Martha Stewart probably thinks of her garden as her favorite room, while Huck Finn would pick his raft. A favorite room may be the dining room because that s where everyone gathers for companionship and conversation. Or it may be the attic where one can have peace and quiet. A favorite room may be the one you remember from your childhood, a sleeping porch that evokes memories of crickets and summer breezes. Or it may be your brand new kitchen-family room that is filled with sunlight and family voices.
Screened porches hold a special place.
The one in my grandparent's house on the Canada side of Lake Erie, where my father spent summers, was the best and most important room in my life. Nobody builds screened porches much anymore. But these wonderful spaces, suspended half-way between indoors and outdoors can be magical. Maybe with the growing ecological consciousness in architecture, we'll stop imprisoning ourselves so much in air-conditioning and learn, once again, to cool ourselves on porches. Order a tape of this show.