Redevelopment of an old residential building is the quickest and manageable solution for the land shortage in Mumbai and other metro cities. The subject of redevelopment has now assumed great significance because, in Mumbai, the majority of the buildings are owned by co-operative societies, landlords of tenanted premises are quite old and these structures need immediate replanning.
Redevelopment is the process of demolishing existing old property and reconstructing it. This should be done by appointing a good and competent developer who can construct the project and handover the new premises to the old members/ tenants with some additional amenities or benefits and make a profit by utilising the balance plot potential by constructing additional homes, offices or shops as per approval from the authority.
Living in harmony with nature has always been the practical necessity of people all over the world. Harmony (Vastu) and beauty (Architecture) literally plays a significant theme while taking a buying decision for the new home or business place.
Buying a property can be one of the biggest decisions of life. Whether a person buys a home or a business location, it is immensely valuable for him to know the vibrations of the house he is buying. A buyer will focus on the properties, the ones that will bring him tranquility, beneficial energy, abundance, and good prosperity.
The primary purpose of vastu is to build with the flow of the land. This means development maintains and follows the natural environment. Studies indicate that the use of this principle increases comfort, lowers costs, and reduces the need for artificial cooling.
In the case of redevelopment, Vastu recommends that where the natural world has been destroyed, it should be restored. Also, the builder should consider large plantation, more open space and better ventilation for the new structure.
Besides the key features of the project, vastu also plays an important role in speedy progress and success of the redevelopment process. We have observed many cases of new/ redevelopment projects getting delayed or abandoned in spite of the best effort. Some of the basic placements affecting the site from the vastu point of view, which we found to be responsible for the slower progress of the project, are as follows:
1. Underground water tank located towards the south-west or south-east direction.
2. Access to the plot from the south-west direction.
3. The reverse slope of the plot from north to south.
4. The irregular shape of the plot with a cut at north-east or south-west
5. The reverse flow of water.
Vastu can not only be a valuable selling point for property developers, but it can also help to improve the customer’s satisfaction with their construction. Most people prefer to buy a home that has been designed as per vastu. Hence many builders try to implement at least basic principles in their layout. They try to avoid creating negative zones.
Sometimes vastu principles limit the scope of the design, but 60 to 70% of adherence to vastu is also okay with most of the buyers. However, later the owner if desires for some alterations within his or her own house, the same can be done without disturbing the main structure.
A good layout can easily have the following basic features of vastu without any significant compromise in the building elevation plan.
1. Location of water body - underground water tank.
2. The position of a power station.
3. Entrance to the plot or building.
4. Boundary wall.
5. Slope of the plot.
6. Open space.
7. Internal planning of each unit i. e. bed room, kitchen, toilets etc.
In modern living, where many factors beyond our control highly influence the environment at the macro level, micro level energy correction done with empowered remedies by a vastu expert can effectively bring in and retain health, wealth, harmony and happiness in life. Most important, major vastu defects should be avoided.
Recently, a developer requested us to make a site visit for their residential project located in a Mumbai suburb. This project was not making any progress and also there were also frequent obstacles to procuring various permissions from the local bodies. He was struggling to finish this project quickly to get more redevelopment projects in the surrounding area.
We surveyed the site and showed them how to connect the property with vastu. The basic problem with the site was its main gate, which was from the south-west direction. The location of the water body and fire station were in the proper zone.
Following our advice, they immediately relocated the main gate to an auspicious zone. Also, energy efficient tools were used inside each unit to make it more positive and radiant. A few months later after the changes, the developer was delighted not just to have completed the project but also obtained a modest price from the saleable units.
Correcting the energy flow
Construction of flats as per vastu is not that simple. The number of flats in one complex with a common wall makes it difficult for builders to make it vastu compliant. Here, applying vastu is feasible without breaking the vastu rules. There is a general opinion that vastu correction cannot take place without breakages or demolition, but that is not the actual case. One does not need to do significant structural changes. Though vastu application is effortless in the planning stage of any construction, even entirely constructed premises can be modified and tuned using vastu techniques.
(The writer is Chief Vastu Consultant, Vastu Plus and has authored several books on the subject)
