Do Architecture and Feng Shui mix together?

Before anything, often as a feng shui master, in dealing with architects of my clients, we agree to disagree as much as possible!

Indeed geomancers like me are often a bane than a boon to the creative ideas of well-meaning architects wanting to give their best design to their client. But in the end, the client prevails and asks the architect to follow the no-nonsense feng shui parameters for the design of their home or business premises.

Actually, all is well between both professions as they truly complement each other in all intents and purposes. Architects design homes or offices or structures needed by clients to fit their culture, values, and lifestyle. While feng shui experts help clients design their home with love by inculcating the health of occupants, harmony, prosperity and happiness in space planning and design furing the architectural process. The ultimate intent is to delight and satisfy the client.

In two recent talks before the Philippine Institute of Architects, first in their national convention held in Boracay and last week in Davao during PIA Davao's Alpha One Chapter general membership meeting; I introduced the idea to architects - for the first time - that not only their clients but the architects themselves need to be feng shuied!

Sharing with them my sought-after program entitled Paano Ako Aldric Kaya Yayaman On You or acronym is PAAKYOU!, which is the shoutout icebreaker all throughout my talk; indeed, I felt confident that I had sown the seeds of progress and prosperity for our Philippine architects.

Here are the surefire strategies for architects to make progress with feng shui and attain untold prosperity:

1. Choose an office in a lucky site. 2. Choose a lucky and well-harmonized team. 3. It pays to choose clients that are compatible with your feng shui. 4. Layout your office following time honored feng shui principles. 5. Use feng shui in the interior and exterior design your office. 6. Annually maintain feng shui to navigate luck, health, wealth and prosperity. 7. Use only prescribed lucky charm enhancers and protectors prescribed by a genuine not fake feng shui practitioner. 8. Comply with and follow feng shui instructions; never put in your two-cents-worth opinion (what you want to do or hear) that may prove counterproductive to the overall feng shui program of rehabilitating your professional luck and progress. Never be gullible to media stunts of push feng shui campaigns be they tri-media based or word of mouth, first verify the track record of the supposed feng shui expert.

The common denominator between feng shui and architecture is that you truly have to educate the client. And educate the client in the most patient and creative as well as effective way possible.

As client architect Arnel Dayanghirang cites: "Sometimes, master, the client does not truly need an architect. All the client needs is a 'kausap' (someone to talk to)!" It would seem that most clients are frustrated architects by nature - and frustrated feng shui experts too! So be it. In both professions, it's different strokes for different folks.

That is the reality of any construction project, some clients are even frustrated contractors, as well! But service - good, honest-to-goodness no-nonsense customer service - is the name of the game. The love of clients is a predicate to the love for professionalism in the trade. Just like running a nation like a good father of a family: command responsibility is always the going concern and order-ofbusiness of both trades!

Lastly, my new architect friends learned two vital things about the practice of feng shui. First, architectural technologies and materials have since superseded and made obsolete a lot of old feng shui traditions based on the technology and architecture of old, such as the notion that its bad to have a bedroom with the garaged beneath it. Nowadays this is no longer bad feng shui if the flooring is solid concrete or slab not like the bamboo or wood of structures generations ago.

Second, like architecture feng shui is a people business where humanity counts most. Architecture shall be done with the perspective of the love of client for himself or herself and for the loved ones to occupy the project to be constructed. It's like that in a balanced and proper feng shui perspective.

I therefore conclude that an architecture and feng shui fusion is the new normal for those seriously desiring to be happy and rich - both client and architect, honorably of course. Happy fengshuitecture everyone!