The LUGAR Main Center and the SHEKINAH Conference Venue:

Of all the designs of Lugar De Angelus, the above were possibly the toughest to design. It had to represent spiritual magnitude, yet anchor and balance the subtle energies in such a way that it would also create a sphere of financial, spiritual, intellectual, emotional and physical wellness. It was the third building designed for the Lugar De Angelus wellness retreat, and the greater De Angelus Estates project.

The design of the complex is based on the Feng Shui Pa Kua, applying unique consideration with regard to polarity as well as spiritual placement, thus ensuring the layout is comprehensive and does not “miss” anything. The centre of the Lugar Centers’ total area is occupied by the Shekinah Conference Venue, thus a careful assessment of the site, in consideration of the Lo Shu, and assessment of the ti ch’i (earth), t’ien ch’i (heaven) and weather ch’i had to be made.

The 8 ancient Trigrams are applied when considering a site, laid out in the Later Heaven Sequence, incorporating the 5 elements as principle energies behind the manifested physical universe.

Since the equator or sun-path represents the phoenix fire element, and the arctic the tortoise, and the project is being constructed in the Southern Hemisphere, I mirrored the Pa Kua, to apply the Four Seasons or Celestials, as they pertain to the Southern Hemisphere.
Thus the fire=north=the equator and the South Pole= water= tortoise. It is important to mirror the directions to achieve the correct Southern-Polarity directions. The adjustments with regard to the polarity and representation on my simplified self-constructed basic Lo Pan, were applied throughout the designs. In the Northern Hemisphere, a south facing location is regarded as ideal, as to the logical northern fronts of the Southern Hemisphere, optimizing the solar power of the sun.

The element, animal, emblem and seasons remain the same, once the placement of the 6 directional changes to the Pa Kua were affected. Elemental cycles are also important in offering practical guidance with respect to enhancement and harnessing of the most advantages energies.

Once the footprint of the whole complex was auspiciously superimposed upon the landscape, the inner landscaping and grounding of the buildings, according to the Later Heaven Sequence was affected, to optimize inter-relation of the energies.

It became apparent that a greater energy was guiding the design process and I found myself guided to superimpose the Early Heaven Sequence upon the buildings and their applications… drawing on the ancient ideal heavenly order, thus anchoring such an energy placing through the vocation applications of the eight office buildings for the various treatment regimes.