LIFE'S A BEACH

The almost 13,000 sq ft Anjuna Fields residence in Goa designed by Shonan Purie Trehan of Labwerk contemporises traditional coastal Indian homes

- ANEESHA BHADRI

A stone’s throw from the beach, in a landscaped plot surrounded by vast swathes of paddies, lies Anjuna Fields. An old well and a thicket of coconut trees sit in the backyard of Kavita Nair’s abode in the coastal state of Goa. This serene and sustainable home designed by Shonan Purie Trehan of Mumbai based Labwerk celebrates tropical Indian architecture. Introduced to Nair by ELLE DECOR India’s Editor Mrudul Pathak Kundu, the creative engaged in an enriching dialogue with the homeowner over the building of this space.

The C-shaped house, with an open courtyard at its back, is enveloped by landscaped gardens developed using organic resources and leftover building materials. Using it as a central social space, the layout unfolds in a slow and fluid fashion, opening up to rolling grasslands— bringing to mind traditional, native homes of halcyon days. The courtyard garden, where Nair grows vegetables, fruit, and herbs, slopes towards the sprawling fields. A gazebo supported by reclaimed granite columns lies next to a pool, while a guest cottage with a facade of reclaimed windows and doors, some with antique stained glass panes, stands nearby.