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Making a House a Home

Four award-winning architects and designers speak of their experiences designing homes according to the principles of Maharishi Vedic Architecture.

Jonathan Lipman, A.I.A., is Chief Architect of Maharishi Global Construction and past president of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. Jon has overseen more than 200 Maharishi Vedic Architecture consultations for houses and commercial buildings.

Henry Dearborn has been an architect in the Washington, D.C., area for over 20 years, first designing single-family residential homes and later high-rise apartment buildings.

Tony Lawlor is the author of two critically acclaimed books on architectural design, and has worked with a large architectural firm in San Francisco that designed high-rise office buildings.

Carmen Quinton, O.A.Q., taught interior design and architecture for 15 years. As a partner at one of the oldest firms in Montreal, she designed educational, commercial, industrial, and civic buildings as well as awarding-winning historical restorations.

Q: What appeals to you most about Maharishi Vedic Architecture?

Jonathan Lipman: “We architects of the twentieth century have made a muddle of our work. For example, we’ve created housing developments that had to be torn down after 20 years because the buildings sponsored crime. And we so routinely design buildings that poison their occupants that we’ve had to invent the term ‘sick building syndrome.’

“In Maharishi Vedic Architecture we have access to a reliable series of rules of architectural cause and effect, so that for the first time in modern history we can be assured that we are designing buildings that will have only beneficial effects on their users. This is thrilling, and very fulfilling to an architect.”

Tony Lawlor: “Maharishi Vedic Architecture offers the fulfillment of what I wanted to do when I became an architect. I went into the building industry not just to have a job, but to feel the deep connection that comes from designing a building in a meaningful way. With Maharishi Vedic Architecture, a home is not just a box where you put your stuff; it’s really a place for dwelling on the earth that puts you in harmony with the processes of Nature.”

Henry Dearborn: “With Maharishi Vedic Architecture everything has a reason, everything makes sense, everything has an order to it, which creates a real beauty for the whole building. I recently toured a number of houses in the most expensive areas of Washington, D.C., and it was chaos. It almost seemed as if the architects couldn’t think of what new to do to make the houses interesting—there were so many odd angles and different features. It was as if they were bored with what they were doing.”

Q: How do you describe Maharishi Vedic Architecture to fellow architects?

Jonathan Lipman: “I say that from the most ancient culture in the world, the Vedic civilization of India, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has located a series of timeless principles which describe the fine mechanisms whereby nature creates proportion and shapes objects in nature, such as planets, stars, trees, and human bodies. This ancient discipline allows architects to apply these principles to creating houses and office space. When we do that, and when people live in these buildings, they have the most profound experience of ‘being at home,’ because they are in an environment that is entirely consistent with their own inner nature.”

Q: How do architects and the public respond to these principles?

Tony Lawlor: “Most architects grasp these principles when they start using them, because they are the essence of architecture—they’re the DNA of architecture. In some abstract way, architects studied them in school and have seen them in great buildings throughout history, but then all of a sudden it’s made concrete through Maharishi Vedic Architecture.”

Carmen Quinton: “I was working on a house in Montreal, and one of the requirements, from a design point of view, was that the house had to melt into the other houses in the neighborhood. They didn’t want it to stand out in any way, shape, or form.

“After the house was built according to the principles of Maharishi Vedic Architecture, people would knock on the door and say, ‘I don’t know why, exactly, but I feel drawn to see your home.’ They would go into the house, and without knowing anything about the principles, they would say, ‘Oh, I feel so wonderful here. I don’t want to leave. This is the most beautiful house I’ve ever been in.’ It was a beautiful home, but there certainly were far more expensive homes in the area. Still, the people just didn’t want to leave.”

Q: What is the future of Maharishi Vedic Architecture in North America?

Tony Lawlor: “The desire to have a home is one of the most fundamental human desires. And yet people are realizing that a more expensive and more complex house doesn’t necessarily create that sense of home. So inevitably in their search for a true home, people will come to Maharishi Vedic Architecture.”

Carmen Quinton: “I gave a symposium on Maharishi Vedic Architecture in Ontario, Canada. It was open to the public and it was packed. Afterwards people came up to me and said, “We do not want to return to our homes after the knowledge we heard tonight.” Even though these people had never heard about Maharishi Vedic Architecture before, it resonated at the deepest level of their being and they embraced it. Everyone wants something better in their lives. That is why Maharishi Vedic Architecture is the future of architecture. We just need to tell more people about it. And they need to experience this profound knowledge that makes every part of life better.”



