Properties from a feng shui perspective: Part 123
By David Koh and Joe Choo | Jan 8, 2010
Good Sites In Damansara
Damansara Heights may reputedly be one of the most prestigious and expensive housing estates in Malaysia but a careful examination will show that this is not uniformly so. Some parts of this area do fare extremely well while some parts do not.
Common sense and logic would dictate that once a certain area attains a certain status, it would be in great demand and fetch high prices. Developers would try to purchase land here and construct posh condominiums to meet the incessant demand of the young and upwardly mobile, and the nouveau riche.
Yet, there are still pockets here and there that do not seem to do as well. The inhabitants may find success difficult to attain or maintain. They could have achieved success previously and decided to move upmarket to match their status. Then, the well of good fortune they have been enjoying would seem to have suddenly dried up.
Every household has a story to tell and though external appearances may be good, the truth may not be as pleasant. The economy could suddenly go bad – downturns do occur in seemingly regular cycles. Perhaps they are in a sunset industry and a decline is not surprising. Perhaps the industry is booming and competition has become very intense. There are many socio-economic reasons for a downturn, but could there also be an environological reason?
The undulating terrain of Damansara Heights presents opportunity and danger to its inhabitants. This is a hilly area with many bumps, ridges, valleys and so forth, that shape the way earth energy flows. To attain harmony with nature and thus enjoy success, one needs to understand and conform to the landform. There is no such thing as bad property, just poor planning and utilisation.
LOOK FOR THE MOUNTAINS
When we examine the landform of any particular piece of property, we first look for the location of mountains. Then, we look for the river. From there, we can infer the movement of earth’s energy and determine the ideal orientation of the property. Unfortunately, many property developers do not take this into account. Often, they unwittingly build houses or offices that either do not properly tap into the energy pools or worse, go against them.
Damansara Heights is a good example of this. The overall landform is quite good, and for the most part, the layout and orientation of properties here are good. Different sections are built within ring roads, such as Jalan Beringin, which have the ability to trap and collect energy. (For Google map reference, please log on to http://maps.google.co.uk/ and search for “Kuala Lumpur”.)
There are other circular roads that branch off Jalan Beringin as well. However, one must be aware that properties within the embrace get to benefit while those sitting on the outer elbow of the roads would not. The angle of the elbow is such that earth energy is dispersed rather than collected.
Within the circle of Jalan Beringin, there is Medan Setia, a commercial area surrounded by high-end housing. It is a relatively small commercial district surrounded by houses. It is ringed by one-way traffic along Jalan Medan that traps and circulates energy. This section has a gentle gradient and thus the energy pool is quite good overall, thanks to the embracing road.
There are no big-name shopping malls here. Most of the businesses here are individual shops that seem to do a roaring business. There are also three banks located here, keeping the place quite busy during office hours.
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Setiabistari is one of the many enclaves in Damansara Heights.
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GRADIENT
Properties within the ring facing out will enjoy good earth energy. However, the conduciveness is not uniform. Due to the gradient of the land, some sections will face a downhill slope and some will face an incline. The former is relatively better than the latter and one can expect it to outperform the uphill facing properties.
That means overall business will be good in this area. However, some will still be struggling to survive, especially if the operator’s Gua is ill-suited for his premises. Thus, some businesses may still go bust and be replaced by a new tenant with a fresh marketing concept.
Eventually, the novelty wears off – or could it be the landform exerting its influence? – the business may suffer until the operator decides to call it quits. Enter a new tenant and the cycle continues. To the average consumer, this is “good” as there are new exciting restaurants to patronise, shops to visit and a fresh look to keep boredom and familiarity away. Yet, to the poor business owner that could be the end of a dream and his hard-earned savings.
The surrounding area comprises various sections such as Setiabistari, Setiajaya, Setia Murni and Setia Bakti. These are generally enclaves looped by main roads that branch out from Jalan Beringin and rejoin the road. This is where the exclusivity and elitism of Damansara Heights can be seen. Houses here are large and sometimes expensively decorated. Small wonder that it is known as the Beverly Hills of Kuala Lumpur.
