U N B U I L T
F U T U R E

Redesigning Apartment
Living in the Modern Age

featuring

LITHOS

Project type: Residential
Location: Assagao, Goa, India
Gross Built Area: 1122 sqm
Apartment Area: 106.28 sqm
Name of Architecture & Interior Design Firm: Arijeet Raikar Design Studio
Lead Architect: Arijeet Raikar

About

Image: Presents the design language of the building facade

Amid a quaint coastal village of Goa, a plot of land awaits to dock an exciting housing project which will soon be home to 9 families. What sets this project apart from the rest is how it reinterprets an architectural element common to vernacular Goan homes,

The humble courtyard

The residential mass trifurcates into smaller blocks pitched parallel to one and other. Each of these blocks scale to 3 floors in height, accommodating one apartment per floor.

Design Concept

Image: Building entrance

The project is designed keeping in mind a young and modern demographic of investors, who consider Goa as their second home and frequent the holiday destination regularly.

To instil a unique experience that is unlike the environment and pace of their base locations, the design takes residential living to the next level that is unfamiliar and untapped.

Images: Sections

The traditional ‘Goan courtyard’ is a dominant design element used across the scheme to nurture an essence of ‘place’. Given a modern reinterpretation, the courtyard becomes a deviceful tool for space and form-making that is unfamiliar to conventional residential properties. The arrangement of these courtyards in plan and elevation, whether by staggering them at different levels or aligning them linearly in plan, conceives a building geometry that is different to the traditional village fabric, albeit in sync with the times.

Layout

Images: Ground Floor Plan

In layout, the tri-block structure accommodates multiple punctures along its central axis to facilitate green courtyards. This becomes deviceful in sectioning each apartment into 2 wings, West and East, where one caters to private functions whilst the other for public. Both wings are connected by a veritable bridge-like passageway that creates a room to room transitional pattern that is different to most residential setups. To further enhance it the bridge becomes multifunctional with the addition of a workspace. This strategic approach prolongs the user experience rather than just visually engaging with the courtyards over a fleeting moment.

Images: First Floor, Second Floor, Roof Plan

The west wing is occupied by an open living & kitchen layout that spills out onto a courtyard. For apartments on the ground floor, the courtyard further extends onto an open to sky garden.

The east wing is reserved for two bed & bath spaces. Each bedroom spills onto a balcony that captures the scenic views of the East.

Palette

Images: View of Living-Dining space

The design concept conceives a young, minimalist and sparsely ornate appeal, rendered by a neutral palette of tones and textures. RCC framed structure, brick infill metal and glass screens make up the material composition of Lithos.

Light & Ventilation

Images: View of bridge passageway

Images: View of bedroom from balcony

The ‘courtyard protagonist’ of Lithos not only defines the shape of the building but functions as a nurturing resource for light and ventilation.

Each home unit is enriched by a generous filter of daylight and ample air circulation, centrally and along the building edge.

Although there may be 9 separate apartments manifested by Lithos, the building unites as one entity facilitated by the courtyards and unique bridge-like transitions between wings. It ensures an enhanced social connect with the circumambient Lithos community emulating a town square like atmosphere, that surpasses the confines of a singular unit.

A USP that would perfectly tuck into a quintessential Goan village for a memorable experience.