Getting Started

Perhaps the greatest human malady is “treeitis”: focusing on the trees while forgetting about the forest. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the world of modern building. Countless architects, builders, and home owners suffer from it. The result is that many buildings are designed and built with all the trees accounted for (the right number of closets and a dedicated phone line in the teenage daughter’s bedroom), but with little if any thought given to the forest: the true function of the building.

Every act of building arises out of a specific philosophy, set of values, and range of feelings. Just because they aren’t discussed doesn’t mean they aren’t there. All too often the philosophy behind modern building is to make money, the values represented are to make money, and the feeling desired is the feeling of making money. If you don’t like these defaults, then you’re going to have to consciously create your own. That means being openly philosophical, speaking clearly about values, and being honest about feelings. You may not be used to it, but you’re just going to have to buck up and do the best you can. Come on in, the water’s fine!

To get you started, let’s look at three basic questions:

What does a house do?
Why doesn’t modern housing do it?
What are the alternatives?

 

© Clarke Snell, 2005