FRAZER ANDRADE
Goa’s historic buildings are in creasingly finding a new lease of life as heritage conserva tion practitioner Logan Hen riques works to restore traditional laterite walls using age-old lime plas ter techniques, allowing historic struc tures to breathe once again. For Henriques, restoring an old Goan structure is not simply about making a building look new. It is about understanding the materials used by earlier generations and ensuring that traditional construction techniques are preserved for the future. A major part of his work involves re moving modern cement plaster from historic laterite walls. While cement has become a common construction material, its use on old laterite struc tures can trap moisture within the walls, eventually resulting in damp ness, peeling paint and hollow or de teriorating surfaces. Henriques and his team carefully remove the cement plaster manually, taking particular care not to damage the softer laterite underneath.
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The process can be painstaking, as the re moval of hardened cement often caus es portions of already weakened later ite stone to crumble. In such cases, the damaged sections have to be carefully repaired using tra ditional materials. Burnt bricks and burnt clay tiles are used to fill gaps and recessed portions of walls before the application of fresh lime plaster. According to Henriques, the objec tive is to restore the wall as a function ing system rather than simply cover ing its problems. “Laterite and lime work as a system. Respect that system.”, he stated. The traditional lime plastering pro cess begins with the careful prepara tion of lime. High-quality seashells are sourced and burnt in a kiln at temper atures reaching around 1,200 degrees Celsius to produce quicklime. The quicklime is then mixed with water in a process known as slaking, during which it undergoes a chemical reaction to become hydrated lime.
The lime is subsequently aged in pits for several weeks. Once sufficiently aged, the lime is mixed with sharp sand and tradition al organic additives to improve its workability and strength. The plaster is then applied in several thin layers, with each layer allowed to cure slowly before the next is applied. The final surface is finished smooth ly, often using fine lime putty or tradi tional lime wash. Henriques stresses that the success of traditional plastering depends heav ily on craftsmanship and patience. “True craftsmanship is everything. Knowing the correct mix ratios, slak ing times, and curing methods deter mines if the restoration lasts for cen turies or fails in a few years”, Logan mentioned The knowledge of traditional plas tering was itself acquired through specialised heritage conservation workshops and practical experience. Henriques now ensures that the same knowledge is passed on to his work force. His skilled and semi-skilled workers are trained in the traditional process, although he personally supervises restoration projects to ensure that the techniques and materials are used correctly. For Henriques, this transmission of knowledge is particularly important at a time when traditional building skills are becoming increasingly rare.
One of the biggest challenges fac ing traditional lime restoration is t h e shortage of craftsmen familiar with the technique. Manual preparation is also more expensive and time-consuming, while modern cement prod ucts offer builders a faster and cheaper alternative. Henriques also cautions that the growing interest in lime restoration needs to be accom panied by proper training and understanding of the craft. During restoration projects, Henriques frequently encoun ters old laterite walls buried beneath thick layers of modern cement plaster. Such walls, he explains, can effectively become trapped be neath a material that does not allow them to breathe in the same manner as traditional lime-based finishes. Moisture can become trapped, con tributing to dampness, peeling paint and deteri oration. Removing the cement is therefore one of the most important and delicate parts of his conservation work. The team chips away the cement manually rather than using aggressive methods that could further damage the laterite. Once the underlying wall is exposed, it is allowed to dry com pletely before breathable lime layers are applied. The process can sometimes reveal extensive damage hidden beneath the ce ment, requiring sections of the laterite wall to be reconstructed or re paired with burnt bricks and tra ditional clay tiles. Henriques be lieves that this careful approach is essential if Goa’s his toric structures are to survive. “Traditional res toration takes more time than modern construction, but it ensures your heritage home survives for future generations”, Henriques explained. Although aware ness about tradi tional materials is growing among her itage enthusiasts, Henriques believes that general aware ness remains limit ed. Many local ma sons continue to be trained primarily in modern cement-based construction, leaving traditional lime techniques at risk of disappearing. He believes Goa needs dedicated vo cational courses, practical workshops and stronger institutional support to ensure that the knowledge does not die out with the older generation of craftsmen.
His work is consequently about more than restoring individual houses or monuments. By training workers and continuing to use traditional ma terials, Henriques is helping keep alive a construction tradition that forms an important part of Goa’s architectural heritage. Logan strongly discourages the use of commercial plastic emulsions and cement-based finish es on historic structures wherever they are inappropriate to the original construction system. Traditional lime mortar, when cor rectly prepared and maintained, can survive for centuries. Cement, on the other hand, can deteriorate and be gin to crumble within 10 to 15 years in unsuitable applications, potentially creating a cycle of repeated repairs.
For Henriques, conservation is therefore not about choosing the quickest or cheapest solution. It is about choosing materials that are compatible with the historic structure. “Lime mortar which can last for centuries is being overshadowed by cement which starts crumbling in 10 15 years. Thus imposing repairs to re pairs”, logan pointed out. Through his painstaking work of stripping away layers of modern ce ment and restoring the breathable lime surfaces beneath, Henriques is helping Goa’s historic buildings breathe again, while ensuring that the traditional knowledge required to care for them is not lost.
