The Viharas Villa Upekka

The request for this small-scale development was to conceive of these homes as wellness retreats where the overall experience of the community would be focused on meditation and personal spiritual practices. The site, at a macro level, was imagined as a zen garden where the round pools of each home are the focus of each individual residential experience. The homes radiate around each pool, drawing focus to the constant center.

The branding of the site references the Buddhist Brahmavihara as a means to help set the tone for the development and give the individual homes a point of inspiration to promote individuality within the community. The characteristics of each Vihara helped inform the siting of each home as well as the massing strategy and allocation of programmatic elements.

The spiritual color story of each Vihara carries through the interiors of each home and into the selection of the planting palette. Each home is given a specific tree species. This tree greets the owners at the center of each motor court. It exists in solitude in the rear yard as a green meditation pavilion, and it lines its own meditative path that meanders the extent of the property along the coastline.