“Aayi” is a tribute to the client’s parents, a timeless Goan home harmonizing with the countryside. It’s South-West facing with lush coconut trees, blending seamlessly with the landscape.

To combat the sun, we added overhung verandas and skylit courts for an internal micro-climate. One central court connects the structure seamlessly inside and out. The two-story house has three courts on the ground floor: a traditional Tulsi court, a double-height central court, and a private water body court, representing a flow of spaces through the house.

The heart of the home is the double-height living space connected to all areas. Upstairs, two bedrooms overlook this space, flanked by a family lounge and a covered terrace-cum-bar area. The roof has self-rotating exhaust turbines for cooling, and rooms feature French-windows with louvers for ventilation.

Apart from the clean spatial design which embodies passive-cooling techniques, we have delved into minute nuances of creative inspiration like the acrylic tubes on the roof to allow for perforated intermittence of light reminiscent of stars. Aayi is a personification of our mothers, with her many shades – the pastel interiors and the warm wooden furniture melding with the versatile whites and greys, which then speak to the green landscape, creating a visual sense of completeness.