Dia House

The DIA House was an exploration of form and its ability to convey emotion. This house was designed to portray two states of mind: depression and mania. The entire building balances on the edge of a cliff, threatening to go over at any minute.

The side facing the cliff is open, as if ready for the excitement of the ocean. The other side faces away from the cliff edge and folds in on itself for its own security. The ocean side embodies mania in its form as well as in its experience; the view is exhilarating to someone in an elated state of mind but terrifying to someone in the opposite. The other side is cramped with low ceilings and awkward spaces — uncomfortable for normal activities, but comforting in a depressed state.