I became aware of the topic of biophilic design in 2008 through an online presentation by Stephen Kellert, former Professor Emeritus of Social Ecology & Senior Research Scholar, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University.
I immediately recognized a kinship between my work in feng shui and this new discipline and have dedicated the last decade to studying and, eventually earned a certificate in biophilic design from the International Living Future Institute earlier this year. (See my earlier post on The Intersection of Feng Shui & Biophilic Design).
In fact, in one of my conversations with him, Professor Kellert also recognized that “biophilic design is the modern equivalent of feng shui.”
Like any new discipline, its structure morphs into many variations during its lifespan and I saw an opportunity to create my own set of guidelines rooted in the ancient practice of feng shui.
I see everything through the lens of the five elements of Eastern philosophy (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) which I see as golden threads that connect us to the natural world. I created my own poetic framework of principles that unite the ancient and the modern, called the Luminous Spaces Biophilic Design Principles.
I introduced this concept in my book published in 2018, Creating Luminous Spaces: Use the Five Elements for Balance and Harmony in Your Home and in Your Life (Conari Press) and use them in my online course on biophilic design.
Fire: Illumination & Connection
In feng shui, Fire represents our enthusiasm, movement, and aliveness. It is our passion! Fire in the built environment gives birth to new ideas and opportunities. Fire is the most yang of all the Five Elements. Our Sun is the primal symbol. It is luminous, hot, intense. Its power is all-consuming.
In biophilic terms, Fire is illumination of all kinds (natural and artificial). Its yang energy relates to wildlife, our pets, and our emotions of affection and playfulness – and how our spaces can embrace these qualities.
Earth: Transition & Balance
Earth represents security and stability; the ability to feel grounded and balanced. It provides us nourishment and support.
In feng shui, Earth is known as the ‘transitional' element, which is placed at critical junctures of the Five Element Cycle—traditionally, following Fire or summer, the peak of yang chi. In the feng shui bagua (a map we overlay onto a floor plan with nine squares representing our different life aspirations), Earth is also placed after the Water element or winter, the peak of yin chi. Earth provides a stabilizing factor that allows transformation to take place.
In biophilic terms, the Earth element is all about proper balance, variety, and placement within the space. Earth provides a sense of the land itself using local materials, and references to cultural, historical, and geological connection to the land. And it is all features of the earth, such as mountains and deserts, and ideas associated with soil and rock of the location.
Metal: Shiny & Clear
Metal represents form and function, beauty, and order. It helps us create the structures of society as well as creating beauty in our lives.
Metal is an element, along with Wood, that is unique to the Chinese system of elements. Metal is said to represent the purity of the precious minerals found deep within the earth after millions of years of compression, heat, and pressure. As it relates to Chinese Medicine, Metal is related to the lungs, therefore, the air and sky.
In biophilic terms, Metal symbolizes the importance of beauty and order in our lives. Metal is associated with fluctuations of the wind and movement in the sky.
We are reminded about the structure and beauty that we find in the mathematics of nature: complexity and order. These patterns are found in the natural materials, such as the grain of wood, or the spiral of a nautilus shell.
Water: Wabi Sabi & Flow
Water is the most yin element and most precious substance for life. It is associated with creativity, contemplation, peacefulness, and rest. Water is formless yet powerful. It can be the roar of tidal wave or fall gently as rain. It can be the expanse of the ocean or a puddle in the street. Water is mysterious and dangerous. Water gives life yet is destructive.
In feng shui, Water symbolizes chi and its flow through our buildings. Water brings life and abundance to the body and to our spaces.
In biophilic design, Water is related to feminine curves, a good flow to the floor plan and a natural authenticity (wabi sabi) of our spaces. It connects us to deep human needs of a sense of awe, mystery, risk, and danger.
Wood: Movement & Vitality
Just like a tree, Wood represents our ancestors who root us to the past while enabling us to reach up to the future. It simultaneously is our foundation and striving to achieve, with new ideas and motivation.
In nature, Wood is the vegetation covering the earth, providing nourishment to all beings on the planet. Wood provides shade and oxygen. It provides a sense of vitality of the land.
In biophilia, we recognize that our feeling of health and vitality is connected to the vitality of the land itself. When we experience a place for the first time, we have a quick intuitive knowing about it that is a combination of the input from all our senses. A place that is alive gives us a feeling of wellbeing.
It is my hope that I’ve spurred an interest to learn more deeply about practice of feng shui and its role in our modern world. Just as we reach back to learn the wisdom of ancient philosophies, feng shui has a wealth of wisdom to help guide us in deepening our quest for connection among the natural world, the built environment, and our lives.
Written by Maureen K. Calamia, founder of Luminous Spaces
https://www.luminous-spaces.com Listen to our podcast with her where we discuss how she combines five elements with biophilic design. Read another article by Maureen here on the Intersection between Feng Shui and Biophilic Design.