A haveli, reimagined

In Nagpur, SJK Architects reinvent the haveli courtyard for today’s multigenerational family

30 May 2025

Before anything else, this home feels familiar, nostalgic and as though it carries within it more than meets the eye. Inspired by old havelis and wadas, and their courtyards, balconies and shaded corridors, this home in Nagpur crafted by SJK Architects brings back a kind of living urban dwellers may have left behind. There is always sunlight, even on the lowest floor and a breeze that moves through the timber jaalis!

Amidst the busy neighbourhood in Gokulpeth, it sprawls about 20,000 sq ft built over six levels, just next door to the family’s old home. Three generations live under one roof and each has space to grow, while staying close. “Hailing from North India, the family: grandmother, her two sons and their wives, and three grandchildren, held deep nostalgia for ‘havelis,’ large residences with communal courtyards (chowks), projecting balconies (jharokhas) and intricate brick or stone lattice screens (jaalis) vernacular to many western and northern regions of India,” shares Shimul Javeri Kadri, Founding Partner at SJK Architects, alongside firm Partners Vaishali Mangalvedhekar Roshni Kshirsagar.

The master bedroom’s 8-foot-deep balcony, designed as a heat and rain buffer, expands the space, featuring rugs by Jaipur Rugs and loose seating from Mangrove Collective, Blue Loft, and Loom Crafts, the facade features custom aluminum glazing by Dodia Architectural and wooden windows by Ritikaa Woods; Photography by Niveditaa Gupta

Rooted reverie

Wide galleries, open kitchens near the gardens and a central atrium that pulls the sky down into the centre of the house, the space is rooted in the communal and sustainable ethos of yesterday but in the modern age.

On the ground floor, the grandmother’s suite opens out to garden paths and shaded verandahs. It’s a space rooted in earth and quiet routines, where the kitchen is heady with the aroma of species and simmering meals and sunlight warms the dining nook. Nearby, an office offers a calm retreat for focus, yet close enough to the gentle hum of the informal living area. The staircase ascends, flanking the central atrium, to the sons’ and their family rooms.

Bedrooms with muted tones, open onto broad balconies dotted with jharokhas framed by carved timber screens. Each family level flows into the intimate living rooms and pantries, inviting gatherings both large and small. On the fourth, expansive living and dining rooms unfold. At the very top, the house opens out to a spa, jacuzzi and gym nestled inside a glass-walled pavilion, surrounded by greenery. It’s a private sanctuary where the family can breathe, stretch and watch the city pulse as the sun dips low.

The atrium effect

An eight-foot-wide, linear atrium slices through the six levels, a reinterpretation of courtyards found in havelis and wadas, intimate yet expansive that connects each floor. “The linear atrium serves as the emotional centre of the project,” say Shimul, Vaishali and Roshni, “Connecting different levels and holding the family together despite their need to move between floors.” While such structures are rare in dense urban plots, traditional mansions had courtyards, a source of light and ventilation, a communal gathering area, and a place for domestic activities. Here, that idea is reimagined with inspiration drawn from the old Taj Mahal Hotel.

A graceful nod to traditional courtyards, this linear atrium channels the spirit of old havelis and the Taj Mahal Hotel, flooding the home with soft sunlight; Photography by Niveditaa Gupta

The ground-floor kitchen, bright and inviting features furnished with pieces from Mangrove Collective, Blue Loft and Loom Crafts; Photography by Niveditaa Gupta

Jharokha journeys and art frames

There is attention to craft, time and tradition in the space. To speak of its materiality is to trace a dialogue between craftsmanship, climate and cultural influences. Sourced from a nearby quarry, the basalt stone cools the interiors and absorbs the Nagpur sun. The woodwork in reclaimed Burma teak runs like a thread through staircases, balconies and doorways. Echoing the jaalis of old havelis, lattices across the facade cast changing shadows through the day. They filter the sunlight and temper the heat, while creating small sanctuaries along the facade, creating a layered threshold between inside and outside.

The art within the home reflects that same thoughtfulness. Along the sunlight atrium, carved niches host art like houseguests — Pichwai paintings, monotone frames, ceramics with intricate details. Even the bathrooms have their own language, patterns derived from regional saree weaves like the traditional triangular and arrowhead motifs, or stone carvings from historic structures, are carved onto the marble.