ABSTRACT
As society increasingly moves away from the traditional nuclear family and its demands, the residential landscape must also adapt, allowing for flexibility and the potential for change. Developments such as the internet and smartphones have allowed for further independence from our direct neighbours and communities, allowing connections to flourish further afield than ever before. This change can be seen in the residential landscape, with the proliferation of isolated detached houses, each with their own independent private space. Little overlap between public and private occurs here, and in this instance, it seems the era of neighbourly care, support, and communal resources is all but gone. As such, lacking in many residential conditions is community spirit between neighbours, as well as flexible, nonprescribed space that can be adapted to suit a variety of uses.
This research study proposes the potential for architecture to facilitate societal change through the creation and support of social connections and networks amongst neighbours. Explored through a mixed methods approach, this research explores the residential landscape through the lens of care. This is achieved through provision of an occupied edge and central landscape, whereby visibility and proximity, physical and social connections, and a detailed understanding of care requirements come together to form an architecture of care. |
RESEARCH QUESTION
How can understanding the various care requirements of everyday life, in a variety of circumstances, be applied to the architectural design process?
Can an ‘architecture of care’ work to make visible the often-invisible unpaid care labour undertaken by many of our communities? Might this visibility of care in the domestic sphere help to alleviate these loads from carers and provide greater quality of life to those being cared for?
THE CONCEPT
An Architecture of Care is the result of overlaps in the following areas:
No. 1
Visibility & Proximity
An understanding of the impact of visibility and proximity on the realities of care and domestic labour in the built environment
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No. 2
Connections
The importance of physical and social connections to support and enable relationships and links to sustain care and allow it to flourish
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No. 3
Care
The importance of care in the residential landscape and how bringing this often invisible form of domestic labour into the light can create socio-political changes through the medium of architecture
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THE PROCESS
Design ResearchTraditional architectural design research methods used to determine architectural form, construction, and layout. This includes architectural drawings - general and 1:20 details - model-making, sketches, and precedent study.
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Qualitative ResearchMatrices of Care compiled through use of schedules, timetables, etc. to tabulate relevant data on care loads and domestic labour. These were brought into the design research through use of a structural grid, movement diagrams, and colour-coding.
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Theoretical ResearchLiterature Review and Dissertation support the concept of An Architecture of Care through use of relevant literature, research, and findings on pertinent topics. This involved bringing areas such as social theory and art practice into the work.
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