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Sofas
The Jharokha Sofa
The projecting jharokha windows of India’s old cities
Chapter 02 / Chairs, sofas & tables
Furniture shaped by architecture.
Aavran has spent 35 years designing spaces. Alaya is the furniture language emerging from them: chairs, sofas and tables drawn by architects, proportioned like buildings and inspired by India’s architectural heritage, from the arches of a pol house to the rhythm of a stepwell, reinterpreted for contemporary homes.
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Inspiration / Indian vernacular
From architecture, into everyday life.
A curve remembered. A rhythm rediscovered.
Alaya begins where Aavran’s architects have always looked: the pols, stepwells, carved brackets and shared thresholds of India’s old cities. Choose a study to follow its journey from an architectural element to the piece of furniture it became.
- InspirationChabutra
- InterpretationGathering · lightness · structure
- Became
- InspirationJharokha
- InterpretationProjection · curve · framing
- Became
- InspirationTundals
- InterpretationJoinery · carving · support
- Became
- InspirationPol gateways
- InterpretationFraming · rhythm · threshold
- Became
- InspirationVav
- InterpretationLayering · descent · repetition
- Became
- InspirationOtla
- InterpretationSeating · connection · proportion
- Became
Vernacular studies / 01 — 06
A place to gather.
The bird-feeding pavilion at the heart of a pol balances shelter, slender supports and a shared centre. Every lane turns towards it.
Vernacular studies / 02 — 06
A window that leans out.
Projecting balconies carried on brackets let the house look into the street. Their cusped arches and generous curves frame both light and conversation.
Vernacular studies / 03 — 06
Structure becomes ornament.
Carved timber brackets turn the meeting of support and surface into an expressive detail, worked by hand with floral relief.
Vernacular studies / 04 — 06
The art of arrival.
Layered thresholds, paired pilasters and a carefully framed opening give the everyday act of entering a sense of occasion.
Vernacular studies / 05 — 06
Descending in layers.
Stepwells fold stairs, colonnades and landings into a cool, layered descent towards water. Each level repeats and steps back from the last.
Vernacular studies / 06 — 06
An invitation to pause.
The raised platform at the door sits between home and street. It is where chores, gossip and evenings happen, and it is the subject of Harsh Shah’s research.
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Tables
Pol Heritage Center Table
The repeating arches of India’s traditional pol houses
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Chairs
The Bracket Chair
The carved timber brackets of Indian havelis
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Sofas
The Stepwell Sofa
The descending levels of India’s stepwells
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Chairs
The Kite Chair
India’s kite festivals
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Tables
Heritage Arch Center Table
The arches of India’s historic architecture
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Tables
Temple Pillar Side Table
The fluted pillars of Indian temples
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Tables
Mandir Bracket Side Table
The curved brackets of temples and pol houses
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Chairs
The Sabarmati Chair
India’s architectural and craft heritage
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The community chabutras of India’s old neighbourhoods
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Tables
Jharokha Side Table
The arched openings of Indian jharokhas
Research & news
Before the furniture, the fieldwork.
Aavran Architects & Interior Designers
Doctoral research / PhD
Pol houses and their cultural worlds: historic urban landscape and oral history
How do the spaces of the old city live on in the homes we build today?
Harsh Shah’s thesis studies Ahmedabad’s pol houses and the cultural worlds they shaped. Measured drawings and photography are paired with oral history: the memories of the people who live in these houses, and the objects and everyday practices that give them meaning.
The research follows how features such as the otla, the carved bracket and the courtyard are carried from the pol into new urban homes. Alaya is one answer to that question.
Doctoral Program in Art, Design and Interdisciplinary Studies, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology
Field archiveAhmedabad, 1986–2016
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Architectural history should make room for the other forms in which the past survives.
From the research
Fig. 04
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Fig. 07
Latest from the studio
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A dialogue on the identity of our cities.
Harsh Shah presents at L. J. K. University’s international conference on city identity, planning and urban design.
Dynamic Seating: an idea becomes a registered design.
CEPT University acknowledges the co-creators of Dynamic Seating following its design registration.
Recognition for a practice rooted in Gujarat.
Special Awards for Harsh Shah and Prachi Shah at the Architecture & Interior Design Excellence Awards 2024.
Made personal
A place in your home.
A story of your own.
Every Alaya piece is made to order and delivered across India. Tell us about your space, the piece you have in mind and the finishes you like, and we will send you a quotation.
Enquire about Alaya Follow @alayabyaavran on Instagram (opens in a new tab)Questions / Ordering & delivery
Good to know.
Something else on your mind? Write to us and the studio will reply. alayabyaavran@gmail.com
01What is Alaya?
Alaya is the furniture design initiative of Aavran, an architecture and interior design practice with a 35-year legacy. Aavran has spent decades designing homes; Alaya is the furniture language that emerged from those spaces. Every piece is designed by architects, shaped by proportion, material and the way Indian homes are lived in, and inspired by India’s architectural heritage.
02Where can I order a furniture piece I like?
Every Alaya piece is made to order, so there’s no instant checkout. Use “Enquire about this piece” on any product page, write to alayabyaavran@gmail.com, or call +91 87996 25906. We’ll talk through your space and requirements, then send you a quotation.
03Do I have to choose from your existing designs, or can I customise a piece?
You can start from any piece in the collection and adapt it to your home: size, wood and finish, upholstery fabric or leather, stone, and metal accents. We keep the proportions that make each design work. If you need something specific to your space, tell us about it and we’ll let you know what’s possible.
04Can you deliver anywhere in India?
Yes, we deliver across India. Timelines and delivery charges depend on the piece and your location, and both are confirmed in your quotation.
05How long does it take to make a piece?
Each piece is made after you order it, so timelines vary with the design, size and finish you choose. We give you an estimated timeline with your quotation and keep you updated while it’s being made.
06What materials do you work with?
Solid woods such as teak and walnut, woven cane, natural stone and limestone, antique brass and bronze accents, and upholstery in linen blends, textured weaves and leather. The exact materials for your piece are agreed and confirmed in your quotation.