A Place to Hide

Prospect & Refuge

As a child, there were times when I needed to escape. I needed to have somewhere that I could go and ignore my family when they were driving me nuts. What I am describing a place of prospect and refuge. In an article by Annemarie Dosen, she defined these terms as a space that has "the qualities and attributes of a space–particularly including volume, configuration and access to natural light and outlook" (Dosen 2013). For a while, this space was my bedroom. Eventually, that wasn't enough, so, I switched to my tree house in my backyard. When I got old enough to drive, the road became my route for escape and comfort

My Bedroom as a Refuge

Source

When I was very young, I shared a bedroom with my two brothers. We had a triple bunk bed, a t.v. and red, black, and white walls.I begged and begged for my own bedroom; eventually, after a few years of persistence, my dad told me that I could have the guest room as my bedroom if I help remodel. Of course I agreed! We ripped up the old carpet and put in wood flooring, painted the walls a navy blue color that I got to pick out, and bought a bedroom furniture set. This new space was my prospect and refuge. It had high enough ceilings and enough natural light coming in through the window, which was my form of outlook, to make me feel safe and comfortable. I was able to sit in there with my door closed and my t.v. on and be alone, or, I was able to sit at my desk with my window blinds open and watch for people as they would pull into my driveway. As I got older, this space no longer fulfilled my refuge needs. I wanted more prospect and closure.

My Tree House

Since my bedroom no longer sufficed, I resorted to my "tree house". It wasn't actually in a tree, but it

Sketch of My Tree House by Me

was elevated on large four columns. The tree house had windows on all sides and a door that could lock. There was a porch at the front that had a rope swing, which was the only other form of access besides the door. When I wanted to be alone, I'd pull the rope swing up so that no one could enter the tree house. This is when the space would officially become my refuge. I was able to watch people as they'd approach me; I could see from all directions around our house, even over the fence. I spent many hours in this tree house. It wasn't that comfortable in terms of furniture and atmosphere, but the fact that I could be up there with no one else was comforting enough. I think that the porch was the best asset of the tree house. Dosen noted in a table that generously elevated terraces add to the prospect of a space (Dosen 2013). I felt protected enough to sleep on the porch and not be bothered. Sadly, this wouldn't be a space for me forever. We moved to houses and I lost that tree house and my own room, so I had to find something else to fulfill this need.

My Car and the Road

Photo Taken by Me from Inside My Car

When I moved houses, I lost my prospect and refuge locations. I had to share a room with one of my brothers and there was hardly a yard to have a tree house in. For a couple years, I had no prospect or refuge. Because of this I found myself staying after school a lot later than most people to talk with friends and I'd walk home. The day I got my license was the day I found a new prospect and refuge. It wasn't ideal, but it gave me control over who could be in that space with me and what I could see. I could drive almost anywhere I wanted, and when I needed to escape, I could just drive away. The roads became my comfort. True, my car did not have high ceilings or an abundance of room to be fully comfortable, but it got the job done. I stayed after school a lot later and was able to go where I wanted. This new freedom was the main aspect of my refuge. 

I've learned that for me, my prospect and refuge is never going to be permanent. Things will happen in my life that will cause me to lose my refuge and have to find a new one. I have gone through several refuges including my bedroom, my tree house, and my car to name a few; those will not be my last examples I'm sure. Being in college, I've already found that my refuge is anywhere that I can find where I feel alone, even if I'm not.


Dosen, Annemarie & Ostwald, Michael. (2013). Prospect and refuge theory: Constructing a critical    definition for architecture and design. International Journal of Design in Society. 6. 9-23.                    10.18848/2325-1328/CGP/v06i01/38559. 

Nussbaumer, L. L. (2018). Human factors in the built environment. New York, NY: Fairchild Books, An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing.