I dislike magazine articles that begin with "I". This especially annoys me when it's an interview. I read an article to find out about the interviewee, not the interviewer. Yet, I have opened this text with that first-person singular word, since, in this case, I am part of the story.
But before I walk into the Kosters' Manhattan apartment, we have to discuss energy fields - something I know nothing about - so I will paraphrase the official BioGeometry Web site:

Like the earth, each person has an energy field around his or her body, which has its own north-south axis. As we move around, the angle formed between an individual's axis and that of the earth constantly changes, and this either strengthens or weakens the person's energy field. The positive range is small and vulnerable most of the time, but it is a major factor affecting health and well being. Simply put, as you walk through a room, your energy field changes in relation to the earth's energy field- and most of the time it has negative effects on how you feel, both physically and mentally. If there were a way to adjust energy fields to a more pleasant environment, especially in our homes, wouldn't that be exciting? Well, actually, it would be calming.

Enter Dr. Ibrahim F. Karim, an architect and doctor of science, who lives in Egypt. Starting in 1968, Karim developed and patented three- dimensional shapes that interact with surrounding energy fields to produce energy-balancing effects on people. He calls his development BioGeometry, and his first application was to us a BioGeometrical shape placed at the head of a bed, which provided better sleep no matter where the bed was placed in a room. Karim has applied BioGeometry to industrial and medical applications, household appliances, furniture, decorative objects and jewelry. With other partners, Karim has created two tourist resort on the Red Sea that use the principles of BioGeometry, and additional architectural projects in the area are under construction.

Unlike the practice of Feng Shui, BioGeometry does not require wood, water or glass to be placed in an exact position. The BioGeometrical energy shapes - tiny metal forms - are usually hidden from view, such as behind a molding or on the back of a mirror or picture frame. A lot more could be written-about radiesthesia, negative green vibrations, ultrabiolet light and energizing gold- but here's what you need to know: People who live or work in environments using BioGeometry report more positive energy accompanied by a feeling of serenity. The first time I entered the Kosters' home, I felt nothing. Which is a good thing. I am a calm person and was comfortable in their home. But I did notice a change in Ian, the friend I brought with me. A New Yorker who complains about the rudeness other New Yorkers, he shouts at taxi drivers, has little patience with people who move slowly and, unknown to him, often seems agitated. In the Kosters' apartment he was remarkably calm. He even whispered.

Michael Keith was a designer before he became interested in BioGeometry, and the home he designed for the Kosters reflects his honed style. Especially appealing is the unusual placement of a sectional sofa. Angled to one side of the living room, it creates a cozy area in a large space. The Kosters needed only one bedroom, so Keith turned two guest rooms into his and her dens. Pocket doors to these areas feature rice paper sandwiched between glass. Keith restructured the entire floor plan, eliminating halls and devising a more spacious arrangement. "The great thing about BioGeometry," says Keith, "is that it allows me to work from what the clients want to feel

in their environment". "Michael understood immediately what we were looking for in our home - physically and spiritually," states Helen Koster. "Every visitor comments o the feeling of our home. It is common for us to hear; 'There is something very special about being here. I feel so good.'

Keith has long been interested in not only good feelings but also good design. His career began in merchandise display for Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He eventually became senior vice-president of visual merchandising and design for all the store branches across America. In 1994, he started Michael Keith Design Group, Ltd., with Ronald Skrepich, whom he had met at Ohio State University; they have been partners for thirty years. Unlike many career-focused entrepreneurs, they had another important interest: a spiritual quest which led them to Egypt, where they met Karim. They had expected only a fifteen minute meeting with the busy architect. "As soon as we entered Dr. Karim's office, we felt inflated with a peaceful yet exuberant energy," says Skrepich. "Then he took us into an adjoining alcove, and we felt our balloon burst. All the energy dissipated." "Dr. Karim explained that the border and some of the furniture in his office were emitting the energy we felt.' Continues Keith. "He explained his research, and we

stayed with him for almost two hours." Keith and Skrepich studied with Karim for four years and have applied BioGeometry to several projects. Under his guidance they will soon introduce a line of BioGeometrical furniture. When I visited their loft. I was struck by how different it is from my home; There was a large raised platform covered in leopard carpet; the dining table abutted the kitchen. I need plain backgrounds, minimal pattern and empty space. But I did not feel agitated. Sitting in the midst of this eclectic design, I felt calm. It's such a little thing. And oh, so important.

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