ron isaac push | reshaping domestic topography
b uildings in which we live may accommo- date work, play, rest, entertainment and exer- cise. This variety demands spaces of various dimensions, qualities of light, temperature, enclosure, and visual and acoustic privacy. Also, what is suitable for one person’s living may be intolerable for another. So, the do- mestic environment needs to be a constantly shifting collection of objects, surfaces, filters and devices capable of producing the many qualities we may desire. And, we need to interact with these devices to have them suit our particular wants. Like a bed, the house or apartment should rightly be made, unmade, and remade by the activities, rituals and desires of habitation. In short, the house or apartment should be flexible.
The value of having a private space that we can inhabit stems partly from the fact that we can ‘claim’ this space by arranging it to suit our needs. The ability to rearrange relieves monotony and it may be practical to use flex- ible design elements where functions overlap. Changing our domestic surroundings for special occasions, or as is required by some ritual or circumstance, can greatly enrich our experience of the places in which we live. These rituals may be daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, or yearly. This flexibility may be achieved by manipulation or re-habitation. The dwelling itself need not change, but if the way in which it is used or inhabited can
be reinterpreted, it can be equally valuable as a flexible design. One may wish to relocate one’s sleeping quarters from time to time or by season based on qualities of light, enclo- sure, temperature, or sound. A design which allows the resident to switch from room to room is certainly flexible and potentially of great value.
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housing | houses | house
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