Domestic spaces can create physical and social barriers between the structural inhabitants and their surroundings. FS agents recognize that the motivations for such barriers are complex and varied. The following are a few of the more obvious reasons: provide security from the physical and social elements, cultivate and protect class position and values, and maintain privacy. These motivations can create curiosity, isolation, and animosity for those in the surrounding spaces.

The mission of Open House is to facilitate a temporary coalition of people from various networks of experience, framed in a domestic setting for the simple purpose of creating meaningful experiences in a space that was previously inaccessible. FS agents hope that each Open House creates disclosure, vulnerability, and interaction for each of the participants.