We republish a speech delivered by Billard Leece Partnership (BLP) Health Lead, Tracy Lord, at the 2023 UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen.
January 21st, 2024
We often design environments to meet gender-specific requirements, whether due to religious, cultural or lifestyle needs, but how do you navigate buildings when you are mis-gendered, non-binary or unsure of your gender identity? What barriers do we intrinsically create in architecture by applying gender to places, and how do we shift this to focus on inclusivity?
While working with the Youth Participation and Engagement Team at Orygen in a consultative design process for the Orygen Building in Australia, the facility architects came to understand that one of the biggest issues of concern for young people was the inclusion of design for the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly in relation to gender and sexual orientation. Standard design solutions for amenities can become continually confrontational for these groups, but is it as easy as making them all gender-neutral? And in what other ways do we unconsciously exclude them?
The Orygen project serves as a case study in the review of gender-inclusive spaces, as it sought to provide environments for youth who seek assistance for mental health issues. In studying this project, we understand that we cannot design spaces for non-binary or mis-gendered people solely based on historical information and research. The multitude of current issues can only be understood by direct engagement and including these people in the design process. Here, I want to review issues of gender inclusivity and gender neutrality, and the importance of inclusion in the design and consultation process.
1. Addressing Gender Inequality in Design
To achieve gender neutrality, we must first strive for gender equality. Design should not only cater to neutral spaces but also actively address gender inequity for women, trans and non-binary individuals. This includes reframing client briefs and design strategies beyond the male worldview.
2. The Influence of Cisgender-Centric Spaces
Neutral spaces often get dominated by cis-men, which can restrict access for others. To truly ensure inclusion, it’s necessary to move away from cisgender-centric design, an idea often referred to as ‘trans theory.’
3. Beyond Bathroom Design: Recognising Other Gender-Biased Spaces
Voice-assist technologies like Siri and Alexa often assign gender roles, with female voices used for service tasks and male voices for more authoritative roles. The world’s first genderless voice, ‘Q,’ challenges this norm and pushes toward true gender neutrality.
4. Breaking Gender Norms in Fashion
Non-binary fashion brands are emerging, reflecting the younger generation’s demand for non-binary, environmentally sustainable clothing. Examples include Selfridges’ concept retail spaces, which provoke conversations about gender-targeting in fashion and retail.
Related: Campbelltown Hospital by BLP
5. Transgender Architecture: Unearthing Historical Precedence
Historically, architecture has incorporated elements of gender fluidity, as exemplified by the Roman columns: Doric (masculine), Ionic (feminine), and Corinthian (a hybrid of both).
6. Responding to the Market Demand for Inclusion
The younger workforce and consumers demand inclusive environments that align with their beliefs. Research indicates that Generation Z, making up 24 per cent of the workforce in 2020, is highly invested in cultural inclusivity, sustainability and work-life balance.
7. Addressing Social Infrastructure Design for Inclusion
Inclusion must be a priority when designing health and educational facilities. Gender diverse individuals often avoid accessing health services due to discomfort and alienation, indicating a need for more inclusive design in these areas.
8. Orygen Project: A Case Study in Inclusive Design
BLP’s Orygen project illustrates that inclusive design requires listening to those with lived experience of gender diversity and continually updating the design process accordingly. More research and conversation around the impacts of gender neutrality and fluidity in design are needed.
This text is republished from a White Paper by BLP Health Lead, Tracy Lord.
Photography (Orygen and OYH Parkville)
Ian ten Seldam, John Gollings AM
We think you might also like this news on the return of Architecture with Pride in 2024.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
The American Hardwood Export Council promotes the works of next-gen designers through Discovered Singapore exhibition happening from 16 to 22 May at Red Dot Design Museum Singapore.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Warren and Mahoney’s mixed-use project in Auckland is well underway with big plans across hospitality, workplace, retail and more.
An iconic Collingwood building has been repurposed by BAR Studio into a collaborative and convivial workspace, for a creative roster of tenants to share.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Set to undergo a $60-million revitalisation, the National Gallery of Australia has announced the launch of a landscape design competition for its Sculpture Garden.
Meet a design studio that takes the business of design to another level. Zenith’s in-house Design Studio makes all the difference and let’s find out why.
With Milan 2024 only a few weeks away, we sneak a view of some of the most exciting pieces set to go on show – from lighting design to furniture, here are nine preview products.
When iconic brands wield their influence, the ripples extend far beyond aesthetics. And so when the MillerKnoll collective formed, the very concept of design shifted, supercharging the industry’s aspiration to create a better world into an unwavering sense of responsibility to do so.