Our Story

Bahu Design Studio was founded from a belief that the spaces we inhabit shape the way we feel, connect, and live. We create homes and environments that respond thoughtfully to climate, landscape, and everyday life — spaces that feel calm, grounded, and deeply connected to their surroundings.

The name Bahu, derived from Sanskrit, speaks to abundance — not in excess, but in richness of light, materiality, nature, and human experience. This philosophy guides our approach to design: balancing beauty, functionality, sustainability, and longevity with equal care.

Influenced by vernacular architecture, natural materials, and passive environmental design, our work seeks to create buildings that work with nature rather than against it. We also incorporate principles of Vaastu Shastra — a traditional Indian system of spatial design that considers orientation, energy flow, and the relationship between people and place.

To support this aspect of our work, we collaborate with an experienced Vaastu consultant in India who has worked across temple and residential design for over 30 years, bringing a depth of cultural and spatial knowledge to selected projects.

At its core, Bahu Design Studio is about creating thoughtful, enduring spaces that foster connection — to nature, to place, and to the experience of being human.

Bahu Logo & Philosophy

Drawing inspiration from Vedic philosophy and the symbolism of the sixteen-petalled lotus, we see architecture as the unfolding of intention into form.

Before design comes intention.

Before intention comes awareness.

Before awareness lies pure potential.

Every home begins long before the first line is drawn. It begins with the values we hold, the life we wish to cultivate, and the relationship we seek with the world around us.

Through thoughtful, deeply integrated design, informed by ancient Vaastu principles, careful observation, and a respect for place, we create spaces that express these intentions in built form. When our homes are designed in harmony with nature, with our values, and with the rhythms of life, they can support a greater sense of balance, clarity, wellbeing, and connection.

For us, architecture is more than the creation of buildings. It is the practice of shaping environments that nurture the lives lived within them.

Definitions and Meaning:

  • बहु
    Bahu

    Many • Abundant • Fullness of possibility

    In Sanskrit, Bahu speaks to abundance not as excess, but as inherent potential.

    Like the many arms found throughout Vedic imagery, it represents the capacity to hold many possibilities at once.

    At Bahu, we believe thoughtful design creates the conditions for life to unfold fully.

  • षोडशदल पद्म
    Ṣoḍaśadala Padma

    The Sixteen Petalled Lotus

    Emerging from the bindu, the sixteen petals represent the unfolding of life through the elements, senses, actions and mind.

    Together, they express the fullness of human experience and the relationship between land, people and place.

  • बिन्दु
    Bindu

    The Point of Origin

    The unified source from which all creation emerges.

    Before form. Before movement. Before distinction.

    In architecture, this is where design begins:
    in stillness, observation and intention.

  • पञ्चमहाभूत
    Pañca Mahābhūta

    The Five Supreme Elements

    Space • Air • Fire • Water • Earth

    From subtle to tangible, the elements describe the unfolding of creation.

    Together, they form the foundation through which all life is expressed.

  • पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रिय
    Pañca Jñānendriya

    The Five Senses

    Hearing • Touch • Sight • Taste • Smell

    Through the senses, we come into relationship with the world around us.

    Together, they shape how the universe is perceived, inhabited and experienced.

  • पञ्च कर्मेन्द्रिय
    Pañca Karmendriya

    The Five Actions

    Expression • Creation • Movement • Renewal • Continuity

    Through action, intention becomes participation.

    Together, they shape how we engage with and contribute to life.

  • मनस्
    Manas

    Consolidation and Understanding

    Awareness • Intention • Integration

    Bringing together the elements, senses and actions into the fullness of human experience.

I’m Vanessa Girling, Director of Bahu Design Studio and a licensed Building Designer in Queensland.

Our Director

Vanessa Girling

Building Designer (Low Rise)
QBCC Licensed
Licensee: Vanessa Girling
QBCC Licence No: 15581317


Bachelor of Architectural Design
Bachelor of Arts (Hon) Biophilic Design (Exchange Singapore)

Diploma Building Design
Diploma of Commercial Arts (Interior Decoration and Design)

I’m Vanessa Girling, Director of Bahu Design Studio and a licensed Building Designer in Queensland. With over 14 years of industry experience across Far North Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and India. I focus on creating thoughtful, sustainable homes and spaces that respond to climate, place, and the way people truly live.

My work is grounded in environmentally responsive design, with a strong interest in vernacular construction, natural materials, and passive design principles that create comfortable, enduring spaces connected to their surroundings. My experience spans concept design, design development, documentation, project coordination, and working across a range of residential and community-focused projects within leading design practices.

Alongside my design work, I’m also a certified meditation teacher, and I bring an awareness of wellbeing, simplicity, and connection to nature into the way I approach spaces. Through Bahu Design Studio, my aim is to create grounded, timeless architecture that feels calm, functional, and deeply connected to its environment.

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Awards & Recognition

  • Working alongside our consultant in India with over 30 years of experience in temple and residential design, we develop key spatial recommendations and alignments for the project.

    Climate Forum Panellist 2025

    Climate Forum 2025
    Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) Australia

    Invited speaker for the panel Designing for Care: Regeneration, Community and Wellbeing.

  • Taiwan Institute of Landscape Architects

    Taiwan Institute of Landscape Architects 12th Landscape Student Thesis Design Exhibition 2026

    Taiwan 12th Landscape Student Thesis Design Exhibition 2026
    One of nine student thesis projects selected for international exhibition.

    Gui Nho Farm Stay
    Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore
    Ratchaburi, Thailand
    Project Team: Puan Nasya Airin & Vanessa Rose Girling
    Supervisor: Daniel Vasan Ayapillai

  • Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects Student Design Awards 2025

    Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects Student Design Awards 2025

    Bronze Award – Social Impact Through Design
    Bronze Award – Outstanding Contextual Analysis & Investigation

    Thrive Together
    Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore
    Project Team: Michael Widya, Puan Nasya Airin, Zeng Zi Xuan, Vanessa Rose Girling & Escuerra Brent Ethan Nogrado

Join the team

Join the team at Bahu Design Studio and be part of a passionate group dedicated to creating sustainable, innovative spaces that connect people with nature. If you’re driven by eco-friendly design, mindful practices, and a commitment to well-being, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s build a better future together.

Join the team at Bahu Design Studio and be part of a passionate group dedicated to creating sustainable, innovative spaces that connect people with nature. If you’re driven by eco-friendly design, mindful practices, and a commitment to well-being, we
Join Us