Media Student Architecture & Design Award 2018
Second Award | Category: Mixed Use
Architect: KUMAR TEJASH
Country: India
Holistic healing and lifestyles are currently very popular for therapy, contemplation, healthy living, and meditation. A holistic center is a combination of various health and lifestyle related activities. More functions can be added to further enhance the efficacy of the center.
The idea of a holistic way of living and healing come from the Vedas(Bibek Debroy, 1 Jan 2011). These come from four volumes; the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda which further explain various lifestyle and health related choices one can undertake for a more satisfied and healthy lifestyle which is also closer to nature. This idea has further been popularized by the ‘Art of Living’(Rajagopalachari, 16 Jul 2015)and currently holds the attention of a large composition of people across cultural segments, income groups and various nationalities.
This demand is only partially fulfilled under the current circumstances where the various prescribed activities are scattered across various cities in India. Kerala has maximum no of naturopathy(IndiaStat, n.d.), activity of mental healing is scattered in various part of India. A project with a complete set of activities as prescribed by the ‘ rt of Living’ has not been undertaken yet, despite the demand for it. This thesis project aims to fulfill that demand by creating a model holistic center which could then be replicated or referred to in the future.
There are some holistic center that provides combined activities like healing and living like: art of living(Shankar, n.d.), osho meditation (osho, the first and last freedom). But these centers also don’t cover all the departments related to holistic healing and life style. Activities like meditation require various spaces that cover inner and outer space. Activity LIKE deep thinking and contemplation require space that connects human with nature this space need an additional activity that helps to contemplate. Activity like healthy living and healthy eating require a gathering space and an additional activity that helps to invite people to those gathering spaces.
This design of holistic center will include all the activities related to physical healing, mental healing, healthy eating, healthy living, learning and cultural activities.