Space

The title of the previous post got me thinking. Does it really make sense? Space without Borders? The conventional way of thinking would suggest that a space cannot be a space if it is not bordered by something. In fact the only entity that science has yet to identify the borders of we actually refer to as Outer Space. Which, of course, implies that it is beyond space. Any element wishing to call itself a space must by conventional wisdom have borders. What is to delineate one space from another space unless there were a border? The space within a car or the space within a house are simple, with physical, mechanical boundaries. The space within a Basketball court or Soccer Field are defined by rules and norms. Professional or backyard, the players and fans know that the space within the boundaries of the game are far different from that outside. What about the space of the Ocean or the Atmosphere? Even the self-defined idea of personal space is bound by social norms. All space is defined by limited borders.





But what if it's not?





Many people say the aim of design is to define space. If that is the case than the designer can determine the size and location of any type of space they want. What about the area rug? Does the area rug define space? According to our previous definition, no. The area rug has no physical borders or social norms to keep a visitor from walking on or around the rug (unless of course you grew up in a formal Victorian house with one of those rooms we just don't go into.) The rug is simply a covering for the floor. Then why not carpet? Obviously the owner desires a softer material under their feet. Despite our rigid definition of bordered space, many people view a rug as separating one space from another, or breaking up a space. The edges of the rug form an informal border around and within a space. One that is continuously penetrated by people, pets, and furniture. The conversation then turns to the occupancy of space. Say a chair, (perhaps the nice high-backed Victorian chair you were never allowed to sit in,) is placed in a room so that half the legs are resting on the hard wood and half are on our lovely area rug. Which space is this chair occupying? The short answer may be "both," or possibly, "neither. Perhaps the chair is contained within, and defining it's own space. If the area rug is serving to "break up space." Then perhaps the chair is partially in a space within a space. If this is the case then all space can then be defined further by the space it occupies. Like a complex Matryoshka Doll, space can continually be refined and defined by the space with occupies it and it is occupied within. The rug defines a space within a room, within a house, within a village, within a county, within a state, within a country, within a continent, within the Earth, within the Atmosphere, within the galaxy, within Outer Space.

Thanks for letting me work that out.