Book chapter
The Cosmogenesis of Building: Ancient (Eco)Logical Construction Practices
Towards a Nature-Positive Built Environment, pp 53-65
2026
Featured in Collection : Drexel's Newest Publications
Abstract
The impending threat of climate change on the health of our planet has awakened a new environmental awareness in our culture so that today we are reconsidering the constructed world with respect to nature and the position of the sun to create low-energy sustainable environments. This “new” approach to the design of the constructed world reconsiders nature-positive ancient traditions that have been forgotten due to the new technologies of the past century that have allowed us to defy nature. These ancient traditions were (eco)logical—the forces of nature were used to shape the constructed world to create comfortable dwellings that responded to prevailing environmental conditions. The ancient built world was auspicious because it was oriented with respect to the natural world: the positions of the sun, the stars and the planets. The cosmological origins of building will be demonstrated by considering the ancient practices of Vāstu Śāstra and Feng Shui as a way of reconsidering present-day nature-positive (eco)logical approaches to design.
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Details
- Title
- The Cosmogenesis of Building: Ancient (Eco)Logical Construction Practices
- Creators
- Eugenia Victoria Ellis - Drexel University
- Contributors
- Giuliana Iannaccone (Editor)Eugenia Victoria Ellis (Editor) - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Towards a Nature-Positive Built Environment, pp 53-65
- Series
- Research for Development
- Publisher
- Springer Nature; Cham
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering; [Retired Faculty]
- Other Identifier
- 991022155316904721