Vastu Shastra: the order of space in the Indian tradition

Vastu Shastra is the name of the texts that, in India, gathered traditional knowledge about architecture and dwelling: how to choose the site, how to orient a house, how to measure it and how to arrange its spaces. They are part of a wider body of knowledge, Vastu Vidya (Chakrabarti, 1998).

The mandala of space

Its central tool is the Vastu Purusha Mandala: a grid that orders the site into modules of 3 × 3, 8 × 8 or 9 × 9, depending on the type of building. Each zone is associated with a direction and a use, and the centre is left open. The architect Vini Nathan describes it as a set of rules for translating ideas into built form (Nathan, 2002).

Orientation, light and use

Many of its guidelines speak of what we also study in a home: where the morning light comes in, where it is best to rest, where to cook, how the air moves and which areas are left free. Read this way, they are an ancient way of thinking about how a place supports daily life.

Studies of the subject present it less as a fixed plan than as a model of organisation that each period has adapted to its site and its way of living (Chakrabarti, 1998).

From LivenVastu Spatial Alignment by Liven is a spatial exploration consultancy based on the principles of Vastu Shastra. We analyse orientation, layout, routes, light, natural elements and the use of the space to propose adjustments that support a clearer, more balanced and more conscious experience.

A complementary experience that brings together tradition, interior design and Spatial Wellbeing, without replacing architectural, medical or psychological criteria.