What are the common knowledge of office feng shui?

The quality of office feng shui has always been highly valued by many bosses, with some even willing to spend a fortune to hire feng shui masters for guidance. This is because if an office's layout is appropriate from a feng shui perspective, it can boost the company's 运势 (fortune) and bring good luck to both employees and bosses. Below, I will briefly introduce some feng shui knowledge for offices from several aspects!
Feng Shui Knowledge for Office Seats

Seat 方位 (orientation) selection: 
North-facing seats are prioritized, followed by north-northwest, southeast, and east.
There should be a solid wall behind the seat as a 靠山 (backing):
Toilets should not be visible in front of, behind, left, or right of the seat:

No electrical appliances or noise should be beside the seat:
No ceiling fans, chandeliers, or horizontal/vertical beams above the seat (if unavoidable, install a ceiling to cover them).
The office door should open to the front-left or front-right wealth position of the seat: When looking inward from the door, it should be in the left or right corner along the 45-degree line.
Three Major Feng Shui Considerations for Independent Offices

Lighting in Office Feng Shui
Lighting plays a crucial role in an office or company. If the geographical location and direction result in dim light, investing in high-quality ceiling lights to significantly improve indoor brightness is essential. Some claim that lighting directly affects a company's financial luck, which is nonsense. In fact, so-called feng shui is based on the fact that humans are emotional beings influenced by the external environment, or what can be called "external influences." The brightness or darkness of light affects people's work mood, and highly creative individuals are extremely sensitive—they can instantly sense a gloomy atmosphere and cannot stand working in an environment filled with negative energy. Thus, the company may inadvertently repel excellent employees, and when lacking sensitive insight, it falls into crisis.

Placement of Office Desks in Feng Shui
Similarly, when arranging office desks, there is no need to focus on feng shui. Those with the ability should rely on logical and rationally analytical thinking. If you don’t understand it at all, don’t blindly believe in it, as a blindly superstitious person is more likely to lose their way in the world. The main considerations for office desks are as follows: First, there should be no distracting visuals in front of the desk—for example, the biggest mistake is placing it directly in front of a window.

Second, avoid pasting eye-catching posters or pictures in front of the desk. Why is this? Let’s take an example: Take a book and read it in two different environments—one with a colorful poster as the background and the other with a simple, plain wall or solid-colored desktop. Comparing your reading experience in these two settings, you will notice fundamental differences. This is what feng shui is about: the principle that humans are emotional beings whose mental focus can be easily disturbed by external stimuli. The physiological explanation is that you may feel as if a thief could run in from outside your field of vision to rob you, which is the benefit of this physiological effect—and this is feng shui.

Office Layout in Feng Shui
If you find rational analysis or feng shui taboos too complicated, here’s a comprehensive suggestion: sense the "气场 (aura)" of the space, though this may not apply to start-ups or offices in challenging stages. For large companies, observe whether the environment is outgoing and sunny or resistant and negative, tolerant and harmonious or narrow and petty. By making such judgments, you can understand the company’s founding culture—meaning that for any matter, we should explore its roots to demonstrate wisdom. Therefore, its origins are its "基因 (genes)," which largely determine its future.

Offices Should Be Spacious and Vast
If the "明堂位 (Mingtang area, the open space directly in front of the office)" is broad, quiet, and in an excellent feng shui position, the company will thrive and grow stronger. However, if the Mingtang area is blocked and narrow, it signifies obstacles and difficulties in the company’s future. Clearly, the Mingtang area symbolizes the unit’s future fortunes, so to ensure the company’s success, this area must be kept broad and open.

No "冲煞 (冲杀，harmful energies)" in the Direct Front
"冲杀" in the direct front mainly refers to "角煞 (corner sha)," "电杆煞 (utility pole sha)," "横梁煞 (beam sha)," and "阴煞 (yin sha)." If the office is far away from these 冲杀，it is relatively safe. However, even a slight proximity can affect the work efficiency of office staff, causing employees and even supervisors to encounter obstacles and strange occurrences. Therefore, for safety, it is best to install sheer curtains on the windows or use feng shui "化煞镜 (sha-neutralizing mirrors)" to resolve the issue. Otherwise, it may lead to a lack of cohesion and difficulty retaining employees.

