A delicate spring
day greets you as you step outside. A balmy wind caresses your face while the
sun gently warms it; the dwindling morning dew glistens in the cradle of each
blade of grass; the fragrant scent of life rejuvenates you; you inhale a deep
breath, careful to savor every morsel of the magnificent world that sprawls out
before you. You feel completely at ease as an overwhelming sense of tranquility
washes over you. You are connected to every leaf, sunray, crumb of soil, and
bead of moisture, as your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves are
in harmony with your surroundings. This is what it means to be alive. As you are
absorbing your surroundings, a burst of energy suddenly surges from your core
and pulsates through your every vein; thoughts bubble, creativity sparks, and
your previously slumbering inspiration awakens! Imagine life that is
perpetually governed by this absolute state of bliss; imagine waking up every
morning rejuvenated, reinvigorated, reincarnated. The essential purpose of
Vedic architecture is to produce such a state of absolute inner peace through
the structure, placement, and orientation of buildings.
A university undertakes the
monumental task of interweaving its inhabitants (the students and faculty) with
their environment—the buildings, classrooms, and courtyards—in order to create
a particular ambiance that is representative of the university’s core values.
The foundation of a university is built upon its underlying intent to promote
education. However, this contentious word education no longer retains
universal meaning; your grandparents consider learning the technical skills
necessary for your vocation to be education, while contemporary thought lends
itself to a greater appreciation of a general liberal arts education that
focuses on character building. No longer is mere textbook knowledge sufficient
to survive in contemporary society; self-realization and secular awareness are
necessities essential to living. In other words, character development and
intellectual cultivation that beget “a habit of mind…of which the attributes
are freedom, equitableness, calmness, moderation, and wisdom” adequately arm
students to enter society and the workforce.[1]
Through Vedic architecture, preventable mental barriers such as stress and
anxiety are lifted so that a pure and clear atmosphere of thought is created.
Such strength of mind allows students to explore their own thoughts and ideas
to develop their unique characters, which inevitably leads to success in life
after college. A revised Master Plan comprised of Vedic architecture will
establish an environment conducive to students’ social, cultural, intellectual,
and personal development and subsequent success.
Maharishi Sthapatya Veda (commonly known as Vastu, or simply Vedic architecture) is the most ancient
architectural design and construction system of country, town, village, and
institutional planning in accord with Natural Law. From Sanskrit, Sthapatya means “to establish”
and Veda means “knowledge”; the very name advances the purpose of a university,
to establish knowledge. Although its linguistic origins are in the
foundation of promoting education, Vastu is based on
the fundamental understanding of multiple energy systems in the universe. Eastern
philosophy recognizes the existence of two dimensions: first, the finite
physical realm, which consists of the tangible and corporeal; second, the
infinite spiritual realm, which consists of an unbounded unified field of
nature's creativity and intelligence, including the Cosmic universe. Empirically,
quantum theory recognizes that no object retains its own singular attributes,
but “it shares all its properties mutually and indivisibly with the systems
with which it interacts.”[3]
Both theoretical and logical reasoning acknowledge that every atom, object,
organism, plant, and person is connected through overlapping energy fields
within the universe. Vedic architecture attempts to exonerate the human spirit
into nature, to unify the individual with his surroundings by eliminating
boundaries that discriminate between the individual and place. Further, in
creating a community for humans, “the basic idea was always to recreate
symbolically a universe,” paralleling nature’s innate
order. [4] In
order to accomplish these goals, Vastu is built on
fundamental physical principles that are in accord with natural laws, which
include:[5]
1.
Location of building on site, including
access, and utility supply routes;
2.
Orientation of building to sun and
environment;
3.
Arrangement of internal rooms, and doors
and windows;
4.
Dimensions of building and environmental
components;
5.
Color, texture, ornamentation of building
and environment
Every physical aspect of
construction considers how to integrate within nature, rather than
impose upon her, so as not to upset the precarious balance within the
universe. Such meticulous precision connects individual life with cosmic life,
individual intelligence with cosmic intelligence, and creates ideal living
conditions for students.
