Design can be brutal in how it affects people.
In my last post, I explored design and the feeling of togetherness. Today, I want to discuss the opposite experience.
I have used a wheelchair for over thirty years. This episode is my most powerful experience of being treated differently. And design played a significant role in it.
Two entrances, two experiences
I was heading to Malmö to attend an event about Sweden’s new policy on designed living environments. It was held in a brand-new building built for meetings under the tagline “work, stay, play”*, STUDIO Malmö.
When I entered, I faced a huge staircase. Since I needed to go to the second floor, I asked where the elevator was. I was directed to the left, through a rather dark passageway, to a stairwell. There, I found the elevator. On the second floor, I was met with a locked glass door and a doorbell (Right photo). When I rang it, another participant came and opened it.
The other attendees had a completely different experience. They took the stairs, and on the second floor, they were welcomed by an open door, carpets, plants, and the aroma of coffee and warm cinnamon buns from inside (Left photo).
The event was fine, but I couldn’t shake off my frustration. I felt that I was not worthy of being in this building.
The experience stuck with me, so did the spatial message of unworthiness.
In the car on my way home, I mentally composed and dictated the core of what would become one of our most vital research projects: The Syntax of Equality [1].
What if we start from dignity and diversity instead?
Many “Social staircases” are, in my view, ugly manifestations of norm and deviation divisions that, under the guise of “nudging”, force people into separate groups. However, just as patterns of inequality exist, there must also be patterns that support equity, dignity and diversity.
In our project, Sandström and Sandin explored social staircases from the lens of “existential sustainability”, combining social sustainability and Universal Design perspectives [2]:
We argue that such a balanced approach, which takes into account individual and existential concerns alongside systemic and societal considerations, is crucial for realising the democratic potential inherent in spaces like the social staircase. [2]
I am sure we can do better. In my next post, I will revisit the positive aspects of design and discuss how architects and designers can design for togetherness.
* This is how STUDIO Malmö describes itself on the wall of the building’s entrance: “Welcome to STUDIO. STUDIO is a house built for meetings. Meetings you do not get at a regular office. A platform for Swedish companies venturing out into the world and for the world’s companies that want to come to Scania. A scene where business meets cultural life. Open and accessible large parts of the day. (my translation)“. Oh, the irony, and institutionalised contradiction.
Links to the papers (free to download):
[1] Hedvall, P.-O., Price, M., Keller, J., & Ericsson, S. (2022). Towards 3rd Generation Universal Design: Exploring Nonclusive Design. Transforming Our World through Universal Design for Human Development, 85–92. https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI220824.
[2] Sandström, I., & Sandin, G. (2024). Designing for Existential Sustainability The Intersection of Social Sustainability and Universal Design, explored through Social Staircases. Design for All, India, 19(6), 132–150. http://designforall.in/?mdocs-file=2482.
Thanks for reading Dignity and Diversity by Design – with Per-Olof Hedvall! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.