Starting a new series on the blog today on ‘Designing a House in Goa’. Here we will outline some of the ideas and concepts that we have used over and over in projects which we believe are key to achieving the resort-style lifestyle desired and offered by these lovely houses in Goa.

This is a follow up on our previous post on ‘What to Look for when buying a House in Goa’.

First and foremost, create indoor-outdoor spaces that blend seamlessly together. By that we mean:

1. Design indoor spaces that are flanked by generous outdoor spaces in the form of verandahs and courtyards.

2. Introduce large openings in between these indoor and outdoor spaces which can be opened up to connect the two spaces to allow them to function as one space.

3. The openings should be designed to frame views and focus on key natural elements on the site, such as an existing tree, water feature, rocky outcrop, and/ or the views offered by the site.

4. Plan openings on at least two walls within a room to allow for easy cross ventilation and try to align the openings to the wind direction on the site.

5. We also like to use the same finish in the indoor and outdoor space, once again connecting them visually and making them appear as one contiguous space.

6. Plan for doors with mosquito nets to keep the bugs and creepy crawlies out. This is a very important element that allows for a comfortable use of a Goan home specially in the evenings and during the monsoon.

Images from Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi

Photograph (above) from Nivim. Photography by Bharath Ramamrutham.

Partner Content : How to Create an Indoor/Outdoor Space That’s Fun and Functional has some great ideas on creating outdoor spaces for different activities. Their post will help you style your outdoor spaces with the right decor, lighting, furniture and much more.

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Read On

If you follow our work, then you know that we are somewhat 'experts' in designing houses in Goa. We constantly highlight the key design elements appropriate for houses in Goa and the Goa lifestyle, such as preserving and celebrating the site's natural features, preserving the existing trees on the site, designing indoor-outdoor spaces with large verandahs, and spaces with ample daylight and cross-ventilation, while following sustainable practices to reduce the building's ecological footprint.

Another key element to consider while buying a property in Goa is 'maintenance'. This is not a topic that is often discussed but must be seriously considered while buying a new home. If the house in Goa is used as a second or vacation home, then one may not live in a it all year round and when you visit, you want to enjoy the beauty and luxury of the house and not be inundated by a plethora of maintenance issues. These concerns take center stage in Goa, specially due to the relatively heavy monsoon period in Goa which can lead to several problems of water seepage, mold and dampness.

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Here are the main points to consider while buying a house in Goa:

Balance your desire for design goodness with maintenance requirements

BUGS:

1. Be cognizant that you will be co-living with bugs and reptiles, and sometimes monkey and bats. Insist on mosquito net screens for doors and windows. These are vital to 'resort-living' and are sadly often omitted. The mosquito nets allow the home owners to keep doors and windows open without the concern for bugs, mosquitoes and other undesired creatures from entering the house. The homeowner can in-turn enjoy the sunsets, evening breeze and an indoor-outdoor lifestyle without a compromise.

2. Avoid decorative ponds. In my experience, the decorative ponds become habitats for reptiles and can become a maintenance headache.

DAMPNESS:

3. Get closets that can breath. This is critical due to the high humidity during the monsoon period in Goa. If you plan to leave you things back in the house (as you should), then it is important to have closets that can breath. This can be achieved by using breathable materials within the closet doors, in the form of lovely cane weaving, wood louvers, canvas and even cotton curtains.

4. It is important to air-out your house in Goa. While you as a homeowner are away, it is important that the house staff or friends periodically open up the doors and windows and air the house. This is critical to avoid mold from growing in hidden corners in the house.

SECURITY:

5. Check the quality of glass used in a home. Toughened glass is the most commonly used glass for security purposes. Higher grades of security glass are also available and can be installed at a premium.

6. New technology allows for video surveillance. There is also an availability of motion sensors and special alarms that go off in case of vandalism. Panic buttons can also be introduced in each room if desired.

7. Finally, the best security is offered by watch dogs and guardsmen who can keep an eye on the property and raise an alarm when security is breached.

Read On

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IMAGE OF MY SEED COLLECTION

Last week, I was interviewed by Priscille H Joseph on her podcast 'Design Talks'. She asked me what I mean when I say 'reconnect with nature'.  I have thought about it, and more than anything 'reconnecting with nature' is about a mindset. We are constantly surrounded by the wonders of nature, 'a reconnection' is possible by simply being in tune with nature and its cycles, and to begin to observe and attach value to nature's wonders that surround us.

I enjoy observing nature closely. I personally have a special fondness for 'seeds'.  I have become somewhat of a part-time seeds collector. I’ve gleaned quite a collection of seeds from my walks and travels, and they are peppered around my apartment. This is an obsession of sorts and I really enjoy admiring their unique forms. 

Seeds come in many shapes and sizes. The primary objective of seeds is to disperse and propagate life. The size, shape, color and smell are all reverse engineered from their method of propagation. Some seeds have the ability to take flight, like the Dandelion and Maple Helicopter Seeds. Others are colorful to attract birds and some have a strong scent to attract large mammals. I am fascinated by this diversity. And more than anything, I am fascinated by the complexity of shape and structure that these seeds present. No person's imagery can do better justice to these wondrous creations than photographer, Mary Jo Hoffman and her Still Blog. I am adding some images below, breath them in....

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This past month, amidst anxieties surrounding a sudden drastic change in our realities, I hosted an Instagram live session, especially for architecture students and professionals. We have been receiving a larger than normal volume of job applications and we see this as a sign that the younger architecture community is anxious about their future. It is clear that the construction industry is going to slow down and the availability of labor and material will be in shorter supply. This will directly impact our architecture community, especially the younger architects who were looking to begin their careers at this time. This was our way to communicate with some answers based on our experience.

We directly addressed some questions that had been sent to us beforehand. Some of the questions addressed by us were:

1. What advice would you give a recently graduated architect or designer?

2. What is the relevance of green architecture in India, and what are your thoughts on green architecture in general?

3. Which software would you recommend architects be familiar with?

4. Any advice for designers starting out now, in the midst of COVID?

5. What are somethings you do to keep yourself motivated and productive whilst being in quarantine?

Part 1 of 7:

The session started with a self-introduction, a bit about my educational background and experiences.

Sustainability has always been an intrinsic consideration in my practice, and I decided to discuss this in the following segment.

We dived into discussing the impact of COVID on our world and our industry, considering ways in which we had to adapt moving forward.

This is followed by suggestions based on how I’ve been keeping productive despite having to stay indoors as part of quarantine measures.

This segment highlights job opportunities for students.

I have also compiled a comprehensive list of free and accessible resources for students or professionals who are taking this time to upskill.

We end of this session by considering ways in which our industry as a whole would permanently change as a result of the crisis.

I hope these videos have been useful for you. If you have any lingering questions, do leave them in the comments section.

Below is also a list of free(ish) online resources for architecture students and young professionals that are online and can be used to upskill during this time:

1. ARCH20

2. LYNDA

3. SKILLSHARE

4. COURSERA

5. EDX

6. MIT OPENCOURSEWARE

7. DOMESTIKA

8. ARCHITECTURECHAT

9. MASTERCLASS

Signing off,

Anjali

A simple centerpiece for a coffee table in my home with plants growing in bottles.

The dragonfly is crafted from dry palm leaves, purchased from a street vendor in Vietnam. It remains one of my most treasured possessions.

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Tips on how to love staying at home

Tip 1. Bring nature into your home. Going to a florist is not a priority item at this point, so my tip is to go cut some green leaves and branches growing near your home and create your own arrangements at home or grow them in bottles with water. Use some of the beautiful wine bottles or glass jars that you may have at your disposal. You can add drama by placing the colored bottles on window ledges to get the light to shine through them!

See Athena Calderone's video on Foraging.

Go here for a list of plants that can easily grow in bottles with cuttings.

Tip 2: Institute a winding down ritual. Start an evening ritual of burning simple incense or a scented candle after sunset. This will be a signal for the family to wind down, take a breath, tune out work and social media and focus on leisure. Keep the lights low in the evening, try to stay away from jarring bright ceiling or wall lights. Instead rely on lamps to light up your living and sleeping spaces. Adjust the brightness of a lamp by simply covering your lamps with a scarf, your zero cost dimmer!

Tip 3: Bust out the fancy! Make this a time for celebration with your immediate loved ones. Set the dinner table, add a floral (or plant) arrangement, add a candle and bring out the fancy dinnerware. This is really a time to make everyday special and to count on our blessings each and everyday!

Highlighting this beauty today…

We all seem to know of Kelly Wearstler, thanks to her Interior Design Masterclass. She is a heavyweight in the interior design world. I love this particular series, it fits perfectly with my aesthetic of highlighting natural materials in interiors. Beautifully crafted, raw with the grains in wood taking center stage. This one is makes wonderful eye-candy!

All images from Kelly Wearstler Website.

I personally like to collect specimens from nature. My favorite ones are seeds and shells. So when I came across the work of Rowan Mersh on Designboom, it caught my eye and really captured my imagination. He uses shells to weave fabric like artworks! Enough said, see the images below and they will transport you as well.

Images from Designboom

And around the same time, I also came across the new National Museum of Qatar by the genius architect Jean Nouvel. This building is goes ‘beyond’ everything we thought architecture can be… A great example of architecture as art, it looks like a building manifestation of Rowan’s artwork. The inspiration from nature is so apparent that one doesn’t really need any descriptive text to be in awe of the form, the structure, the color and the scale of the building. I think I will visit Qatar just to visit this museum (just as soon as COVID stops terrorizing us).

Images from JeanNouvel.com

I discovered Bapi Das at the last Kochi Biennale in 2018. Bapi’s work is genius. First because of his choice of medium. Discarding the typical medias of visual media, Bapi uses a needle and thread. He pulls threads from clothes like a dupatta and uses these threads to embroider and stich his artwork. Second, he manages to achieve this extreme level of detail using single threads that often a magnifying glass is needed to explore his work. And finally, and most importantly, he draws what he calls ‘dream like episodes’, that have their context in his daily life, his struggles, dreams and thoughts. One can very easily get lost in Bapi’s world while exploring deeper into his works.

Trajectory, The Shifting Imaginery

References:

Verve Magazine article on Bapi Das

The Wire article on Bapi Das

Working with clay has a special place in my heart, so do botanicals specially seeds. I came across Khageshwar Rout’s work through Project 88 Instagram. It combines my two loves and really speaks to me. I love the complexity and the depth within each piece. Enjoy them…

Study of Things Wood Apple

Study of Things Bone of a Cotton Seed

Study of Things Ridge Gourd Wild

Study of Things Ridge Gourd

Photos credit: Gallery 88

I came across the work of photographer Lalla Essaydi at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery in Singapore in early 2019. I was pretty blown away. Lalla’s art is a commentary on the position of women in Morocco and in the world. Her work is visually stunning and full of symbolism.

In her series ‘Les Femmes du Maroc’, she uses henna to write calligraphy on the women’s bodies, the fabric they wear and the space that contain them. Calligraphy has historically been restricted to the used of men. I love the way her photographs present the status of women as trapped in a man’s world. Her use of henna is thought provoking as it is generally used to enhance a woman’s beauty, her use of soft fabric to me, highlights the softness of women and their vulnerability, but also shows their desire to be free spirited. Finally, I appreciate that all her women are photographed inside traditional homes, once again signifying how they are trapped within the confines of their homes, their family values and cultural outlook. This resonates with most of us women who grew up in conservative societies.

In another series, ‘Harem’ (below), the women literally disappear within their space, they become one with the architecture, as an artifact, an object and decoration.

Her works evokes a strong response.