LIGHT, LATTICE, LIFE

In Nagpur’s bustling urban landscape, SJK Architects reimagines the traditional haveli for contemporary living. The Light House fuses sunlight, shadow, and sustainability to create a multi-generational sanctuary where heritage meets modernity.

Photo courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta

Photo courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta

 Rising gracefully amidst Nagpur’s dense urban grid, T he Light House by SJK Architects is a masterclass in contemporary residential design that honours tradition while embracing modernity. Designed for a multi-generational family, the six-storey home transforms vernacular inspirations into a vertical sanctuary, where sunlight, shadow, and timber converge to craft a living experience that is both private and connected.

Photo courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta

The residence draws from the rich legacy of North and Western Indian havelis and Maharashtrian wadas, translating their climate-responsive strategies into a contemporary idiom. VOL 8 ISSUE 1 T he operable timber lattice façade, a reinterpretation of the tra ditional jaali, moderates Nagpur’s intense summer heat, allows diffused light to animate interiors, and provides privacy in a dense neighbourhood. It’s a design feature that is as functional as it is poetic — casting dynamic patterns of light and shadow that shift throughout the day.

Photo courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta

 At the heart of the home, an eight-foot-wide central atrium topped with a skylight channels sunlight into the informal liv ing area on the ground floor. This vertical courtyard reimagines the communal chowk of traditional homes, creating a visual and auditory thread that links all six levels. The atrium bcomes the social core, fostering intergenerational connection while allowing private zones to flourish along the tree-lined periphery.

Photo courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta

 The spatial programme is carefully tiered: the grand mother’s suite and kitchen anchor the ground floor, connect ing with outdoor dining, lounging, and garden spaces. The intermediate floors host the sons’ families, each with private master bedrooms, terraces, and formal living areas. Balco nies, jharokhas, and semi-private corridors wrap each level, simultaneously enlarging interior spaces, buffering heat, and offering flexibility for air-conditioning or open-air use. The topmost floor is a wellness retreat, complete with a spa, jacuz zi, gym, and a verdant deck offering panoramic city views.

Materiality and craftsmanship remain central to the VOL 8 ISSUE 1 design ethos. Accoya pine lattices, sustainably sourced and pre treated for durability, combine with recycled Burma teak, white Esil marble, and brass accents to create a tactile, timeless pal ette. CNC-carved stone motifs echo traditional saree patterns, while curated artworks, statement rugs, and bespoke furniture in soft tones of beige, grey, and black complete the interiors with understated luxury.

 The Light House demonstrates how contemporary archi tecture can respect culture, climate, and community while addressing the needs of modern multi-generational living. It is a home where tradition and innovation coexist, privacy and connection harmonise, and sunlight becomes a living canvas, embodying a refined, context-aware architectural vision for India’s evolving urban families.

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