Architecture is traditionally designed for cisgender men who are heterosexual and abled, but what if it could be otherwise? Queer perspectives offer new ways to challenge traditional ideas about how spaces work and relate. Queerness includes anything that subverts normativity, so architectural designs must include all genders, orientations, identities, abilities, ethnicities, and cultures to create truly inclusive environments. By incorporating queer epistemologies into their practice, designers can rethink space, function, and relationality.
Space
Architecture should acknowledge the physical environment's impact on sexuality and gender identity. Spatial planning should consider privacy, accessibility, and safety for people of all bodies and identities.
Private restrooms may need more stalls than typical, while public ones need single occupancy options. Designers should also consider cultural contexts when creating intimate spaces like bedrooms or bathrooms. Open floor plans often lack privacy and may disadvantage certain groups. Designers must ask themselves which spaces prioritize whose needs and why.
Function
Buildings should accommodate non-binary identities in terms of functionality. Bathroom signage, locker rooms, elevators, and office layouts must be accessible for trans individuals. Flexible spaces allow adaptability, and universal design principles ensure usability for everyone. Gendered spaces should not dictate access based on assigned sex at birth. Designers should avoid binaries by including non-gendered language and symbols in building signage. Accessibility must extend beyond physical spaces to emotional experiences; disabled or neurodivergent individuals may require sensory considerations.
Relationality
Relationships are crucial components of architectural design. Queerness means challenging heteronormative assumptions about power dynamics, romantic partnerships, platonic bonds, and family structures. Designers should create shared spaces that foster collaboration, community, support, and solidarity. Interior designs can feature artwork, décor, colors, and textures that express diverse identities and cultures. Outdoor areas should incorporate greenery, light, sound, airflow, and other elements that support wellness and relaxation. By reimagining spaces through a queer lens, designers can promote inclusivity, equity, and sustainability.
Architecture must incorporate queer epistemologies into its practices to challenge traditional understandings of space, function, and relationality. This shift requires deep reflection on how social norms affect built environments and how they can be subverted for greater inclusion.
How can architecture and design practices incorporate queer epistemologies, challenging heteronormative assumptions about space, function, and relationality?
Queer theory is an interdisciplinary academic field that critiques normative understandings of gender, sexuality, and identity. Its concepts have been used to inform architectural theories on spatiality and temporality. Queer approaches challenge traditional binary notions of gender, such as male/female, and reconfigure spaces according to fluidity and multiplicity.