Vastu House

In keeping with the clients desire for a strictly Vastu compliant house, the placement of spaces in the house are in sync with the plan of the Vastu Purusha Mandala (the ancient Indian science of orientation and placement)

Thus apart from positioning the main areas of the house according to the elements – Master bedroom in the Earth zone (SW), kitchen in the Fire zone (SE), and the pool and entrance in the Water zone and Air zones (N and NE), – even positions of doors, the direction of the stairs, location of beds, wardrobes and desks and the positions of the wc’s in the bathrooms had to be in accordance with the correct energy flows. In all other respects however, the clients gave us complete aesthetic freedom.

The biggest challenge while designing the house was to arrive at a visually appealing piece of architecture from a rigid program that dictated the specific locations of various spaces. Our approach was to respond to the traditional science, extract its essence yet arrive at a fresh and innovative interpretation of the same.

The house, built on gentle split-levels ascends lazily from north east (the lowest point) to the southwest (highest point) and envelopes an open to sky courtyard. Its linear horizontal lines and vast cantilevered roof forms weave around the resident trees, and large expanses of glass blur the spatial boundaries between the garden and the house.

There is a mix of luxe and natural elements in the Vastu house – rough hewn stone steps and walls, pebbled courts, exposed concrete ceilings and polished cement floors contrast well with polished Italian marble, fine teak furniture, velvets and silks.