In essence, Vedic
architecture focuses less on the actual construction of buildings and more on
creating an ambiance propitious to aligning the physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual selves in harmony. In creating my SecondLife
representation, I spent more time and energy perfecting the symbolic elements,
such as the central obelisk and the landscape architecture, than I spent on the
actual construction of buildings themselves in an effort to physically show
harmonization. When the outside world is aligned, a student’s inner world
follows suit to achieve ultimate harmony and happiness. The natural world,
untouched by the besmirching hand of man, is absolutely necessary for
progression of self-discovery. Every time you go outside to “clear your head”
or “take a mental break,” your unconscious self is crying out for liberation
from the constant brain chatter that stifles creativity and inspiration. Often, the pilgrimage to self-discovery
involves revisiting our natural roots, literally.
...the mind
includes more than intellect. It contains a history of what we learn through
our feet. It grasps the world that meets the eye, the city we know with our
legs, the places we know in our hearts, in our guts, in our memories, in our
imaginations. It includes the world we feel in our bones.[7]
SecondLife Campus10
A
mind so physically and figuratively in touch with its world (both inner and
outer) inevitably instigates the introspective journey to “know thy self”—the
very purpose of a university. To recall my earlier explanation of Vedic
architecture, Shthapatya Veda means to establish
knowledge. If, according to Alan Watts, “Our whole knowledge of the world is,
in one sense, self-knowledge,” then logically, to establish knowledge
essentially means to know the self.[8] Accordingly, the single greatest thrust of
Vedic architecture is to “know thyself”, to physically and spiritually “live in
fragments no longer” through self-realization.
[9]
The holistic
master plan of the university will primarily be constructed around Vastu principles that are in accord with natural laws. Essentially,
the floor plan of the campus will have a geometric center from which rest of
the campus will radiate outwards, much like the human body which has a physical
and spiritual core with rest of the limbs and energy radiating out, as depicted
by my SecondLife layout above[10].
The central element is the obelisk (discussed below) with the garden, main
building, and school building branching out from it. Although majority of the university will be
built outdoors with few actual edifices,
indoor academic buildings and
residential halls will be constructed to compensate for the intense
SecondLife buildings below[12]. In
both of the buildings and the tower, the entrances all face east to 
capture
the early morning sun and awaken both the body and mind.
The sun is the most powerful
influence of nature in the environment. Specification of room placement is
determined significantly by the sun's daily movement and the different qualities
of energy that radiate from the sun as it shifts across the sky to encourage
vitality throughout the buildings.[13] All
building materials include natural, non-toxic resources suitable to the local
climactic conditions. For example, all buildings will be made of limestone,
which is readily available and durable against the harsh elements, while seating
will include granite seat walls, backless teak benches, benches with backs
(both free-standing and integrated into walls), monumental stairs, benches
integral with the café façade and the lawn itself. Perpetually residing outdoors is unrealistic,
so emulating the natural world indoors is imperative to creating harmony
everywhere on campus.
Concerning the physicality of
edifices, meticulous attention to aesthetic and symbolic beauty of buildings is
of utmost importance. In the current master plan, within the structure of
buildings such as Hogg and Sutton Hall are embedded friezes in the limestone
that are representative of the building’s function. Similarly, in the Vedic
master plan, each building and structure will be adorned with symbols of peace
and harmony, such as those shown below. Although I was unable to actually embed
symbols into the texture of my SecondLife buildings,
I hope to somehow create objects that are similar to the buildings’ texture and
display them that manner.
