Feng shui and geobiology are two traditions of environmental diagnosis rooted in different cultural contexts. Practiced in China for over three millennia, feng shui interprets mountain forms and water flows to achieve environmental harmony. Geobiology, developed by Hartmann and Curry, examines underground water veins, geomagnetic fields and electromagnetic fields to understand their influence on human health. Although geomantic theory is based on qi and geobiology relies on physical measurements, both assume that invisible energies influence well-being and perception. Today, neuroscience and quantum biology, without directly referring to these models, provide a conceptual foundation that helps clarify hypotheses concerning the links between the physical environment and the internal state.

These perspectives invite a dialogue between ancient knowledge and scientific approaches. In this spirit, this article proposes a comparative framework combining feng shui, geobiology and international scientific standards. It draws on fieldwork conducted in three villages: Hongcun, Xidi and Chengkan. The methodology combines three approaches: geomantic analysis examines principles of site selection; geobiological analysis studies the Hartmann and Curry grids; finally, measurements of light quantity, air quality and acoustic comfort are conducted using classical scientific instruments such as lux meters and CO₂ sensors. The data are integrated as layers within a Geographic Information System (GIS) to enable spatial overlay and comparison.

The results show that feng shui functions as a form of vernacular spatial intelligence grounded in sensory experience and symbolism. Areas defined as comfortable, often near water and well ventilated, coincide with areas perceived as auspicious. This correlation echoes the identification, in geobiology, of balanced or pathogenic points. By articulating a comparative framework that juxtaposes symbolic, sensory and scientific diagnostics, this study contributes to clarifying how different epistemic traditions evaluate spatial health while maintaining the epistemological distinction between them. It draws on the relevance of traditional knowledge in heritage and design.

Emerging technologies have continually challenged the limitations of traditional glassmaking and expanded the material’s potential in architecture and design. Despite other glass forming methods reaching acceptable tolerances for architectural integration, ‘Frit Lace’, a Kilnworking technique that involves fusing crushed glass particles, has remained limited due to its reliance on a labor-intensive manual arrangement of finely ground glass. This research questions how digital fabrication might meaningfully integrate into the traditional craft of Frit Lace. In doing so, this paper explores how digitally fabricated deposition masks might balance maintaining an acceptable tolerance in the final form while allowing the organic nature of molten glass to corrupt and enhance the artifact.

The technique developed during this research offers a method of kilnforming glass that does not require the use of a refractory mold during firing, instead allowing the glass to remain unconstrained while molten. By allowing freedom of movement during the firing process, this technique reveals consistent behavioral patterns that can be analyzed to study the shape behavior and movement of the glass relative to its digitally designed pattern and loose frit arrangement.

Through a series of tests, a recurring phenomenon emerged: angular shapes consistently softened, forming rounded corners as the molten glass settled into a stable shape. This behavior led to the development of the term ‘radius of repose’ which serves as a conceptual counterpart to the ‘angle of repose’ used to describe the stable shape of granular materials. Once understood this ‘radius of repose’ can be predicted and designed for, resulting in a process that offers predictable outcomes and repeatable results. This digitally enhanced frit lace method could help close the gap between the dynamic movement of molten glass and computational control, creating a path for further integration of this historically delicate craft within the world of architecture.

Museum visitors are usually guided along specific routes and given specific information. This pre-determined information can limit visitors' understanding of how the artifacts relate to each other and to the broader context. While museum design efforts aim to create coherent narratives, spatial layouts often restrict interpretive experiences. This paper explores reimagining museum experiences using a design-led research approach based on Jane Rendell’s Critical Spatial Practice (Rendell 2006).

A spatial design intervention developed for the Rezan Has Museum in Istanbul is presented. In this project, the connections between the original layout and the exhibited artifacts were analyzed and then reorganized thematically using graphic mappings. These mappings used visual elements such as directional arrows, line types, and color-coded connections to express conceptual relationships implicit in the museum's original display. Drawing on Jane Rendell’s interpretation of the Site/Non-Site dialectic, the resulting spatial configuration was transferred to a new architectural context, a gallery space, where the logic of the museum was reconstructed as an open topography (Rendell 2011). This displacement created a layered experience, allowing for a changing form of interaction where the participant reconstructs spatial memory through embodied movement. The transition from observation to active experience challenges the conventional concept of the visitor, revealing their transformation into a participant.

The research proposes an alternative model that can be applied on a global scale, based on local museums with spatial limitations or low visitor numbers. The aim is to increase both the sustainability and accessibility of cultural heritage through its flexibility, portability, and context sensitivity. Thus, the museum is transformed from a static repository of the past into a living and participatory public platform where social relations and collective memory are constantly renewed.