Part II – The Nature of a Porch –Its Exterior Life

          Porches are making a comeback!  The front porch provides an ‘interface between inside and outside, private and public, viewer and viewed.’  It is this in-between aspect that makes the front porch not only an architectural place but also a social one.

          Here is a little history for you . . . For a full century, until immediately after WWII, the front porch remained a vital ingredient of American architecture.  It was the place people gathered news of the world – an outdoor parlor where gossip and information were treated as one.  But as Americans took to their cars, this arena for casual social interaction became obsolete.  The layout of the suburbs was built to be driven through, not to be walked in. (Geography of Home – Akiko Busch) 


         Another author puts it this way: The porch goes back to antiquity, but Americans since Washington and Jefferson have embraced it with special gusto. The so-called piazza was first popular in the South, where it provided cool shade.  People sat on their steps or benches and in time, the stoop grew larger, acquired a roof, and became a porch. The Victorian period, which venerated both fresh air and pale complexions, was the golden age of porches. . . Until the 1950's, the front porch was America's sitting room on the street. (House Thinking -  Winifred Gallagher)     

          Where once the front porch was a way of life for the American people, in recent years we have begun living more privately in the back of our homes.  Patios and decks became popular and the new styles of homes being built were void of a front porch. Also evident during this time was the disappearance of the front sidewalk.   We drove into our garage to enter the house and the ways of bumping into a neighbor became much more involved.   The gain in privacy often meant a loss in community.

          Sociologists, architects, community developers, and urban planners took note of this trend and its effects.  Intentional neighborhoods began to be designed with front porches on the houses, sidewalks, alleys, and detached garages.  The study discovered that people became much more aware of their neighbors because they knew each other by sight, sound, and story. It continues to be the hope that this ‘design’ will assist us in more natural ways of being ‘neighborly’ - friendlier and interested in the welfare of those around us.

          I can speak to this personally. Our home has three porches – one in the front and two on the side.  We have noticed that no one ‘bothers us’ when we sit on the side porches even though we can be seen.  The positioning of the location of this porch says ‘private- do not disturb’.  But when we sit on the front porch, those who are walking or pass by in their cars will wave, say hi or strike up a conversation. A remarkable difference!

          When I asked others about front porches, many responded with its importance to community.

The porch space opens up the mind and spirit to conversation, thoughtfulness, and friendship.  It lets you sit still and build a community through conversation, song, and prayer.

Big wrap-around porches on old Victorian houses are great places for neighborhood children to put on summer plays.

A place for friendliness . . . A place for neighbors to run into you.

Every Friday in summer a neighbor couple with a gorgeous front porch has ‘open porch night’.  Great conversations, great times together.

As we speak, our front steps (1950’s cement with wrought iron rails) are being torn out and replaced with a larger wooden porch with room for chairs, flowers, and neighbors!

         
        So if you have a porch, lucky you!  And if not, the front stoop might be just as magical.  Wishing you ‘good times’ and Happy Porching!  

Part I - The Nature of a Porch - Its INTERIOR Life

When I say the word PORCH what images, memories, feelings immediately come to mind?   Now - hold those thoughts for just one moment.  When I talk about PORCH, I am talking about that covered platform at an entrance to a home – often with its own roof.  It can be small or large – with a single chair or many - open to the outdoor elements or enclosed.  Are more porches coming to mind?  

In her book Geography of Home, Akiko Busch acknowledges that how one feels about a porch begins this way.  Is a porch to be a seasonal experience - open to the natural elements only when the weather is warm or is a porch to be enclosed - able to be used all year round?  However a porch is used, it seems to invite a transition in how we live.  It slows us down, provides us with a different perspective than we have in the midst of the four walls of our house.  The porch opens us physically to the outside and mentally into dreaming, imagining, and remembering.

Lee Krasner, the wife of abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock and herself a gifted painter, reflected on the ‘nature of a porch’.  With Jackson there was quiet solitude. Just to sit and look at the landscape. An inner quietness. After dinner, to sit on the back porch and look at the light. No need for talking. For any kind of communication.  I was curious how others felt about the ‘nature of a porch’ so I returned to my great and rich resource of Facebook friends by asking them ‘Why do you love porches?’  Here are some of their responses: 

·        It’s a place for transition!

·        Outside yet still sheltered; inside yet partially exposed. Speaks to the needs of the emerging spirit.

·        Porches are like a hand rolling out an invitation to come sit and rest for awhile....the heart is open ...making time and space.

