The Ikat Weave in Jamnagar by Dhyey Chag Architects reinterprets Indian tradition through a modern lens, weaving courtyards, light, and craft into a contemporary family home.
Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Ira Gosalia, Photographix India
The project
The Ikat Weave is a three-level family home built on a 2,400 sq ft urban plot, spread across 6,700 sq ft. Conceived as a sanctuary for sattvik living, it merges traditional Indian architectural features with contemporary design.
The site
The residence sits on ancestral land in Jamnagar, surrounded by dense urban development and ongoing construction, with trees buffering the compact, south-east–facing plot. Natural light was difficult to secure, given the tightly knit urban fabric.
The brief
The client desired a budget-friendly, Vastu-compliant home rooted in sattvik principles: simple, pure, and timeless. The brief emphasised courtyards, a pooja space, and traditional features, while also asking for a warm, functional, and adaptable house for contemporary living.
The design intent
The architects placed a central courtyard at the heart of the home, ensuring daylight filters through the three floors while fostering family interaction. “The courtyard is both a light well and a place of connection — a symbol of togetherness,” notes principal architect Dhyey Chag. Concrete volumes emerge from a monolithic brick shell, a gesture that echoes the fusion of heritage and modernity. The abstraction of Ikat weaving provided a design metaphor — rooted in tradition yet geometric and contemporary in form.
The spatial configuration
The ground floor integrates living, dining, kitchen, and circulation around the central courtyard. A double-height dining space creates a vertical connector across levels. Bedrooms are distributed on upper floors, visually and socially linked through the courtyard.
The material palette
The home features solid teak wood, veneers, brass accents, Indian stones, and lime plaster. Built-in beds, cupboards, and consoles were crafted on site, supplemented by furniture from DTale Modern, Fabindia Home, and Savana Living. Soft furnishings from D’Décor and Asian Paints add warmth.
Traditional elements such as jharokhas, pivoting railings, wicker shutters, and transformable partitions are reinterpreted in a modern vocabulary. The pooja room sits beneath a skylight, while the master bedroom opens into this space, layering light and symbolism.
The challenges
Adjoining buildings restricted natural light. In a tier-2 city, sourcing skilled craftsmanship posed additional hurdles.
The highlights
The courtyard and double-height dining space bring daylight and a sense of drama, while Ikat-inspired engravings in concrete walls, fabric-wrapped railings, and brass detailing enrich the interiors.
The takeaway
For the architects, the project reaffirmed the idea that tradition and modernity can co-exist seamlessly. “Like Ikat threads, the old and the new can weave together to form something timeless,” reflects Chag.
Favourite aspect of the project
The courtyard, for its ability to infuse light and life into the entire home while becoming the spiritual and social anchor.
Fact file
Project: The Ikat Weave
Location: Jamnagar, Gujarat
Area: 6,700 sq ft
Principal designer: Dhyey Chag
Design team: Dhyey Chag, Kushal Mehta, Mayuri Gohil
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