By Lucy Warwick-Ching
Vastu is the new feng shui – or, rather, the old one, given that some say the former inspired the latter.
… around 40 per cent of the world’s most expensive real estate is bought by Asian buyers for whom the “energy” of a house can be important – and vastu is already impacting on non-Asian design.
Water is a particularly important element of the five (earth, air, fire, water and space) that must be aligned in a home designed to fit with the principles of vastu, an ancient Hindu system of architecture and design. In return, according to vastu followers, the homeowner sleeps better, gets richer and enjoys domestic bliss.
Global developers and property consultants are also beginning to recognise vastu. “Many of our Indian clients are into vastu and so we have had to learn the principles behind it to help them with property searches,” says Camilla Dell, managing partner at Black Brick Property Solutions in London. “The critical question for us is the positioning of the front door,” she says. “If it faces south there is no point in us even showing the property to a client. South is the energy point; the belief is that if the door faces south then all the energy will flow out of the house.”
