A widely acknowledged effect of the pandemic has been an increase in our awareness of our physical surroundings. Spending more time at home has emphasised the value we place on what surrounds us, leading to a rise in people seeking to move house in search of more space, greenery or a new life altogether. As we now start going back to all the places that have been unavailable to us throughout lockdown, we will undoubtedly have an increased consideration of how different environments make us feel.

While most people can intuitively sense the atmosphere of a building, it can be challenging to pinpoint the exact design features that cause such emotional responses. The concept of feng shui – how the arrangement of furniture and layouts can create harmony – has existed for thousands of years. Yet buildings and environments have rarely been created with such consideration.

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