South Goa is paradise on earth with its lush paddy fields, old Portuguese mansions, numerous forests and sanctuaries, pristine beaches and rivers, quaint churches and magnificent forts. The streets of South Goa speak to a different era with a distinctive old world charm. In the first part of this two part blog post, we have selected a few of the quintessential South Goan charms from a long list of abundant natural and man-made wonders.

Cabo de Rama

Cabo de Rama is a relic left from times bygone. Once a magnificent fort that housed an entire community, it remains one of the oldest and largest forts of South Goa and offers a fantastic view of the Canacona Beach below.

Chandor & Loutolim

The villages of Chandor and Loutolim give you the giddy feeling of opening an old book. The Portuguese style sweeps elegantly across the villagescape, evident in the beautiful old world architecture and the laid back lifestyle. Both villages are famous for their centuries old colonial mansions that stand tall even today. We will be looking at these beautiful palatial homes in Part II of our blog post.

Netravali Lake

The Netravali Bubbling Lake in the Sanguem district is one of the lesser known beauties of South Goa. This one of a kind natural lake is known for its mysterious and continuous bubbling water surface throughout the year.

Galgibaga

The Galgibaga Beach is home to silver sands, endless rows of coconut trees and the charming Olive Ridley turtles which come onto the shores every year between November and February to nest and hatch. A ferry ride crossing the picturesque Galgibaga river is the best way to get to the beach.

Naval Aviation Museum

Established in 1947, Naval Aviation Museum offers a glimpse into military history. The museum is designed to look like the interior of a naval aircraft carrier with galleries displaying naval equipment and prominent battles, including a simulation room. It also has an outdoor aircraft park with an exhibition of old aircrafts and engines.The museum is set on a plateau and overlooks the scenic Bogmalo beach.

Mollem National Park

The Mollem National Park is set in a humble 240 sqkm belt nestled in the Western Ghats and houses a wide array of tropical flora and fauna with over 200 unique Indian species. Recognised as one of 36 most crucial biodiversity hotspots in the world, the sanctuary is now threatened by 3 infrastructure projects, announced by the state government. The alarming proposal resulted in widespread dissent with thousands of people coming together for the ‘Save Mollem’ campaign.

To know more about the hidden gems of South Goa, read The Charms of South Goa - Part II

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At Grounded, our core mission is sustainability and it really breaks our heart when we read stories on the deforestation of the amazon or deforestation in Asia for Palm oil production. Recently, we came across this article on a brilliant organization, Afforestt and its efforts to create urban forests. Afforestt is based in Bangalore, founded by Shubhendu Sharma and has done consulting work in several countries. They follow a method for afforestation pioneered by a Japanese botanist, Dr. Akira Miyawaki. We got so into the idea that we did a bit more research and have put together a short summary of our findings below.

Research done by Maryam Sheikh, Junior Architect at Grounded.

Edited by Roshini Ganesh, Communications at Grounded.

THE MIYAWAKI METHOD OF AFFORESTATION

The Miyawaki method is a global – local practice of afforestation pioneered by a Japanese botanist, Dr Akira Miyawaki. Dedicated to the protection and regeneration of forests, it places emphasis on the value and contribution of native species to the environment as well as the social fabric that thrives around it. It educates us on how real forests are made up of multi-layered native trees, and that such forests stay firm when subjected to natural disasters.

With increased and widespread deforestation and forest wildfires, it becomes paramount that efficient solutions also flood the world. Disasters such as the Australian bushfires and the unprecedented Amazon rainforest fires have jolted the world awake and into action mode. Yet for those who truly care about climate action, we have systems that have long been working towards protecting the environment without the need of an emergency to spring into action.

The Miyawaki method makes strides by enabling the creation of micro, mini and mega forests using the same core principles. It gives us layered and more variegated habitats that are dependent on local flora and fauna. It is important to note that it is this consideration of native species that sets this method apart, and not the way of placement. 

The following are the steps to realize this ingenious method:

1. First, the soil is prepared by adding a combination of materials that allow for perforation and water retention. Naturally available resources such as rice husk, wheat husk, peanut shells, and corn cobs perforate the soil and make room for the plant roots to grow quickly. Water retainers like coco peat and sugarcane stalk increase the soil’s water retention capacity. To complete the preparation, nourishing mixtures like manure and vermicompost are added to the composition to create a nutrient rich environment for the saplings.