14
The lotus blossom symbolizes the
source and manifestation of enlightenment; the chattra,
or parasol, which casts a shadow of protection, is meant to expel disturbing
influences (stress, anxiety, etc.); the double fish represents the universal nobility
of spiritual achievement; and the knot of eternity represents the interweaving
of the spiritual path, the eternal interconnecting energy among all facets of
the universe.[17] A solid
stone piazza in the shape of a perfect square, which is the fundamental form of
sacred architecture, will be at the center of campus.[18] Just
as Vastu specifies a physical center to every
building and master plan (whether institutional or otherwise) this central,
silent space functions as a place specifically designed for spiritual rebirth
through meditation. Finally, at the absolute geometric centre of the
piazza and campus will stand a 262 foot obelisk, the height of the current
tower, representing the spiritual core of each individual. Within the tower will be the Brahmasthan, which is a silent, essentially empty, space in the centre of the
building where the totality of Natural Law nourishes and upholds the entire
structure. I wanted to somehow integrate a Brahmasthan
within my SecondLife tower, but was
19
unable to
create a space within the tower instead of a space through the tower. The
tower, or vimana, will be the pinnacle of everything
that is natural, spiritual, and sacred. Below is an image of a vimana in
The
landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead recognizes how important a campus
“needs to be seen as a whole and not as a series of disparate objects; the
overall quality of a campus needs to be considered even when urgent demands for
new buildings and spaces need to be addressed.”[22] The
current campus is a chaotic amalgamation of the differing architectural styles of
the original Spanish Renaissance and Modernism. Consequently, the disjointed
assortment of designs fails to physically unify the campus and students. Many
campuses integrate landscape architecture within the master plan, in an attempt
to “make amends” with Mother Nature for intruding upon her bounty. Rather than
encroaching upon nature, Vedic architecture develops within, careful not to
disrupt the necessary balance
between architectural construction and nature. Thus, what is traditionally
recognized as landscape architecture will be a defining underlying element
throughout the campus. All conventional classrooms will be situated outdoors as designated meeting and study
areas, rather than confined rooms. Gardens and open
Garden in SecondLife 21 Rock Fountain in
SecondLife23
spaces,
like my SecondLife illustration shown, will be interspersed throughout
campus inviting students to study,
socialize, relax, or just absorb the beauty that surrounds them. Open spaces continually enforce the idea of clarity and freedom in
thoughts, without being fettered by artificial, manmade obstructions. Pathways
connecting each of the many
gardens throughout campus physically unite the campus while also
promoting free flowing energy
throughout students and environment. While towering trees line each walkway,
fountains will be scattered all over campus for aesthetic beauty and to
establish the ultimate image of eternity:
flowing water. Along with fountains, zen-like
statues and rock formations that
symbolize harmony and promote serenity and relaxation, like the
one illustrated to the side[23], will
aid in soothing the
senses
throughout campus. Each of these subtle, yet representative, elements enhances
the overall serene atmosphere throughout campus to promote inner peace.
Fountain in SecondLife
Through
specificities of measurements, building orientation, and accordance with the natural
laws that Mother Nature has created, Vedic architecture produces a university
campus that promotes mental and spiritual vitality. In constructing my SecondLife representation of Vedic architecture, my
greatest difficulties arose from attempting to translate what one feels as a
result of Vastu into a physical depiction. Rather
than focusing primarily on the actual buildings, my main concern was in somehow
creating physical elements that bring unity and harmony to the campus. Thus, my
frustration arose when I was unable to mirror what is felt inside with solely
images. Vedic architecture is not a physical style that appeals to only
certain tastes, but a spiritual revival of the human soul to discover
harmonization between man and nature, thereby unifying one’s inner world,
through unification of the outer world. Instead of merely focusing on the
aesthetic beauty, Vastu
considers the holistic being by integrating all of the senses (both physical
and spiritual) for total peace. When the mind is at peace, clarity inevitably
emerges, leading to a liberated individual whose mind is free to learn—the very
foundation upon which a university is built. In order to create a harmonious
campus wherein students are able-minded, liberated and discerning individuals,
Vedic architecture unites architecture with nature, societal structure with
natural order, and humans with harmony. In the words of Jeffrey Adamson,
“People intuitively know that buildings affect us deeply—and the best buildings
are those that make us feel good and, at their height, elevate the spirit. That
is what the Vedic approach brings to architecture.”[24]
Word Count: 2,199
Word Count including quotes and
footnotes: 2,558
Words deleted from P1A (excluding
deleted quotes): 260
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