The Vanguard House, a project developed by Ming Architects, was presented by the design team as a spacious residence that prioritizes tranquility and privacy in its conception.
The house's design incorporates protected communal areas and uses water mirrors in its center, which contributes to establishing a serene and relaxed environment. Furthermore, the careful selection of materials used complements this atmosphere.
Casa Tranquilo is a 930 m² residence located in Verla Canca, north of Goa, immersed in a dense forest. The project's conception did not follow a specific architectural style but rather the philosophy of 'slow living,' aiming to create an environment where the daily rhythm was dictated by the birdsong and the variations of light filtered through the trees.
The designers prioritized integration with the existing vegetation, ensuring that every tree that could be preserved was incorporated into the floor plan design. This gave the house the appearance of having emerged from the forest floor rather than being built upon it.
Access to the property is via a 75-meter avenue adorned with imperial palms, presenting a discreet and minimalist facade, without monumental ostentation. Passing through the large pivot door reveals a sunlit central patio, which serves as the organizing focal point for the entire layout.
The informal living and dining areas are arranged on one side, with the kitchen integrated into the dining room and open to a small garden. On the opposite side of the patio, there is a lounge that provides access to the bar and the pool patio, forming an ideal space for hosting guests. Between these two sectors, the Garden Room is positioned, adjacent to the staircase.
The fluidity between the different volumes is achieved through corridors that act as balconies and transition patios, along with large openings. This connection allows light, breeze, and natural views to become an integral part of the residents' routine.
On the upper floor, the house was conceived as a kind of treetop house. The Sunrise and Sunset suites were oriented towards the east and west, respectively, to follow the daily cycle, while the Nest Room offers a more secluded refuge.
One of the biggest challenges faced was a mature ironwood tree situated in the center of the construction area. Instead of removing it, the decision was made to transplant it, a procedure compared to surgery. A crane was used to lift the tree with its root ball and place it in the central patio, which required rigorous seasonal planning and restructuring of the construction schedule. Consequently, the arrangement of the rooms, circulation, and window placement around the transplanted tree had to be redesigned.
Another significant tree was integrated into the architectural structure, growing up the bar to the Sunrise Master Suite, where its trunk functions as a living pillar. Goa's climatic factors—high humidity, intense sun, and monsoon rains—posed another obstacle, which was overcome by implementing large eaves, shaded patios, and optimized solar orientation for natural ventilation and zenithal lighting.
To keep nature as the predominant visual element, a restricted palette of materials was adopted. The walls feature lime plaster finish, the floors are made of sandstone in white and brown tones, and details in raw stone and natural wood add rustic textures, softened by handwoven fabrics.
A curvilinear language is recurrent in the design, manifesting in the edge of the pool, the rounded corners, the sculpted beds, the curved skylight over the patio, and the custom-made *cobogós*, which function to filter light and shadow. All furniture was developed internally by the architecture team, including a travertine dining table, and was manufactured by local artisans from Goa.
Structurally, the ground floor terrace consists of an M45 prestressed concrete slab, whose concreting took almost 16 hours of uninterrupted work. This element enabled the creation of a monolithic span that provides unobstructed views of the forest, culminating in subtle architecture that establishes a harmonious and silent dialogue with the landscape.
The Casa no Beco 37 project, developed by kelvan_studio, aims to redefine the interaction between housing and private residential space. The design explores the demarcation between the neighborhood and the house itself through two simultaneous characteristics: one that distinguishes it from the surrounding environment and another that establishes a connection with it, configuring a fusion between body and space.
Although materially the residence belongs to its owners, from a spatial and perceptual perspective, it integrates into the neighborhood. In a local architectural setting characterized by light facades, ranging from white to cream, with finishes predominantly in cement and stone, the choice to use dark gray basalt stone and green microcement represents a bold design decision.
These materials have a dual function: they differentiate the house from its surroundings while, by becoming a recognizable visual reference point in the neighborhood, the residence is progressively accepted by the neighboring community, belonging both to the residents and the neighbors.
Additionally, the use of green color on the beams and pillars—which are separated from the external basalt walls by narrow gaps—aims to create a visual continuity between the interior and the exterior, which improves the spatial perception of the house for its inhabitants.
Internally, this distinction is maintained, as the same green beams and pillars are separated from the white walls and other structural components, reinforcing this link between the external and internal space.
The project has a total area of 1000 m² and was completed in 2026. The design team includes Amin Babayi and Rezgar Hagpour, while the lead architects are Ramin Hoseinzadeh and Shoresh Abed. The project was photographed by Khatereh Eshghi.
The Casa DamDam is a compact residence designed to accommodate a couple, their twin children, and two cats. The project incorporates robust exterior walls with the aim of ensuring privacy, especially considering that the plot is small and surrounded by taller buildings.
Due to the limitations imposed by the arrangement of the parking spaces, the different functions of each level were meticulously divided. Furthermore, the circulation flow was planned with great precision to maximize the use of the house's interior spaces.
