We have designed Tribe House to let people find flow and serendipity, says Jaytirth Ahya

by  Mugdha Gaonkar Marketing | September 21, 2020 | Feature

Tribe House Jaytirth Ahya

Jaytirth Ahya, Founder, The Experience Co., has just introduced ‘Tribe House’ – his new project that offers safe workspaces in beautiful locations, designed to bring influencers, culture-shifters and creators together to live as a community, work and find their flow in nature during the pandemic. 

In an exclusive conversation with EVENTFAQS, Ahya talks about the project, safety measures taken, challenges faced and more.

Origin of Tribe House 

Tribe House is a number of creative abodes across the country set in the lap of nature, where artistes, entrepreneurs, the intellectually curious, explorers and misfits can gather, live, work and ‘find their flow’. Ahya curated Tribe House after working with creators of all kinds over the last six years to run F of X, Roadtrip Experience Project and the Beachhouse Project.

For Tribe House, the programme, the space and the community is designed to create flow, to energize great intentions, projects and conversations. It is intended to be a space to get work done, find inspiration and disconnect.

“Two years ago, I started dreaming of a space that gives me the opportunity to be with like-minded creators while I run my own projects and businesses or freelance. And that idea has been in the background since then,” said Ahya.

“The circumstances I found myself in after the coronavirus outbreak reinforced this dream. This led to studies and conversations with all kinds of people – friends, neuro-scientists, alternate healers, artistes and creators. I figured there could not be a more perfect time to start this. And well, here we are,” he added.

Threefold Safety Measures

In terms of selecting locations, all Tribe Houses have been curated keeping the safest airports in the vicinity in mind. Doctors available on-call and closest medical facilities with top infrastructure are situated 15 minutes away from each Tribe House.

Screening rules filter out any threat at the initial stage. “With just one entry point to a Tribe House, we are able to monitor every movement- in and out. Each incoming resident will go through a temperature check at the entrance, there are disinfectant mats and sprays for all luggage at the check-in, and mandatory screening for all the staff members every day,” said Ahya, adding that the ‘Trust checklist’ includes monitoring and supervising at every single step with deep cleaning of every room between check-in and check-outs, with all staff members wearing masks at all times and uniforms being washed every day. “Every surface at the Tribe House is disinfected at the end of each day - workstations, tables at the restaurant and lounges, everything. Tribe Houses are designed to protect you. A space curated to make you feel safe. For this, we have checked every possible box that eliminates any cause of concern,” Ahya states.

Enquiries during the pandemic 

Whether it is a creator or a corporate misfit, founder or a freelancer or an artiste, everyone craves the energy of nature, the freedom to be with people.

Entry to a Tribe House is by invite only, which can be requested through The Experience Co. website, and the number of House members is also limited.  Ahya said 200+ invite requests have been received so far and 20 have already confirmed to stay from a week to a month in October. For instance, a coffee estate in Sakleshpur, Karnataka, a two-hour drive from Mangalore Airport, is a Tribe House location for October, and Puroni Bheti, a tea retreat in Assam, a 10-minute drive from Jorhat Airport, is on for November 2020. Fees for stay range from Rs 25,000 for a 7-day stay to Rs 65,000 for 28 days including accommodation shared with a co-resident, laundry, full access to the workspace and lounge, full meals, access to the collaborators, mentors, talent via email, access to all master workshops, sessions and experiences besides music nights, movie nights and game nights. 

The challenges faced

According to Ahya, being under lockdown for nearly half the year have made people unsure about the terms of their safety. That poses a huge roadblock for the team. “The spaces we choose circumvent these roadblocks with the whole idea of safety. Finding a location that is accessible yet disconnected was the ultimate challenge. We wanted to ensure that hospitals/ health care centres are within reach of the space we choose but we also wanted to take people to a space where the context of corona feels like a distant reality,” says Ahya.

“We are not about workation destinations, we are about curating vibes, community, culture and beyond. We have designed Tribe House for flow and serendipity. Tribe House does facilitate you to work amongst some of the most amazing landscapes, but it's not confined to it. We curated locations that let you co-exist with nature, allow you to disconnect, but most importantly let you find your flow. And that's exactly what garnered interest.”