STATION 6: HOUSE

The sixth station explores the relationship between domestic and communal spaces and the idea of implied separation. The icon of the fireplace and hearth is invoked in this design. The upper element is architecturally similar to a chimney, with an interior space and an exterior facade extruded from a single flat shape. The platform parallels the hearth — a flat, hard surface.

The house represents settlement, the ultimate goal of the Underground Railroad. This is not the harsh, black plantation house of the first station, though it shares some aesthetic similarities, such as the oculus. Being the house and home of freemen, the atmosphere aims to be relieving and welcoming.

There are two planes of separation between the center of the structure and the surrounding land — the overhead plane created by the upper element, and the implied envelope created by the columns. The raised platform works in conjunction with the columns to define the building volume. In the same way the building invokes the architectural lexicon of the hearth, it utilizes the promenade of the porch. The plane at which occupants interact with the building is distinct from the plane on which the community operates. Stepping up to the building's foundation plane provides a distinction between being in a public environment and a private setting.