2. Next, the land is surveyed to identify native species that are best suited for plantation together. Not everything that grows in a space belongs there - it is therefore important to look through the historical records of that region in order to understand what is really native. The local plant species are categorized into 4 layers:

   1. Shrubs – those that grow up to 6 feet (1.8m)

   2. Sub-trees – that grow up to 25 feet (7.6m)

   3. Trees – that grow up to 40 feet (12 m)

   4. Canopy trees – that grow above 40 feet

The saplings are introduced at a stage when they have grown to a height of 24-32 inches (0.6-0.8m) above the ground.

3. The design and arrangement of the forest belt is the next step. The more staggered the species are, the better it is for the forest. These various indigenous trees are planted close to each other with an average of 3-5 saplings accommodated in every square meter. Contrary to most myths, the saplings will not fight for nutrition, but learn to survive in a co-dependent manner. The plants work in harmony to create strong root networks underground that allow them to interact with each other and share nutrition between species. This also reduces the depletion of soil nutrition, and erosion over time.

4. Once the saplings are planted, the soil needs to be layered with a thick layer of mulch that acts as a soil insulator to ensure the moisture within remains intact and does not evaporate. To safeguard the upcoming forest saplings against weeds, the land requires maintenance for the first 2 years, after which the mantra becomes– “No management is the best management”.

The density of these tight-as-a-fist forests creates a diverse natural habitat above ground that invites varied biodiversity over time. It also creates a steady nexus of root clusters below ground that stay strong and hold ground when faced with natural calamities like storms, floods, tsunamis as well as man-made adversities like deforestation.

The Miyawaki method was first brought to India in 2009 and has been adopted by Afforest – a social enterprise founded by a humble engineer and environment saviour, Shubendu Sharma.

His sincere effort to spread the technique has already touched ground in 50 cities across the globe empowering people with information on how to grow a forest, starting with their own backyards. His studies illustrate the exponential benefits of growing a multi-layered forest vs a monoculture forest to create a habitat that is 100 times more bio diverse, is 100% natural, allows for 30 times more groundwater recharge and soil conservation, among many others.

Many homegrown organisations like Afforest, Thuvakkam (Chennai), and SayTrees (Bengaluru) use the Miyawaki method in afforestation throughout India. Afforest has planted 4.5 lakhs trees across their 108 projects; ninety of these sites are located in India. Say Trees engages with citizens and corporates, and has helped plant 70,000 trees in Bengaluru from 2008.

Adjacent to the Manyata Tech Park, five mini forests have been planted by a team of 15 citizens, spread across 7850 sq m. All of these have been created by the residents of Manyata Residency nearby in close collaboration with Say Trees.

Other organisations such as the Sugi Project take the concept of re-wilding urban land door to door and empower everyday citizens to invest in nature and restore biodiversity. Their ongoing project at Maruvan with Afforest takes the Miyawaki idea many steps forward, envisioning a nursery, a tree seed bank, and a forest on presently arid desert terrain. These forests create a natural native green lung, bring alive degraded land, offset the carbon footprint, and build community.

Afforestation through the Miyawaki method enlivens the land as well as the very idea of plantation. It arms us with the ability to make the dream of living near a forest, a reality – provided we create one. It gives us the opportunity to take responsibility for better natural systems, to create space for biodiversity, and to create hope.

As our company policy, we certify all our development projects with green certification from the Indian Green Building Council.

Green Certification often gets a bad reputation as it is a standardized platform of measuring sustainability across various cultures and geographies. We follow the system as we find it to be a good way to keep ourselves accountable to the various aspects of sustainability from the very start of the design process. Certification forces us to keep detailed accounts, and make accurate calculations such that our sustainable efforts are not only in name but are real with measurable impact.

That said, certification is usually the starting point for us in our journey into sustainability. I firmly believe that ‘sustainability is common sense’. In architecture, it involves following sound design principles, respecting the land while planning new buildings and responding to the local climate and conditions.

