Artfully Planned Ambience

Nov. 15 2008
ARCH 3711

Originated from ancient China, the theory of Fengshui is often associated with deceitful superstition by Chinese people. Surprisingly, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Fengshui is treated as a mysterious yet scientific subject and brought into the academic scene for the theory of post-modernism. In the article “Fengshui: Its Application in Contemporary Architecture�, Teh Tien Yong claims that Fengshui is a science that contributes to the understanding of both naturalistic and humanistic environment, through studying the flow of subtle energies in the human body and in the earth respectively. In ancient China, Fengshui theory predominate every architectural choice made by people including interior design, placement of buildings, urban plan, etc. As Yong proceeds in his the article, he points out that Fengshui deals with a certain way to perceive natural landscape and human habitants, both supernatural and radical existence of human beings, and fundamental architectural choices related to people’s everyday life. In a systematic and meticulous way, Fengshui contemplates the relationship within human body, Earth and Heaven, but quietly interesting has nothing to do with religion or faith. The theory of Fengshui shows scrupulous studies of everyday life, creating its own art of the life and environment, is also bringing out a controversy: should we simply apply Fengshui into modern architecture and urban planning or should we regard it as purely exotic and mysteriously superstitious?

A diagram that shows the essence of Fengshui Ideology.

For architecture designers, the ability to think critically and creatively is essential. When encounter traditional and cultural concepts, architecture designers should be accepting and curious to know any well-established architecture theories, especially the ones that have fundamentally influenced a civilization. Although appeared about 5,000 years ago, Fengshui suggests a profound comprehension about the correlation among human beings, architecture and nature that is even applicable within contemporary society. The strong emphasis of being ecologically friendly and human centered in the theory of Fengshui, shares with many implications of sustainability and environmental design, which is acclaimed as the future of architecture. Approached by different methodologies, both Fengshui and sustainability design favors giving the priority to any architectural choices that are environmental friendly and human centered, regardless of stylistic or aesthetic aspect of architecture. Many implications of Fengshui theory suggest that a great amount of sustainable design problems could be solved thousands of years ago. However, these implications should be conscientiously modified and critically selected to implement the context of contemporary architecture. This process of applying traditional architecture theories into contemporary profession is also an ideal way for architecture designers to expand their mentalities and inspirations.

Fengshui, like traditional Chinese medicine, Tai Chi and many other body-mind practices, has evolved through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. To some extend, these body-mind practices have set up a sense of hierarchy and superstition. However, many elements of these practices are tangible and applicable to the modern civilization. For instance, the concepts of location, building materials, daylight, structure and humidity in Fengshui can perfectly elaborate and implement modern architecture theories. Nowadays, these traditional practices are facing adverse challenges. On one hand, ignorant people in China laugh at these practices and claim themselves as modernized and civilized while having no clue as to their meanings. On the other hand, unqualified practitioners and misinterpreted lectures are misleading some people within these practices. In the procedure of massive globalization and urbanization, these practices are risking being forgotten. Fortunately, the theory of post-modernism intentionally brought these practices into its scenario as post-modernism favors “otherness�. Nevertheless, there is still a chance for these practices to be misinterpreted since academia generally is lacking good understanding of Chinese culture.

A standardized system of knowledge and supervision mechanism should be introduced to the world of human-body practices to ensure their survivals. A clearer link should be established between traditional practices and architecture or other disciplines. In this way, the canon of human civilization can be preserved.

The application of Fengshui idea in Chinese Architecture.

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Oct. 3rd
ARCH 3711

Please do not be intimidated by my courageous title, my immediate response to Michael Speaks’s article “Design Intelligence and the New Economy� was such an aggressive rethinking about the architecture profession. In this article, Michael Speaks points out the globalization favors intangible and interconnected things. In a way, all the existing disciplines are interlinked and inter-influenced by each other. By highly abstracting the core values of architecture into three key words: design, communication and new technology, Speaks proposes a “network practice� model where design thinking plays a significant role in communicating with people from all the fields. Then Michael Speaks raises some examples that fully expound some attributes of this revolution. The case of UN Studio provides us an experimental method about how architecture firms from all parts of the world use new technology to solve design problems, regardless of the geographical distance. This “network� method is also largely influencing the practices of big architecture firms and prominent academic institutions. Speaks also claims in the article that a “doing knowledge-based� society is taking the place of “being knowledge�. This fundamental transformation resets the order and system of the world and the innovative practices.

Architecture, as an undefined (or not clearly defined) discipline, blurs with almost all the other disciplines, is often misunderstood and mislabeled as a marginal (purely artistic design) profession. Every year, the smartest students get accepted into various architecture programs only aiming to be trained as a practicing architect. Putting almost the same efforts as lawyers and doctors into the profession, today’s architects are receiving low wage and treated unfairly in many ways. In this safe system (undergraduate studies – graduate studies/professional school – registered architect) of today’s profession, architects is limiting and marginalizing themselves away from the other creative disciplines. This unchanging mentality stops most of people in the profession from being innovative in designing their own professional path.

