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The inside and outside are very distinct in Goan designs.
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The town of Hobson’s Bay in Australia may appear to have little in common with Goa. But while the lifestyle and culture may be worlds apart, architecturally the two share a pivotal guiding principle. Or at least, they should, according to several Goan architects.

Hobson’s Bay has guidelines for its heritage areas that ensure new developments “do not distort historic evidence of heritage places.” The recommendation is to create spaces that are “contemporary but sympathetic.”

A troop of Goan architects who make up the task force advising the government on land policies, now say the same historically-sensitive guidelines should apply in Goa too.
Architect Arvind D’Souza says: “Our lament is that there is no legislative or social awareness. In most new structures the interpretation of traditional architecture is gimmicky rather than real. Slap dash arches and shell windows are imitative at a very shallow level.”

More visible than the traditional wood and laterite houses hidden amidst foliage are faux Goan-Portuguese houses, villas, apartment blocks and gated communities, particularly on the coastal belt.

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In the absence of guidelines, activists say that crumbling old houses are being replaced by condos with little room for aesthetic interpretation of the Goan style – which Gerard da Cunha of Architecture Autonomous, defines as a result of the “first sustained encounter between the East and the West.”

Experts find elements of Konkani style from pre-Portuguese times, especially in religious buildings, combined with Classical Italian features, notable in facades and plinths, overlaid by romanticism in the 19th century. According to da Cunha, Goan architectural identity has much to do with its “hot and humid” climate and it is the unique way of life that has led to indigenous architecture.

A simple road trip around Goa will familiarise you with houses that open into courtyards with built-in seating – the balcões – and rarely on to streets, welcoming visitors into their homes while adhering to privacy. Dean D’Cruz, a native Goan and architect, says: “The key aspect of traditional Goan architecture is its scale and relationship to the streetscape. The front of the building facing the road, being the most important, is treated with formality. But as one moves through the house, spaces and rear elevations start becoming much more informal.”

Consciously or unconsciously, a usable verandah is retained by most new homes even today. In Hindu homes you would find an angan and a Tulsi shrub. For fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani’s house in Goa, D’Souza created an angan. “It’s a contemporary house with an internal courtyard because he wanted to see the rain falling in the house,” says the architect.
Goa’s houses are characterised by climate-related elements. High plinths prevent rising damp, corbels protect from the rain, wraparound verandahs protect from the monsoon, steep roofs allow for fast drainage, and openings at floor level and in the false ceiling along with courtyards induce ventilation. The other staples of Goan architecture are Mangalore tiles and country tiles for roofing, with even new constructions favouring a slanting roof.

Materials are also very particular to Goa. Many swear by laterite instead of concrete walls as thermal transmission is reduced and therefore coolness is increased. D’Cruz, who is on the government’s task force for land use, says: “Laterite is still a sensible material to use – as it does not use any industrial processing; does not need to be transported great distances; is labour-intensive in its extraction and encourages the local economy.”