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Easy
living.
The West has embraced a new awareness on how
to live. Aspects such as eco-compatibility and
eco-support are being linked more and more closely
to the functionality and value of traditional taste.
From
the drawing board to construction. Inspired by this, Eco-architecture is involved every step of
the way: from the planning stage, where the position
of the house and the arrangement of rooms is designed
according to natural principles, to the actual
building work, careful attention being
paid to the choice of workmen and construction
materials, right up to furnishings, which
provide us with an harmonious environment.
Inspirations. Eco-architecture is a fusion of feng
shui, the ancient Chinese geomantic art based on
the respect of building sites, eco-construction,
concerned with healthy living, and eco architecture
that deals with the link between resident and building.
| Wind,
water, energy.
Feng shui is linked to the ancient Taoist philosophy
made up of a number of reading and landscape
interpretational practices, architectural
shapes and internal spaces, with the
aim of avoiding negative energy influences on
mankind. The term literally means "wind and
water", alluding to the two elements
that, if combined, represent the manifestation
of energy flow.
Yin
& Yang.
Two opposing and complementary principles
create and regulate the flow of energy in space:
Yang is the active male element
characterized by heat, light and movement,
whilst Yin is the passive female
element characterized by cold, gloom and inertia.
To create harmony in an environment both
principles must be present; they can then
be altered but the balance must remain
constant.
Each
to his own home.
Feng shui concentrates on the relationship between
man and the environment and this is the
reason that eco-architects are particularly
interested in it. They consider that a beautiful
home is not necessarily a perfect home,
a concept that is exclusively linked to who lives
there. |
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Medicine
at home.
In order for the house to be a centre of renewal
and harmony energy must be free flowing,
using the balance of Yin and Yang. This means
that even a well-designed and built home can transmit
a sense of unease: the remedy, according to specialists,
lies in external factors (noise, pollution, energy,
cables) as well as internal (room space, direction,
light, shapes and colours). In fact Feng Shui is also
called home medicine thanks to the possibility of applying
its principles correctively in buildings already
standing.
Magnetism,
the energy of the Earth. Feng Shui may be considered a philosophy free of rational
basis but this is not the case. The energy flows that
Feng Shui is concerned with merely perceive that
the Earth also possesses its own energy:
magnetism. Four thousand years ago the Chinese
maintained this and recently scientific research
has proved that the impact of magnetic fields,
both on earth and otherwise, can determine physiologic
results in human beings.
Next
month's article will include eco-architecture
guidelines on how to build a natural, healthy
home, as well as tips to adopt as remedies, especially
in the bedroom.
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