The electrical box sits quietly in the back corner of the basement, waiting in times of disaster. For when power outages hit our neighborhood. It is masked by a white cabinet that attempts to beautify the underground bedroom it sits in. However, the bedroom is not in isolation, the wires from that box connect the entire house, making it bright. The cabinets beautify an item that beautifies other things. It is the end of the loop in a house of decoration. The basement brings this beauty to the tip of negative space, where light is able to highlight the diagonal beams running through the ceiling. This gives way to an eye catching asymmetry in the main hallway. Even though the hidden beams and the electrical box are in completely different spaces, they depend on each other for both support and lighting. They are a perfect couple in a complex system called home. The same beam that makes the ceiling possible, is supported by a large metal pole, decorated in wood and paint. Without the pole running through almost the entire house, neither the diagonal pole nor the electric box can do its job. As kids, we played around the pole, ignoring the protectiveness it provides for us. Without these details, our house wouldn’t be what it is. A complex system of beams, columns, and wires make up what I call home.
Brian's 212 Understanding Architecture Section 