		Making a House a Home Four award-winning architects and designers speak of their experiences designing homes according to the principles of Maharishi Vedic Architecture. Jonathan Lipman, A.I.A., is Chief Architect of Maharishi Global Construction and past president of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. Jon has overseen more than 200 Maharishi Vedic Architecture consultations for houses and commercial buildings. Henry Dearborn has been an architect in the Washington, D.C., area for over 20 years, first designing single-family residential homes and later high-rise apartment buildings. Tony Lawlor is the author of two critically acclaimed books on architectural design, and has worked with a large architectural firm in San Francisco that designed high-rise office buildings. Carmen Quinton, O.A.Q., taught interior design and architecture for 15 years. As a partner at one of the oldest firms in Montreal, she designed educational, commercial, industrial, and civic buildings as well as awarding-winning historical restorations. Q: What appeals to you most about Maharishi Vedic Architecture? Jonathan Lipman: “We architects of the twentieth century have made a muddle of our work. For example, we’ve created housing developments that had to be torn down after 20 years because the buildings sponsored crime. And we so routinely design buildings that poison their occupants that we’ve had to invent the term ‘sick building syndrome.’ “In Maharishi Vedic Architecture we have access to a reliable series of rules of architectural cause and effect, so that for the first time in modern history we can be assured that we are designing buildings that will have only beneficial effects on their users. This is thrilling, and very fulfilling to an architect.” Tony Lawlor: “Maharishi Vedic Architecture offers the fulfillment of what I wanted to do when I became an architect. I went into the building industry not just to have a job, but to feel the deep connection that comes from designing a building in a meaningful way. With Maharishi Vedic Architecture, a home is not just a box where you put your stuff; it’s really a place for dwelling on the earth that puts you in harmony with the processes of Nature.” Henry Dearborn: “With Maharishi Vedic Architecture everything has a reason, everything makes sense, everything has an order to it, which creates a real beauty for the whole building. I recently toured a number of houses in the most expensive areas of Washington, D.C., and it was chaos. It almost seemed as if the architects couldn’t think of what new to do to make the houses interesting—there were so many odd angles and different features. It was as if they were bored with what they were doing.” Q: How do you describe Maharishi Vedic Architecture to fellow architects? Jonathan Lipman: “I say that from the most ancient culture in the world, the Vedic civilization of India, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has located a series of timeless principles which describe the fine mechanisms whereby nature creates proportion and shapes objects in nature, such as planets, stars, trees, and human bodies. This ancient discipline allows architects to apply these principles to creating houses and office space. When we do that, and when people live in these buildings, they have the most profound experience of ‘being at home,’ because they are in an environment that is entirely consistent with their own inner nature.” Q: How do architects and the public respond to these principles? Tony Lawlor: “Most architects grasp these principles when they start using them, because they are the essence of architecture—they’re the DNA of architecture. In some abstract way, architects studied them in school and have seen them in great buildings throughout history, but then all of a sudden it’s made concrete through Maharishi Vedic Architecture.” Carmen Quinton: “I was working on a house in Montreal, and one of the requirements, from a design point of view, was that the house had to melt into the other houses in the neighborhood. They didn’t want it to stand out in any way, shape, or form. “After the house was built according to the principles of Maharishi Vedic Architecture, people would knock on the door and say, ‘I don’t know why, exactly, but I feel drawn to see your home.’ They would go into the house, and without knowing anything about the principles, they would say, ‘Oh, I feel so wonderful here. I don’t want to leave. This is the most beautiful house I’ve ever been in.’ It was a beautiful home, but there certainly were far more expensive homes in the area. Still, the people just didn’t want to leave.” Q: What is the future of Maharishi Vedic Architecture in North America? Tony Lawlor: “The desire to have a home is one of the most fundamental human desires. And yet people are realizing that a more expensive and more complex house doesn’t necessarily create that sense of home. So inevitably in their search for a true home, people will come to Maharishi Vedic Architecture.” Carmen Quinton: “I gave a symposium on Maharishi Vedic Architecture in Ontario, Canada. It was open to the public and it was packed. Afterwards people came up to me and said, “We do not want to return to our homes after the knowledge we heard tonight.” Even though these people had never heard about Maharishi Vedic Architecture before, it resonated at the deepest level of their being and they embraced it. Everyone wants something better in their lives. That is why Maharishi Vedic Architecture is the future of architecture. We just need to tell more people about it. And they need to experience this profound knowledge that makes every part of life better.” CLOSE WINDOW


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Making a House a Home

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