Part 2 copy — How A House Works

How Does it Work?

The identification process is assisted by an uncanny sensitivity to problematic domestic situations through a number of proprietary techniques, key among them is a process I call the

“insecurity of dislocation.”

Over the past 30 years of my professional life I have been invited to hundreds of residencies, and have lived, for short periods of time, in many different types of domestic structures...from humble, hand-made sheds to extraordinary châteaux. Typically, during the first few days of dislocation, in this state of heightened awareness, I am ultra sensitive to my physical surroundings. I am able to identify

specific aberrations

, both of the spatial and chattel categories.

For example, your favorite comfy chair may be situated as such, encroaching upon a preferred thruway, and if adjusted as recommended, will provide improved traffic flow to you and your guests. Often a refrigerator door, with the simple operation of switching the hinge location, will open up to your kitchen triangle in a more excellent manner! Possibly, your faithful architect has specified a handsome, yet dysfunctional handle upon the cupboard, that places an ever-so-slight undue pressure on the inserted fingers. You may not even notice these micro-aggressions, but I will! The identification and correction of these simple design flaws will fall into the category of

Small, or Medium.

A more involved operation, such as the total rearrangement of furniture within a room, removal or addition of walls, or possibly the relocation of a staircase would be under the

Large

category. Only upon very rare occasions would I identify the need for major structural changes, such as the addition of a wing, or possibly a relocation / reconstruction of a primary egress, although this is definitely within my purview. Rethinking key architectural elements may seem to be an exaggeration of the Department of Micro-Aggressions, but please be reassured that it is not the size of the project, but the effect they have upon our psyche. These we will call

X-Large

Gentle reader, let me now say to you...the effects of an unordered house may seem insignificant, but I am confident to inform you that these repeated domestic molestations will in time, add up to adverse affects in our pursuit of a civilized home!