Ancient Design Philosophies in Contemporary Architecture: Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra

Architecture has always been more than a technical act of providing shelter. Across cultures, people have developed philosophies that link buildings to the wider forces of nature, balance, and human wellbeing. Among the most enduring of these are Feng Shui, from China, and Vastu Shastra, from India. Though they emerged thousands of years ago in very different contexts, both continue to resonate with the way we think about design today.

Feng Shui is based on the idea of harmonising people with their environment. It speaks of orientation, flow, and balance — the way a building should open to the sun and wind, the importance of thresholds and entrances, and how circulation can either enable or obstruct a natural sense of movement. Its concern with the five elements, with balance and proportion, feels surprisingly contemporary when we consider how modern sustainable design works with daylight, ventilation, and biophilia to create healthier spaces.

Vastu Shastra, meanwhile, is an ancient Indian system of architecture rooted in order, hierarchy, and harmony. It places strong emphasis on aligning buildings with the cardinal directions, on symmetry and proportion, and on weaving the five elements — earth, water, fire, air, and space — into every design. It also advocates for courtyards, open skies, and water features as essential parts of a home’s heart. When we look closely, these principles echo many of the aims of sustainable practice today: orienting buildings for natural ventilation, designing with proportion and balance, and reconnecting architecture with nature.

Taken together, these traditions remind us of something important: that architecture is not just about efficiency, but about experience. They encourage us to see buildings as participants in larger cycles of life, light, and nature. The overlap with modern sustainability is striking. What Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra framed in philosophical terms — orientation, natural balance, elemental harmony — we now also measure in terms of carbon reduction, daylight factor, and energy performance. Yet the goal is not so different: to create spaces that are healthier, more balanced, and more deeply connected to the environment.

At Natureworks Design, we do not apply these systems literally. Instead, we treat them as lenses — as ways of asking better questions. How does light move through this space? Where is the centre of balance? How do thresholds feel, and what role does a courtyard play in bringing air and community together? By combining this sensitivity with modern tools such as sustainability modelling, material research, and digital design, we can craft architecture that is not only efficient but also deeply human.

As we face the challenges of climate change and urban growth, revisiting ancient philosophies is not about nostalgia. It is about finding inspiration for a more balanced future. Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra remind us that buildings are not isolated objects but parts of a much wider order: cultural, environmental, and cosmic. By re-engaging with that way of thinking, we can design spaces that do more than perform — they belong.

Interested in exploring how ancient design philosophies could inform your project? Get in touch with us.