~86.9%* of your life will be spent inside buildings.
So why aren’t we optimizing buildings for the good health of their inhabitants?
The research is scattered and difficult to piece together. Maharishi Vastu® architecture offers a structured approach to designing buildings for health. So far, its core elements have been examined in 16 peer-reviewed studies, yielding significant findings.
Read some highlighted studies from our 2022 Literature Review:
MVA and Quality of Life: A Mixed-Methods Study
N = 158
P < 0.05
A study of 158 participants in 14 countries found that living in MVA homes significantly boosted well-being (88%), physical health (80%), personal development (78%), with greater benefits after three years, reports of reduced stress, improved family relationships.
The Health Impact of East Morning Sunlight
N = 602
P < 0.05
A study of 415 unipolar, 187 bipolar depressed inpatients found that bipolar patients in east-facing rooms had hospital stays shortened by 3.67 days on average (p < .05), morning sunlight exposure linked to improved mood, faster recovery, reduced symptoms.
MVA's influence on Creativity in the Workplace
N = 21
P < 0.05
A study of 21 matched employee pairs showed that moving to an MVA-designed office significantly increased verbal originality (85%), figural originality (48%), elaboration (40%), and resistance to closure (61%) on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking.
Morning vs. Afternoon Light Exposure & BMI
N = 54
P < .01
A study of 54 participants found that each additional hour of morning light exposure was associated with a 0.5-unit decrease in BMI (p < .01), independent of sleep, diet, or physical activity, highlighting the metabolic benefits of morning light.
The Institute for Vedic Architecture was founded in 2000 to identify, scientifically evaluate, and offer education in strategies that may be found in the Vedic literature to enhance health and wellness through the design and construction of buildings and communities.
As seen in recent articles in JAMA, BMJ, and The Lancet, there is growing recognition that building design plays a key role in solving humanity’s health challenges. This has spurred public health and preventive medicine experts to explore potential solutions in collaboration with architects.
In this generation, when for the first time the effects of the built environment upon neurophysiology are being studied extensively, it is imperative that the ancient Vedic system of architecture and city planning for health be scientifically evaluated, and the benefits discovered be disseminated.
The Institute endeavors to do so through its three key missions:
1) To encourage and collaborate in peer-reviewed research into the effects and mechanism of Vedic architecture.
2) To disseminate helpful findings through lectures and publications.
3) To independently inspect and, where appropriate, certify completed buildings that meet the key criteria of Vedic architecture, and maintain a permanent registry of all certified buildings so that it may be reliably known what buildings have been built using this technology.
We spend well over 80% of our lives inside of buildings. Why aren’t we optimizing buildings for the good health of their inhabitants? The research is scattered, and difficult to assimilate. Fortunately, Maharishi Vastu® architecture offers a comprehensive system for building for good health whose elements have, to date, been investigated in 16 peer-reviewed studies, yielding significant findings. Here is a brief summary:
Sleeping Direction and Health: Sleeping with the head facing east or south is linked to better health, while north-facing sleep orientation leads to increased stress and negative mental health impacts (pp. 11, 13-141).
Building Orientation and Mental Health: Buildings with east-facing entrances are associated with better mental health and financial wellness when compared to south-facing homes, which are associated with poorer mental health, more financial problems, and a higher incidence of burglaries (pp 16, 181).
Creativity in MVA Office Buildings: A significant increase in creativity, with a 50-85% improvement in originality and depth, was observed in employees working in MVA buildings (page 181).
Quality of Life: A worldwide survey of 187 Residents of MVA homes found:
92% report greater overall success,
89% report improved quality of life,
89% of parents report their children are happier,
85% report less stress,
78% report improved family relations1.
Eastern Light and Wellbeing: Exposure to eastern/early morning light is beneficial for mental health. Also, studies support its value to reduce the likelihood of skin cancer, treat winter depression, reduce the duration of bipolar disorder symptoms, and upon the mental health and sleep patterns of children (pp. 19-201).
The findings have identified critical associations between patterns in Maharishi Vastu homes and human health and wellbeing. If you’re interested in reading the literature review please visit here. More research is underway.
1 Lipman, J., et al. “Managing the Built Environment for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention With Maharishi Vastu Architecture: A Review.” Global Advances in Health and Medicine, vol. 11, Mar. 2022, doi:10.1177/2164957X221077084.
2 “How Much of Your Life Do You Spend in Buildings?” Green Building Advisor, https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/how-much-of-your-life-do-you-spend-in-buildings
3 Barolet, D., Christiaens, F., Hamblin, M., Infrared and skin: Friend or foe, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, Vol 155, 2016, Pages 78-85, ISSN 1011-1344, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2015.12.014.