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The cosmogenesis of dwelling: ancient (eco)logical practices of divining the constructed world
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1860/2730
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| Title: | The cosmogenesis of dwelling: ancient (eco)logical practices of divining the constructed world |
| Authors: | Ellis, Eugenia Victoria |
| Issue Date: | 15-Jan-2008 |
| Citation: | Paper presented at The International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, Morelia, Mexico |
| Abstract: | The disenchantment with scientific progress has
awakened a new environmental awareness in our
culture so that today we are reconsidering the
constructed world with respect to the position of
the sun to create sustainable environments. This
“new” approach to the design of the constructed
world is based on ancient traditions that have been
lost due to new technologies 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 built world was
auspicious because it was oriented towards the
cosmos: the positions of the sun, the stars and the
planets. Human dwelling was considered to be a
microcosm of the universe and was associated with
spirituality. The act of building itself was a
religious rite. Divining the constructed world was
a talismanic operation that the ancients used to
orient their earthly creations to be “square with the
world” and began with the human body at its center
and origin. 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 body-centered
(eco)logical approaches to design. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1860/2730 |
| Appears in Collections: | Faculty Projects and Publications (COMAD)
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