raising the bottom line

There’s this little island off the southern Gulf Coast you have to cross a series of long bridges to get to. The views are tranquil on sunny days and treacherous on stormy ones.

To compensate for frequent flooding, homes are on stilted foundations. Some appear to be raised at least 10 feet off the ground. Near the end of the island where the elevation drops below sea level, most of the street is flooded, with ducks and birds swimming around road signs.

Elevated bases are not just important infra-structurally. In ancient civilizations, obelisks are a pyramid set on a trapezoidal prism, symbolizing a latitude between earth and beyond. The Freemasons adapted the symbol as inspiration for the Washington Monument, even shipping a 3500 year old original from Heliopolis Egypt and planting it nearby the MOMA in Central Park.

Which brings us back to the homes on Dauphin Island. Surely the first requirement of a foundation is that it’s engineered with stable forms and sound materials. Another characteristic to consider is if it’s set above the plane of disruption.