Toybox is a contemporary restoration of a 150-year-old Portuguese house in Aldona village in North Goa. A home where the old and the new dance together, where every corner tells a story, with joy in every detail.
Each space in the restored house is singularly unique with a marriage of historic and contemporary design elements. Larger updated openings invite light and breeze creating a seamless connection between the indoors and the outdoors. Earthy finishes and thoughtful details further complete the sense of barefoot luxury in the house.
Toybox is approached through a long front garden with two full-grown mango trees, one giant chikoo tree and two coconut trees. A river flows nearby, and a beautiful walk connects the house to the river.
Living Room
ALDONA, NORTH GOA
SIZE - 4 BHK
PLOT AREA - 675 SQ MTR
SUPER BUILT-UP AREA - 3,162 SQ FT
OPEN AREA - 4,112 SQ FT
SPECIAL FEATURES
BALCAO
The new Balcao verandah is an expanded version of the existing Balcao, a seamless extension of the living room. We are transforming the balcao into a contemporary form. A place to spend long and lazy days in the shade of the Mango tree, to socialize and make cherished memories with friends and family. The new Balcao verandah is a space to enjoy the garden and the pool, observe the fruits blooming in the garden, birdwatch and live the susegad life.
Traditionally Balcao’s are entrance patios, an integral part of Indo-Portuguese domestic architecture found in Goa. Balcaos are built-in seats where people gather and leisurely watch over the goings-on in the village. A physical representation of the Goan ’Sussegad’ lifestyle.
FACADE
The new facade is asymmetric and we love that it lends a contemporary touch to the house. We were inspired by the pilaster details of the existing facade as seen in all traditional Portuguese houses, and have replicated that in the restored elevation. Taking inspiration from the pilaster bands in traditional Portuguese doors and windows, we have devised a contemporary fluting detail around the large openings in the front facade.
The fluted profile invites a personal touch where garden blooms can adorn the facade or diyas at night and on special occasions.
entrance crest
The Crest at the entrance of Toybox is an example of a unique detail found in many old Portuguese houses in Goa. It speaks of the building’s history. One can vaguely read some initials and a date that reads close to 1860. On the edges, the crest is decorated with scrolls and rose buds. There is a faint red and blue color that can be noticed on the crest.
We are carefully saving and preserving this wonderful piece of history and keeping it alive as the highlight of our rejuvenated front elevation.
PRAYER NICHE
Toybox is a Catholic house that was first built around 160 years ago. As most Catholic houses, Toybox houses a quaint prayer niche in the main central space that was most likely the private ‘Sala’ or the dining area for the family.
When we found the house, the prayer nicheseemed to have been vandalized. Maybe there was a wood frame around it that was removed by a previous owner. At this time, we have repaired and preserved the prayer niche.
The prayer niche will be a unique design element in our central eat-in kitchen, always watching over the new owners and their family. We hope to see it adorned with flowers and sweet scented incense sticks for another few generations to come.
TRADITIONAL LOCK
The fun of restoring old buildings is discovering beautiful hidden details that they house. We were delightfully surprised when we stumbled upon a traditional locking system in one of the doorways at Toybox. Made of solid wood, this lock can entirely be concealed inside the laterite wall when not in use!
Without question, this feature has been lovingly preserved.
doors & windows
At the project beginning, we documented each and every opening at the house. We determined the condition of the same and saved the ones that were worth salvaging for reuse. Some of these old wood frames and windows are being kept in their original position, and some are being reused in new openings created to receive these.
The original windows at The Toybox were small (as in most old houses) and did not bring in enough light and air. Hence, in our intervention, we have transformed the openings to be larger and yet feel like they are part of the original space. The final result is pretty stunning, if we may say that ourselves!
ROOF
While restoring a heritage building, it is always important to inspect and determine the condition of its existing structure. In Goa, with its harsh monsoons, the strength and longevity of a building is often dictated by how well the roof protects the structure from the elements.
We started the documentation of this house by examining the roof. As a design intervention, we decided to redo the roof completely due to many reasons: the timber frame was in need of repair, and the slope and roof form brought water seepage and leaks during the rains.
While re-doing the roof, we changed the roof profile to eliminate tricky junctions. We raised the roof and added waterproofing layers to make the roof rain proof.
Away from the ‘It’ places in Goa, places ‘to see and to be seen’, the Toybox is located in an idyllic corner of rural Goa. A place to walk by the nearby rivers and fields, getting fresh fish and poi from the village vendors on bicycles, listening to the birdsong, and enjoying the pink sunsets.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR SALE
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