Chinese Culture >> Chinese Society Traditions >> Feng Shui Architecture
Feng Shui is
a Chinese philosophy focusing on the relationship between humans and the
environment. It is a natural earth science which reveals how people are affected
by their immediate surroundings. Since everything is connected, certain
geographical, architectural and planetary conditions have the power to either
improve or worsen our well-being.
Feng Shui is
based on the laws of nature and provides us theories that explain why certain
things happen in our lives. These theories stem from logical conclusions about
natural cause and effects that have endured through time The Chinese philosophy
dictates that everything is made of chi, or energy which is further broken up
into the five basic elements of metal, fire, water, wood and earth. Each of
these physical elements has energies that have frequencies with a unique
wavelength which react with each other in different ways, either positive or
negative. Humans are affected by cosmic and earth energies and
Feng Shui is
a way for us to harness this power and use it for our good.
Based on the Taoist philosophies of nature which include the Yin-Yang Theory,
Five Element Theory and the Yi-Jing Trigrams, Feng Shui
helps us determine which frequencies work positively with our own personal
energy as well as the energies of our family members and co-workers. By using
this knowledge we can create an environment of comfort that allows us to live
efficiently and progressively. Everything can be designed keeping the principles
of feng shui in mind - feng shui decorations, feng shui bedrooms, feng shui
living rooms etc.
However, the phenomenon of Feng-Shui architecture as passed down from the
generations is complex to understand in its entirety and mastered by only a
privileged few.
Today, feng shui is a multi-disciplinary study encompassing architecture, urban
planning, geography, astrology, electromagnetism, landscape design,
environmental psychology and much more.
Using the ancient science and philosophy of feng shui we can design, build,
remodel, and decorate our homes successfully so that they will become
environments that support our lives and our well-being. In today's fiercely
competitive world, architects have thus succumbed to the needs and demands of
the clients and started incorporating principles of feng shui to harmonize with
the spiritual forces that inhabit it, and their application in architecture
through planning principles, services, building elements and materials. The
architect well versed in feng shui can also use its benefits to match structures
and land, forecast development related concerns such as cost overruns, quality
issues, worker injuries and trade disputes.