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Floor Surface

Opening context:
Ground Floor Slab, Floor-Ceiling Vaults, Intimacy Gradient

Conflict

We want the floor to be comfortable, warm to the touch, inviting. but we also want it to be hard enough to resist wear, and easy to clean.

Resolution

Zone the house, or building, into two kinds of zones: public zones, and private zones. Use hard materials like waxed, red polished concrete, tiles, or hardwood in the public zones. In the more intimate zone, use an underfloor of soft materials, like felt, cheap nylon carpet, or straw matting, and cover it with cloths, and pillows, and carpets and tapestries. Make a clearly marked edge between the two — perhaps even a step — so people can take their shoes off when they pass from the public to the intimate.

Closing context:
Soft Tile and Brick, Ornament, Warm Colors