How to Incorporate Feng Shui into a New Building (Residence Hall)
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An optimal time to incorporate feng shui principles is during the design stage of a new building, both exterior and interior. Many simple decisions can be made at this point that will have major effects on how the finished building feels to residents—and, as a result, on their wellbeing.
Certain steps toward incorporating feng shui principles, such as getting students talking about what they need from their residence spaces, can (if you prefer) be begun on your own. Others will require a feng shui consultant to examine the plans and goals and then to recommend changes based on the particulars of the planned construction. The cost of a feng shui consultant is small compared to the long-term savings from student satisfaction, the reduced need for renovation and redecoration, and the reduction of stress-related misbehavior such as vandalism.
What Does a Feng Shui Consultant Do?
A feng shui consultant teams with housing officials, architects, builders and interior and landscape designers to:
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Analyze the plot plan and recommend optimal siting of the building on the land.
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Review research on the student population likely to occupy the new residence hall. What behaviors were measured and how may those behaviors have been impacted by the current living spaces? How can a feng shui design support such a population?
The feng shui consultant:
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Visits existing residence halls.
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Analyses the floor plans.
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Interviews students and housing professionals.
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Reviews research/studies on student behavior.
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Determines favorable existing design elements and those that need to be changed.
The feng shui consultant then prepares a report on student needs and design features that support those needs. For example, in some floor plans, the room door placement allows one occupant to place furniture well, while the other occupant’s furniture placement will have a negative impact such as stress or anxiety. The report may also predict whether students will avoid the common areas in their apartment — a waste of valuable square footage and building dollars — and suggest a floor plan for new construction where all the space is utilized.
At every step in the planning stage, a feng shui consultant can review site and building plans and inform the team how the students will be affected; giving architects the opportunity to plan a building and designers to create an interior that supports the end user. For example, the placement of closets can create a room shape that puts student on edge, causes headaches or a feeling of compression. A feng shui consultant can recommend closet placement that produces a calmer living space.
The locations of outlets in residence hall rooms require students to place their desks facing the wall, a difficult position for productive study. A feng shui consultant can recommend placement of electrical outlets to encourage desk locations that better support students in their study.
Commonly Asked Questions in a Feng Shui Analysis:
About the Site
- Does the land have geopathic stress?
- Are there underground water sources?
- What shape is the lot and how will it impact the end user?
- Where is the optimal location for the building?
About the Floor Plan
- Does the doorway to a living space possess the five components that bring a positive life to the occupants? Is the doorway placed so that all occupants can arrange their furniture in supportive positions?
- Do the entryways into students’ rooms and apartments expand or suffocate their minds or give them headaches? Do the entryways into their buildings welcome students or make them feel blocked?
- How will a corridor affect students who walk it several times a day? Will it encourage expansive thinking or narrow the range of possibilities students draw upon to solve interpersonal problem with peers and professors? How wide and how long should the hallway be, so that students’ thinking is not limited?
- Certain room shapes that I have found in many residence halls create unnecessary stress for students. Suggestions are made for peaceful room shapes that allow for optimal furniture placement.
- Are doors aligned to cause conflict among the occupants? To create confusion? Suggestions are made for door alignment that supports clear communication.
- Does the length of the window cause vertigo and a feeling of insecurity? Does a window door alignment cause fatigue? Recommendations are made for supportive window size and placement.
- Will the proposed bathroom placement adversely affect student’s health and well-being? Are the bathroom doorways in the best location? Recommendations are made for optimal bathroom placement.
Interior Design
- The biggest complaint I hear from students is the lack of color on the walls of their residence halls. The walls are most frequently painted white, which creates a feeling of monotony and anxiety. When deciding to use color, which ones have a calming effect? Which ones create vitality? Which colors encourage interaction?
- The second biggest complaint among college students concerns lighting. What alternatives to the single ceiling light give an uplifting feeling in the room? What is the best location for the lighting?
- How can carpet color coordinate with wall and ceiling color to create a three color sequence that creates a feeling of balance? Which carpet is most friendly to the environment?
- Furniture – The shape and size of furniture greatly affects student stress levels. What furniture is most harmonious to the space it will occupy? What is the optimal size and shape? Are desks designed to face into the room instead of towards the wall? What are the implications of furniture modules that contain both sleep and workspace?
Review of the Process Undertaken by a Feng Shui Consultant
- Meet with housing professionals during the RFP stage
- Visit existing residence halls
- Interview students
- Review research on student behavior
- Analyze the plot plan
- Report on feng shui recommendations (guidelines) for new building
- Review architect plan
- Work with interior designers to implement feng shui features
- RoomChi™ Presentation to students (optional)
One way to look at a feng shui member’s role in a design team is this:
The architect has the structural solutions.
The designer has the interior solutions.
The feng shui consultant has the solutions to:
- Make the place feel good and livable.
- Make the end user feel safe and supported
- Make it a place where the end user can develop and flourish.
The net result of including a feng shui consultant in the planning stage will be the avoidance of costly errors and the assurance of a final building that meets the stated and unstated needs of students. That, in turn, results in an enhanced educational experience and an increased rate of academic and social success for the new building’s residents.
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