Don't just change your home. Change your life by changing your thinking about your living space! This slideshow was created for presentation at the national meeting of the American Anthropological Association. It explains the theory and practice behind a new approach to architecture and design that is currently under development for delivery on the Internet, but has been used for over a decade in a working architecture firm.

1. American Anthropology Association - Annual Meeting, November 22, 2008 Moderator – Elizabeth Tunstall, Ph.D. – Transdisciplinary Theory Panel A Systematic Approach to Designing a Home as a Fitting Ecosystem Christopher K. Travis Sentient Architecture, LLC Nidiant Corporation – Truehome.net E-mail – chris.travis@nidiant.com

5. A Definition of “Home” For humans, “home” is the complex relationship between the physical characteristics of a claimed, intimate space; the experience, nature and behavior of the inhabitants of that space; and the environment in which all occur. Like a forest, a pond, a city or a living body…a “home” is an ecosystem.

9. How do you design a “home” to fit the experience of being human?

10. Particularly since most homes are shared by more than one person.

11. … and each of us has a unique “experience of home”!

13. Our Homes Are in Our Heads! (But most of us think our “experience of home” is in a building and approach the problem with “how to” methods.) People make most of their choices about their homes based on emotion and instinct…then rationalize their decisions after the fact.

14. At Truehome  , we see a “home” as an ecosystem, so we map the behavior and features of the inhabitants’ system.

18. … and a reasonable amount of media attention.

20. Truehome  Projects Project: Johnston Major psychological influences: Need to control social environment, self expression Major style influences: Desire to be site appropriate; California childhood (arts & crafts) Time spent in rural Italy (lifestyle and dining)

21. Project: Ferester Major psychological influences: , empty nest, fun and family, high level of socialization Major style influences: Rural setting; innovation, antique materials, complex finishes

22. Project: Raymond Major psychological influences: Final home, expression of territory, father’s lighthouse studio Major style influences: Old world architecture; Need for style that allowed tower (lighthouse).

23. Project: Serenity Retreat Center Major psychological influences: Religious scripture, sacred psychological healing. Major style influences: Monasteries, Nature, Biblically referenced materials, symbolic details

25. Christopher K. Travis Sentient Architecture, LLC Nidiant Corporation – Truehome.net E-mail – [email_address] or [email_address] Blog – http://architecture-of-life.blogspot.com Phone - 979.249.5961