Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

Incorporating Earth Energy into
the Design: ‘Conscious Design &
the Designer as Geomancer’
Zaida Amaral – Ecovila Cunha, Brasil and Loralee Makela –
Makela Feng Shui, New Mexico
Introduction
In this definitive collaboration, Zaida Amaral and Loralee Makela broaden the concept of
design to adding unseen earth energies. This is an aspect usually overlooked in design
courses; yet, from a deeper perspective, it could be considered fundamental, the very
first layer in a comprehensive site design. The authors also introduce the concept of
‘geomancy’, or divining with earth energies. Admittedly, a certain sensitivity needs to be
cultivated before becoming astute in this terra-art; yet, the authors demonstrate through
case studies that ongoing practice and an openness and responsiveness to the world as it
is will reveal numerous clues capable of adding a palpable sense of magic to any design.
In this article, we propose a ‘new’, inclusive way to reach the vision of good
ecological design – one that encourages us to open up our senses and our
curiosity toward the realm of previously unseen forces operating within our
environment. This vision and the ensuing processes – already applied in
the designs of many traditional cultures and some of the most successful
communities in the world – are keys to developing what we call “conscious
design”, thus unfolding the awakened role of the ‘designer as geomancer’. 1
The designer as geomancer becomes aware of and takes into account
other‐sensory sources of information, and creates physical structures that
support the fulfillment of a new paradigm. This is a designer capable of
re‐linking ancient wisdom design principles with permaculture – reflecting
the explosion of environmental consciousness and whole systems thinking
over the last 30 years.
Broadening the Concept of Design
Learning to create an ongoing dialogue with our planet, the ‘designer as
geomancer’ can effectively program designs to produce a certain effect, goal
or vision.
As form and shape determine our sense of place, built or natural, it
follows that certain arrangements and shapes of mountains, rivers, buildings,
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