However, not all are made equal and there are caveats. Many of these properties are accessible via dead-end roads. This may be good for privacy and security purposes since there is no through-traffic. From an environology perspective, though, it is not very good.
STAGNANT ENERGY
Without the passage of people and traffic, human energy cannot circulate and this causes the area to stagnate. The ends of dead-end roads are more affected, whereas the openings are less so because there is still traffic moving about from the main road.
To compound matters, most roads here are curved to follow the terrain. Those that are within the embrace of the curve and facing these bends have the best orientation. Houses on the opposite side facing the outer elbow will fare relatively worse. Houses within the embrace but facing away from it are also not very conducive and the occupants here are likely to have a tougher time than their back door neighbours.
In such a terrain, there are three factors affecting the landform environology: the curvature of roads, dead-end roads and slopes. To be fair, the entire area is considered good but there will be varying degrees based on each house’s location and orientation.
On the other side of the hills, but still within the circular Jalan Beringin is Jalan Batai. This is an older, more established part of Damansara Heights. There are two small rows of shops along Jalan Beringin that are adjacent to Jalan Batai.
They used to be the focal point for communities living here, as there were not many mini-markets or shopping options in the area then. It was also very popular among the expatriates living in this area, possibly because it reminds them of the simple and friendly mom-and-pop neighbourhood stores back home.
GENTLE VALLEY
The Hock Lee mini-market still operates here, and behind it, there is Restoran Seng Lee which serves good char kuey teow. We believe this area did well because it was situated in a gentle valley and faced the “pit” which is next to Pusat Bandar Damansara.
However, with the construction of flyovers directly in front of these shops, the landform profile has changed dramatically. There is now a man-made mountain in front exerting energy downwards to these shops. Fast moving traffic zooming towards Jalan Semantan also create wind turbulence that disperses earth energy.
Businesses here may find themselves struggling and wondering why. The operators may think the allure of mega shopping complexes nearby in Bangsar is pulling away all but its most loyal and steadfast customers. That may be a contributory factor but could landform also play a major part in this?
Jalan Batai itself is an uphill road with several other roads branching out along the contour of the hill. Many of them are interconnected although a few are still dead-end roads. Relatively speaking, the “open” roads have much better landform and the residents are likely to do well provided their houses face downhill. Those who face uphill are likely to have a more difficult time than their neighbours.
COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY
The Royal Commonwealth Society’s Malaysian branch has its clubhouse here at Jalan Birah off Jalan Batai. The branch was formed in 1962 at the suggestion of Tunku Abdul Rahman, who became its patron. The Commonwealth House, as the building is called, was designed by prominent architect Datuk Kington Loo at no charge. The Minangkabau-inspired building on this half-acre site was completed in February 1971.
The club later expanded to include a swimming pool and changing rooms, with the acquisition of another 8,000sq ft of land.
The site has a lovely orientation, facing downhill. The Commonwealth House is also the only branch of the society outside of London to have its own premises, complete with club facilities, meeting rooms and reasonably-priced accommodation for visitors.
At the top of Jalan Batai, as the road crests and goes downhill, there is an old condominium project by Selangor Properties, which happen to be the biggest landowner in Damansara Heights. Given the limited land here, and the fact that the neighbouring residents are influential people who defend their space ferociously, further development may prove to be difficult.
There is a notion that successful people clamour to live high above everyone else, and perhaps this is what makes developers persistently try to develop land on hills and slopes. Truth be told, these locations are far from ideal from an environology perspective.
Hilltop properties do not receive and enjoy earth energy. Instead, they contribute to that energy and get drained. Furthermore, strong winds disperse any energy that is left behind or generated by the inhabitants. Hillslope properties experience rapid moving energy which is too strong and can overwhelm the occupants.
When will they ever learn?
*This series on feng shui and real estate properties appear courtesy of the Malaysia Institute of Geomancy Sciences (MINGS). David Koh is the founder of MINGS and has been a feng shui master and teacher for the past 36 years.
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