Hello there! How have you been? We hope all is going well.
Have you ever thought about what really a building is in our lives?
If we are a microcosm of the universe, wouldn’t our homes be just another microcosm where we inhabit?
Therefore, could the health of our homes reflect on our health?
In the end, life is a dance of opposed energies—light and shadow, feminine and masculine, Left and Right, Yin and Yang.
The balance amongst those opposing energies defines the “quality” of our energy, and that should apply to any other system in this universe, if we have the eyes to “see” it revealed in nature.
The Yin-Yuan, or yin and yang, principle found in the ancient Indian Hindu culture, as the Kundalini Serpent theory, in which we move energy up and down inside our bodies in a spiral pattern. Source: https://maypoleofwisdom.com/the-kundalini-serpents-and-dragons/
The very ancient technique of Feng Shui and its ‘bagua’ diagram reflect this principle applied to a living space. The centre of the bagua is where our home’s health is, just as the centre of our chakra system, there is a central chakra system for our house. That’s where the life force runs, depicted as a yin-yang diagram.
Check out more about the ‘Feng Shui’ and ‘Sacred Geometry’ topics in some of our unmissable previous Blog Posts, ‘Pavilion of the Enlightened‘, ‘Tao Zhu Yin Yuan Tower‘ and ‘The Taj Mahal‘.
In my opinion, Sustainability is not only our ability to balance our material world with nature, but also to balance our internal world with it. The Ancients and the Indigenous Peoples knew about it ages ago, and it’s up to us now to remember it.
The play of natural elements in a House
The natural elements in a house play a crucial role, considering that they are the basis for the general feeling we have inside a building. They are altogether Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The Fifth Element, the Ether, is the one related to the spiritual realm that calls for spiritual connection and permeates everything.
For example, Houses with the presence of more ‘Earth’ elements, such as plants, would bring us more connection to this energy source that provides us more grounding and stability, connecting more deeply with the earth. On the other hand, houses with more presence of water tend to provide a greater sense of fluidity in life, more resilience.
If we don’t balance ourselves, nature will do it. That can happen through a macro event, such as a natural catastrophe, or through a micro event, such as a disease. Because in the end, all systems tend to return to balance.
Each star sign is connected to a different natural element. Therefore, according to our Astro Charts, we can actually identify which elements we miss the most and could use more of those in our living environments in order to bring more balance to our lives as a whole. Of course, it goes beyond the simple knowledge of the star sign in which we are born.
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Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius – Fire Element.
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Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo – Earth Element.
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Aquarius, Libra, and Gemini – Air Element.
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Pisces, Scorpio, and Cancer – Water Element.
The Yin & Yang House
I did this project a couple of years ago, in 2021, for an investor, and years after that, I realised I used some of the ‘Feng Shui’ principles intuitively.
Off course, I didn’t have the homeowner’s Astro Chart by the time as well. However, I tried to insert more earthly elements (Plants) in the house together with the Fire element (sunlight) and the Air element (Natural Ventilation), reflecting a common need in today’s urban environments where we lack so much direct contact with nature. Not forgetting the thermal comfort and energy efficiency principles, considering the hot and humid local climate.
Due to the size of the site, I decided not to include a water element. But today, seeing it with fresh eyes, I realise I could also incorporate it.
The most interesting element in this house is its central tree, or energy vortex, which fits perfectly with the health centre of the Feng Shui’s bagua diagram. The tree is supposed to be seen from everywhere inside the house, and also to connect our senses to the external garden.
The ‘Bagua’, from ancient Chinese culture, diagram represents an energy system where the central vortex, formed by the Yin & Yang interlaced serpents, represents our health. Source: https://morrisfengshui.com/blog/question-bagua
Example of the ‘Bagua’ diagram applied to a House Floor Plan. Each section of the diagram represents an area of our lives, such as Wealth, Fame, Community, Wisdom, Career, Travel, Creativity, Love, and Health. Source: https://www.alignanddesign.com/resources/feng-shui-map-the-bagua
Ground Floor Plan of the Yin & Yang House with its central section, related to health according to the ‘Bagua’ diagram, interconnected to all other areas, and with a tree as an earth element. The tree would also represent the energy centre of the House. Source: The author’s gallery (Please, refer properly).
The House Floor Plan with the ‘bagua’ diagram applied to it. Each section of the diagram represents an area of our lives, such as Wealth, Fame, Community, Wisdom, Career, Travel, Creativity, Love, and Health. Source: The author’s gallery. (Please, refer properly).
The main facade of the Yin & Yang House. It embodies contemporary style elements such as simple lines, sustainability guidelines, and ‘Feng Shui’ principles. Source: The author’s gallery. (Please, refer properly).
External Perspective of the Yin & Yang House. Source: The author’s gallery (Please, refer properly).
External Perspective of the Yin & Yang House. Upstairs Communal Balcony. Source: The author’s gallery (Please, refer properly).
Internal Perspective of the Yin & Yang House. Living room area. Source: The author’s gallery (Please, refer properly).
Conclusion
It is widely known today that human health is closely connected to emotional and even spiritual factors. It is also known by the scientific community that nature plays a very important role in human health recovery and well-being.
Healthy homes are in so much need these days when the population faces several illnesses in life, nature disconnection, and self-disconnection. It is time for us, Architects and Designers, to start to incorporate those elements in a more responsible way once we play a crucial role in the healing of society.
Are you interested in having one of those healthy homes? Please, send us a message and we can have a nice, chilled conversation about your goals in life and dreams regarding your next nature-integrated home! ♣
