estates > 7 www.heraldgoa.in Goa I Monday, March 19, 2012 “The gated commune will be complimentary to its surrounding environme nt” -Devadas Naik a qas P ropped carefully on the desk is the beautiful glass trophy recently bagged by Naik for his successful ‘Holiday Homes’ con- cept in Goa. Visibly thrilled to be ac- knowledged by one of India’s most prestigious business awards (ET Now, Leaders of Tomorrow Award), Naik states that his future venture at Porvorim too is equally innovative and promising in nature. “In 2004, I bought a 78,000 sq m plot and subdivided them into 74 plots. Over the years, each of these plots was connected with electricity, water, internet and cable supplies. I even planted trees alongside, which would be turned into streetscapes,” reveals Naik about his new project. Today, as time moves on, bit by bit, Naik’s vision of creating 74 ready-to- move in luxury villas with private gardens and car porches in a hamlet like gated commune is molding into a reality. “What is most unique about my project is that although it is a commune, the owner of each villa is entitled to owning his respective in- dividual plot. Therefore, we have dif- ferent sale-deeds for the plot and the villa. This concept is something of a novelty in Goa, and I doubt anybody in India had come up with one before I did.” Known for his abili ty to pop up a new idea in the world of busi- ness, Naik quotes that the unique idea hit him when apartment own- ers in his Candolim-based holiday resort asked how much space they owned. “In common undivided share of land that one gets in any customary complex, the owner legally does not know how much space he possesses. In this case, how- ever, each 74 sub-divided plot and villa becomes an entity in govern- ment records. And if a villa owner wants to demolish and build it ac- cording to his own design, maybe to enlarge the garden area or for what- ever reasons , he can do it without ob- taining NOCs from other villa owners. Besides, plot ownership means assurance of a lasting asset- value.” Elaborating further , he informs that the project has another uncommon con- cept in store. There will be a Property Management Sys- tem that would look into plumbing, electricity and other issues within this mini-township. This will liberate the owners from the hassles of visiting various government de- partments to sort out their problems. Naik also envisions his project to be a passive development very much in sync with nature. “The gated com- munity will be complimentary to its surrounding environment. It can be likened to an up-market village amidst natural vegetation with just the music of the wind.” The par tly completed project will soon be adorned with landscaped gardens, a clubhouse, tennis court, a fully air conditioned crèche among other fea- tures. When asked what i f a villa owner seeks to convert his residential premise into a commercial one, Naik replies, “Since the plot belongs en- tirely to the owner, he is free to do whatever he wants. He has the legal right and nobody can question him. However, there are unwrien rules for residents in a commune and it is his social and moral duty not to” he elaborates. I f we, in Goa, were to exclude all architecture belonging to the colonial period and then grade all that was built during the post-libera- tion period till date, how many would score pass marks on the value of their creativity, was a question asked by some friends vis- iting Goa a few week s ago. Of course, any answer to this question would have to carry an asterisk mark with a fine print say- ing that conditions apply since every- one, architects in- cluded, have their own terms and meanings to define what good architec- ture is. One would have thought, given Goa’s inspira- tional built heritage, our contempo- rary architecture would be abound with examples that do justice and more to this precious architectural legacy. However, it is no secret that the reality is something else. Simply said there would be hardly any, that would make the grade.The villas at Verem are among the few that stands out. Designed by Charles Correa, these villas are relevant for the fact that while they are part of a commer- cial residential project by a property developer , the vill as express clearly everything that can be truly called Goan style (for lack of a better word). Minus all meaningless surface orna- mentation that we see adorning fa- cades today, the built form of these villas, proportionate to human scale, are decorated with elements that are not cosmetic but integral to the form of the structures such as the tiled roofs with their overhangs, the first floor hidden away under the roof giving a sensation of being only a ground floor structure, plain walls painted in simple white and the unplastered common laterite stone for the compoundw all. In today’s architectural world that is dominated by developer-d riven proj- ects, these villas show how creativity can be harnessed without resorting to gimmicky designs to satisfy commercial inter- ests. A lot of us today, be- moan the fact that architecture can hardly be represented in proj- ects that are commer- cially driven, attributing design deficiencies on the developer’s relent- less pursuit of sale and profit that bypasses everything else, in its wake. While it is true that the a project can get only as good as its owner wishes, the Villas at Betim demon- strate that excellence in design can be achieved while retaining all that is necessary to be commercially successful. It is this trait that makes these villas, a showcase for contemporary Goan architec- ture. The Mu- seum for the Houses of Goa at Torda, Por- vorim is another that comes to mindimmediately. Designed by Gerard de Cunha, this Museum utilizes building materials to showcase the art of architecture. The local laterite stone blocks, placed one above another, are stretched like nothing seen before, with each of them projecting out by just a small bit over the entire three floor height of the structure, to achieve a building form that is anything but conven- tional. The simplicity of this method of construction