City: Penha De

VILLA IN TH
Franca
Country: India
Architects: Abraham John Architects
Area: 610m²
PA L M S
Type: Housing Year: 2018
Photograph: Edmund Sumner

• The 19 towering coconut palms that thrived for decades

on the land, which dictated the villa's concept and
footprint. Design Concept & Process:

• The studio’s design approach is to

reconnect architecture with nature.

• To avoid cutting of trees and

• Embedded into the natural landscape, It appears almost
village-like, small homes nestled between 80-year-old
coconut trees.
accommodate the program the building
was carefully designed between the
trees, without disrupting the
• Landscape design consists of local tropical surroundings.
species that maintain their lush greenery
through the year. 
• The structure is fragmented, similar to an
old-time Goan village but entirely modern.

• It feels like an separate home with

bathrooms, a rear garden, a front garden
and an internal courtyard flanked by
laterite walls.
• The fact that the trees on site existed for decades gives
the overall house a very rooted presence.
• These independent volumes are
interconnected with decks, passages,
and bridges that meander through the
trees and over pools and gardens. 

• Local laterite stone walls, sloping

roofs, and screens made from 100-year-
old recycled teak wood.

Landscape architecture ANURAG.P | MEGHANA.R | TAUQHEER | VIVEK APPU

 • Roofs pitched at different angles pay homage to the monsoons and
accentuate the staccato nature and aesthetic of the building.

• The interstitial roofs which cap each unit individually harvest

rainwater, while further visually integrating the building in the lush
landscape.

• Boundaries between the inside and outside are blurred and vast open
spaces connect each living space.

• While everything is open and filled with light and air, the house is still
very private.

• The laterite walls thermally and visually shield each room,

maintaining privacy while orienting for the best views.

• Laterite walls, open internal courtyards and the house create

designed to be environmentally responsible to its siting, sustainable as
far as a private home can be, while respecting the local environment
and geography.

• The main entrance features are some exposed laterite stone, then a
glimpse of the pool, then the gardens and finally the wide field
beyond.

• The Infinity swimming pool is fully integrated with the villa, dividing
the semi-private areas from the private ones.

• A bedroom abuts the pool, with a slit window

along the floor that enables the ripples of water to • The last bedroom features a serene indoor-
reflect onto the ceiling. outdoor bathroom where light and shadow
create ever-changing landscapes.

Landscape architecture ANURAG.P | MEGHANA.R | TAUQHEER | VIVEK APPU

Landscape architecture ANURAG.P | MEGHANA.R | TAUQHEER | VIVEK APPU