April, 2020
Banana Box House

Today I saw a homeless man wearing a banana box around his body. He wandered slowly across a busy on ramp. Cars backed up waiting for him to cross. He wore the box with pride. It offered shelter, protection, and even some privacy as it hung down and covered him. The box was his home.
Every time a client finds a new home whether a modest first or a grand piece of architecture, I know they are establishing something simple and important. Without a home we are turtles without a shell. We can’t relax. We are raw. This guy might seem loopy at first glance, but imagine his challenge. He found a way to create his home. He built it over his body. It’s a shell. It’s his solution. Our home is our shell and our comfort.