in late January 2011 and are projecting a construction timeline of 12-14 months which according to most is very optimistic considering that we are not building using standard structural design, materials and details.

Most people would probably agree that there is no such thing as construction schedules in India. But being foreign-returned project managers, we have at countless occasions pushed for detailed schedules. But these  quickly get thrown out of the window due to religious holidays, strikes, weather and/ or personal events in individual’s extended families.

April 2011: Soon after pouring the first floor concrete slab for the right side bedroom

Early May 2011: Beginning shuttering for the main living room roof slab

Late May: After pouring concrete for the main living room roof slab and beginning excavation for pavilion block

End of June 2011: Raw living room space without shuttering

End of June 2011: Pavilion Block masonry up to sill level in the foreground

The biggest deadline that we were chasing since the start of the year was the expected start of monsoons in June. Goa receives 3000mm of rainfall every year and most of that rain in concentrated in the months from June- August. In Goa, ‘when it rains it pours’. This makes it nearly impossible to carry out construction activity in the open. It specially makes it difficult to do concrete work as it would not set due to the rains. So our aim was to have all our concreting work done before June along with the other wood and tile roofs. Then while it was raining outside then contractors would work indoors on the internal walls, plastering, woodwork, flooring, kitchens and bathrooms.

It was an ambitious plan and we nearly made it. We were able to finish all the concrete work for roof slabs but hit unexpected delays and have not yet completed our wood and tile roofs (that go over two bedrooms). The pavilion block (a two-story structure with the staff quarters below and the pool pavilion above) has only reached sill level (maybe 4’ from the ground). The delays were caused by:

1) Restriction by the Goa Government on extraction of sand from its rivers in May. The ripple effect was a transportation strike. The people against the imposed restrictions were not allowing any trucks with construction material to pass through. They were vandalizing the trucks, busting their tyres and not allowing them to move forward. The result of this was that no material could reach our site for almost 3-4 weeks.

2) Early in May one of our contractors, Ram Kishen met with a terrible accident. He was hit by a car while he was on his way back from a suppliers office. He had to be rushed to the hospital and needed immediate surgery. He is recovering now but must stay in the hospital for a total of 2-3 months. At that time his partner, Binod Arya was in Kolkata attending the funeral for one of his relatives and could not return to Goa to personally take over the sitework where Ram Kishen had left off. As a result no new item of work (such as wood and tile roofs, steel structure for pavilion block) could be started on-site.

3) Meanwhile, there was more material shortage once the rain started. The laterite stone (main local building material in Goa) suppliers were claiming that the quarries are filled with water and they could not quarry any more stone. My question – don’t they deal with this every year? They should know that the quarries will get filled with water and that the suppliers should stock up before the rains start? Apparently they do know that and as best business practice, they sell their stored supply of stone in black for many times the regular market cost....sigh...

But all is not lost. Our entire team has agreed to pull up their socks and work efficiently through the rains (as much is possible) and avoid future delays. What lies ahead is challenging. Completion of the civil work for the pavilion block would have typically taken 20 days but is now scheduled to be completed in a month and a half (projected deadline end of July) and the wood and tile roofs would take at least 3 weeks (projected deadline mid-July).

Fingers crossed with a game plan in place, we march ahead.

In September 2010, We moved to Goa after living in New York for 5 years and Boston before that for 2. This does not mean that we have left New York for good. That would be unthinkable. My husband and I want to live in both places.

To most people that sounds crazy and not 'something that one does'. To some extent they are right, we have picked 2 locations that couldn’t be further apart from each other but really it is not that bad. The 15 hour direct flight from New York to Mumbai helps...

I guess the next big question is why? My simple answer to most people is 'to build a house in Goa'. The longer and more insightful answer is complex. It is mainly driven by my training as an architect in India, a planner and real estate professional in the US and being passionate about the rapid development occurring in India.

I am an architect and planner. I left India in 2003 when the sharp upswing in India's development had just started. As a result, I have observed most new developments from afar while simultaneously studying and learning about the best and worst practices in city planning and real estate development around the world.  In all the years that have followed, I have brainstormed, researched and written about the many ways in which India has the potential to leapfrog to a new sustainable developed future nation, by learning from the past mistakes of the West (that they are struggling to correct like over-dependence on cars, urban sprawl, a highly energy dependent society, corporatization of food, and rich man’s diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart ailments). If India must mimic the West then we should mimic the future that the West is trying to create rather than the past that they are leaving behind.

These are interesting times in India. There are masses of consumers with increased spending power demanding new products. This is also a time where one can set standards and put forth products that become benchmarks for future developments.

As an observer of the real estate market in India, I have been shocked at how the sale prices have shot up to be directly comparable to other ‘hot’ and ‘desired’ real estate markets in the world but the quality has remained very much what it was in the last century. Home owners still complain of cheap quality of construction, water seepage, floods, termites, high energy use, worsening micro-climate, loss of green cover, unplanned parking and zero space for recreation.

These observations are ofcourse not new and not just mine alone. There is a large community of thought leaders in India and abroad who know and advocate similar thoughts and principles. The problem in my mind is that the folks actually implementing development works are not actively engaged with the thought leaders. Most implementers are thinking short term and not changing their ideology and processes based on a long term view of sustainable development. In commercial real estate development in India, most developers are so busy profiting from the surge in demand that they see no incentive in changing their age old business models and construction practice.

Among global consumption of resources, buildings account for: 20% of water use; 25-40% of energy use; 30-40% of solid waste generation; 30-40% GHG emissions; and 40% - use of raw materials.

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This statistic alone proves how important the building sector is and why construction is a big responsibility.

I find it frustrating to see that most intellectual talent who claim to know how to do things right are completely removed from all commercial building activity. I get frustrated when great ideas stay on the drawing board because there is a divide and a feeling of distrust among intellectual and commercial sector. I want to take the great ideas and build them. I hope to show that attention to good architecture and high quality construction is needed and that consumers deserve better.

While building a house in Goa, we will utilize principles of good architecture, sustainability and high quality construction to build a home that we will then sell in the mass market. The idea to build responsibly and create a model in real estate development that is responsible, innovative yet economically feasible.

This is an effort to offer new and better alternatives to the innovators, visionaries and leaders of the new sustainable future India.

Along the way we are learning new ways of living and building in lovely Goa, while getting inspired and motivated in amazing New York City.

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(Source:  The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, UNEP, OECD)