Examining Feng Shui Principles in Contemporary Design Through Comparison with Green Design

One of the major concepts of sustainable development is “Green Design” for built built the environment. Both Green Design and Feng Shui principles are concerned with nature, energy, and cycles. Nature, from the Green Design perspective, refers to the physical environment such as water, soil, air, and so on. From the Feng Shui perspective, nature includes both natural elements and their cultural meanings. The ecological approach used by Green Design emphasizes protecting the natural environment and people’s health; the cultural approach used by Feng Shui emphasizes building an auspicious place for people to inhabit.

Energy, in Green Design principles refers to material energy, which can be tested or measured by quantitative methods. Using Feng Shui principles, it refers to invisible energy such as Yin and Yang energy and the energies of the “five elements:” Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, which can be sensed and utilized by people. For Green Design, the main concern regarding energy is energy efficiency and for Feng Shui, the main concern regarding energy is balance. Where Green Design emphasizes the conservative use of materials and energy consumption through site management, energy control, and window and door specifications, Feng Shui principles emphasize the balance of aesthetic patterns with invisible energies. Another central concept of Green Design is the notion of “cycle,” which refers to a series of transformations including the production phase, construction phase, operational or consumption phase and the recovery phase. In comparison, Feng Shui uses the word “cycle” to refer to the productive, destructive and neutral cycles of the Five Elements.


Design with nature

To protect the environment and people’s health, green designers employ an ecological approach: the built environment is analyzed using the ecosystem concept, that is, in terms of its structure of biotic and abiotic components, their interactions as a whole, and the flow of energy and materials through the system (Yeang, 45). Buildings residential areas consist of not only the abiotic (non-living) components such as land, air, and water but also biotic (living) components such as animals, plants and humans (Yeang, 15).

In Feng Shui, nature includes natural elements and their cultural meaning. For example, qi means air and also “breath of the earth”. Tos build an auspicious environment, Feng Shui must be regarded as a cultural approach for the built environment and cultural spatial symbolism should be used to achieve harmony of heaven, earth and man.

Design with energy

Design with energy emphasizes energy flow. Energy, in green design refers to quantitatively measured material energy. In Feng Shui, it refers to invisible energy like Yin and Yang energy which people sense.

We need to consider the input/output energy and energy flow within the system. The main idea of energy flow in Green Design is to reduce energy loss and achieve energy efficacy. The details of energy flow are (Yeang, 64):

1. System’s abiotic components: built system and physical elements;
2. System’s biotic components: fauna, flora, people;
3. Source of energy/matter which flows through the boundary and into the system (inputs);
4. Processes of the system and its components in which the energy/matter inputs are either directly used or kept within the boundaries of the system (the system metabolism);
5. Flow through the boundary of the system of energy and/or matter which constitutes the rejects of the system as a consequence of the system’s processes (reject outputs);

Design with cycle

Design with cycle refers to design principles emphasizing cycle. Cycle, in Green Design, refers to a series of transformations: production, construction, operational or consumption and recovery phases; in Feng Shui, it refers to Productive, Destructive and Neutral Cycles of the Five Elements.

In Green Design, cycling of materials is represented as a simple, cyclical cycle with growth and decay as opposing series of transformations. If a subsystem has four clearly recognizable states, a, b, c, and d, and the transformation goes a-b-c-d-a-b and so on. This is shown kinematically as: (Yeang, 131).

Or, on a time scale/sine wave as: (Yeang, 131).

1. Contemporary design = Nature and society separate. Feng Shui = one organism.
2. Contemporary design uses ecological approach and Feng Shui uses psychological approach.
3. Contemporary design aims to reduce air pollution and increase quality. Feng Shui emphasizes air flow.
4. Both encourage use of natural/local construction materials.
5. Contemporary design emphasizes protecting water resources. Feng Shui emphasizes cultural meaning of water flow.

Achieve goals of energy efficacy:

1. Western design emphasizes energy efficiency. Feng Shui emphasizes energy balance.
2. Western design considers input/output energy and system flow. Feng Shui emphasizes balance (Yin/Yang).
3. Western design emphasizes reducing energy consumption (electricity). Feng Shui concerned with using natural energy to warm/cool homes.

Achieve goals of sustainable cycling:

1. Contemporary design construction cycle: production, construction, consumption, recovery. Feng Shui cycle: Productive, Destructive and Neutral.
2. Contemporary western design encourages renewable resource use. Feng Shui encourages use of materials providing safe, pleasant, and balanced feeling (Five Elements).
3. Contemporary western design emphasizes water reduction. Feng Shui emphasizes auspicious/inauspicious water design.
4. Contemporary western design emphasizes electricity reduction and air tight spaces. Feng Shui emphasizes natural air flow through openings(windows, doors).

12/01/2008; active

TsingHua University