architecture
AMURA
Location Colvale, Goa
Status Completed
Area 4000 sq ft
In the quiet village of Colvale, lays this Goan house, first built in 1911. The house is nested beside a hill, and overlooks the wetlands which are the flooding plains of the Chapora river. The house was occupied till 2001, after which it was locked up and with time the roof caved in and the house started to crumble.
The client bought this house in March of 2021 and began renovation work in a month’s time. The house design marries the old with the new. The ground floor in form is the existing house treated with new materials and finishes, while the first floor is a completely new design interpretation added to the house. The fluidity of the material ties together the two different parts of the house.
Being situated at the bottom of the hill, the water table in the monsoon rises considerably, this is heightened by the proximity to the wetlands as well. The house acts as a sponge in the monsoons, while the water flows down the hill into the wetlands, much of the water gets absorbed by the house, through the foundation and the walls.
Thus, we wanted the house to breathe, and all the materials choices have been natural materials to enable this. The laterite walls are plastered with traditional lime plaster, the ceiling has a lime wash, the floors in the house have stone flooring in most spaces and the bathrooms are all treated with IPS.
Recycled wood has been used for all the structural wood elements and recycled tiles for the roof covering.
materials used in the project
Lime Plaster
IPS (oxide)
Sandstone flooring
Terrazzo flooring
Mangalore tiles
Building a house such as this one has been a true labour of love. The client is a creative and patient person, who has actively participated through all the stages of the project. His ability to understand and appreciate the process of making and the time it takes, has really made it a joyous process for all the teams involved. We are all going to miss being at site and solving problems, both small and big. Little did we know how the year passed us by.
May all houses be such labour of love projects for everyone involved and the residents.
