Enrique Dussel The architectonic of the ethics of liberation
March 19th, 2012 - To Rate Archtiecture Architectonic
Transcript of March 19th, 2012 - To Rate Archtiecture Architectonic
8/2/2019 March 19th, 2012 - To Rate Archtiecture Architectonic
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/march-19th-2012-to-rate-archtiecture-architectonic 1/1
estates >7www.heraldgoa.inGoa I Monday, March 19, 2012
“The gated commune will becomplimentary to itssurrounding environment”
-Devadas Naik
a
qas
Propped carefully on the deskis the beautiful glass trophyrecently bagged by Naik for
his successful ‘Holiday Homes’ con-cept in Goa. Visibly thrilled to be ac-knowledged by one of India’s mostprestigious business awards (ETNow, Leaders of Tomorrow Award),Naik states that his future venture at
Porvorim too is equally innovativeand promising in nature.
“In 2004, I bought a 78,000 sq mplot and subdivided them into 74plots. Over the years, each of theseplots was connected with electricity,water, internet and cable supplies. Ieven planted trees alongside, whichwould 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 privategardens and car porches in a hamletlike gated commune is molding intoa reality. “What is most unique aboutmy project is that although it is acommune, the owner of each villa isentitled to owning his respective in-dividual plot. Therefore, we have dif-
ferent sale-deeds for the plot and thevilla. This concept is something of anovelty in Goa, and I doubt anybodyin India had come up with one beforeI did.” Known for his ability to popup a new idea in the world of busi-ness, Naik quotes that the uniqueidea hit him when apartment own-ers in his Candolim-based holidayresort asked how much space theyowned. “In common undivided
share of land that one gets in anycustomary complex, the ownerlegally does not know how muchspace he possesses. In this case, how-ever, each 74 sub-divided plot andvilla 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 toenlarge the garden area or for what-ever reasons, he can do it without ob-taining NOCs from other villaowners. Besides, plot ownershipmeans assurance of a lasting asset-
value.” Elaborating further,he informs that the projecthas another uncommon con-cept in store. There will be aProperty Management Sys-tem that would look intoplumbing, electricity and other issueswithin this mini-township. This willliberate the owners from the hassles
of visiting various government de-partments to sort out their problems.Naik also envisions his project to bea passive development very much insync with nature. “The gated com-munity will be complimentary to itssurrounding environment. It can belikened to an up-market villageamidst natural vegetation with justthe music of the wind.” The partlycompleted project will soon be
adorned with landscaped gardens, aclubhouse, tennis court, a fully airconditioned crèche among other fea-
tures. When asked what if a villaowner seeks to convert his residentialpremise into a commercial one, Naikreplies, “Since the plot belongs en-tirely to the owner, he is free to dowhatever he wants. He has the legalright and nobody can question him.However, there are unwrien rulesfor residents in a commune and it ishis social and moral duty not to” heelaborates.
If 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
weeks ago. Of
course, any answer
to this questionwould 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 compoundwall.
In today’s architectural world that
is dominated by developer-driven 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 hardlybe 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
mind immediately.
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 likenothing 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 this 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.
To raTe 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 isthat although it is a commune, the ownerof each villa is entitled to owning hisrespective individual plot. Therefore, wehave different sale-deeds for the plot andthe villa. This concept is something of anovelty in Goa, and I doubt anybody inIndia had come up with one before I did.”
The roof tile business is on thedecline. Though these firedroof tiles are found as early as
the 3rd millennium BC, today, the biggest challenge facing the industryare the modern day concrete construc-tions, which have also pavedthe way for alternate roofingtechniques, including decora-tive shingles.
Roofing shingles are flat orcurved tiles that interlock andoverlap in a way that c hannelswater off a pitched roof. Thereare some houses in Goa whichhave 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 incost, weight, durability, color, and ar-chitectural style.
The traditional roof tiles predomi-nantly originate from Mangalore, andthat explains the name aributed tothe tiles. Actually, Mangalore townonce had 36 tile factories, some 30years ago, but stiff competition has re-
duced the number to mere six func-tional factories, with some notfunctioning to full capacity.
Stiff competition and alternativeconstruction systems – predominantlyconcrete roofing — has threatened itsvery survival. Another drawback of
the tiles is the need to regularly checkthe placement of tiles on the roof,since any shi can upset the defenceto rain water promting leakages.
Cost for transportation, inadequatequantity of cheap firewood used as
fuel too has jacked up its man-ufacturing cost. The steep costof kerosene, bran oil, kiddenoil, power tarrif, diesel and lu- bricating oil ha s adversely af-fected its production. Even theraw material for its manufac-ture, which once was widelyavailable by way of clay de-
posits in the region is now made vir-tually inacessible. The available clayoffered tensil strength and colour tothe final product. However, today, amajor portion of the area with largedeposits 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 hasplayed havoc. In the wake of thestruggling industry, the government’sR&D Centre for Clay Roofing Tiles,Bricks and Other Ceramic Productswas established in 1993 with the ideaof guiding, supporting and helpingthe industry. But despite scope for im-provement of methods, quality con-trol, fuel efficiency, innovation andinvention in the production and mar-keting of tiles, new designs sought to be introduc ed in an effort to aractcustomers has not galvanized the pro-ducers. Consequently, with decline inthe demand for roofing tiles, somemanufacturers have opted to manu-facturing drinking water pots, flowervases, bricks and related products tosustain the industry.
Slipping from the eavesThe 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.
If 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 Villasunder construction at Porvorim
Pg 7_Layout 1 17-03-2012 16:57 Page 1