Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy that has the main aim of creating harmony. It should therefore come as no surprise that Feng Shui principles can also be applied to construction projects. Let’s see how exactly.
#1. Most Essential Term in Feng Shui: Qi
When you think about Feng Shui, you will most likely think about Qi or Chi. But what is it exactly?
Many people are confused about this concept. Some have simply discredited it as they couldn’t understand what it is, while others called it a superstition. However, Qi can be defined as a type of force or energy that can affect human beings both physically and mentally and this plays a significant role in Feng Shui.
In the eBook, “Are you and your home a match?” Qi is defined as:
“An ancient term used to describe what cannot be seen by the naked eye, such as sound waves, odor molecules, bacteria, heat waves, and others that were not scientifically known in ancient times.”
As a result, in construction, the main objective of Feng Shui is to build structures on good sites to attain good Qi for people to live in. Now, a good plot can be determined by its geographical location. For instance, in the Book of Burial, it is written that some sites have a good and consistent flow of Qi compared to other areas. Hence, buildings must be strategically constructed on those lands so as to take advantage of the vital Qi.
#2. The Use of the Eight Trigrams in Floor Plans
The Bagua, also known as the Eight Trigrams, is mentioned in the ancient Chinese classic Yijing and is considered as a crucial element in Feng Shui. It was derived from the classical Feng Shui diagrams known as the He Tu and Luo Shu and hence the Bagua layout adopted two different types of arrangements.
The Bagua that used the He Tu produced the Earlier Heaven Arrangement while the use of Luo Shu resulted in the Later Heaven Arrangement. Consequently, in architecture, Feng Shui believers would usually make use of the Bagua with the Later Heaven Arrangement to inspect the flow of Qi in a space. This Bagua is also used for the arrangement of rooms in the floor plans. Besides, it is also applied to set space boundaries in each trigram direction to allow a better flow of energy.
#3. The Preferred Shape Of the Building Is Angular
Did you know why most Feng Shui believers prefer square or rectangular houses? Because it is believed that these shapes can achieve balance, symmetry and maximum functionality between interior rooms so as the vital Qi can better circulate through the house.
And the best example is none other than the Forbidden City. This ancient Chinese architecture was built from 1406 to 1420 and was constructed with a square layout and in a bilaterally symmetrical way. The Forbidden City consists of an axis line running in the south-north direction with other prominent buildings directly on it. There are other infrastructures within the imperial city that have been arranged symmetrically opposite to each other. In addition, the Feng Shui principles can also be observed beyond the walls of the imperial palace where the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Agriculture were constructed on the either side of the same south-north axis line.
#4. Curves Are Also Encouraged in Design
Remember that in Feng Shui, without the careful placement of doors and windows, there can a flow of negative energy. Furthermore, the presence of long and narrow corridors within a building is said to result in rapid Qi movements, leading to discomfort.
This is why curved elements in a building are encouraged as they can allow positive Qi to circulate constantly, thus producing a high-energy space.
#5. Feng Shui Utilizes Natural Features
It is believed that natural landscapes represent an excellent source of Qi and can bring stability, security and wealth. This explains why Feng Shui believers try to make the optimum use of sunlight and air circulation in their construction projects. For example, the placement of windows and doors requires more spacing so as to allow more natural light and wind into the building which can result in a constant flow of positive Qi.
What do you think about these principles? Can they really be applied to construction projects? Please share your comments!