Architectural firm Khosla Associates has designed the Vastu House, a 13,000 square-foot residence located in Bangalore, India. This house is strictly Vastu compliant: 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). The house has two entrances. The private one faces a serene residential lane and the other looks on to a noisy main road. The house is located near the quiet lane, and the home – office is located near the main road. The home office acts as a sound barrier and while one is in the house nestled within an almost unbroken canopy of old trees one cannot perceive the cacophony of the main road.
The verandah surrounding the internal courtyard has a sloping vernacular Mangalore tiled roof. The column supports for this roof are innovative. Load is transferred via large diagonal steel struts onto the hand chiseled stone columns. An outdoor dining table takes advantage of the temperate climate of Bangalore where living and dining in semi –outdoor spaces can be more pleasurable than sitting indoors. The dining area is separated from the court by a channel of water flowing from south to north. The Vastu house is climate sensitive and takes advantage of Bangalore’s temperate climate all year round. Large overhangs combat the fierce monsoons; the southwestern facades of the house are shielded from the fierce summer sun, with the north side completely transparent to the property’s lush tropical foliage. In every space there is free movement of air and light.
