A Westlake House Built with the Indian Principles of Vastu in Mind

By Erin Quinn-Kong. Fall 2022.

Oriented around a courtyard and featuring a meditation room, the home is designed for optimal energy flow. When a family started building a new multigenerational house in Westlake, they knew two things.

One: they wanted the home to follow the guiding principles of vastu, an ancient Indian science of architecture that keeps the five elements of nature in their right positions. “It’s similar to the Chinese tradition of feng shui; it’s principles of architecture and the people living in the home and the nature around it,” the owner explains.

Two: they wanted Dick Clark + Associates to design the home for them. One of the homeowners, who works in commercial real estate development, has collaborated with DC+A on projects many times. “He wanted a Dick Clark house that was very clean yet warm,” says partner Kevin Gallaugher, who took on the project along with Clara Paterson.

Although Gallaugher and Paterson had never designed a house using vastu principles before, they say it wasn’t that different from other highly specialized homes they have designed. “Once the rules were laid down, I think we figured out how to use them to our advantage,” Gallaugher says.

Some of the requirements included that the house be oriented around an open-air courtyard, “allowing energy to flow from the center,” the owner says. Vastu also specifies an east-side entry and bedroom orientations that allow for natural light and air flow.

A meditation room was to be a focal point for the house. “A lot of thought went into the placement of the room—the glass, the alter, the view out to the garden—everything,” Paterson says. “You can see the meditation room from every room of the lower level of the house.”

The family also wanted a mini primary suite on the first floor for the owner’s mother. “It’s like a separate house inside the bigger house,” Paterson says. Natural stone from the outside of the house comes inside and wraps the entire suite.

In order to accomplish all these things, the owner put the DC+A architects in touch with Vasant Lad, an ayurvedic science consultant in New Mexico (ayurveda is a sister science of vastu), who would look over the plans and give them notes on changes to be made.

The end result, a contemporary, 6,700-square-foot home, includes a gorgeous open courtyard in the middle that leads to the outdoor kitchen overlooking the pool, hot tub, and cabana. The design is clean yet warm, and every single aspect of the home feels functional and intentional.

“The house is modern while also being livable, warm, and inviting,” the owner says. “We wanted to express our history and culture while including spaces to gather.”

Like the design of the home, the interiors seamlessly mix old and new. The owners imported several showstopping pieces from India, including ancient doors from the Gujarat region that open into the meditation room, an antique bird feeder in the courtyard, and a hand-carved chair swing in the living room.

Contemporary nods in the house include a Moooi perch linear suspension bird chandelier over the dining room table and a custom loft with hammock from InCord in the son’s room conceived by the 14-year-old himself. During a six-week apprenticeship with DC+A, the teen also sketched and built the front door in 3D before the architects had it made.

Now that they’ve lived in the home for a few months, the owner says it is everything they hoped for. “The eastern sun in the morning brightens up the whole kitchen and outdoor space,” he says. “The house is not baked by the sun, due to the intentional orientation of how the house was positioned.” Because one of the vastu principles comprises air flow and natural light, solar panels were installed to reduce energy use.

The kitchen in particular is well-used by the family and their friends. “We cook a lot,” the owner says. “Indian food has a lot of spices and action.” One of his favorite elements of the kitchen is the large picture window overlooking the backyard and the vent hood, which was placed in the ceiling to prevent an obstruction of the view. There is also a large pantry and three appliance garages that can be closed for a cleaner look when not in use.

“It’s special to work on a big kitchen that’s used by a lot of people,” Paterson says. “You’d be surprised how often we design kitchens that are never used.”

Both the owners and the architects speak highly of working together. “The process was seamless, and I really appreciate them listening to how we can bring some of these ancient principles into the modern context,” the owner says. “Architects can have a rigid view of what their design is about, but they really allowed for a new way of approaching this project.”

Adds Paterson, “There was a good energy between all of us. We knew we were onto something special to this house.”