·        It's place to go to rest, relax, and unwind. Solitude. Always looking for new ways to make it even more comfy.

·        There's nothing like a porch that helps people slow down, to be present in the quiet, to sip some lemonade or coffee, and let go of the outside world. The porch space opens up the mind and spirit to conversation, thoughtfulness, and friendship.

Others shared memories. As you read them, you may find yourself relaxing with them - drawn to a time seemingly slower and simpler.

                                                                                              

·        I love my screened in porch. I love the daybed for reading and the porch swing. I grew up with a porch swing and had a lot of relaxing times on a porch! We also have my husband's family's old hutch out there that made its way from Nebraska on a covered wagon.  If it’s just right porch weather it really expands the space of our home!

·        Thinking of sitting on my grandparents' screened in porch. Gentle breezes; a way to listen to one's surroundings without having to be physically connected to them; fun place for lunch or dinner; rocking; thinking; relaxing to the point of almost sleeping; a feeling of protection while watching a storm stir up and the rain fall.

·        A porch changed my life!  Seriously!! It was a porch where I could look out into the hills and write in my journal, sit with my friends and have the most amazing talks, dance in a square to some traditional mountain music, laugh so hard I cried, and almost always feel a sense of peace. It was the right place to be at that time. That porch reminds me of a time when I was trying to figure out how to live my life, how my work could reflect my values, and how I figured out that simplicity was the way I knew I wanted to live. That porch in Jonesville taught me to be myself, to appreciate God's great earth, and to always be mindful and thankful for its simplicity.

          This is the power of a simple appendage to a house - introducing us to that space between two worlds – that of being inside and outside at the same time.  This simple space that brings a sense of calm, rest, and the opportunity to think on life, does amazing good to our natures!! 

Coming Soon:    Part II – The Nature of a Porch – Its Exterior Life

This Taco John's is a Great Good Place

When you think of fast food restaurants have you ever used the words welcoming, comfortable, and accommodating to describe the space?  Not likely!  That is until you walk into Taco Johns in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.  This is not your ordinary fast food franchise!  This space invites you to linger (yes, you heard me correctly -LINGER – the word fast food places do NOT want their customers to engage at any level).  This Taco John’s could easily be a ‘third place’ – a place to meet others, enjoy spending time together while lingering over food and conversation.

I was so impressed with this space that I took notes and sent a letter to their corporate office!  Here is what stood out to me:  

·        The exterior appearance is delightfully pleasing – especially the lighting which adds interest as well as safety at night

·        The layout of the dining space is inviting, varied, and has good flow

·        Brown wooden chairs (wonderfully moveable to accommodate

customer needs) add warmth and a sense of home comfort

·        Restrooms are clean and very roomy – Please note that extra space in restrooms is always appreciated by women!

·        Brown tin ceiling tiles bring interest to the center space and make it unique from the rest of the room

·        Warmth and texture are added by the stone fireplace

·        The TV, located over the fireplace, is visible but does not intrude or invade the entire dining space 

·        Varied seating provides support and accommodation to many uses and needs for single diners, just for two, families, and groups by its high bistro tables, small café tables, booths, a large circular table for conferencing, and a curved booth that is open on one side for easy access

·        The first impression is CLEAN and ORDERLY

·        A sense of quality is evident in the attention to each detail

George Ritzer, author of The McDonalization of Society, has argued that the fast food industry has valued efficiency over other human values.  A restaurant consultant once shared with me that the lingo used in the industry is to create ‘an experience’ for the dining customer. 

 

Certainly this franchise, owned by Kevin Vance, has given considerable thought to the importance of the space in adding to a customer’s comfort and experience. This Taco John’s provides a welcoming, comfortable, and accommodating place for a lonely traveler, a tired single parent, a celebration, a staff meeting, and a first date.  It is my hope that many more fast food places will give thought to their spaces!  Thank you, Kevin Vance, for this great good space! 

To read more about how our spaces impact our behaviors visit www.spatialimpact.com.

Finding a Great Good Place

          When I first moved to Madison I was lonely. In finding my way in this new community, I often landed at Barnes and Noble.  I began to realize that by simply walking through its doors, I no longer felt like a new person in town in need of friends. The smell of coffee, the invitation to learn and enjoy life in each book, the overstuffed chairs to snuggle into for an hour or more, and other people doing the very same thing felt good. Here I was among total strangers, but  I felt welcomed - not pressured or asked to quickly purchase and move on; but invited to linger, be among others, to join this ‘community’.  Here I felt included, creative, productive, and at peace.  It was in those overstuffed chairs that I shaped and formed my business, Spatial Impact.

