Listen to the voices of the community when creating a built environment in their space, as they know the area best.

Including the community in a project allows for connectivity and a bridge between that community and the new space. It shows them that they as a people, deserve great spaces to exist in. (based on [Dana Cuff, 2023, Radically Public Architecture]).

Various projects in Medellin, Colombia bring together community and built environment. The inclusion of the people in the city helps an architect to understand what’s best for these people and how to create an environment that will better serve the community as a whole. The example below is of Biblioteca de España, which when built, brough the community together.

Biblioteca de España, Medellin, Colombia

Material usage in a building shapes the user’s experience.

Whether it be smooth wood or rough stone, the materials used in a building set up the experience that individuals will take with them after visiting. Materials can evoke a sense of wonderment or a sense of uneasiness.

From the outside, The Royal National Theatre in London is stark, gray, and plain. Made of concrete, the exterior of the theatre does not do much to invite the crowds possibly coming in to enjoy a show. The Angeles National Forest Supervisor Office Building in Arcadia, California evokes much more warmth with its orangey-red tones of wood and natural landscape.

The Royal National Theatre, London

Angeles Forest National Supervisor’s Office Building, California

Effective lighting in a room and the ambience it brings.

When we look at spaces like hospitals versus a cabin up in the Smokey Mountains, the feel and ambience of the space can oftentimes evoke very different feelings based on the lighting used. Bright, sterile lighting in a hospital still brings forth light but creates a different experience for someone than the soft, homey lighting a cabin in the mountains may have.

This Airbnb in Massachusetts brings forth such a sense of peace and warmth to the space with its lighting. The windows are huge and bring in daylight while the lamps cast off a cozy glow, making the space inviting and calm.

Airbnb in Massachusetts

The planning of a space and its multitude of endless possibilities.

The notion of planning a space doesn’t just consider the exterior, but also if the space can grow with the times as different ideas and trends evolve. With the growing Jewish populations in Palestine, space planning had to consider how different orientations of the space could maximize comfort for each new individual coming through. Competitions were held to see all the options possible. (based on [Sigal Davidi, 2023, Home Planning and Gender in Mandatory Palestine]).

ArcMax Architects 3-bedroom apartment shows how planning a space can allow for multiple individuals to live in a smaller apartment. There’s even room for a study and balcony.

ArcMax Architects 3-Bedroom apartment

Consideration of people who are disabled in all designs.

For a long time, access to all spaces for those who are disabled was viewed as “access is excess.” The inclusion of all types of people is incredibly important, not just for those individuals to feel included but also for their safety. Without proper exits or paths for disabled individuals, their lives are put in harm’s way if something were to happen, like a natural disaster. (based on [Dana Cuff, 2023, Radically Public Architecture]).

The Law Courts at Robson Square in Vancouver British Columbia is the first true ADA building. It joined together ramps and stairs to create a harmonious pathway to the courts.

The Law Courts at Robson Square, Vancouver, British Columbia

A balance of society as well as the house itself as a home to come back to.

Both aspects are important. Looking towards friends and family as a source of comfort, while also keeping the home someplace welcoming and true to the owner’s identity is a key component. They each should bring a component and mesh together, enabling the meaning of home to be expanded and understood in many ways. (based on [Hilde Heynen, 2009, Leaving Traces: Anonymity in the modernist house]).

This Swedish farmhouse dining room is mostly one color and has barely anything on the walls, yet the materials and décor evoke a sense of understanding and belonging. It truly does feel like a home, and you can picture someone bustling around and setting up brunch at the dining table.

Swedish dining room

Form follows function. Buildings combining the aesthetic and form with what it is used for.

Just like nature, the cycle will remain relatively the same as it would for a building. Its common uses will be unchanged and provide the community with a space for which it has been built for. (based on [Louis Sullivan, 1896, The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered]).

Saint Catherine’s Monastery Library, created between 548-565 CE in Sinai, Egypt. This library is still in operation after all the time that has passed, showing that it’s still providing everything it was made to provide.

Saint Catherine’s Monastery library, Egypt

Incorporate greenery in spaces to create a cohesive element between the built and natural environment.

Adding greenery not only supports sustainability in certain situations, but also gives the building a complexity that wouldn’t be achieved otherwise. The PARKROYAL hotel in Singapore has spaces that flow effortlessly because of the natural forms and greenery that take place outside of the building.

PARKROYAL hotel on Pickering in Singapore is pinpointed as a huge break in how nature can be incorporated into buildings, making them not only a destination but an experience.

PARKROYAL hotel, Singapore

Vibrancy and color as a way to draw people into the space.

Color can be deep hues of blue or bright shades of red, both on different levels of color, while still drawing people in. Because Singapore has included vibrancy and color in their buildings, it’s led to the city-state to be a huge proprietor for tourism. Eye-catching artistry in the form of architecture in Singapore allows it to have its own vibrant identity.

Little India in Singapore is its own special place. It has whimsical buildings and an abundance of colors that bring in swarms of tourists, excited to see what they may find.

Little India, Singapore

Revised Guidelines

Did social needs play a part in how the buildings in Singapore were built?

Is there Western influence in any of the buildings?

Does Singapore have its own identity and culture in its buildings?

Does Singapore have its own modernist aesthetic separate from what we read?

Don’t let personal tastes regarding aesthetic take away from the innovation and differences in the buildings.

Was Singapore a part of certain architecture movements that other parts of Southeast Asia were a part of?

In what ways can individuals contribute their ideas when a building is being built in their community?

How can ADA compliancy in buildings become something that architects aren’t afraid of?