The key feature in the design of urban houses (domus) for the Roman elite is the long axis running from the street entry to the garden. This axis ties together fauces ("jaws"), atrium, tablinum, and peristyle; it is framed by columns (often positioned, as here, to "force" the perspective and make the house look bigger than it actually is). The house falls naturally into to two basic zones, the "negotium" ("business") half focused on the atrium and tablinum, and the "otium" ("leisure") half, focused on the peristyle. Most houses included several dining rooms and cubicula, and many included small, private bathing facilities.
