Preliminary Proposal of Independent Study

Feng Shui, literally translated as “wind-water” in English, is an ancient Chinese aesthetic system whose origin dates back to 4000BC. It is believed that by using the law of Heaven and Earth, Feng Shui could improve lives as positive Qi (movable positive or negative life force) being received. The practice of Feng Shui pervaded the construction of ancient Chinese urban planning and architecture. My intended goal is to look through the history of Feng Shui. Examine the way that Feng Shui serves as a design strategy rather than “feudalistic superstitious practice” that it has been censured as during the Culture Revolution in China.

Same as the western tradition developing a body of architecture literature and the desire for Utopian city, the system of Feng Shui is deemed to create the cosmic harmony of an ideal living condition. From domestic households to royal palaces, from interior decorations to the layout of the town, one could find the rules of Feng Shui predominant in ancient Chinese constructions. However, with Feng Shui being the core of design in ancient China, were there any other methods approaching the same aim? Whether the theories of Feng Shui irrationalize the design approach or contribute a reasonable strategy that optimize people’s living conditions? Does the practice of Feng Shui change with the development of society? Through my research, I am looking forward to answering these questions.

In modern days, Feng Shui is still largely, especially adopted in the field of architecture design. Professionals who study Feng Shui have been seeking for scientific explanations of this Chinese cosmology and Taoism combined system of construction and layout. Whether due to the finding of scientific evidence or the human nature--the scruple of ill omen, the application of Feng Shui in architectural design grows gradually. The practice of Feng Shui does not only exit in Asian countries but also in the western. Thus, I am also looking at how Feng Shui has changed according to the different culture, and to what extent does the ancient theory applied to the modern design.

The theory of Feng Shui includes complex studies of the sites. The reference of local features, such as water, mountain, wind, sun and orientation all contribute to an auspicious construction. These elements are very often found in the approach of the modern architecture design when architects make diagrams of water circulation, ventilation, lights and so on. As an architecture studies student, I see connections between the ancient and the modern. Therefore, through the study, I am also looking for inspirations and devices that could be borrowed to my own designs.