Photo courtesy BOB Architecture
There’s more to the spartan beauty of this modern West End residence than its clean lines. Every aspect of the architecture — from the placement of the entrance to the location of the loo — was designed according to the principles of Vastu Shastra, the ancient Hindu architectural science that stresses a harmonious balance between living spaces and nature to amplify positive energy and well-being.
“Most people who go into a house designed to Vastu have no idea those principles were a part of it,” says Robert A. Steele, principal at BOB Architecture, who designed this Vastu Shastra house and more than 20 others in the Richmond region.
With Vastu homes, he says, it’s up to each family in conference with their spiritual advisor to decide what’s important to them, as every decision is interrelated. Each Vastu house is unique, but every one, no matter its location or size, is filled with light and imbued with a connection to nature.
“[Vastu Shastra] isn’t about decoration,” Steele says, “it’s about the orientation of the spaces and the holistic energy that they channel.”
