Housing Innovation Lab

Encroach explores the tensions of privacy in high-density housing, where space is scarce and boundaries are constantly contested. Set along a footpath on Cornell's Arts Quad, the installation confronts passersby with glimpses of dense living, speculating on the minimal spatial requirements for everyday activities such as resting, working, and gathering.

A sequence of fragmented spaces reveals selectively framed views that expose the everyday compromises of dense living. Openings may frame views of greenery in one direction while simultaneously revealing only fragments of the body, for example, legs without faces, or faces without bodies, in another, drawing attention to the often competing demands of view quality and privacy. Views are never just given but must be physically negotiated, reflecting the reality that privacy in dense housing is rarely absolute. Wrapped in a reflective skin, the structure blurs and distorts its surroundings, warping perceptions of inside and outside and inviting reflection on who sees whom. And how much control we really have over it.

The project is generously supported by the Cornell Council for the Arts and the AAP Dean's Office.