A newly completed residence in Goa, India, showcases innovative architectural solutions for tropical living through its unique design featuring sliding timber screens and expansive verandas. The House in Corjeum, designed by local studio Field Atelier, demonstrates how traditional building techniques can be adapted for contemporary comfort while addressing the challenges of India's monsoon climate.
The home is strategically organized around a central courtyard that preserves an existing cluster of trees and a historic stone well. To protect against flooding during monsoon season, the entire structure is elevated on a concrete plinth. Encircling verandas, protected by intricately woven timber screens and metal-framed mosquito nets, ensure continuous natural light and ventilation throughout the residence.
"The house is envisaged as a collection of verandas, each expandable in its nature to absorb functions," explained Teja Amonkar, Field Atelier's project architect. His colleague Yatin Fulari added that "the constant awareness of the exterior landscape seen through various apertures provides moments of intrigue as one traverses through the different spaces." The architects conceived the structure as "a pavilion or a stage to view the gardens and its seasonal unfolding."
The residence follows a distinctive U-shaped floor plan, with entry through the western wing via a long veranda that overlooks the central courtyard. This entrance pathway passes the main bedroom before opening into the expansive central living and dining area. The main living space connects to the courtyard through folding metal doors and extends to a south-facing veranda via sliding glass and metal doors, creating seamless indoor-outdoor flow.
An outdoor dining area is positioned beneath an overhanging roof section, while practical spaces including the kitchen, utility room, and bathroom are strategically placed on either side of the open central area. A staircase leads to the smaller second floor, which houses an additional bedroom, bathroom, and lounge space. The eastern wing features a slightly sunken study that maintains privacy through folding wooden shutters, with a large door facing north toward a separate guest annexe.
The architectural design emphasizes natural climate control through thoughtful details. High ceilings accommodate wooden louvre strips beneath the overhanging metal roof, facilitating natural ventilation while casting appealing light patterns across the dark timber ceilings. The construction utilizes a steel-framed structure filled with hollow clay blocks, finished with rough lime plaster both inside and outside.
"The living and dining area, along with the deep veranda in the south, form a seamless space connecting the entire site," Amonkar noted. "The perpetual accessibility to the ground allows the house to behave as a thoroughfare rather than a culmination. The utilitarian spaces are planned along the passage, allowing life to take place in the 'in between spaces.'"
Field Atelier, founded by Fulari and Amonkar in 2015 and based in Panaji, Goa, continues to contribute to the region's evolving architectural landscape. The House in Corjeum joins other notable recent projects in Goa, including a 160-year-old Portuguese-style home renovation by Indian practice Grounded and India's first mass-timber home by Architecture Discipline, demonstrating the area's growing reputation as a center for innovative residential design.
