Houses, like people, generally have clearly defined fronts and backs. Yet our conventional notions of front and back can get confused when a house's most prominent side is not the side from which you enter, or when private rooms like bedrooms are right inside the entrance, while public spaces such as the living and dining rooms are farther removed. Either or both of these situations can be forced on you by an unusual site. When that happens, you must somehow accommodate the unconventional arrangements without clashing too heavily with the conventional hierarchies we use to organize our houses. A successful solution will make the unusual work while conforming comfortably with our expectations of how a building's parts relate to one
