Tired of Feng Shui, and looking for a new eastern philosophy on which to govern your design choices? No? Well either way, its time to check out Vedic design. While many of us are familiar with the ancient Chinese design techniques of Feng Shui, Vedic design, or Vastu, is relatively new to the architectural world. Originating thousands of years ago in ancient India, and gaining new popularity from the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (you may remember the Beatles being big fans) Vastu has specific prescriptions for optimal architectural design.
The main principles of Vastu are:
Right Direction: The orientation of a building has a dramatic and easily measured impact upon the quality of life of its occupants.
Right Placement of Rooms: Vedic buildings are designed so that energies from the sun correspond to the specific activities performed within the building.
Right Proportion: Proportion is a key to successful design in nature. Right proportion in the interior and exterior of buildings can connect individual intelligence to cosmic intelligence.
Natural, Nontoxic Materials and Solar Energy: Vedic architecture promotes natural and nontoxic construction materials. It also emphasizes filling rooms with sunlight and fresh air, as well as the use of photovoltaics for onsite energy generation.
This may sound a lot like Feng Shui, but apparently there are big philosophical differences. There are numerous websites out there which attempt to decipher the differences between the two. Here is one I found >
Whether or not one subscribes to the Vedic belief system, it is hard to deny that many aspects of these design principles echo current trends for sustainable and eco-friendly building. And Vedic architecture seems to be taking off, possibly for these very reasons.
A Maryland skyscraper called Tower II is currently being designed based entirely on Vedic Mathematics and Natural Law principles. Developer Jeffrey S. Abramson says: “We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, and therefore the built environment has the potential to help a person to succeed. That’s why I’m interested in Vedic architecture.” In Iowa an entire community is being built around Vedic principles. Is Vastu the next Feng Shui?
Posted by Lee Norris
It is a bit late, but anyhow: Feng Shui is derived from Vastu, so it can not be the next Feng Shui. It is the same with Ayurvedic medicine, which is the fundament for Chinese medicine and also a ancient Greek medicine.