Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz

The Ramar writes in Siman Kufl Amal Aleph that you don't put your head down for Tachman in a place that has no Aron Kodesh or Sefer Torah.

And the Mishmur explains, it's from Apostle and Sefer Yeshua, that falling on one's face is only in front of the Aron Hashem.

In fact, Zilberstein in Chashuk HaChemit points out,

that the implication is that when there is a Sefer Torah present, the entire place is considered to be Lifnei Hashem, which means a greater sense of Hashem.

Another issue to keep in mind is that there are a number of environment issues when you are in someone's house, in a living room.

There could be a bathroom that's right there that is emitting a foul odor.

Certainly having a davening right next to a large screen TV and other paraphernalia

that a person has pictures all over the place.

You don't have photographs in a shul, because you're not supposed to daven even in front of begadim et suyarim, lest they distract your attention.

So there are tons and tons of distractions in people's homes.

Shuls are built to be places for tefillah.

Bathrooms are kept at a distance from the sanctuary.

The sanctuary is usually built large enough to accommodate people.

the whole crowd at once, there are no pictures, there are no other distractions, and you're using a room that's designated for Torah

And for tefillah, you're not using someone's television room.

The Gemara in Brach Lestav Ches says that Rabbi Yochanan was surprised to learn that there were old people in Bavel.

Because the Torah tells us, So it's only al-adama, only in Eretz Yisrael.

So when Rabbi Yochanan heard that people go to shul early and stay late, he said, ah, that explains it.

because that's the school of Freirichus Yavim, for a person to be a shul goer.

So for those reasons and more, what about the fact that there's a rabbi in shul, and if a shaila comes up, you have someone to ask.