Throughout this project, I had the intention of exploring the motion ‘home’. Due to my history of often moving houses throughout my childhood because of my father’s job, I have had to start my life from scratch on a number of occasions. I would often ask myself ‘Where is home?’ or ‘What does home look like?’, questions to which I do not have a clear answer. I have always had a house, but never a home.
I would not be able to identify where home is to me, I know where I would not want to live, which is why I had planned to explore numerous neighbourhoods that I would not want to live in. However, as the project progressed, I was drawn to South Kensington. I would often find myself going back to that area of London best known for its luxurious houses and the French diaspora. Being French myself and having grown up in a middle/ upper-class environment, South Kensington felt somewhat familiar. Though I have grown up in similarly affluent settings, I do not identify with it. I had a happy and warm childhood however the places I grew up were far from that, they were rather unappealing.
Finally, the architecture in South Kensington is beautiful yet I believe the neighbourhood is cold and uninviting. In addition, the outrageous house prices clash with the lack of affordable housing in London otherwise known as the housing crisis. I suppose this project is a form of rejection of a place that is so familiar to me but not homely.
© Cloe Zielinski, all rights reserved
