Around the chowk in 40 years

Of the many unique features of pol houses, one is the internal courtyard called the chowk. It houses the day-today activities of the womenfolk, turns into the focal space during festivals and gatherings and provides fresh air while buffering the hot summer wind.
No wonder this area became the activity hub and the heart of the home. True for any traditional dwelling — from the tharavads of tropical Kerala to the settlements in extremely dry and hot Morocco.
However, today ‘living rooms’ have replaced the chowk with increase in apartment-style living. But the Zaveri family built their house with a chowk as the central idea. Wedged within three parallel 14-inch walls, the house is situated on a busy street in Gulbai Tekra. It is offset from the street with a raised lush green garden, which cuts off the noise. The uneven grounds of the Tekra extend into an interesting play of levels within the house.
“We wanted a house with every space connected to the courtyard. Moreover, it was memory we wanted to carry forward from the previous pol house. It’s the most actively used space in the house,” say Sanjay Zaveri, the second generation of the family to live in the house. “From our evening tea to special occasions like musical gatherings , to hosting friends to our daughter’s mehendi ceremony, it was all held in the courtyard.”
Once all the wide doors are opened, the front garden gets connected to the internal courtyard through the living room, which then flows into the dining space. From the upper-floor bedrooms, the ornate mosaic pattern of the courtyard can be viewed. Wooden louvers control the intensity light within the house. Though it appears stark and modern from the facade, it contains many more traditional details like the otlas, chhats, detached kitchen and washing areas. These are the cultural reminisces as well as the family’s way of life which manifest as architectural details.
“Traditional spaces have evolved primarily as responses to climate, which is why they are comfortable. Architecture is often seen as an appearance, however the experience of the house lies beyond its appearance,” says the architect Kamal Mangaldas, who designed the house for Sanjay’s father, Manish Zaveri. “However, a house should address not to intellect but to the heart.”
When built in 1968, only bungalows occupied the neighbouring plots. Now, though dwarfed by tall buildings, the house still preserves its intimacy. It exuberates a quality of timelessness, blending of modern and tradition.
The Aha Moment!
Since the different floors are wedged within the triangular walls, the rooms on the upper level also open to terraces the chhats, which are the family’s favourite hangout for summer nights. During parties and family gatherings, the house unfolds like a pavilion, with crowds spilling out from the most public front garden to the private and cosy terraces.