In Japan, (with equivalents elsewhere in the East), the start of building on a new site is preceded by a ceremony - Jichinsai. It is performed by a Shinto priest to appease the kami on the site, and also to help ensure peaceful building operations.
These ceremonies are distinct from the practice of fusui, which is the Japanese form of Feng-shui, which is intended to locate the building in the most propitious direction and position.