NORMAL HOUSE
The
etymology of the word "normal" means "that which is made by the
carpenter's square." It is manufactured by humans, consists of right
angles, and behaves predictably. In the postwar decades, the convergence of
mass media, shortage of housing and the federal need to reconstitute the social
body made normality no longer something innate, but rather a quality to be
actively pursued. Despite its exclusionary history, unsustainable patterns of
growth, and intrinsic economic volatility, the image of the “normal house” is
still one that resonates with the current housing market. A defining
characteristic of suburban architecture is the economic model that revolves
around consumer choice, and the illusion of individuality via property. This
system, like the architecture itself, is actively designed. This systematized
effort is conducted to make homeownership, family life and even your choice of
normal house incredibly easy.
Through a subversion of the everyday, this body of work is seen as a point of
departure towards a stance that explores the tensions between architectural
form and its representation. Simultaneously, the project provides an
alternative to surburbia that is geared towards the uncertainties of
contemporary domestic living. How can a plastic architecture
of unpredictability allow for the more accommodating “model home”?
Recipient of the Harvard GSD 2019 Digital Design Prize
Location: Cape Coral, Florida
Speculative / Unrealized
2019