Feng Shui in Las Vegas

Many people want to be happy, prosperous and successful. Some believe that achieving such goals are determined through one's actions, while others think that these ideals are influenced by the environment in which one lives.

Creating a harmonious environment is a goal of feng shui, a Chinese art and science developed 5,000 years ago that has been incorporated in the architecture and interiors of Southern Nevada homes.

Feng Shui Basics

Understanding feng shui and incorporating its many facets into homes may overwhelm a novice. That's where professional feng shui masters can assist.

"Feng shui is translated as 'wind and water.' It is a valuable heritage and tradition of the Chinese people," said Lin Huang of Qi Gallery, who has provided feng shui consultation in the Las Vegas Valley for more than 15 years.

It is based on vital energy called "chi" and the belief that the universe is constantly changing.

"The original ancestors learned how to arrange their environment around three feng shui principles: every person, place and thing is alive with chi; every person, place and thing is connected by chi; and the chi in every person, place and thing is changing," Huang explained.

It also incorporates the concepts of "yin" (passive energy) and "yang" (active energy), which are believed to exist in all things.

Focus is placed on five elements --wood, fire, earth, metal and water -- which are believed to interact with each other and are represented by certain colors. Incorporating these elements and colors in specific parts of a room may influence homeowners in their careers, spiritual growth, health, family, prosperity, fame, reputation, love and marriage, creativity, children, or blessings.

Feng shui masters consider an individual's need and goals during consultations.

"One important part of my individual consultation involves the formula for identifying the most beneficial locations, layouts and accessories in a home or office. This formula is called Compass School Feng Shui. It is based on personal dates and gender," Huang said.

"Another important part of my personal consultation involves properly utilizing the ba-gua map. The ba-gua map shows you how to summon positive changes into your life by correlating the structure and design of your home with the blessings of vitality, happiness, and good fortune."

Huang said a few general considerations in home design include:

the foundation is on a lot in which the rear is higher than the front;
the driveway to the garage is wide;
the house's length is longer than its width (when viewed from the street);
the home site is round in front and square in rear.

Feng Shui In Las Vegas

The following are among the local builders that have consulted feng shui masters:

Christopher Homes: The Five Elements
Christopher Homes has worked with feng shui masters for years to include the five feng shui elements in its floor plans.

"We have always used feng shui in the interior merchandizing of our model homes," marketing director Erika Geiser said.

"About two years ago, we hired a consultant to help us design a fully integrated feng shui custom home for the Street of Dreams (luxury-home show). We incorporated the five elements of feng shui in this home to help create the sense of harmony, good health, wealth, peace of mind, spirituality," she said. "We are incorporating the same five elements of fire, earth, metal, wood and water in two of our newest projects -- C2Lofts and the yet-to-be-released Boulder Ridge.

"At Boulder Ridge, the luxury homes will include the element of fire in the fire pits and fireplaces, which are standard. Metal materials will be used throughout. The element of water will be found in the water features and the wood is in the wood construction. The earth will be shown in such materials as slate, stone and rock."

These elements have also been incorporated in its C2Lofts which will feature fire pits and fireplaces, wood and metal elements, and courtyard water features. "At C2Lofts, the element of earth will be depicted in a rooftop garden. There will be bamboo growing up from the courtyard and toward the rooftop, which will help promote good health and harmony," she said.

Boulder Ridge is planned for The Ridges in Summerlin and C2Lofts is under construction at Charleston Boulevard and Interstate 215, the Las Vegas Beltway.

Panorama: Focus on Light
Panorama Group met with feng shui consultants four years ago while plotting Panorama Towers, a high-rise complex located on Dean Martin Drive, west of Interstate 15.

"We decided that we wanted to make the building feng shui because about 20 percent of our sales are to Asian-Americans. We worked with our architect, Klai Juba, to incorporate all of our consultants' suggestions," board Chairman Laurence Hallier said.

Reflections of sunlight were a consideration in the towers' design.

"The consultants' suggestions for the most part were very good. It is all about how the light shines on the lobby, how the tower reflects the sun, how our roof sort of reflects the sun," Hallier said, adding that the placement of glass was well thought-out.

"An architect doesn't always think about how a sun hits a building. It has more to do with the culture of feng shui and how a building reflects the sunlight and how the light hits the common areas. ... Specifically, more glass was added to the lobby which allowed light to hit it at a certain angle," he said. "We have received great feedback from every Asian customer."

Allure: From the Ground Up
Likewise, Allure Las Vegas, a high-rise under construction near the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, sought consultation before breaking ground.

"Before the building was built and in the design phase, we had a feng shui expert assess the building plans and building site. Based on her recommendations, we put some symbolic, representational things into the cement foundation that are supposed to bring better feng shui -- a gourd, a sword and coins," Alan Schachtman, senior vice president of developer Fifield Realty Corp., said.

"According to our expert, Asians seek good circulation and clean traffic flows to all areas. One of the hallmarks of our design is that everything is direct and there is not a lot of wasted space and no long hallways," he said.

He added that some of its Asian buyers have purchased specific condos based on unit numbers, another feng shui consideration.

"We also considered feng shui in the actual design of the tower. It is facing south and was built in big curve shape, which supposedly is very good for collecting chi energy as well as attracting wealth. It also symbolizes the curve of the wind," he said.

"These things have seemed to appeal especially to the Asian market. Feng shui is an interesting thing to do, and it adds some differentiation to our designs."

Lennar: 'Good Design Sense'
Lennar Homes is among the valley production-home builders that have enlisted the assistance of a feng shui consultant when finalizing some of its floor plans.

Among its active neighborhoods that feature feng shui elements are Tuscany as well as Barrington at Providence, located within the Providence master-planned comunity.

"We've been working with feng shui principles for about six years. There are so many different elements to feng shui that we can't use all of them in our homes. The most important thing in home design is being able to provide quality homes that are affordable to families." Vicki Zoot, director of marketing for Lennar, said.

"An example of a feng shui element incorporated into some of our homes is that the front door is not located directly across from the back door. Another is that the stairwell does not align directly in front of the front door, it is usually off to the side," Zoot said, which would divert positive energy from the main part of the home. Likewise, its model homes are clutter-free, another feng shui ideal.

"Many feng shui ideas are used because they just make good design sense."