Is Your Home Dangerous Enough?

By benmoore

I've been reading Winifred Gallagher's book, "House Thinking: A Room-by-Room Look at How We Live."

In it, she highlights the work of Grant Hildebrand and his quest to discover the characteristics of "innately appealing architecture."

He began his research by asking why homo sapiens might be drawn to some places and repelled by others. With colleagues in the fields of biology, psychology, geography, he came up with five characteristics of an appealing home.

Today's post is about one characteristic he highlights: peril. How could "peril" be considered an important characteristic in considering the natural appeal of your home? Well, what do these homes have in common?

Ah, peril. Or maybe a better way to think about it, these houses conquer peril. From a balcony overlooking a 100 foot drop to the ocean, to a house seemingly bolted to the side of a cliff, all these structures give one a sense of command and power.

In fact, having the element of peril in your property will drive up the value of your home more than anything else. As an example, think about what people pay for the penthouse apartment overlooking Manhatten, or the house on the cliff. Looking out over a cliff into a wide expanse, however, brings up another characteristic in Gallagher's book that I'll talk about next time. But for now, remember that conquer peril will bring out an innately appealing feeling that only a home sapien could understand.

UPDATE on 10/10/06: A reader brings up a good point: all these houses also have great views. I forgot to mention an architectural aspect of "peril." Namely, the element of peril should create a feeling of exhiliration. Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater has a giant balcony that probably has a nice view, but without a doubt, it gives a feeling of exhiliration as it is perched over a potentially dangerous waterfall.

One more perilous/exhilirating architectural piece - the giant metal rhomboidal spine sitting atop a glass support structure here at my office (Minneapolis Public Library):