Seats Should Not Be Empty Behind
Everything needs a "靠山 (backing)," and offices are no exception. An ideal office environment has a hillside as a 靠山 behind, which can "藏风聚气 (conceal wind and gather qi)" and facilitate wealth accumulation. If there is no hillside, a tall building can serve as a 靠山，enabling the company to develop steadily. If there is an empty space behind the seat, it will lead to instability in personnel and insufficient cohesion among employees, affecting the company’s foothold.

Avoid Darkness and Obscurity
Maintaining sufficient light in the office is directly related to career success. If the office is shrouded in excessive yin energy, employees’ moods will inevitably suffer. Only with adequate lighting can the business flourish.

Avoid Blocked Pathways and Obstacles
Office pathways should be unobstructed, like the blood vessels in the human body. If pathways are blocked, it will negatively impact employees’ financial luck and hinder the steady development of the business. Additionally, unobstructed pathways ensure convenience for employees moving around. Therefore, avoid bringing items that block pathways into the office—for example, potted plants should be placed in the four corners instead of along walkways.

Analysis of Feng Shui Knowledge for Office Partitions
Among all items used to block or neutralize 煞气 (sha, harmful energies), plants and screens are commonly used. Other items like Bagua mirrors, copper bells, salt water, talismans, and swords involve professional knowledge and may carry superstitious connotations. Therefore, it is recommended not to use them casually without a master’s guidance.

Selection of Screens:
Material is paramount: Wooden screens are preferred, including bamboo and paper screens. Plastic and metal screens are less effective, especially metal ones, as their unstable magnetic fields can interfere with the human body’s 磁场 (magnetic field)—use them sparingly.

Screen height should not be too high: It is best not to exceed the average standing height of people. Otherwise, a too-tall screen may be unstable and create a oppressive feeling, 无形中 (invisibly) causing psychological stress to users.
For office partition feng shui, the 吉利方位 (auspicious direction) should be determined based on the person in charge or the highest supervisor.
The office door must be larger than the opposite door, as a larger door symbolizes dominance in momentum, while a smaller one signifies defeat.
Ceiling or wall leaks, seepage, or cracks are symbols of wealth leakage and should be repaired immediately.

A high ceiling is auspicious: A low ceiling creates oppression, which is inauspicious and hinders business development, while also poor ventilation.
The office door should never face utility poles, large trees, chimneys, or road 冲杀.
If there is a water tap beside the supervisor’s or 负责人’s (person in charge’s) seat, it indicates wealth leakage: A solid 靠山 must be behind them.
Potted plants to block 秽气 (filthy qi): If your seat is directly in front of or beside a toilet, place large broad-leaved plants between the seat and the toilet. These plants can absorb 秽气 from the toilet (similar to an air purifier) and block negative 磁场. However, these "秽气 - absorbing" plants should be replaced every few months (like regularly cleaning air conditioner filters) or taken outside for ventilation (photosynthesis) periodically to prevent them from becoming sources of filth instead of cleaning the air.

Using screens to maintain hierarchical decorum:

Whether you are a general employee or a senior supervisor, if your seat faces the boss’s room, it is best to place large broad-leaved plants in between instead of using a screen, as the screen may completely isolate your relationship with the boss.
When there are large electrical appliances in front of or behind the seat, use large broad-leaved plants as a barrier. These "sha-blocking" plants should be replaced every three months or taken outdoors (to a balcony) for a day of photosynthesis and ventilation. Otherwise, like a dirty air conditioner filter, they may become sources of 秽气 instead of blocking 煞气，putting your seat in an unfavorable position.
If the seat is directly in the path of the office’s main flow or entrance/exit, place a row of broad-leaved plants to block the 煞气 from constant foot traffic.
When a trash can or garbage area is beside the seat, large green plants are more effective than screens in isolating negative 气场. However, remember: Even with plants, maintain cleanliness of the trash area, as it benefits both the plants and yourself. After all, plants can only purify the 气场 to a certain extent and cannot completely block all 煞气 and 秽气 —so minimize the source of negative energy as much as possible. Like air conditioner filters, these blocking plants also need periodic replacement or outdoor ventilation