Gender, Sexuality and Spatial Design

Discourse that occurs from gender inequality can be seen in many avenues within the design industry. 

Feminism, of course, began with the first wave in 1848-1920, leading to the second wave in the 1960’s to 70’s and progressed into the third wave in the 1990’s. There are many industries in which female roles are often overlooked and overshadowed within the male dominated fields. Examples of this in design include collaborations such as Charlotte Perriand and LeCorbusier as well as Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi. LeCorbusier famously portrayed his degrading views on women when he told Perriand ‘We don’t embroider cushions here’ after hearing her interest in working for him. This blatant sexism within the line of work is just a small window into the years of sexist inequality women have faced in the workplace.

Kitchen design is a great depiction of how the societal and stereotypical role of women has influenced design and the arguably damaging effects it has led to. Margaret Schute Lihotszi’s ‘Frankfurt Kitchen’ shows how a kitchen can be well designed architecturally yet play a detrimental role to the progression of female liberation within a domestic setting. In theory, the design was well articulated, with the main features of a kitchen placed strategically in a triangular formation to allow for a space easily accessible and most efficient. However, this design did not take into account the needs of the space’s users. With the kitchen being very small and designed to be occupied by one user (the female cook),  the design focussed on floor plan accessibility and entirely lacked in user empathy- Isolating the people who used the kitchen from the rest of the family elsewhere in the house. Inclusivity has been a driving force in the more contemporary design styles of open plan kitchens, primarily seen within mid century modern architecture. This was a renewal of societal structure after the war and ultimately after the second wave feminist movement.

Progressing into the future of design, historical events should be continually reflected and worked upon to ensure we do not repeat past mistakes. Every individual that experiences a space should feel welcome and included and it is up to us as designers to ensure this need is met. Within my own work, influences from the past will feature in my initial research to maintain social progression in my designs, keeping my work well informed.

References:

Lihotszi. S. M, (1926-1932),  ‘Frankfurt Kitchen’

History.Com Editors, (2019), ‘Women's History Milestones: Timeline’, A&E Television Networks, https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/womens-history-us-timeline