If there’s one thing Americans can probably agree on, it’s that the nation is divided. So the creators of the United States Pavilion at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice, which opens to the public on May 10, are prompting visitors to think about the role that architecture and design could play in mending us back together.

To do this, they have chosen to draw lessons from the ultimate architectural connector: the American porch, a sheltering bridge between public and private areas, and a space that encourages talking and communal activity.

“As good a way of understanding liberty as any other,” as the writer William L. Hamilton once described the porch.

The idea is to “really help people understand what the value of being together is,” said Susan Chin, founder of the independent arts consultancy DesignConnects and one of three commissioners of the 2025 U.S. Pavilion, which is offering an exhibition called “Porch: An Architecture of Generosity.”