Pattern 193
Half-Open Wall
Context The Shape of Indoor Space191 · Half-Private Office152 · Six-Foot Balcony167 · Alcoves179 · Sitting Circle185 · Bed Alcove188 · Building Thoroughfare101 · Arcades119 · The Flow Through Rooms131
Problem
A fully closed wall cuts two rooms off from each other completely, blocking light and any sense of connection; no wall at all lets the two spaces blur into one undifferentiated area. Either extreme narrows what a floor plan can do.
Solution
Divide rooms with walls that rise only partway or are pierced with openings, so they separate and connect at the same time, instead of shutting the spaces off entirely or leaving them fully open.
Usage Alcoves179 · Workspace Enclosure183 · Interior Windows194 · Columns at the Corners212 · Column Place226 · Column Connections227 · Small Panes239 · Ornament249