When most of us buy or build a new structure, it’s common to worry about matching color schemes or whether or not to install Venetian blinds. However, we may not think about what cardinal direction the house is facing, or the exact shape that the roof needs to be in order to ensure familial harmony.

The concept of Feng Shui is one that is fairly divisive. Some people buy heavily into it, going so far as to claim that the Bank of China building in Hong Kong faced financial ruin in 1990 due to its sharp, pointed edges, while others find the idea that a building’s shape and color scheme can have any effect on the inhabitants. Much like many ancient Chinese practices that have become more mainstream (such as acupuncture, tai-chi and meditation), Feng Shui has become more popular in the western world and even influenced the design of some of the world’s most famous buildings.

So can the color of your front porch really affect your finances?

What Is Feng Shui

Feng Shui (风水) literally translated means “wind-water”, and is a ancient form of geomancy that originates from China. Feng Shui contains many other traditional Chinese beliefs and concepts such as the idea of Yin (feminine energy) and Yang (masculine energy), the Five Elements Theory as well as various other Chinese superstitions.

Feng Shui is believed to be able to accomplish any number of things, from increasing one’s wealth, to creating a harmonious family environment or even increasing one’s energy levels. In Feng Shui, this can be accomplished through the presence of good “Qi” (energy which is believed to flow through all things) within a space. The collection of good “Qi” can come from any number of things, but primarily it is down to the position of the house and the arrangement of furniture within it.

So Where Should I Build My House?

Depending on the school of Feng Shui that one follows as well as the position of the nearby structures, the answer can vary. Different schools of Feng Shui prioritize different aspects of the surroundings and can have different beliefs for what makes an environment auspicious or inauspicious.

First and foremost, you should consider practical concerns that limit your options. Your builder will, for instance, use underground line locator equipment to locate underground assets that constrain what structures can be build. With hard constraints out of the way, you can then focus on your preferred school of Feng Shui.

For example, practitioners from The Compass School of Feng Shui will use one’s birth date to determine the best set of directions which will affect a person’s “Qi”. Much as the name implies, they also rely upon the eight cardinal directions as they believe that each one has a specific type of energy which can interact with the inhabitants.

On the other hand, practitioners from The Form School are far more concerned with the structures around a building which can include natural formations such as hills and rivers as well as other man-made structures. This school generally focuses more on the location of the building itself, believing the landscape to have its own energy which interacts with the building.

As such, approaching Feng Shui masters of these two different schools with the simple question of “Where should I build my house?” will likely yield two very different results since the two schools are measuring two fundamentally different things.

Does Anyone Actually Use Feng Shui Nowadays?

Feng Shui is estimated to have been around for around six thousand years in China. It was played an important role in everyday life was not just used to influence the individual’s home décor choices. Ancient urban planners would use Feng Shui concepts to design large scale projects such as neighborhoods, communal spaces and even graveyards.

Today, Feng Shui is still practiced widely in countries like China and Hong Kong which have a large population of Tao Buddhists. Feng Shui masters are often still hired by architects and firms looking to build new structures to give advice and recommendations on the location and design principles that should be followed.

Although Feng Shui has very strong ties to traditional Chinese superstitions and philosophies, there is a almost universal desire to create appealing and aesthetic living spaces. Therefore, it is no surprise that in this age of information, more people from all over the world are learning about and applying Feng Shui concepts to their own living spaces. Feng Shui guidebooks are now something of a common sight in any bookstore that has a Asian Philosophy or Interior Design section and Feng Shui has now solidly joined the ranks of other Asian design concepts which are gaining popularity in the west such as the Japanese design philosophy of wabi-sabi (beauty in imperfection).

Truth be told, there’s no objective way to measure the success of Feng Shui. Most of the successful accounts are largely anecdotal and there’s simply no scientific method of proving or disproving the presence of “Qi”. Ultimately, those whose design principles follow Feng Shui practices are usually doing so for the benefit of the inhabitants of a particular space. The practice itself is largely harmless and people usually partake in it to promote a sense of harmony and peace in their architectural design.