I have felt this for a long time, but haven't been able to put it into these words. Recently, I came across an article in the New York Times Sunday Review (January 11, 2015), The Battle to Belong written by Roger Cohen. He considers home in a larger sense than a house. That is, the place and culture of one's history. Cohen writes:
“(Home) is the landscape of unfiltered experience, of things felt rather than thought through, of the world in its beauty absorbed before it is understood, of patterns and sounds that lodge themselves in the psyche and call out across the years. When home is left behind or shattered, an immense struggle often ensues to fill the void.”
One's house, made into a home, comes to be a setting or a container for this view of our world.
The spirit in which Building Arts designs and builds is to treat each of our clients’ homes as such a setting, and so this seemed a good jumping off point for our 2015 blog series since it so aptly captures our intentions.
“Indelible” is defined as “that which cannot be removed, washed away, or erased.” This does not mean that when one leaves one's home for another or changes their home, that something is lost, but rather something is carried with you. It is that “something” that intrigues and motivates us at Building Arts.
When one embarks to change their home through remodeling, it is not simply a matter of taking down a wall or making a kitchen larger or dressing it with the latest fashion in cabinets and counters, so we encourage our clients to work with us from a place “of unfiltered experience, of things felt… of beauty absorbed… of patterns and sounds that lodge themselves in the psyche….” This is not always completely achievable, but we try, since following this path will lead to better connection between you and your home; it makes for a better product.
How, then, does this translate into working with our clients and their homes? I believe in examining what exists. Every house, no matter how ordinary or elaborate has been built to meet needs and desires, so we look in depth to determine what should be held on to (what cannot be washed away) and what might change to serve our client.
I also firmly believe that we are designing and building for our clients, not for ourselves as designers, that it is YOUR home and that the essence of change should come from you. I interpret, helping you translate into spaces, materials, colors, textures, light, rhythm, views—those components which make for resonance with your living space. Of course, we bring ideas for you to reflect on, based on what you tell us and on our observations of your living in your home, physically and emotionally. That's the fun part, sorting through and reflecting on possibilities via a process of iteration, but here’s the key: if you think too hard, it won't work!
At Building Arts, we are VERY good home planners and designers. Ours is not a process that makes your remodel more expensive, only better conceived. We do have an affinity for projects which add to the value, durability and life of your home, such as siding, windows and roofs, moisture mitigation and energy performance, and we do these projects in a similar spirit—that thought must go into the character of the home and how the products and methods used will appropriately to strengthen your resonance with your home.
Harvey Sherman, Architect
Photos taken from Lake Nokomis green kitchen and family room addition and South Minneapolis den addition.
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