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Examining Feng Shui Principles in Contemporary Design Through Comparison with Green Design
University of Wisconsi-Madison
UNITED STATES, CHINA
North America, Asia and The Pacific
Contact Information
Wei Dong
One of the major concepts of sustainable development is “Green Design” for the built environment. Both Green Design and Chinese 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.
Green Design and Feng Shui both approach the study of human and environment interaction similarly. Both are concerned with nature, energy and cycles. Through comparison of these three design concepts we examine similarities between Green Design and Feng Shui and differences between them while illuminating how Feng Shui principles can be used in contemporary design.
Green Design and Feng Shui both approach the study of human and environment interaction similarly. Both are concerned with nature, energy and cycles. Through comparison of these three design concepts we examine similarities between Green Design and Feng Shui and differences between them while illuminating how Feng Shui principles can be used in contemporary 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):
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).
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):
- System’s abiotic components: built system and physical elements;
- System’s biotic components: fauna, flora, people;
- Source of energy/matter which flows through the boundary and into the system (inputs);
- 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);
- 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).
Through different cycling theories on materials, water, air, heat, roof and wall, Green design encourages people to use renewable resources such as
wood, bamboo and so on. Feng Shui encourages people to use materials that provide auspicious feelings according to the balance of Five Elements.
Since Green Design will be the major consideration for the built-environment in the future, through the comparison of Green Design and Feng Shui, we will examine how Feng Shui principles could be used in the contemporary designs.
wood, bamboo and so on. Feng Shui encourages people to use materials that provide auspicious feelings according to the balance of Five Elements.
Since Green Design will be the major consideration for the built-environment in the future, through the comparison of Green Design and Feng Shui, we will examine how Feng Shui principles could be used in the contemporary designs.
Evaluate the feasibility of including Feng Shui to the design of sustainable environmental policies, which are currently lead -in the western world- by the so called Green design.
Contrast the pros and cons of both Green design and Feng Shui.
By looking at the onthological rationale of Feng Shui and Green design, try to propose a more sustainable approach to the current design of environment.
Contrast the pros and cons of both Green design and Feng Shui.
By looking at the onthological rationale of Feng Shui and Green design, try to propose a more sustainable approach to the current design of environment.
- Contemporary design = Nature and society separate. Feng Shui = one organism.
- Contemporary design uses ecological approach and Feng Shui uses psychological approach.
- Contemporary design aims to reduce air pollution and increase quality. Feng Shui emphasizes air flow.
- Both encourage use of natural/local construction materials.
- Contemporary design emphasizes protecting water resources. Feng Shui emphasizes cultural meaning of water flow.
Achieve goals of energy efficacy:
- Western design emphasizes energy efficiency. Feng Shui emphasizes energy balance.
- Western design considers input/output energy and system flow. Feng Shui emphasizes balance (Yin/Yang).
- Western design emphasizes reducing energy consumption (electricity). Feng Shui concerned with using natural energy to warm/cool homes.
Achieve goals of sustainable cycling:
- Contemporary design construction cycle: production, construction, consumption, recovery. Feng Shui cycle: Productive, Destructive and Neutral.
- Contemporary western design encourages renewable resource use. Feng Shui encourages use of materials providing safe, pleasant, and balanced feeling (Five Elements).
- Contemporary western design emphasizes water reduction. Feng Shui emphasizes auspicious/inauspicious water design.
- Contemporary western design emphasizes electricity reduction and air tight spaces. Feng Shui emphasizes natural air flow through openings(windows, doors).
This discussion critiques contemporary Western design and Feng Shui theories, not as good or bad, but as opposing ways of understanding the world. Western design theories view nature as a physical element. Feng Shui associates nature with physical elements and cultural meanings. Likewise, energy refers to material energy in most western design theories and immaterial energy in Feng Shui. Cycle refers to visible cycle in most western design theories and invisible cycle in Feng Shui. By combining the two theories we can formulate a more comprehensive way of achieving the goals of environmental protection, energy efficiency and sustainable cycling.
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