What makes a public gathering place feel so good? This was the key question that a sociologist by the name of Ray Oldenburg sought to answer in his book, THE GREAT GOOD PLACE.  As he says in his preface, “My interest was in those happy gathering places that a community may contain, those ‘homes away from home’ where unrelated people relate.”  What drew people in?   Why did it feel like home?  What happened that made it different from other public places? 

Oldenburg named them ‘third places’ and defined them “after home-first, and workplace –second, these are the informal public gathering places that serve community because they are inclusive and local.”  His research discovered several qualities that seemed to be present in every ‘third place’.  If you remember the TV show, Cheers, you begin to have a good understanding of what Oldenburg discovered. A ‘third place’ becomes such both by the space given to that purpose and the atmosphere created by those who gather there.

Here is a checklist of some of those ‘third place’ qualities:

ü Serves as entry points for newcomers.  A remedy for stress, loneliness, and alienation.

ü Business is often conducted here, networking happens.  (How many coffee shops can you name as ‘third places’?)

ü The entertainment is provided by the people being themselves. The main activity is conversation!  Third places are where people talk about their problems – listen to each other in a caring way.

ü A place for all ages to gather. They provide a means for retired people to remain in contact with those still working and allows the oldest generation to associate with the youngest generation. (Have you walked into a McDonald’s lately?  You’ll see the retired business men gathering for fellowship and moms in conversation while their children play.)

ü Inclusive of differing thoughts, ages, sexes, and vocations.  Accessible to general public with no membership or exclusion.

ü Allows people to come and go. Third places that render the best and fullest service are those to which one may go alone at almost any time of the day or evening with assurance that others will be there.

ü Access to them must be easy if they are to survive and serve. Location needs to be within walking distance or easy parking and open long hours.

ü Typically a non-pretentious décor which encourages the abandonment of social pretense.  Regulars of third places do not go home and dress up.  They come as they are.

ü The persistent mood of a third place is playful, cheerful, upbeat. One goes there to feel better and usually leaves in a good spirit.

ü The regulars make a third place come alive.  This defines the character of the place – providing an infectious and contagious style of interaction.  Cheers style!

The back cover of Oldenburg’s book says . . . “Third places or great good places are the many public places where people can gather, put aside the concerns of home and work (their first and second places), and hang out simply for the pleasures of good company and lively conversation.  They are the heart of a community’s social vitality and the grassroots of democracy.  .  . This is a compelling argument for these settings of informal public life as essential for the health both of our communities and ourselves.”

What’s your favorite Third Place?   Would love to know what makes it a Great Good Place for you!

What WOMEN Want

Paco Underhill, founder and CEO of Envirosell, Inc., has a new book  called

WHAT WOMEN WANT- THE GLOBAL MARKET TURNS FEMALE FRIENDLY.   In this book he takes us on a tour of the world’s marketplace for what makes a package, product, space, or service ‘female friendly’.   He also cautions all men to pay close attention and start making changes.

 I was particularly aware of his insights regarding women and spaces.  In his introduction he quickly puts it on the line . . . “If your store, restaurant, bank, hotel lobby, mall, or other public space or amenity doesn’t acknowledge the female factor, if it doesn’t invite women in and make them feel at home, at ease, safe, hygienic, respected, and in control, if it doesn’t take into account what women want and expect (which is a whole lot different from what men want and expect), well, then, it’s bad business.”

He names the top four qualities women want in the spaces they enter.

CLEANLINESS . . .   “Am I in a clean environment? is an intuition, a vibe that women pick up about every room they enter.”

CONTROL . . . Not only women, but most particularly women, want to have control of their spaces.  This allows them to create the space to suit their needs. Movable seating, temperature and noise controls are important to women.

SAFETY . . . This is a most important factor to women as they engage their environments. Hotel windows that don’t lock, bulbs that are burned out in the parking lot, lighting levels in the lobby all make women feel vulnerable and unsure of their personal safety.

CONSIDERATENESS . . . While politeness is certainly a character that is valued, Mr. Underhill is speaking about signage that addresses the questions women have regarding specific next steps.  This would include a sign that mentions assistance is available to load a heavy purchase into the car or that tipping is not accepted.   This signage calms the anxiety of what comes next and allows women to confidently navigate their spaces.

