The Porch

An extension of the house that conjures up literary references, movie scenes and fond memories from all of us. Whether at the front, back or side of the house and regardless of furnishings such as swings, chairs or couches, the porch occupies a special place in our ancestral architectural memory.

Porches can be open or enclosed, but enclosed porches do not really inspire the urge to mix a cool beverage and relax. One needs the unfettered breezes, the bumblebee-buzz near the ears, the occasional leaf landing in the hair. Porches should permit communion with nature in a civilized fashion. Feet on wooden planks, avoiding dirt and water. Chairs on solid, level footing. The slow swaying of hanging plants dangling from decorative hooks. The structure may have a cover, however, and still be an acceptable porch. A wooden umbrella covered with helpful shingles to keep dry our heads on rainy afternoons. But, the smells of the rain, the sound of the refreshed birds after the shower - none of this should be experienced with any impediment from cold glass or hard brick.

Railings are almost requisite for a good porch. They permit the casual leaning of friends engaged in conversation and a makeshift table for supporting icy cold bottles of soda or glasses of homemade lemonade. Wooden slats so arranged that they stand like soldiers in formation around the open space. Defining "your" piece of the ourdoors. That is also a property of porches, they expand the footprint of your territory. True, your yard is your own, but a yard does not command the respect and sanctity of a porch. A child will gladly chase a wayward ball into your yard, but will hesitate before retrieving the escapee from your porch. Although part of the free environment, the porch is still a fixture of your home and the mind views it differently than the surrounding ground.

Good porches make good neighbors. From a porch the comings and goings of a neighborhood can be watched. There is both safety and collegiality in this. With porches, the errant individuals have fewer opportunities to make unseen mischief. With porches, also, problems and dangers are more quickly observed. With porches, individuals are offered the opportunity for spontaneous conversation. Neighbors see each other and this, naturally, leads to conversation and the strengthening of community ties. The porch builds and safeguards the small part of society that we call ours.

There are porch-imposters, of course, but careful examination quickly discloses their true nature. Decks are not porches. Decks are not shaped correctly. They do not gently embrace entire length of your dwelling. They do not play a supporting role in the architecture, enhancing, but not dominating. Decks are boxy, robust and intrusive. They "stick out." They host many things inappropriate for a porch, such as a barbeque grill, a hot tub or a large patio set with colorful umberlla. They cry for attention. Porches are confident in their importance, history and subtle beauty. Decks do not "do" holidays well, either. A proper porch beckons trick-o-treaters and delights in lights for the winter holidays. A deck wears an invisible sign that says "keep off." It does not participate in the traditional holiday decorating ritual. It has function, but no soul.

Stoops are a poor cousin to the porch. Hard and cold, so often made of stone, cement or brick. Even a wooden stoop lacks space and atmosphere for the simplest chair. On the structure you must sit - there is no concession to comfort. A stoop cannot host a sizeable gathering where participants can look into the faces of their friends and loved ones. More than a few gathered individuals and a stoop requires extensive staring at the backs of people's heads. A railing, if it exists, is generally metallic or of stone construction. Not terribly inviting for the throughtful lean or the support of a slowly-sipped beverage. The stoop lacks grace. It lacks the opportunity for the comfortable leisure that is the glory of the porch. There is no ability to sit and hear the rain falling on the roof. You cannot stand and welcome Halloween celebrators with a bench of candles and candy. Stoops offer little purchase for strings of man-made stars or pots filled with exotic blooms. They do build communities, but with harsh price.

A porch is a monument to life as it should be. Connected to both the body of the house and the soul of Nature. The porch models what we aspire to achieve with a balanced life. The place in between the civilized and the wild. Not too extreme with either, but with a foot in the kingdom of each. A porch is a person, and a fine one, at that.