Feng shui means “wind and water” in Chinese. An art, science and philosophy, feng shui has been practiced in China for over 2,000 years and was first used to locate the most suitable place to live and farm. Feng Shui is the study of how we are affected by our environment, and how to manipulate our surroundings to create a feeling of well-being.
Today feng shui principles are used to help people choose, design and build the most suitable living and working environments for their needs. Feng shui principles are applied to landscape design, architecture and the interior design of buildings.

In the last 30 years, feng shui has become a new industry in the US. Feng shui consultants are hired along with architects, designers and builders to assess a lot and find the best location for the building. They review the blueprint, evaluate window and door alignment, and recommend optimal placement.(1)

Feng shui is based on three principles:
People are connected to and influenced by their environment.
Harmonious environments create sense of balance in people.
When people improve their environments, they improve their lives.

Architect Christopher Alexander, for example, known in the field of object-oriented design, promotes placements that support the human condition. He recommends orienting desks so that people are supported from behind by a solid wall with a view of at least eight feet to the front. (2)

Alexander’s influential work supports one of feng shui’s basic principles: when people place themselves, their dwellings, and their businesses in particular positions, they flourish and prosper. Some other feng shui principles derive from a realm of knowledge that has not yet been quantified by modern science. We get results, but are not sure why.

Consider the example of another ancient Eastern art, acupuncture. Its workings are not yet understood by Western science, but its results have been documented. A physician need not accept the theory of “meridians” before recommending a patient receive acupuncture for the relief of arthritic pain.

We are in a similar place with feng shui, which has been called “acupuncture of a building.” We can see and experience that it makes a difference in people’s lives. Some of the results have been explained by Western science, others have not yet been explored. Nonetheless, it would be foolish to ignore a tool that so obviously complements—and speaks to weaknesses in—our current arsenal of techniques for creating environments that fully support those who inhabit them.

1. Ross Bach and Lin Yun, Feng Shui Design: The Art of Creating Harmony for Interiors, Landscape and Architecture. New York: Viking, 1998.
2. Alexander, Ishikawa and Silverstein, A Pattern Language. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977.