The seen can also see.
February 13, 2017
Land for Sale
House for Sale
Which is better, house or the hilltop?
Strip Mine
German Castle
Anyone who has driven down an interstate through a hilly or mountainous area in the US has seen these places. I often wonder what piece of psychology makes a home owner want to live on top of a mountain enough to cut off said mountain top?
Strip mining for example – I think I just compared a house to a strip mine – is understandable. Miners must cut off the mountain to get the coal, which makes them a lot of money. It is what they value. Big box retailers like Walmart do this too, which is also understandable. They want to be seen from the freeway. It brings them more customers.
Historically, people went to considerable trouble to build on promontories as an act of defense, because the locations were hard to attack. They were very visible, and of course, the seen can also see. Which may be key to my question. Maybe the mountain top home owner likes the view. For a second this is believable, certainly it is what he or she would tell anyone inclined to listen. Then one realizes that the little house half way down the hillside most likely has an equally breathtaking view, until a “Pile-A-House” was plunked into the main site line, that is!
Romantically – Has the mountain top home owner romanticized the historic castle? Does he or she think the pile of bricks, mortar, wood panels and asphalt shingles is somehow it’s equal, or perhaps better. Is there a place for the natural mountain top in this line of thinking?
Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer. I do wish they would stop it, though! One thing I know is that a good architect could fit a house up there without making the neighbor want to move. More population must mean less nature. Careful consideration of where not to build leads to challenges about how we actually do. Challenges best met by an architect.
Real people don't hire architects...? 
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