Feng Shui Before You Build

Now is the ideal time. Before any design work begins, the position of the house on the land, its sitting and facing, the entrance and the main layout are all still open. Starting at this stage means your architect can design with the Feng Shui planning requirements from the first sketch, instead of revising a finished design later. If you are still choosing between plots, it can begin even earlier.

Yes. On a new-build project it should begin before there is a floor plan. The first stages assess the land and its surroundings and set the building position, facing and planning priorities. Those findings are written into a Feng Shui planning brief that the architect uses to develop the first plan.

Ideally before, or at the very start of concept design. Your architect can already be appointed; what matters is that the Feng Shui requirements reach the design team before the position, facing and layout of the house are fixed. Daniel then reviews the first plan and verifies the revised plan later in the process.

That is common, and it is usually still worthwhile. If concept work has started but major decisions remain flexible, Daniel can assess the land and review the existing drawings together, then provide planning requirements for the next design revision. The later the stage, the more the advice has to work within decisions already made, so it helps to enquire as early as possible.

The external environment and the landform around the site. Depending on the project, that can include the shape of the land, what the site faces and backs onto, roads, approach and access, neighbouring structures, slope and site condition, nearby water or other external features, and how all of these relate to possible positions for the house.

Yes. Where the site allows a choice, setting the building position is one of the main purposes of the land assessment. Daniel identifies the Feng Shui considerations for where the house should sit within the site, and the architect then balances them against setbacks, access, regulations and the other design requirements.

Yes. Sitting and facing is one of the central outputs of the planning stage. Daniel reads the facing together with the landform, the approach and the intended entrance, rather than from a compass number alone, and records the requirement in the planning brief so it can be carried through the design.

For vacant land, new-build homes, commercial sites or larger development projects, yes, I strongly recommend an on-site assessment.

The land itself is part of the Feng Shui. Photos and videos are helpful, but they cannot always show the full surroundings, landform, approach, levels and relationship of the site as clearly as being there in person.

When someone is making decisions for a home they may live in for many years, I prefer to assess the site properly before advising on building position and orientation.

If I am not confident that a large land project can be assessed responsibly from photos and plans alone, I may decline a remote consultation and recommend an on-site visit instead. I would rather turn down a project than give advice I am not fully confident in.

You can also see selected on-site land and development work in Spain and Scotland below.

Parts of it. Reviewing architectural plans, providing written comments and verifying revised plans can be done remotely, with discussions over Zoom. The land assessment is the part that normally needs a site visit. After reviewing your project details, Daniel will recommend a remote, on-site or combined approach.

Yes. The process is designed around it. Daniel sets the Feng Shui planning requirements, your architect designs the house, and Daniel reviews and verifies the plans. Daniel does not produce architectural drawings. Architects and designers are welcome to join the discussions so the requirements can be translated directly into design decisions.

Depending on the agreed scope: the Feng Shui planning direction, building position considerations, sitting and facing requirements, entrance priorities, major internal zoning considerations, written comments on the plan, revision notes and a revised-plan verification note. These are Feng Shui requirements for the design team, not architectural drawings.

Daniel carries out a Revised-Plan Verification. He checks whether the agreed Feng Shui planning direction has been preserved through the revision, and whether any change has introduced a new Feng Shui issue, before the design goes to construction.

It is the final Feng Shui check of the revised architectural plan. Daniel confirms whether the intended sitting and facing, building position, entrance strategy, major room priorities and zoning relationships remain as agreed. It is Feng Shui verification only, not architectural certification or building approval. Structural engineering, statutory compliance, building codes, construction methods and cost remain with the architect, engineer and project professionals.

Yes. Bungalows and landed homes are among the most suitable projects, because there is usually real freedom over where the house sits, how it faces and how the plan is arranged. That applies to landed homes in Malaysia and Singapore and to detached homes and custom builds elsewhere.

Yes. Villas, estates and large private residences suit this approach well, because landform, approach and building position tend to matter more on larger sites. These projects are scoped and quoted individually according to their size and complexity.

A knock-down and rebuild is a good opportunity, because the new house does not have to inherit the old position, facing or layout, within what the site and local regulations allow. The process is the same as for vacant land: assess the site and its surroundings, set the planning direction, then review and verify the new design.

Only the basics are needed to start: the project location, the stage you are at and the type of property. A site or plot plan, survey, site photographs, concept drawings or floor plans are helpful if you have them, but they can be sent after Daniel replies. The What to prepare section on this page lists everything that may be useful.

Individually. The quote depends on the project stage, location, whether an on-site land assessment is needed, travel, the scale and complexity of the project, the scope of architectural review and how many revisions need checking. Scope and fee are confirmed with you before the consultation begins, and there is no fixed package price for this service.

No. The Property Planning Review at consult.danielsiew.com is a fixed-fee online service for a residential property where a clear floor plan already exists. Feng Shui Before You Build is an individually quoted service for projects that start from the land or need an on-site assessment, with the planning direction carried through the architectural process to revised-plan verification. If you are unsure which fits your project, send an enquiry and Daniel will advise.

Yes, for qualifying projects. Daniel is based in Kuala Lumpur. Site visits can be arranged in Malaysia and Singapore, and for qualifying projects in the United Kingdom and Spain. Projects in other countries, including Australia, may be considered depending on scope, and travel is factored into the project quote.