Can a house feel as if it has always been there? At the edge of open fields in Goa, House of Tao by SAV Architecture + Design sets out to answer that question.
Created as a hotel-home for a community inspired by intentional living, the project is built from earth-toned materials, shaped by arches and vaults, and organized as a sequence of spaces that unfold slowly. What emerges is a home designed around experience, climate and craft.
A Landscape of Arches and Vaults
Imagined as a continuous flow of arches, arcs and vaults, the house reads like a single sculpted form rising from the landscape. Everything sits within a warm beige-brown palette, intended to echo the tone of human skin. Walls, ceilings and interiors share this monochromatic mood, giving the home a unified presence.
Inspired by monasteries and slower ways of life, the design moves through shifting atmospheres, each space connected but distinct in feeling.
Beyond its poetic narrative, the brief prioritized harmony with Goa’s climate. Traditional brick vault construction helps create a cooler microclimate while reviving artisanal masonry techniques. Deep overhangs shade large field-facing glazing to reduce direct sun exposure.
The facade is finished in lime plaster, chosen for its breathable, moisture-regulating and fungus-resistant qualities suited to tropical conditions. Glulam timber doors and windows from Artius were selected for thermal and acoustic performance, while internal doors and wardrobes use locally sourced recycled teak.
Flooring across the house, pool and decks features locally sourced large-format vitrified tiles by Simpolo. Interior walls are painted with eco-friendly low-VOC paints from Oikos. Bathrooms continue lime plaster and micro-concrete finishes to reduce dampness.
Operationally, the project eliminates single-use plastics, incorporates low water consumption fixtures, uses permeable cobblestone and gravel paving for the driveway, and integrates water recycling systems for the pool and STP. Native Goa planting minimises irrigation, while LED lighting and Lutron automation support energy efficiency.
Where Water Leads the Way
The journey begins at the entrance, where a stepped channel of water runs the length of the site.
It ends in a reflective pool with open views across surrounding fields. The living areas open directly onto the pool decks, with seamless flooring blurring the boundary between inside and out.
At one corner, an in-situ concrete jacuzzi sits beneath the open sky, while curved installations frame outward views.
Brick Barrel Vaults and Wooden Arches
The living area is defined by brick barrel vaults and wooden arches, paired with large glazing that looks out towards blue skies and fields beyond.
On the south side, a stained glass window inspired by the Osho logo introduces the only colour in the room. As sunlight filters through, soft washes of light move across the otherwise neutral interior.
A Stair for One
Within the living area, the compact staircase leading to the small balcony introduces vertical movement without disrupting the calm rhythm of the space. It creates a subtle change in perspective, allowing one person at a time to step out and take in the landscape.
A Circular Moment in Brick
A circular window referencing the lunar cycle anchors a bar constructed from the same bricks as the surrounding vaults. Lounge furniture remains minimal and softly textured, allowing architecture and interiors to merge into one continuous visual language.
The Table That Connects Everything
At the centre of daily life is a twenty-seater dining table conceived as a ceremonial setting. Facing the courtyard, it connects the private bedrooms with the public living areas. The space acts as a threshold, shifting between collective gathering and quiet reflection.
The Heart Beneath the Open Sky
The open courtyard sits at the heart of the house, imagined as a central piazza. Its green marble terrazzo floor, patterned like fish scales, references native Goan elements. An elliptical sit-out reinterprets the traditional balcão, wrapping around a tree and offering a place to pause.
Over time, the tree’s canopy is imagined to filter sunlight through arched openings, casting shifting shadows across the patterned floor.
Seamless in Tone and Flow
The kitchen continues the same monochromatic language, visually and spatially connected to the dining area and courtyard. Materials and finishes remain consistent, reinforcing the sense of flow established throughout the house.
Moving Through Curves
Circulation spaces follow the same curved vocabulary. Arched and circular openings guide movement between public and private zones, while consistent finishes maintain visual quiet.
Grounded, Floating, Centered
Designed as a home-hotel, each bedroom centers on human experience. Though united by the same earthy palette, every room carries its own character. Some feel cool and monastic, others cave-like and enclosed, crafted with traditional artisan plasters and natural textures including cane, wood and linen.
Cocooned in Curve and Light
Bathrooms are shaped as cocooned environments with seamless curves in concrete and plaster. Reduced to brick, lime plaster and wooden screens, the spaces focus on tactile softness and natural light. In-situ marble chip terrazzo basins and baths introduce a sculptural, hand-crafted quality.
Built by Hand, Shaped by Climate
Construction unfolded as an intensely hands-on process, with many details shaped directly on site. Brick vaults were laid using traditional techniques, lime plaster was applied in layers by skilled artisans, and in-situ elements such as the terrazzo basins and concrete jacuzzi were formed and finished by hand. The making of the house reveals a tactile process, where craftsmanship, material testing and careful coordination ensured that every curve and surface aligned with the original vision.
The Plan Behind the Poetry
The architectural drawings clarify how public and private zones are linked through transitional spaces anchored by the dining area and courtyard.
House of Tao is described as a labor of love and spirit, crafted carefully on site. Every detail was shaped so the house feels embedded in its landscape, absorbing the stillness of the surrounding fields. The result is a modern home defined by flow, material honesty and a quiet dialogue between earth, water and sky.