The House of Jharokas

The House of Jharokas emerges from a reflection on how domestic life has transformed since the pandemic, as living, working, and introspection have increasingly converged within the home. For designers, this shift becomes an opportunity to reconsider how architecture can reconnect everyday life with nature while supporting new modes of inhabitation.

Drawing from the spatial intelligence of traditional Indian havelis, the project reinterprets the archetype of a central courtyard as the organizing core of family life. Around this core, a series of contemporary jharokas frame views, filter light, and mediate thresholds. These jharokas are imagined to feel at once inclusive and exclusive—opening inward toward the shared courtyard while extending visually outward into the surrounding landscape.

To further evolve the typology, catenary arches are introduced as both structural and spatial devices. Their gentle curves lend a sense of softness and continuity to the architectural language, while simultaneously offering structural efficiency and formal innovation within a familiar domestic silhouette.

Ultimately, the design seeks a careful balance between isolation and connectivity. It choreographs smooth transitions between public and private realms, crafting spaces for contemplation and focused work alongside areas for interaction and shared living. The House of Jharokas imagines a home that restores a renewed relationship with nature—an inward-looking refuge that remains deeply attuned to its broader ecological and cultural context.