viable alternative to concrete and steel, two of the construction industry ' s biggest contributors to carbon emissions.
Artius enabled the construction of the two-storey post-and-beam beach house. The residence was prefabricated in Artius ' Gurugram facility and assembled on-site in just 30 days by their lean team of nine. Precision-engineered post anchors secured the glulam column-beam frame to a concrete foundation, ensuring a robust, efficient, and visually striking structure. The process minimised wastage, enabling swift assembly with minimal damage to the site. Precision-engineered post anchors secured the glulam column-beam frame to a concrete foundation, ensuring a robust, efficient, and visually striking structure.
The home is value-engineered through an approach that addresses both economic and environmental concerns. The complex mass timber structural system is simplified through wellthought-out drawings and details, resulting in a seamless collaboration with the engineering and manufacturing consultants and demonstrating that mass timber projects can be executed to the same competitive degree as concrete construction. From conception to reality, the entire process is driven by a profound understanding of the material, enabling precise control over its consumption, thereby ensuring sustainable construction.
The home ' s living spaces are organised in an openplanned scheme in the linear block. The ground level is planned with minimal walls and maintains an untouched external envelope. A spacious living and dining area unfolds within this space, while semi-private guest bedrooms occupy the rear end of the volume. The double-height living space abuts a large glazed opening that floods the space with light and expansive views of the surrounding landscape. Light is also brought in through a skylight on the roof ' s ridge that runs through the length of the home, allowing for the release of hot air buildup. The living space opens onto a metal deck that appears to float above the landscape, providing commanding views of the Arabian Sea.
A light staircase leads to the mezzanine floor, which comprises a gallery passageway that overlooks the living space and leads to the master bedroom. The gallery is designed to showcase the client ' s extensive collection of eclectic art. In contrast to the primary form of the home, the kitchen and dining space break out in the form of a projecting deconstructed space clad in metal. This architectural expression imbues the home with a sense of spatial delight and playfulness. The space overlooks the pool on one side and a kitchen garden on the other, creating an experience of being suspended in nature.
The home accommodates a private wood workshop on the lower level, a glass-lined volume naturally lit by clerestory windows. It opens onto a partially shaded timber deck that acts as an extended outdoor activity space. Free from physical boundaries, the edge of the deck is demarcated by planters, establishing an unhindered connection to the expansive outdoors.
The interior scheme is subtly crafted to allow the home ' s structure to take centre stage. Negating the requirement for cladding or finishes, the mass timber frames, expressed in their raw, authentic form, impart a tactile quality to the indoors. Black granite is used for the flooring, with white walls envisioned as a bare canvas that can be overlaid with memories over time. Drawing from the client ' s frugal ways of living, the furniture is kept simple and spartan. The living room features a 15-foot-long live-edge dining table made from a single timber panel. Modern pieces upholstered in leather, such as the Eames chair and a Mies-inspired daybed, contrast elegantly with the rustic furniture. The interior scheme is clutter-free, allowing for clear thinking while also letting the natural material and context shine.
The refined interior of the house belies its stark external expression of charred timber. Created using an age-old Japanese preservation technique known as yakisugi, charred timber panels are known for their durability and resistance to heat and moisture, apart from their striking appearance. This property makes them ideal for Goa ' s tropical weather, resulting in a façade that would react uniquely to natural elements and age gracefully with time. The distinct charcoal grey façade also sets the house apart from its natural surroundings while also being visually harmonious with it. The kitchen and dining volume are clad in zinc, offering a striking counterpoint to the charred timber exterior.
The wild, bohemian landscape of the site was the perfect environment for the client, a triathlete who prefers running outdoors to training in a gym. A 25-metre-long rectangular water body, running along the length of the house, was created as an outdoor exercise pool. A large part of the site ' s landscape is occupied by kitchen gardens, where the client can grow his own food. Most of the trees were retained to form a soft boundary demarcating it from the public street and village. The lawn frames views of the avant-garde residence in its entirety, permitting visitors to take in the balance between the natural and the man-made.
Nestled between Goa ' s tropical greenery and the sea, the house is a tranquil sanctuary for the client to retreat within and recharge his creative energies. It not only sets a precedent for sustainable residential design in India but also nurtures the owner ' s diverse pursuits, merging unconventional materials with cutting-edge technology to form a minimal and progressive residence.
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