In the world of green design, everybody brings something to the table. Some people arrive with a primary concern about chemicals and other pollutants in our homes and workplaces. Others are motivated by a love of the natural world and a desire to preserve it. Still others hope to find a spiritual and life changing aspect to sustainability, which is where the book “EcoChi: Designing the Human Experience” fits in.
Guided by changes in her own life, Debra Duneier has created a business – and now a book – around her idea of EcoChi, a marriage of sustainable design and Feng Shui principles. Starting with how she found herself in business as a Feng Shui consultant, and began integrating aspects of an eco-friendly lifestyle in her design, Duneier then takes us through a series of illustrative examples of clients and how she arrived at beneficial solutions to their design problems, using her trademarked EcoChi system. Chock full of information on things as varied as tips to make your hotel room feel more like home, and how to use EcoChi to improve your family and romantic relationships, this book attempts to illustrate the correlation between Feng Shui, sustainable living, and environmental psychology.
This slim, but information packed volume is the perfect fit for those looking to combine an interest in sustainable living with Feng Shui. Although this book does not contain images of the design work described, I’ve heard there will be a follow-up book, and I’m hoping that they will be included there. It would definitely be an added benefit to see a spacial representation of the solutions described in the text.
Since I am not a practitioner of Feng Shui, I can’t attest to the authenticity of the advice she gives, but she does make many good points about sustainable design that could prove useful. I’ve had several clients over the years that have been concerned with finding a balance between their desire for a “good flow of energy” in their homes, and the wish for environmentally friendly design. I wish I had had this book to loan them at the time.
Visit the EcoChi website to find out more about the book, including how to purchase either the hardcover version, or the eBook.
