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Maharishi Sthapatya Veda housing is now more affordable, thanks to the efforts of Curtis and Sherry McDonald. Their real estate development firm, Brookville Ltd. Partnership, will open its first model home this week in Haven Meadow, a new 50-acre development at the southeast corner of Brookville and Gear. The home is one of several models designed for Haven Meadow by architect Henry Clark in association with Maharishi Global Construction (MGC), Inc. The models, which will sell for about $85,000 to $110,000, combine the cost savings of manufactured home technology with the unique architectural standards that are the hallmark of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda.
"Henry had to use his creativity to merge the built-in constraints of size and shipping with the detailed requirements of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda," says Curtis, who first conceived the project last February.
According to Henry Clark, the homes are stronger and have more wood than most stick-built homes. "They are not modifications of existing manufactured home designs," he says. "They are completely custom designed, starting from scratch." After completing his initial plans, Clark submitted them to Dr. Eike Hartmann, Department Head of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda Architecture at Maharishi Vedic University in Holland, who went over them thoroughly.
Each Haven Meadow home will display a rooftop kalash, the architectural trademark which indicates that from top to bottom the building conforms to Maharishi Sthapatya Veda requirements. According to Dean Draznin of MGC, Vedic tradition identifies the kalash as the point where heaven meets earth. "You can take it figuratively or you can take it literally," he says, "but I take it literally after talking to people about their experiences of living and working in this kind of building."
Such experiences include frequent mention of greater harmony, ease, energy, and even income, along with a sense that the environment is nurturing both inner and outer life. According to Henry Clark, these benefits derive from a proper Vastu or design, which he defines as proper orientation with all of the laws of nature which structure evolution.
The homes share several common features which reflect the tradition that inspired them. All the homes have east entrances and a fence around the Vastu. The dimensions and placement of walls, windows, and doors are precise to an eighth of an inch, and room layout allows permanent seating to face east or north. The homes have a central Brahmastan, an open area that is the "heart" of the home.
According to the McDonalds, three models are currently available, from 1800 square feet to 1180 square feet. Both a larger 2500 square-foot model and a smaller 700 square-foot cottage are also in the works and should be available soon.
All of the exterior walls are finished with cedar siding. Interior walls are sheet rock coated with non-toxic paint. The cabinetry is solid wood, primarily oak. Hardwood floors and organic wool carpeting, though not standard, are possible options. Counters are Formica, and under-counter surfaces are sealed with a non-toxic sealant to prevent potential off-gassing.
"We've spent a great deal of time addressing the issue of toxicity in building materials," Sherry says. When the couple met with Maharishi, Dr. Hartmann, and MGC directors in Vlodrop last July, their plans for avoiding toxicity were particularly scrutinized and approved. MVU has in fact paid the McDonalds the ultimate compliment by ordering seven of the homes, which will be used to house MVU faculty in Vlodrop.
The McDonalds themselves are modest about their achievements. "Ideally," says Sherry, "you would take your birth chart to Maharishi Global Development Corporation and have them design a house specifically for you. But for many people in the community, this is not an option because of financial considerations. We want to be able to provide housing they can afford because Maharishi is emphasizing the importance of correct Vastu to evolution."
Having a house specifically designed for your birth chart, though nice if you can afford it, is not a prerequisite for gaining the benefits of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. Its universal design principles lend themselves to generic or universal designs.
Because manufactured homes are built on steel frames, they can be permanently or temporarily installed. According to Curtis, all the homes in Haven Meadow will be permanently installed on Maharishi Sthapatya Veda foundations. To preserve the natural magnetic field of the Vastu, the metal frames will be grounded. If someone wants to purchase one of the homes for permanent or temporary installation on their own property, that can also be arranged.
Haven Meadow itself is a planned community. The slope of the land, arrangement of streets, and landscaping all conform to the principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. Lot sizes are approximately one-quarter to one-third of an acre. Although zoning would allow for denser occupancy, the McDonalds plan to put no more than 50 homes in the development. "The whole point is to have a beautiful, uplifting atmosphere," Sherry emphasizes.
Although the McDonalds are the first to address the need for more affordable Sthapatya Veda homes, other efforts in that direction are also under way. Maharishi Global Construction, which has received over 250 applications and 20,000 hits on their website during the last several months, has hired a full-time architect, Jonathan Lipman, to draw up a set of pre-designed home plans which should be available in a few weeks. Plans are also in progress for new condominiums tentatively scheduled to open next spring.
John Freeberg of Harmony Builders is currently working with several manufacturers, including Wausau Homes, to come up with modular Maharishi Sthapatya Veda designs for MVU approval. According to Freeberg, modular homes are traditionally built according to somewhat higher specifications than manufactured homes.
Dean Draznin points to a poll in the September issue of House and Garden, in which Condé Nast readers checked off items they consider a necessity in the home. Over 80 percent of the respondents selected "a quiet place for meditation or spiritual contemplation." Maharishi Sthapatya Veda addresses the need for a more serene environment with homes and workplaces that connect the inhabitants with the unchanging order that underlies all change. In this era of escalating change, the need has never been greater or more obvious. Fortunately, it will now be easier than ever to meet.
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