Goan Heritage Homes

A 160-year-old Goan residence has been reimagined as Toybox, a renovation that blends heritage with contemporary adaptability. Original stone walls, courtyards, and material details were carefully retained, while new volumes, skylights, and voids introduce light and spatial variety. The design frames the home as a living toybox, where layered views and unexpected corners encourage exploration and play.

Interventions include folded roof planes, timber screens, and cross-ventilated interiors that respond to the coastal climate. Contrasts between cool masonry and warm wood, solid walls and open apertures, create dynamic relationships between old and new. Circulation unfolds as a series of thresholds rather than straight passages, making movement itself an experience. By weaving preservation with invention, Toybox demonstrates how historic houses can evolve into expressive, functional spaces. The result honors memory while offering a renewed sense of life, ensuring tradition coexists with modernity in a balanced home.

Image Credit: Suryan Saurabh