Let me summarize using my three key questions we ask of a space:  1) Am I safe?  2) Am I welcome?  3) Now that I am here, what is expected of me?  Now really, guys, isn’t all this important to you, too?   It’s very difficult for us to SEE our own spaces because they are so familiar to us - we already know that we are safe, welcome, and what is expected of us.  This is where I can be helpful to your business.

Take advantage of my FIRST IMPRESSIONS service. I come to your place of business, observe and then share a checklist of my findings that assist you in better understanding how your space is experienced by your clients. You will hear the positives and the challenges of your space as well as several suggestions for improvement.  And because I am a woman, you will be immediately updated with all the Paco Underhill criteria.  What a deal!! 

Read more about the impact of spaces on our behaviors and consulting services available at www.spatialimpact.com.

A Place or A Space?

Where is ‘place’ within the spaces we live and see?  Walls, streets, buildings give us place.  Sky, fields, and open water offer vastness of space.  Are ‘space’ and ‘place’ the same? I think not.   Space is vague, inclusive, and universal.  Place is named, determined, recognized.  Space holds dreams.  Place holds memories. 

Space allows breath and breathing.  It awakens the imagination and creativity.  It invites the deepest part of us to trust and explore.  It begs for nothing.  It is the absence of ‘what might be’ that gives it freedom.  It has no demands.  Space is uncommitted, unnamed, without story and specific memory. 

Place is very different.  Place offers suggestions by its very nature.  Place defines as it becomes a sounding board for the many memories it may invoke.  Places hold and invite stories.  While a place may be silent, the story that is recalled will be full of sound and movement, color and dynamic. Places remember a relationship, moods and feelings.

Not too long ago I invited my Facebook friends to share familiar phrases with the word ‘place’.  Listen for the clarity in direction and purpose. Hear the stories they hold. What memories come to mind?

Your place or mine?

A place for everything and everything in its place

Are you in the right place?

Between a rock and a hard place

What’s taking place?

A place at the table

Peyton Place

Place your bets

Placeholder

Place of worship

It's not your place.

No-place; Some-place

There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us. - West Side Story

Right-place; Wrong-place

We’ve got to get out of this place!

Put the placemats on the table near the fireplace.

I can't quite place the face.

Place your hands on your head and step away from the car.

What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?

Ah, but that was in another place and time." 

Placesetting of silverware

She put me in my place!

A place in the sun

A place of my own

Place-based training

They'll never place me at the scene of the crime!

I landed in 1^st place.

No place like home

I'll go in your place

 I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. - Abraham Lincoln

And now . . .  what PLACE phrase comes to your mind?   This is the PLACE to post it!

Making a House a Home

Several times a year I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity by offering a workshop called MAKING A HOUSE A HOME for their new homeowners before they move in.  The style of the workshop is conversational and  I usually begin our time together by asking for a definition of ‘home’.  As they snuggle into the reflective nature of this workshop, I find that they also snuggle into their hopes and dreams for what this new space will gift their lives. 

Defining home seems to remind us all that a home is a special and important place. Phillip Moffitt, former editor of Esquire magazine, said  A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.  Writer, Victoria Moran speaks of home this way. A home is a signature - distinct and recognizable.  Home is where you go to refuel - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Here are some of the frequent responses from the Habitat for Humanity families: 

·        home is about being able to be who you really are

·        a home provides privacy

·        home means having a sense of freedom

·        home is a place to call your own

·        it’s where family gatherings happen

·        a home creates a cozy feeling

·        a home brings peace and comfort into our lives

·        a home is a safe haven 

Then we go through every room of the house, identifying how life will be fully lived in that space.

·        How will you enter your home?  

·        What activities will be happening in the living room, kitchen, etc?  

·        What special furniture, art, or memorabilia will enhance your spaces? 

·        How will you live in the outside spaces?  

·        What colors are you eager to paint the walls and have around you?

·        What personality do you wish each room to express?  

·         What room do you think will be your favorite and why?

In some ways this process is asking What is it that you need from this house to be the best and happiest you? How do you want ‘home’ to feel when you walk into each and every room?

In addition to naming what will be packed to take to the new home, it is equally important to decide what will NOT be moving.  Stories of a readiness to ‘let go’ and ‘start fresh’ begin to be shared. Laughter and wild gestures accompany the telling of what will not be coming with them and why. The sorting of life memories and daily habits seems to happen naturally, just as the decisions of what does and does not go into the new home – the new life.

I once heard these words . . . “Your home is sacred space – a sacred space with your address.”  Each of these families has a new address, a new place, a sacred space to live a wonderful life! Welcome Home!!