The old house Leenika bought!
This was the house we saw 2 years or maybe 3 years ago in my village of Pilerne, Goa. The house was bought by a couple from Delhi and I got to know them, as they had met our Pilerne parish priest and given him a really generous offering for the church. They are not Catholic and YET, they felt they needed to support the church in the village where they wanted to live.
The house when we saw it was a mess and in an area where we Volvaddo residents did not frequent. I used to go to the jeweller with my Dad as a kid to make stuff for Mum and later Dad made for me. That area is called Moicovaddo and we rarely went that way. They had paid the two old brothers who owned it to buy it and arranged for another house close by for them to live out their days. That was truly kind, as I am struggling with relatives robbing and encroaching our land from us. Its a constant battle.
Leenika Jacob the new owner said they were turning it into an art gallery and had employed the best architect in Goa -- Dean D'Çruz. Dean is known for his reasonable rates and sticking to Goan traditions in his buildings. None of the glass and chrome frames so favoured by builders today. "He's going to maintain the structure as its solid,"said Leenika but is going to bring in sustainable features like Rain Water Harvesting and natural lighting rather than waste electricity. A man after my heart, I thought and waited watching the place take shape.
This time when we went to pesticide proof our family house which my husband and I spend from our pockets and maintain in memory of my Dad and now my brother Mark, we were pleasantly surprised to see the house was all done. Spanking new and absolutely a work of art. So perfect for the art gallery cum residence Leenika has planned and the artists residences in the back yard where artists from all over the world will be "artists in residence! "
Of course they are wealthy and have budgets far beyond any of us can dream of. Her husband is a corporate lawyer and between them they have funded their dream. I cant wait to see how buzzing with activity it will be in the future. Bringing much needed investment into that part of the village. I am glad the villagers are being careful with their buyers and not selling to people who will exploit the village. It's a happy thought that with this gallery a lot of creative folk will flock to 'show'in the art gallery.
The trees have been saved and encase the building in their warm embrace.
The effort which D Ç'cruz has put in is commendable. His workmanship is classy and his finish gracefully elegant. Whats the most admirable is he has built in sustainability into his creation. He cares for the planet and that is visible in all he has introduced as features in the building. Usually people who are educated care greatly about sustainable living, they KNOW its needed today. It's those who come from less sensitized families, who do not understand that we need to preserve our planet for the next generation. I put those naysayers in the Trump category of humans, who will hopefully be done away with forever with this generation.
