A third-generation Eastside builder is planning to specialize in traditional Indian architecture.

“My industry is very old and very Anglo,” said Mike Stewart, founder of Auspicious Homes. “It’s an industry that needs to change.”

His mission to build Vaastu-inspired homes throughout the Eastside took shape while he worked as a realtor in the Issaquah Highlands area. He realized at least half of the people coming through were tech professionals from India — and they were all asking for things the current cookie-cutter industry does not supply, he said.

For example, no one builds a home thinking about where the puja room (a room dedicated to prayer) should be or considers building a spice kitchen, Stewart said.

Typically, Eastside builders buy a large plot of land, subdivide it and build tract housing: a one-size-fits-all approach.

Stewart’s grandfather began building homes on the Eastside in the 1950s. His father, of Greacon Homes LLC, built about 25 homes in the Sahalee neighborhood and around 80 more in the Klahanie area in the ‘80s.

As a “child of the industry” he said he has the experience to navigate the market and the eagerness to “put a soul back in a home,” he said.

“A lot of them are just sticks,” Stewart said.

Not of Indian descent, Stewart dove into books and reached out to Indians willing to educate him on traditional practices and what they look for in a home.

For about the last nine months, he’s been absorbing information about the ancient Indian guideline for building a successful home and developing a business that could provide it.

In India, Vaastu is part of life, whether or not people believe the benefits of it. The concept incorporates the elements — earth, water, fire, air and space — with architecture and associates each element with a direction.

Vaastu homes take advantage of the benefits of nature, from the larger concept of where the home should be in relation to bodies of water or mountains, to smaller concepts like what part of the home the kitchen should be in (it’s the southeast, if you’re wondering). Some believe following the specific guidelines can bring wealth, health, prosperity and happiness.

For example, a Vaastu front door should be either on the north or east wall, Stewart said. There, the front door allows fresh light and air to enter into the home. It brings the good energy in.

Vaastu is something that’s not necessarily seen but felt, Stewart said.

“Had I known about (Stewart) three years ago, I would have bought Vaastu, because I’ve seen the difference,” said Ritu Ruia, of Sammamish, after attending Stewart’s first talk on his business Saturday afternoon in Sammamish City Hall.

Ruia, a mortgage advisor with Absolute Mortgage, said she really struggled to find a Vaastu home when she and her husband moved here. She recalled calling her mother in India, concerned about the lack of Vaastu. As long as her puja room was Vaastu, her mom advised it would be OK.

“I hope his product sells,” she said. “It’s a good product.”

Venk Sai, of Bellevue, also attended the talk with his wife Meena Venkat.

“Buying a house is one of the biggest decisions of your life,” he said.

The two are currently looking for a home and admittedly have experienced the lack of housing options.

“We don’t get much of a choice,” Sai said.

More than that, the couple takes issue with the Eastside’s inflated housing market.

The Northwest Multiple Listing Service estimates the average residential home sale in King County was $499,950 in November. In Sammamish, the service estimates the average house sale price was $762,000.

The expensive market is one reason Stewart wants to work with homeowners.

“When you have very expensive land you can’t build a crappy home on that,” Stewart said. “It has to be special.”

Stewart aims to build homes valued between $1.33 million and $2.25 million using a tear-down model. Working with homeowners, he plans to help them find the right land and then build from the ground up.

Throughout the process of buying land, designing and building the home, Stewart and the various consultants he’s hired will communicate using 21st century means.

Using various applications and programs, clients will be able to talk to consultants from anywhere and will be able to change or update their preferences from their phone and see that reflected in the overall price of the home in real time.

Stewart and his father, Rob, will be at the Sammamish Library Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. and at the Beaver Lake Lodge Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. to meet anyone interested in learning more.

For more information on Auspicious Homes, visit www.auspicioushomes.builders.