Layering allows you to stack things higher than you otherwise would be able to. It also gives you a way to keep elements separated from each other.
In a building, for example, you might designate the ground floor for retail and keep the upper floors for residents. Or in an office building you might reserve the ground floor for lobby and reception, the second floor for food service, and the upper floors for office space. Dedicating a specific activity to each layer makes it easier to get the best use out of the space.
Layering can also be useful in virtual and conceptual spaces. In software design, for example, you might want to separate the interface layer, where users interact with the software, from other layers where you manage data and hardware.
Can layering help you simplify and make sense of your situation? Can you use it as a design approach, to make a space easier to understand and navigate? Can you use layering to optimize a physical or virtual space?
See also: Iceberg, Pyramid, Altitude, Tetris, Subduction.
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