Bangalore-based Indian architecture firm Khosla Associates possesses an uncanny ability to forge high-contemporary composition with traditional Indian methods. One such recently completed project incorporates the 5000-year-old Indian design practice called Vastu. Vastu might be likened to feng shui. This design theory is no trend, however. It originated from sacred Hindu texts known as the Vedas and it lays special emphasis on directional alignments in design. It blends construction, space planning, architecture, and interior design to balance a home's energy, often optimizing its very efficiency by working in harmony with nature. Vastu ostensibly allows homeowners to live and feel at their best throughout the year. For example, a master bedroom should face the southwest while the kitchen is best placed southeast; and the house should face certain directions to encourage such notions as wealth and wealth. This Khosla project's ample windows and wide walking spaces blur the lines between the out- and indoors throughout the open-planned house. The home feels enveloped within the surrounding myriad trees. Rooms feature diverse views based on their deliberated placement within the house and toward the outdoors. Various styles of doors lead into a wide range of experiences inside and out. The overall result grants a unique feel for each room and their placement exhibits their very purpose. The effect is simultaneously soothing and alluring.