To pursue sustainability,

• we must try to conserve the natural resources within our own site (through rain water harvesting, renewable energy use and grey water recycling),

• use materials and employ design ideas that keep the building interiors cool or warm (and reduce the use of air-conditioning and heating),

• allow for ample daylight (to reduce the energy use for lighting during the day),

• use half flushes in bathrooms along with aerators to reduce the water flow in bath and kitchen fittings (to reduce water-use),

• maximize the use of materials that are produced locally, and

• use materials with a high recycled content.

These strategies for me are the low-hanging fruit that are easy to achieve with minimal cost escalation in the process. It’s also key to understand the lifespan of materials (regardless of their green features). If they have to be replaced in a short period of time, then they fail the test of sustainability. Finally, to achieve actual impact, we have to think about sustainability at every stage and factor it in every decision during the design and construction process.

LINKS TO PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS:

WHY BUILD GREEN

GREAT ONLINE RESOURCE FOR GREEN BUILDINGS IN INDIA

GREEN FEATURES AT NIVIM

While designing our buildings to have a minimum ecological footprint, the first and foremost planning principle for us is to ‘not cut trees’. We value trees as an irreplaceable resource on the planet. The conservation of trees has to be the starting point for any conversation on sustainability.

Often times, the existing trees on the site become the primary drivers for our site layouts and house designs. At the House of Three Pavilions, we utilized an existing ‘Kokum’ tree as the central feature in our building layout. The tree is part of the Kokum tree courtyard that connects the main house with the guest annex.

The recreation block at the House of Three Pavilions is positioned amongst the coconut grove and the windows are designed in a way that it feels enveloped by it.

Navovado had 5 mature mango trees on its periphery. The home was built such that it is enveloped by the trees adding a green screen for privacy. The trees also further shade the house making it cooler in the Goa summers.

Nivim had as many as 13 trees all around the site. 4 were bang in the center. A mix of a sculptural Tamarind and towering Jungle trees, these 4 giants set the stage for a house that was built around these trees.

Click to read a previous blog post on ‘Building with Trees’.

I recently read an article on how the wettest place on earth, Cherapunji in the east of India is experiencing water shortages. The news was not overly shocking, as we have all heard about the water woes in Bangalore (where it is believed that the city would have to be evacuated by 2025), Delhi, and all other major cities in India. The slightly shocking part with the Cherapunji story is that it has an abundant source of water in the form of rain, and the reason for its water shortage is simply the ignorant management of resources on the ground.

The story is not much different in Goa as well. Goa receives 300 inches of rainfall during a 4-month monsoon season each year. Inspite of this abundance of rain, there are frequent water shortages in Goa, and the water level in village wells across Goa are dropping at an alarming rate. This makes the significance of rainwater harvesting in houses in Goa of paramount importance.

In addition, I strongly believe that all new construction in Goa must manage its rain water discharge. We often experience that during the monsoon the excess run off from built areas result in flooding of low-lying areas. As responsible builders, we must accept that the public storm water drainage system is just not equipped to handle the pressure of new development and we must manage our rain water independently and ideally, use the rain water to recharge the underground water table. In Goa, the rain water drainage is closely linked to the cycles of paddy agriculture. These systems have been working for centuries and are the lifeline for paddy agriculture, an important source of livelihood and lifestyle for Goans that must be protected.

As a standard practice across all our projects, we harvest all the rain water from our site as well as from the roofs of the built structures and allow it to percolate back into the ground in an attempt to maintain the underground water table for our site and surroundings. This practice directly supports our larger design intent where we wish to minimize the impact of our building activity on our site and the environment.  

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At the House with Three Pavilions in Goa, we have taken rainwater management many steps further by designing a comprehensive water management plan for the entire site. The objective is to retain most of the rain water within the site and to recharge the underground water table, minimizing the impact of the new construction on the land. All the roof rain water runoff is captured and along with the site surface runoff, it is directed into the central seasonal pond. The pond is connected to a newly planned system of bio swales that spread the collected runoff water over a larger site area increasing the rate and extent of percolation on the site. These beauties utilize no cement in their construction and can absorb water through the walls and the base. The bioswales are designed as gabion walls, stone walls within a GI frame, hence are perméable to water. 