November 2007 issue of Architect Magazine

Alan Tyle, a product designer in Hertfordshire said, "I started as a product designer, became an architect, and then returned to product design. I came to realize that the architect's training is wonderfully valuable even or especially for a product designer. The architect is trained not to worry is a job is small or large nor what material it is made from or how complex it is." Indeed, there is no denying that architecture is a demanding profession. It deals with many fundamental problems in today's society, for instance exploring new ways of living, investigating new technologies and material and ensuring that what we build is environmentally sustainable. Also, architecture is one of the broader disciplines that offer numerous opportunities. So an architecture degree almost presents you the entire world in front of you. In this human-centered world, everything is about solving people’s problems creatively and critically. Architecture provides a platform where innovative and rigorous thinking take place – we are courageous enough to link all the disciplines together within the context of global technologies, but why don’t we push it a little bit further to overturn and redefine the profession/discipline of architecture?

One of the greatest Chinese contemporary cultural figures, Ai Weiwei, is an artist, architectural designer, social/cultural commentator and curator. His ability to think critically, interlinking intangible things and strong knowledge in both academia and technologies enable him to be successful in every different discipline. Ai Weiwei’s success shows the possibility for both the profession and discipline of architecture to evolve a new form of adaptive design intelligence. The new form of design intelligence can interpreted as a revolution of design thinking being highly valued; design intelligence can be interpreted as architecture professionals free themselves from the existing frames; design intelligence can be interpreted as the first step for architects to take over the world.

After all, to be alive is to think. It is a world about creative ideas. When we finally see through this fundamental principle of how world functions, we will understand the potential for architects to make the world a better place.

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Sep. 15 2008
ARCH 3711

Australian aborigines would probably never think that their definition of place could be so provocative to highly modernized, well-educated and presumptuous human beings. They probably do not even know how to spell the word “place�. The simplicity and the sensitivity in their ways of perceiving things are regarded as primitive and brutish based on Western materialistic values. However, by interpreting nature intuitively and mythologically, Australian aborigines teach us the essence to grasp the context of nature and place.

(Picture from "Aborigines And White Settlers: The Breaking Down of Aboriginal Society")

As inborn hunters and gatherers, Australian aborigines are always on the road, moving from one place to another, tearing down one shelter and building up another. This sense of constant movement gives them the opportunity to regard the entire environment as their homeland rather than having explicit boundaries that disconnect them with nature or other people. Their demographic mobility also allows them to create a fair amount of dwellings with various styles applying all kinds of natural materials. Nonetheless, Australian aborigines care the least about the physical and architectural aspect of the dwellings they made. It is the ritual symbolism that is of great significance to them, in terms of positioning the dwellings in a larger architectural concern.

Since symbolism of places is determinant to site and directions of Australian aborigines dwellings, the boundaries are not defined physically but fixed by mythology and ritual meanings. Their faiths, beliefs and inner desires provide an emotional tie with the land per se – they are full of respects, sensations and imaginations towards the land, which claims them “a timeless and inextinguishable relationship to their land�. Whereas, a lot of Europeans cannot understand the symbolic meanings of the land other than see the landscape as plain and vain.

Australian aborigines are enthusiastic about nature. They first approach and study nature respectively; then they create their own spontaneous and mythical explanations and responses to landscape; also they humanize the realm between man-made world and landscape through myths of the Dreamtime; finally they define the conception of “place� through re-enactments that make the unseen world visible. Sacred and ceremonial lifestyle is the central link between their Dreamtime creatures/heroes and land. However, Westerners isolate themselves from nature by building unnecessary barriers and invisible walls. They are losing their abilities to understand the beauty and phenomena of nature.

The Australian aborigines create their own Utopian world, in terms of dwelling and faith. Their worship towards nature and landscape make this ritual symbolism pure, mythical, as well as beautiful. This whole cultural lingo might be too profound for some people to understand nowadays. Ever since materialism and utilitarianism attacked the world, human beings tend to lose interests in learning about nature and their own cultural identity. Then industrialization conquered the world, forcing everyone to be part of the physical revolution. When technology truly becomes boundless, our emotional attachment to the land will eventually extinct. Pessimistically speaking, our planet is going to become a futuristic, mechanical and cold place where is full of robotic non-believers in the near future.

Coming from China, I witness massive construction taking place everyday, repeatedly and constantly. It is like a war of urbanization in our post-industrialization era. Having gained a new glamorous look with all the modernized architecture recently designed by star architects, China is trying to give a sense of power through its architectural revolution. But when I look at these dazzling architecture, I feel nothing but indifference. I begin to question myself “who we are?� We are becoming those “Europeans� who are losing cultural context, and creating a sense of Neo-orientalism in our own country.

Artist Andy Goldsworthy once said, “A stone is ingrained with geological and historical memories.� When he said it, he meant it by dealing with natural materials to produce works of art referring social and cultural meanings. Indeed, the existential purpose of architecture is to make the balance between natural and urban environments, and to uncover the potential meanings of the urban architecture presented in the given natural environment. Only in this way can the spirit of the place be conserved, can the culture be ceaseless, and finally can we overcome the pains of trading the past with the present.

(Picture from www.aboriginalartnews.com.au/2008/)

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