Existing
As of 2021 the six houses, comprising the project in Jethabhai Ni pol, are in various stages of disrepair. Each has been awarded differing levels of heritage status.
House no.1
Pratima ni Haveli is our ancestral home that has been in the family for over 400 years
Because the house has been occupied continuously for centuries, it is in a relatively good condition except for some damages caused by the 2001 earthquake.
This house has 7 bedrooms and only one bathroom and two WC that are located along the street face.
Traditionally in Hindu households the WC is generally near the street so that they can be easily connected to the street drainage but in the past it was more because of cultural reasons relating to the cast system; where the work of the cleaning and maintaining the WC was relegated to the lowest caste. An archaic system that is no longer relevant.
475 Pratima has been given a Heritage rating of II-B by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. An appeal has been made to upgrade it to a II-A rating; the highest for a residential property.
This house was purchased in 1998 and quickly renovated so it could be used as a workshop for the John and Kinnari's projects in New York.
House no.2
The 'Uncle's' house is adjacent to our family home and was originally a part of the same household as it can be inferred from the matching dimensions of the two houses.
Currently this property is being used as the site office for the ongoing work and as a staging area for the construction.
It is a five bedroom house with only one bathroom and a WC. The detailing is vernacular with a mix of art-deco.
Structurally it is not entirely stable with beams at the lower level deforming.
This house also has been given a Heritage rating of II-B by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. An appeal has been made to upgrade it to a II-A rating.
House no.3
A definition of a dilapidated building
The main reason this house was given a Heritage rating of II-B by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is because of its facade.
More a ruin than a building.
Left unused for years the building has been eaten away by water damage and termites.
House 4 & 3
House no.4
On the face, it is an epitome of gujarati architecture with a beautiful facade and sensitive interior detailing.
On the inside, it is completely ravaged by neglect, water and termites, but mainly water and neglect.
With superior architectural and construction detailing, this building can give Brunelleschi a run for his flori.
Made with a mix of masonry and wood, the house displays ingenious joinery details between these two materials.
It has a 60,000 Lt. rainwater storage tank with an intricate drainage system. During the demolition process it was found that this house and the adjoining property belonged to one household since the drains in the courtyard of the adjoining property connected to the this rainwater tank.
It has an intricately carved facade and interior courtyard, also a rear courtyard which is not so typical for this house-type.
This house has been given Heritage rating of II-A by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
House no.5
Purchased in 2001to save it from destruction, this house is a classic pol house. With a typical bracketing facade that juts out as the building rises to create more shading on the street.
Since its purchase the house has been occupied by John and Kinnari's staff.
The bottom two levels are in relatively good condition however the top two floors of this 4 storied structure are in serious disrepair.
Till now we have not been able to find an underground rainwater tank, we suspect the tank is actually under the adjacent property which was originally part of the same household.
House no.6
Purchased only in 2019, this house was being used as a wholesale godown for various items.
This 4 storied structure was a part of the adjoining property with a Heritage rating of II-A, however since this building has been insensitively partitioned and modified it has been given a Heritage rating of III.
The house is not structurally stable with most of its elements deformed and out of line and plumb.
The facade is entirely damaged.
However as it often happens with so many houses in the Old city, there are architectural surprises to be found in the interiors.