The water management system furthers the connection of the home and its residents to nature as the water will ebb and flow with seasons, will encourage the growth of wild grasses and flowers, and retain the land as a home for the diverse insect, reptile and bird life that we encountered on the virgin land prior to construction.

(Water Management Plan in consultation with Pallavi Latkar and team at Grassroots Research Mumbai.) 

READ ON

CREEPY CRAWLIES!!! 
Try as you might, you can’t keep these beauties out of your lives and homes in Goa! The idea is to co-exist with them. Simple mosquito screens in doors and windows go a long way in keeping them out of your immediate space. Our efforts of sustainability in our architecture and construction is an effort to preserve the beautiful biodiversity flourishing on the sites we built on while we can live in harmony with them. 

Living in Goa is all about looking closely and admiring the lovely colors and patterns that only nature can create. 

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Landscaping is an important aspect of the design process at Grounded. We usually populate the landscape with native local species to reduce water use for irrigation. Our landscape design aims to blur the lines between the two textures- the verandah flooring, the green cover, and the soil. We pick local species that can co-exist and help give the landscape a naturally verdant look, rather than an unnatural manicured one. 

Image of ongoing project House with Three Pavilions. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

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What does it mean to incorporate nature within our built-in environment? What does it mean to reconnect architecture with nature? What are the benefits and how does it impact our lives? 
Tune in today to hear Founder and Principal Architect, Anjali Mangalgiri at Grounded, an award-winning architecture and development firm based in India and Singapore talk about the power of reconnecting architecture and nature.

Listen to "Reconnecting Architecture with Nature w/ Anjali Mangalgiri" on Spreaker.

Read On

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IMAGE OF MY SEED COLLECTION

Last week, I was interviewed by Priscille H Joseph on her podcast 'Design Talks'. She asked me what I mean when I say 'reconnect with nature'.  I have thought about it, and more than anything 'reconnecting with nature' is about a mindset. We are constantly surrounded by the wonders of nature, 'a reconnection' is possible by simply being in tune with nature and its cycles, and to begin to observe and attach value to nature's wonders that surround us.

I enjoy observing nature closely. I personally have a special fondness for 'seeds'.  I have become somewhat of a part-time seeds collector. I’ve gleaned quite a collection of seeds from my walks and travels, and they are peppered around my apartment. This is an obsession of sorts and I really enjoy admiring their unique forms. 

Seeds come in many shapes and sizes. The primary objective of seeds is to disperse and propagate life. The size, shape, color and smell are all reverse engineered from their method of propagation. Some seeds have the ability to take flight, like the Dandelion and Maple Helicopter Seeds. Others are colorful to attract birds and some have a strong scent to attract large mammals. I am fascinated by this diversity. And more than anything, I am fascinated by the complexity of shape and structure that these seeds present. No person's imagery can do better justice to these wondrous creations than photographer, Mary Jo Hoffman and her Still Blog. I am adding some images below, breath them in....

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I was in Bangkok recently and following Pallavi's recommendation, I visited the Jim Thompson House.

Jim Thompson, an American architect who settled in Thailand after the World War II became a very successful silk trader and a celebrity of sorts in Thailand. His house in Bangkok is a collection of 4-5 original Thai wooden homes that he brought from villages and re-reconstructed on the current site in Bangkok.

The wood used to build the houses gives an incredible amount of warmth to the interior spaces. Walking on teak wood planks on the floor feel like walking on silk. 

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The landscape was the part that was most fascinating to me. In his original plan, he had planned for multiple courtyards, forecourts as well as a forest. There were lily ponds flanking the entrance courtyard which led to the forest, a tropical forest with meandering path ways and a little hidden pond with a tiny fountain. I loved the meditative quality of the forest space the most. I loved the treasures tucked away, where you could hear the water but not see the pond until you arrived right in front of it. At every corner, there was something new to admire, a new type of flower, a new fragrance coming from somewhere, a stone antique or a partial view of the house or another courtyard. 

The art of architecture, when done right can engage all the senses at once. A prime example of space bringing happiness...