Abstract:
For many Indians, the hypotheses of the Vaastu Purusha mandala forms the spatial core
of Indian identity. The principles of a Vaastu-Vik settlement unify being and nature, but
the knowledge of unifying these principles in the contemporary world of architecture
serves to provide a meaningful existence for its inhabitants. While the term Vaastu-Vik
is used to define our built environment, Purusha is the cosmic man contained in a ninesquare
cosmological and diagrammatic mandala that is the symbolic embodiment of
our universe.
This thesis is an attempt to understand and unpack the meaning behind these
spatial orientations and to reveal the manner in which this information may inform
contemporary architecture, particularly from a personal perspective.
I also wanted to understand more about my architectural heritage. My family
have been migrating for generations, rooting and un-rooting themselves in the hopes
of finding stability. Firstly, from the ancestral village in Nandpur Kalour situated in
northern India to a town in Kharar, Punjab and from the town to the city of Chandigarh.
In each place, our family lived in multi-generation, communal houses. Now we reside
in Auckland, New Zealand, away from the motherland of my forebears. I still carry
memories of those past homes; the memory of tradition intrigues me and through my
architectural studies, I wondered if something has been lost along the way. I wanted to
explore an architecture that built on those memories of past homes, past lives. Thus,
my research into my Indian heritage has explored not only the influence of the vaastu
purusha mandala but also the work of well-known Indian architects, Charles Correa
and Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi.
This research has enabled me to reflect upon the way vaastu is evident in various forms
and interpretations, through analysis of their work. It has also allowed me to examine
the architecture behind my memories of home, and to speculate on the notion of
Indian-ness while being rooted within migrancy and cultural mobility.
How can I bring this mix of cosmology, culture and memory together?
Using the knowledge that I have gained, I will design a new home for my extended
family as part of a larger multi-mix use settlement located near where we now live, in
Ormiston, Flat Bush, Auckland.