Ever wonder why one building feels uplifting, while another built in the same style leaves you feeling flat? The difference between the two is substance.

What do I mean by substance? Just this: certain underlying principles by which a home can bring to life the most inspired and healing qualities within people. Beauty and comfort are features we’re accustomed to thinking about—but more sensitive aspects of ourselves also need to be nurtured, such as our capacities for intimacy, introspection, and happiness. Still deeper within us lie primal patterns and instincts that our ancestors acquired from tens of thousands of years living communally and close to nature. These patterns, too, call for our attention—and a house has to satisfy all of them to be truly successful.

For example, as we enjoy a panoramic view from a mountaintop, we seem to feel safest with our backs protected by a big boulder—or, when we’re closer to home, protected by a wall. While this tendency is no doubt a holdover from the days of cavemen fending off saber tooth tigers, it remains an extremely powerful human trait. Understanding it is critical to skillfully siting a home as well as designing windows, decks, patios, and any space with a view.

This is one reason that portals are so popular: we can sit and take in the view while remaining sheltered from the elements, our backs protected. We’re neither fully indoors nor fully outside. Walled gardens and patios offer a similar sense of comfort and safety. The key to all such outdoor spaces is balancing exposure and protection—maintaining our sense of security while remaining open to the wildness and inspiration of nature. Admitting just the right amount of nature stimulates our senses and tells us where we belong.

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Copyright 2001
Hacienda Press