Fact File
Location: Siolim, Goa
Size: 550 sq m
Principal Architect / Designer: Amita Kulkarni / Vikrant Tike
Photography by: Fabien Charuau
Moon House by SAV Architecture + Design draws inspiration from the sinuous form and raw texture of the moon—an architectural style that the studio envisions as an attempt to coalesce the tropical modernism of Bawa with the fluidity and dynamism of Hadid. Formed around a louvered courtyard of existing trees, the Moon House is defined by its subtle curved entrance and its black, grey-textured façade of local black slate stone. The fluid-in-place concrete steps contrast with the warmth of the large teak pivoting door and the shadows cast by the adjacent moon calendar screen. Shaped around a fluid crescent pool that forms the central feature of the house, the layout of the residence is inward-looking since it was built on a tight plot with scarce views (unusual for a holiday home of this size).
The house is designed to be divided along the pool; with the living, kitchen and guest spaces on one side that are connected through semi-open walkways and terraces to the bedroom spaces, evoking a constant inside-outside and perforated mood while moving throughout the house. The double height living space overlooks the pool and has a bespoke lunar crater-like artistic wall that was customised and crafted on-site. The double height doors of the living room slide and fold to open onto the deck. The concrete floors give a raw and expansive feel, while the louvered double courtyards permeate the surrounding lush tropical green into the interior. The kitchen is an open plan one, with its Goan-Portuguese cement pattern tiled flooring, local granite counters and black wooden chairs.
The house is designed with simple, monolithic, and locally available materials, with exposed concrete sloping roofs, concrete and local Kota stone floors, inner courtyards around tall existing trees, and several perforated screens and louvres that keep the house cool and ventilated in the hot tropical weather of Goa. All large glazings face north and are double-glazed and tinted to let in as little heat and radiation as possible. The large overhangs and sloping roofscape form an adequate barrier from the tropical rains while also elevating the moods of the interior spaces. One of the most interesting spaces is the semi-outdoor louvred walkway between the living and bedroom spaces that overlook the crescent pool, creating a dramatic play of sun and shadows where one can enjoy the slow passing of time, traditionally called “susegad” in Goan culture.
All the bedrooms overlook the internal courtyards and have attached bath spaces that are naturally lit, expansive and made with simple concrete and natural stone tiles. The master bedroom is connected to the rest of the house through a small louvered bridge across the pool and has a large monolith bath space with a sunken shower space that looks onto the trees. The bedroom also has fluid stairs that open onto a private master terrace—we wanted it to be like a ‘moon observatory’, with louvers that shade during the day and create an animated feel to enjoy the moonlight on a typical Goan starry night. The fluid lines of the house seamlessly merge with the fluid patterns of the outdoor landscape, where the new plants and existing trees merge, where the built mass and louvres flow together to create a house that is seamless, perforated and sinuous all at once.
