2 weeks ago
Suniel Shetty's Jahaan: 16 Years of Slow Architecture in Khandala
Suniel Shetty is a famous movie actor in India.
He has a house in a pretty hill town called Khandala.
It took sixteen whole years for that house to become what it is today.
At first, the land had almost nothing on it, just a few trees, cactus plants, and rocks.
Instead of changing the land to fit a finished house plan, the builders let the land help decide what the house would look like.
That is why grown-ups call it "slow architecture."
Now the home has more than 400 trees and its own little stream.
The house is built around the hills, so nature does a lot of the decorating by changing light, trees, and seasons.
Even the wooden furniture gets prettier as it gets older, like a story written in the wood.
The family even celebrated a wedding there, making the house full of happy memories.
Suniel Shetty's Khandala home Jahaan took 16 years to evolve from barren land into a property with more than 400 trees and a natural stream.
Architect Nitin Agarwal of The Studio Synergy calls Jahaan an example of "slow architecture," where the design was done around the site rather than around deadlines.
Interior design expert Gunjan Goel of Goel Ganga Developments says the landscape acts as the "primary design element," with nature changing the home's look for free.
Furniture expert Raghunandan Saraf of Saraf Furniture says natural wood becomes more attractive with each year, as each grain and scratch becomes its history.
Jahaan later served as the setting for the wedding of Athiya Shetty and K L Rahul, adding a new family chapter to a property originally built as a retreat for the Shetty family.
- Who
- Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, with commentary from architect Nitin Agarwal, interior design expert Gunjan Goel, and furniture expert Raghunandan Saraf.
- What
- The 16-year evolution of Jahaan, Shetty's Khandala home, which experts describe as an example of "slow architecture" where the design grew with the site.
- Where
- Khandala
- When
- Over a 16-year period; the article does not state specific start or end dates.
- Why
- Because the design philosophy let the land, trees, water flow, and climate shape the home instead of imposing a finished design on the landscape.
Key facts
- Home name
- Jahaan
- Owner
- Suniel Shetty
- Location
- Khandala
- Design philosophy
- "Slow architecture" — organic design influenced by the site
- Time to evolve
- 16 years
- Trees on property
- More than 400
- Natural features
- Preserved natural stream and existing hillside contours
- Featured in
- Asian Paints YouTube video
Quotes
Raghunandan Saraf
Founder and CEO of Saraf Furniture
“"Natural wood will become more attractive with each year, as each grain and scratch becomes its history instead of a defect."”
indianexpress.com
“"Homes are usually designed around deadlines. In this case, it looks like the design was done around the site."”
indianexpress.com