using a local material in the most practical and direct manner without any of the grand embellish- ments that books of architecture showcase, makes this building, one of the best that present Goa offers. The Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, in the Don Bosco School Campus is the third in this list. Designed by the late J. R. Ralino de Sousa, long ago in 1979, the Chapel presents a unique form of architecture --- one that relies on the structural frame of the build- ing to create its architectural expres- sion. None of our architectural designs of the present comes close to matching this design and today, 33 years since it was built, it still has the greatest rel- evance for our times in its minimalis- tic approach where no extra materials or features other than that used for the structure are necessary to beau- tify the interiors and exteriors. This is the architecture of the future and to think that t his was conceptual- ized all the way back in 1979 speaks volumes of the genius of the archi- tect. These case studies are not in any particular order of merit or preference and to my mind, they remain the best three, among just a handful, to pres- ent the architecture of our modern times in good light. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The author is a practicing architect based in Carambolim, Goa. jim.manjoor an@gmail.co m To ra Te archiTecTure JIM MANJOORAN architectonic sdas Villas at Verem Museum for the Houses of Goa at Torda Home with a plot, garden, garage…even foliage “What is most unique about my project is that although it is a commune, the owner of each villa is entitled to owning his respective individual plot. Therefore, we have different sale-deeds for the plot and the villa. This concept is something of a novelty in Goa, and I doubt anybody in India had come up with one before I did.” T he roof tile business is on the decline. Though these fired roof tiles are found as early as the 3rd millennium BC, today, the biggest challenge facing the industry are the modern day concrete construc- tions, which have also paved the way for alternate roofing techniques, including decora- tive shingles. Roofing shingles are flat or curved tiles that interlock and overlap in a way that c hannels water off a pitched roof. There are some houses in Goa which have used shingles, but its cost has de- terred many home owners from opt- ing for shingles. Shingles are made from materials (generally from asphalt) that vary in cost, weight, durability, color, and ar- chitectural style. The traditional roof tiles predomi- nantly originate from Mangalore, and that explains the name aributed to the tiles. Actually, Mangalore town once had 36 tile factories, some 30 years ago, but stiff competition has re- duced the number to mere six func- tional factories, with some not functioning to full capacity. Stiff competition and alternative construction systems – predominantly concrete roofing — has threatened its very survival. Another drawback of the tiles is the need to regularly check the placement of tiles on the roof, since any shi can upset the defence to rain water promting leakages. Cost for transportation, inadequate quantity of cheap firewood used as fuel too has jacked up its man- ufacturing cost. The steep cost of kerosene, bran oil, kidden oil, power tarrif, diesel and lu- bricating oil ha s adversely af- fected its production. Even the raw material for its manufac- ture, which once was widely available by way of clay de- posits in the region is now made vir- tually inacessible. The available clay offered tensil strength and colour to the final product. However, today, a major portion of the area with large deposits of these clay have been occu- pied by mega industries and therefore limited supply is available for the fac- tories to keep going. Internal compe- tition among manufactures too has played havoc. In the wake of the struggling industry, the government’s R&D Centre for Clay Roofing Tiles, Bricks and Other Ceramic Products was established in 1993 with the idea of guiding, supporting and helping the industry. But despite scope for im- provement of methods, quality con- trol, fuel efficiency, innovation and invention in the production and mar- keting of tiles, new designs sought to be introduc ed in an effort to aract customers has not galvanized the pro- ducers. Consequently , with decline in the demand for roofing tiles, some manufacturers have opted to manu- facturing drinking water pots, flower vases, bricks and related products to sustain the industry . Slipping from the eaves The traditional roof tile industry is struggling for survival. (Left) Mangalore tiles and Roof shingles (right) Pergolas can pep up the surroundings Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Don Bosco, Panjim Highland Constructions Pvt Ltd chief Devadas Naik pioneers a new concept in marketing realty space for its clients. I f your backyard is plain, or the front portion of your house has some space, a good idea would be to have a pergola. Contractors and architects in Goa now-a-days suggest erection of such gazebos to their afflu- ent clientele. However, traditional homes too can opt for such attractive structures, which can be erected cheaply with even bamboos. A per gola is a structure that pro- vides shade by allowing climbers over it so that there is adequate ventilation thereby providing a cool, shaded area beneath it. They make excellent recre- ation areas. The defining feature of a pergola is the support columns which run along either side, typically connecting with a latticed framework above. Plants are trained to grow up the pillars until they reach the framework, at which point they will spread out to cover the top of the pergola, and some- times they may start to dangle part- way down the sides. Flowering climbers over the lattice working atop eventually offers a colourful ambience. Some however prefer to cover the structure with transparent fiberglass material. ....Specially with flowering climbers A panoramic view of Highland Villas under construction at Porvorim Pg 7_Layout 1 17-03-2012 16:57 Page 1