Modern commercial and residential buildings in Goa have got a novel appeal that aims to look better and give occupants' a convenient living. Many international trends are also making an impact in defining architecture and design
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STORY FOR REAL-ESTATE JACKET Gone are the days when the only way builders knew to make a building appear Goan was to use red-coloured Mangalore tiles and Mario Miranda paintings. That is not to say that Mangalore tiles and Mario’s paintings are passé, but builders and architects have, over the years, learnt to combine these two elements with international trends to not only improve the aesthetics of a building, but also its functionality.
Noted Panaji-based architect, Tulio De Sousa, said, “People these days have a global outlook and are exposed to various kinds of international trends. A building combines the functional aspect of the plan and aesthetic component of elevation. In the last few years, we have seen that builders are keen to improve both these aspects.”
For instance, residential projects are planned these days not just by giving a flat to the buyer, but also by focusing on the entire experience, right from how you enter a complex, how you reach the parking lot, what all you come across on your walk from the parking lot to the lift, and finally how you reach your flat.
A lot of subtle changes can be brought into the plan of the building to give people a really different feel and experience.
Ameet Sukhthankar, architect and proprietor of M S Suctancar, said, “We are trying to incorporate certain elements of Goan architecture in a new way in some residential projects. For instance, we are planning a courtyard in a residential colony, which will also have a garden. We are planning balconies in a way that one can interact with neighbours conveniently without sacrificing on privacy, which will provide a good community feeling to people.”
Typically, people prefer living in their own spaces and limit their interactions with neighbours. In fact, some residential complexes are built in such a way that there is little or no scope for interaction between residents. But, such plans suit a city more where people are hard pressed for time and space.
This is where Sukhthankar's concept is quite unique because a courtyard allows people to gather in their free time and interact with each other. This will bring a sense of community to the residents of a building. And, in Goa, not only locals but even people from outside who invest in real-estate prefer interactions with neighbours.
Another factor which is driving architecture of buildings is the increasing stress on being environment-friendly. Rohit Gera, managing director, Gera Developments, said, “In our office building called ‘Imperium Green’, we have used aluminium louvers, which eliminate sunlight and thereby help in reducing air-conditioning bill.”
Gera continued, “We have even used double-glazed windows in the same building, which again helps in reducing heat and thereby cutting expense on keeping the place cool”. Double-glazed windows have two panes of glass, and the space in between allows for movement of air, and since air is a bad conductor of heat, it helps in keeping the place relatively cooler.
At a time when certain builders are trying to cut down on dependence on air-conditioning, most builders are opting for glass buildings in commercial spaces. Patto in Panaji is a good example of this concept, as it has so many glass structures.
Sukhthankar said, “In the commercial space, glass buildings have caught the fancy of builders in the last few years. But, if you ask me, glass might just become a thing of past very soon, given our climate. A glass building absorbs more heat and therefore expense on AC is quite high. Besides, ventilation can be really improved if you have a stone and brick building by creating windows and balconies.”
Rahul Deshpande, another architect, concurred with Sukhthankar. “It is not wise to use glass. It is widely used in the Northern Hemisphere due to extreme cold conditions; you want more sunlight to come inside the building. But, that isn’t the case with India. With the kind of pollution and dust in India, it is also very difficult to maintain glass buildings.”
Architects, however, lamented the fact that there is little or no regulation in Goa when it comes to signages. There are a number of well-designed commercial buildings in Panaji, which can be any developer’s or architect’s pride.
But, signages in various sizes, shapes and forms appear the moment space in these buildings is leased out. This problem takes on different proportions in Goa because most businesses are small-scale and therefore require small office-space.
As a result of which, a large beautifully-built commercial building gets divided into in several small offices, with everyone having signages of his or her own liking.
In nutshell, even though builders and architects have worked hard to modernise the buildings, the state government hasn’t done much in this regard. This affects the overall plan and aesthetics of buildings.
For example, there are beautiful residential complexes with neatly-paved pathways for cars to drive inside, but the village approach roads are just too narrow. This badly affects the functionality part of the architecture.
Besides, there is no control, in general, on how a certain area should look. The buildings, per se, may look nice, but the area overall looks haphazard. Deshpande added, “We have good by-laws in India for how much you can build on a plot, but not for the aesthetic appeal of a place. In other countries, there are committees which decide how a certain road, lane, or an area should appear.”
Clearly, builders and architects have taken a number of steps to improve both the functionality and aesthetics of buildings, but the state and the central governments should formulate rules and implement it strictly for this development to move on to the next level.
