THE HOUSES THAT  E JOHN BUILDS

You can’t see house’s substance
you can see home’s beauty

homes stand still by themselves
radiating beauty to the life it brings
to houses in its neighborhood
look and see

as a tree stands alone
mankind feels tree’s loveliness
as it grows
changing three or four times a season
cut down the tree explore its inner elegances
growth patterns shape and color
a tree is a dynamic generator of inner grace
and outer joy of its beauty
let the trees inner beauty remain expressed

clear glass wall is the liberator
can’t see this system’s substance
if you can’t your house doesn’t fit into site’s beauty
experience site’s interesting views and
marry site’s landscaping and
internal room’s ambiance together
are windows only to let light inside
when are windows only to observe a view
building a glass wall and discovering your trees
enjoy your front yard flowers
perhaps a bird or a rabbit will grace
your landscaped land

the average house owner cuts a hole in a wall
sticks a window in the hole and
calls this act colonial architecture
the ordinary house builder will determine the good design
of his buildings by counting the number of gables seen
starting with two gables
then counting to seven
just think I have built a house of seven gables
and have become a house designer

you are able to see the lack of design substance
observe the principles of
good architectural design
every well designed building knows these principles
and sings the beauty of form radiating


                                                                E John Knapp       2016