Positioned within StudioBE, a space dedicated to imaginative art and activism, Storia: Defrag resembles a traditional New Orleans’ shotgun house that has been modified to expose the narratives held within. The shell wrapping the exterior holds a participatory framework for visitors to add their own stories of displacement and return. The pavilion is a transformable installation that can operate in multiple configurations, owing to wheels that allow one side of the structure to move independently of the other. When expanded, the structure recalls a disaggregated neighborhood. Its skyward exposure establishes a fissure within its walls, which define an 800 sqft. gallery. When contracted, a more intimate enclosure is formed, representing communities and homes being pieced back together. The residual space facing the studio acts as a stage for larger gatherings. As a transformable and adaptable structure that creates a space for community members to share time and space together, Storia: Defrag exemplifies how stories hold neighborhoods together and how cultural ties keep us anchored to place.