More than the place we hang our hats…

What does home mean to you? What does it mean through the eyes of someone else? 

This fall, University of Northern Iowa (UNI) students from the interior design and art departments decided to explore this topic through the eyes of some residents of Western Home Communities, creating an intergenerational connection.  

“This was a meaningful project for all those involved,” says art instructor Alex Dooley. “It took students outside their comfort zone and into the community. They discovered home can be many places and the meaning of home is not necessarily tied to objects, but more to the memories.”  

Dooley and interior design professor Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi asked students to study the meaning of home through experiences, objects, places, time and people in the community. 

Students conducted multiple interviews with 10 villa resident volunteers – Nell Wilson, Greg and Jan Hankins, Roger and Vicki Neessen, Bob and Donna Grosse, Norma and Ron Leibold, and Donna Pohl.  They also took photos inside their homes, which were analyzed and categorized by the observations of the students. 

Collectively, the students then created eight hashtags (categories) that emerged as meanings of home:   

#Memories - items symbolize people, places or the essence of home

#Sensory - some objects and furnishings provide sensory information

#Territory - things convey a link with land and space that contribute to belonging

#Comfort - spaces, objects and furnishings keep us comfortable, physically and psychologically

#Choice – space offers alternatives for placing meaningful objects

#Relationships - things speak to past and present family relationships

#CultureandTraditions – things provide connection to past, heritage, customs and traditions

#Time/Movement - items mark time or the passage of time

Students unveiled the project results at a presentation in late October and invited residents to attend. Students reported that, over time, the meaning of home expands through life experiences; and spaces can be emotionally significant, not simply functional.   

They also learned from residents that nothing in life is permanent and everything is temporary. It’s important to have a grateful heart and be happy for what you have.