Architectures of Care: From the Intimate to the Common

This book explores how architecture shapes our affective, material, and social forms, from the intimate scale of the body to the planetary commons. It argues that traditional definitions of care prescribe gender roles, bodily norms, and labor practices and that architecture can engage with an expanded definition of care that questions these roles and norms, producing more hybrid entanglements between our bodies, collective lives, and environments.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 05 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Drawing from a rich tapestry of interdisciplinary perspectives, this captivating book delves into the profound impact of spaces of care on our emotional, material, and social realms, spanning from the intimate confines of the body to the vast expanse of our planetary commons. While conventional definitions of care typically revolve around sustaining a livable existence, encompassing a wide spectrum of needs such as shelter, welfare, health, and safety, architecture emerges as a pivotal player in shaping these definitions. Institutional archetypes like the home, hospital, school, and nursery become etched in the fabric of our understanding, perpetuating gender roles, bodily norms, and labor practices. However, this book seeks to challenge these established frameworks by exploring an expanded definition of care that interrogates these roles and norms, fostering more hybrid entanglements between our bodies, our collective lives, and our environments.

Within its chapters, this insightful work delves into a diverse range of topics, including disabled domesticities, nursing practices, the dismantling of white supremacy in the built environment, environmental care practices, and the solidarity networks within the realm of "The Cloud." Through captivating case studies, including the Floating University Berlin, collaborative initiatives by the Black Panther party, and hospitals for the United Mine Workers of America, among many other sites and scales of care, readers are invited to explore the intricate interplay between architecture, gender studies, labor theory, environmental justice, and the medical humanities. This book serves as a valuable resource for students and scholars across a broad spectrum of disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and enriching our understanding of the intricate relationship between spaces of care and the shaping of our lives.

Weight: 712g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032283777