The Entrance Sequence
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When the transition from public street to private interior is abrupt — a door directly on the sidewalk, a parking lot leading to a foyer — neither arrival nor departure has meaning. The psychological shift from outside to inside needs spatial support.
Evidence and Discussion
Every memorable building has a sequence: you approach, you pause, you enter. A gate, a path, a covered porch, a vestibule, a hallway — each element adds one layer of transition between the fully public and the fully private. In cold climates, this sequence also serves as a thermal buffer — each layer reduces heat loss and wind intrusion.
Therefore
design the approach to every dwelling as a sequence of at least three spatial transitions between the street and the interior — a change in direction, a change in enclosure, and a change in light. This might be: a gate or hedge (direction change), a covered porch (enclosure change), and a vestibule or mudroom (light change). In cold climates, the vestibule is not optional — it is the thermal airlock between winter and home.