The 2025 united states pavilion at the 19th VENICE ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE
PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity
What is a Porch? A place for intimate gatherings? A space mediating the interior and the exterior? A bridge between the private domain and the broader community? It could be said that the Porch is an “apparatus” for “slowing things down”; enabling the “crystallization” of many social forms within the temporal field. If we take a broader view, this simple building element can be seen as an allegory for the many roles that architecture plays in facilitating and making visible the almost infinite variety of human relationships. As architects, we ask ourselves how this not so simple concept of the “porch” can support and extend a broader social agenda?
“The Porch”
In response to this beautiful challenge, we respectfully reference the architectural card structures of Charles and Ray Eames and Enzo Mari—design thinkers with profound social reach. The repetitive and crystalline qualities of these almost urban assemblages inspired our thinking. Recurring, but always changing, social forms like the porch, can be manifested throughout the seasons in a variety of conditions. We need to continue to imagine and create spaces that support stronger and more welcoming communities, now more than ever.
