Loutolim Report
July 2025
July was a month of steady, hands-on progress across design coordination, site management, and early material trials. The structural system for Roy and Upasana’s home was finalized after multiple rounds of dialogue between Serie, Bhairav Patel, and the SPF team. This home will act as the pilot unit to help us define construction methodology, costing strategy, and BOQ formatting for future homes.
At site level, we’ve seen clear improvements. The nala, after widening and targeted repairs, has held up well through heavy monsoon rainfall. Water flow across the land has remained uninterrupted, with no major flooding or pooling — a significant outcome of the dredging and levelling work done in earlier months. Simultaneously, we’ve reduced garbage dumping on site by 80% after signage installation and a successful trial of a solar-powered camera system, which we’ll now install permanently.
The team also initiated trials of lime-based sustainable flooring, and engaged with “Structure,” a partner working with agricultural waste-based boards and lime finishes. These samples are under evaluation for future use in internal finishes and lightweight roofing.
With the groundwork and design alignment now in place, August will focus on locking key drawings, finalizing a pilot BOQ, deepening material research, and preparing the site and systems for the next phase of construction planning.
02
Site Visits & Meetings
July 3
SPF held a coordination meeting with the liaisoning consultant and visited the TCP office in Margao. The focus was to strategize the best approach for inward of Roy and Upasana’s house files for submission, including confirming drawing requirements and ensuring alignment with current TCP protocols.
July 8
A follow-up meeting was conducted with the outgoing Sarpanch, San Francisco Fernandes, and the local Ward Member to discuss the inwarding of permission files. While the conversation was constructive, they clarified that no comments or feedback would be provided on record until the official file submission is completed.
03
Site Updates
This month saw a change in local leadership. Former Sarpanch San Francisco Fernandes resigned citing personal reasons, just a few weeks after our most recent interactions with him regarding pending permissions and inspections. News Link
In his place, Roylon Fernandes has been elected unopposed as the new Sarpanch. At just 27 years old, he is now the youngest elected Sarpanch in Loutolim’s recent history. We hope to connect with him soon to introduce the project and continue building rapport with the Panchayat. His leadership could be an opportunity to move forward on long-pending approvals and bring new momentum to our engagement with the village administration.
A photo of Roylon Fernandes is included in the report for reference.
https://www.facebook.com/alertgoans/posts/roylon-fernandes-age-27-elected-unoppsed-as-sarpanch-of-village-panchayat-of-lou/1133879312093590/
04
Achievements
1. Structural Engineering Finalization
The structural design for Roy and Upasana’s house has been finalized through detailed collaboration between Bhairav Patel (StrucArt), Serie Architects, and SPF. Only the load calculation verification remains, after which Serie will issue the final BOQ and quantity estimates. This will serve as the reference unit for costing and engineering on other homes.
2. TCP Submission Preparations
We have been coordinating closely with our liaisoning architect for the TCP submission of Roy and Upasana’s home. Atif has committed to sharing the updated layout, including the pile foundation and area statement, by the end of the week. Blueprint generation and file submission are expected within the next two weeks.
3. Early Draft BOQ Preparation
An early pilot BOQ is being developed for Roy and Upasana’s home. The team has now aligned with SPF's guidance and is refining a custom BOQ format. This will include base costs, toggle options for materials, and allow for ease of comparison across future homes.
4. On-Site Water Management
Following the widening of the nala and repairs to visible leak points, the site has performed well through the recent monsoons. We estimate that 90% of the drainage systems are now functioning as intended, with no incidents of flooding. Jintu and the site team have been proactive in maintaining the system.
5. Garbage Management
With new signage and a trial solar-powered camera installed, we’ve seen an 80% reduction in garbage dumping. The main dumping incident appears tied to a local encroacher. Based on the successful pilot, we are now moving ahead with purchasing and installing a permanent camera system on-site.
6. Compound Wall Permission
TEXT to be finalized - While the Panchayat compound wall file was submitted weeks ago, we have yet to receive a formal inspection or approval. The Deputy Sarpanch had initially committed to a site visit but has not followed up. We will pursue this actively in the coming week and are prepared to escalate to the Directorate of Panchayats if required.
7. Coordination with Structure (Material Partner)
We met with Structure, a company working with agricultural waste-based boards and lime-based finishes in their partnership with Ricehouse - an Italian company. Initial samples have been promising. We are now exploring their products for interior wall paneling and light roofing, with further testing scheduled over the next month.
8. Flooring Trials
SPF has begun developing sustainable flooring samples using lime-based formulations. These aim to reduce the carbon footprint of internal finishes. The samples will be reviewed with Kapil and the Serie team during the next round of design discussions.
05
Plans for August'25
1. Serie Architects
Finalize and issue structural drawings for Roy and Upasana’s home, post-load verification.
Share detailed BOQ and quantity estimates to enable costing for the pilot unit.
Begin review of early flooring and material samples submitted by SPF.
Prepare for review and feedback sessions with families on next set of house designs.
2. Structural Engineer – Bhairav Patel
Conclude verification of load calculations for Roy-Upasana’s structure.
Begin coordination on second house unit, if applicable.
Provide support for drawing modifications based on site-specific feedback or TCP observations.
3. SPF Team
Submit TCP drawings and blueprint for Roy and Upasana’s home (by mid-August).
Finalize pilot BOQ format and complete costing documentation for Roy-Upasana house.
Follow up with Panchayat and liaisoning consultant to get compound wall permission cleared.
Continue on-site monitoring of water flow during peak monsoon; plug any new leakages.
Conduct a second round of flooring sample trials (lime-based, local stone, low-carbon).
Install solar camera system permanently and log impact for final garbage dumping report.
Reconnect with Structure team and evaluate samples for interior wall paneling and roofing.
4. Panchayat
New Sarpanch Roylon Fernandes to be introduced to the Loutolim project formally by SPF.
SPF to follow up on compound wall file approval, now that site inspection has taken place.
Request for Panchayat to share any observations or conditions post-file inwarding.
5. Families / Co-owners
Continue closing discussions on design preferences with Serie team.
Review BOQ structure and provide feedback on cost visibility and toggled options.
Coordinate with SPF to understand potential timelines for their individual home submissions.
6. Vendors & Material Partners
Flooring vendors to prepare additional test samples based on SPF's requirements.
Structure team to share second batch of eco-board samples for site application trials.
Begin early costing estimates for UHPC components (if any) based on SDPL insights.
