The Napping Architects Studio was founded on a single idea: a building is a device for lying down inside. Everything else, including walls, doors and stairs, is a distraction. Our founders, Principal Architect Marmaduke Loaf and Associate Architect Dame Pillow, drew up the following manifesto.
One. The floor is the most important surface
Everything happens on the floor, or just above it. A ceiling is for looking at, briefly, before sleeping.
Two. Light must arrive at an angle
Direct light is for photographers. Slanted afternoon light, which lands on a rug and stays, is for architects.
Three. Every room needs a destination
A room without a spot to rest is a corridor with ambitions. We design every space around a single point of repose, then add the rest as an afterthought.
Four. Stairs are a failure of imagination
We do not oppose stairs outright. We merely say that if you must change level, you should do it in a way that ends in a landing, and the landing should have a cushion.
Five. Walls should be warm to the touch
Cold walls are a hostile gesture. We specify materials that hold heat, such as brick, timber and anything recently used by a laptop.
Six. Corners are sacred
A good room has at least four. A great room has a fifth, which we call the secret corner, and which nobody can find.
Seven. Doors should be optional
We recommend a door that is slightly ajar at all times, since the ability to enter and leave is more important than whether one does.
Eight. A window is a television
Every window should show something worth watching: a bird, a tree, a car park. The view is not for the human, who is busy. It is for us.
Nine. All buildings should be small enough to feel like a hug
Space is not freedom. Space is a draught.
In closing
We invite clients to read this manifesto and to join our studio in the work of reclaiming the horizontal. We also invite them to take a short break afterwards.
Our founders can be reached at the front desk, or on the cushion beside it.
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