Currently, sustainable development and cultural diversity are among the top priorities for institutes of higher education. In the department XXX at XXX these two issues have in the past been introduced as separate bodies of knowledge and have not been well-integrated in the curriculum, often only appearing in isolated lectures. In assessing issues of cultural diversity, we wanted to incorporate non-Western design perspectives into the design curriculum and we selected to introduce Chinese Feng Shui as a model for cultural diversity.
In this paper we will present why, how and what we have learned by combining the teaching of Chinese Feng Shui as a part of a diverse cultural experience and sustainability education to our students. Two questions will be answered: how do we teach in a way that will prepare graduates to function in a global marketplace? How do we successfully integrate this content into our design programs?
Currently, sustainable development and cultural diversity are among the top priorities for institutes of higher education. The increasing fascination with both the several-thousand year old field of Feng Shui and the quickly expanding discipline of Sustainability have drawn public interest and demand for academic inquiry in recent years. Through the Design Studies department and with the support of faculty from the departments of Geography, Linguistics, and Chinese Literature on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, we have offered a course that incorporates a cross-disciplinary curriculum, addressing the fields of Environment and Behavior Studies, Sustainability, and Chinese Feng Shui. In exploring the connections between these different bodies of knowledge, we have established applications for various professional fields including: architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and many other related design and humanities disciplines. This four-credit course builds on issues of globalization, international collaboration, cultural diversity, and the interactions between humans and their environments. By emphasizing the interdependence between human beings, nature and the built environment, this course begins to deconstruct the perceived divisions between these bodies of knowledge. Students begin to explore these issues through preparatory lectures and materials and prerequisite courses covering Western environment and behavior theories. Incorporating a participatory, action-based approach, the class then studies abroad in China for four weeks during the summer. The format of the course involves the presentation of theoretical work, visual application, physical examples and the incorporation of personal experience into a topic of self-directed study.
I. Create Climate of Interest – Motivation
II. Employ Diverse Experiential Learning Methods
III. Require Students to Analyze and Reflect
IV. Integrated Across Curriculum
I. Create Climate of Interest – Motivation
1. Topic Selection – Feng Shui as an ideal cultural learning model and basic interest exists 2. Faculty interest in topic and efforts to share experiences in China 3. Returning students generate “buzz” for “life-changing experience” 4. Other students see application of knowledge in follow-up coursework
II. Employ Diverse and Experiential Learning Methods
1. Four-week study abroad experience in Beijing and surrounding area 2. Prior to Departure
- Orientation Presentations and Readings: - Introduce Feng Shui and sustainable principles - Compare/Contrast Feng Shui and sustainable concepts - Sharing of previous student and faculty experiences in China
3. Experiential Learning in China
- Feeling and Doing along with Seeing and Listening - Experiencing culture of Feng Shui and sustainable in everyday practice - Life on campus among Chinese students - Food types, preparations, and dining customs - Cyclical aspect of life reinforces notion renewable energy cycles - Seeing conservation and respect for nature in practice - Seeing and feeling the interaction between Feng Shui and Sustainable Practices in Architecture, Gardens and Arts - Bahai Park and Coal Hill - The Great Wall and Ming Tomb - Confucius Temple and White Temple - Courtyard homes in hutong, various neighborhoods, and new condos - Traditional Chinese Village - Tai Chi, Well-Being, and Traditional Medicine
III. Reflect – Analyze – Digest
1.“Analytical seeing” - annotated sketch analysis and photo documentation 2. Reflective Paper – Students prepare a paper on a topic of personal choice relating to their experiences studying Feng Shui and Sustainability and demonstrate both written and graphic thinking.
IV. Integrate Across Various Curricula (formal and informal)
1. Students publish photo libraries on web; share experiences via “Brown Bag” sessions 2. Human-Environment Interactions course includes unit on Feng Shui 3. Residential Interiors course content on house form and culture incorporates China experience and Feng Shui principles – Sustainable development and Feng Shui principles linked 4. All design studio faculty encourage and are able to guide application of Sustainability and Feng Shui principles in studio projects; Solution presentations extend learning to other students. 5. Material Culture courses are selected for design depth specialization by design students.
Students leave this course equipped with new tools to apply to their future careers as designers, architects, or academians, as they are prepared to analyze issues of global culture and the needs of society for sustainable solutions to modern design problems. A former student of the course, Rory Smith, expresses, “I feel that I have a comprehensive perspective and much better understanding of sustainable development. The total experience has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I am eager to apply what I’ve learned and would like to incorporate my experience into my personal design philosophies.”
Another former student states, “I experienced so many examples of how good design principles and sustainability were integrated into a holistic environment that met the physical, social, and economic needs of individuals and the society as a whole. Sustainability doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t, be an afterthought in the design process. The design philosophies of Feng Shui provide examples of how to approach design problems with issues of sustainability at the foreground of one’s intentions in order to better serve the users of the built environment.”
During the four weeks in China, students learned the key principles and elements of Feng Shui, including the concepts of Yin and Yang, the Creative and Destructive Cycles, and the Five Elements. Furthermore, students internalized that Feng Shui’s relationship with Chinese architecture is a unified endeavor to achieve harmony between nature, human beings and the built environment. These concepts are all based upon the same principals between Chinese Feng Shui and sustainability in design a built environment, which helps us to form a systematic approach to dealing with issues of sustainability in our ever-modernizing global world.
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