Happy neighbors is a study on residential spaces protected by physical barriers that are created in response to perceived or real threats of urban violence. As a result, these fortified homes create a false sense of security, forcing homeowners to distance themselves from their neighbors.

Growing up in a neighborhood like this, I didn't think too much about it until I moved to Richmond and found my community. The contrast between both is striking. One is safe, one tries to be. One is inviting, while the other isolates. But as I move back and forward between both, I realize that people always find a way of coming together, like nature overcoming barbed wire.​​​​​​​