Creating spaces for social interaction involves design processes aimed at countering the individualization of people by fostering bonds and connections between them. While advancements in information and communication technologies provide new tools that optimize the development of certain activities and functions, their societal impact often tends to increase individual practices, such as remote work, virtual fitness activities through apps, or the digital consumption of goods, services, and events, among others. From architecture and interior design to urban planning, many emerging practices face the challenge of consolidating spaces for social interaction through design strategies, uses, and natural connections that prevent the replacement of physical space with virtual alternatives.
As Andrea Cutieru asserts, architecture has the potential to set the stage for casual encounters and social interactions. By fostering relationships and sharing experiences, contemporary interior design can integrate various disciplines to enhance community well-being in both shared, flexible spaces and intimate, private ones. From gastronomic venues to residential interiors, the dialogue between materials, organizational logic, furnishings, and even connections with the natural environment takes center stage in today’s architectural landscape. This approach aims to strengthen interpersonal relationships while adapting to potential future changes.
In Argentina, several emerging architectural practices focus on developing proposals that minimize environmental impact, contribute to natural resource conservation, repurpose materials for extended use, and preserve certain preexisting elements. These efforts aim to foster community engagement with current issues while promoting social interaction across generations. OHIO Estudio, Estudio Tecla, noma estudio, Mutar, and Muro estudio are five women-led Argentine practices that center their work on exploring and interpreting various design strategies focused on creating meeting and interaction spaces that are flexible, adaptable, and aligned with contemporary needs.
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The Architecture of Social InteractionIn conversation with them, we posed the following question for reflection: Given the current trend toward societal isolation and the individualization of certain practices, what tools could be developed to foster community engagement? How can design influence the creation of spaces for different generations? Keep reading to discover their answers.
OHIO Estudio: "Not Everything Can Be a QR Code"
Fela Navia from OHIO Estudio: From our practice, we study current trends and analyze the actors interacting with the spaces we create. That’s why we say “goodbye to routine”: we live in an overstimulated, nomadic society with a rapid need for change. Nowadays, people value the freedom to choose a space to work in that isn’t an office. Most prefer to move between different gastronomic spaces, sharing the place with others, even if the primary purpose isn’t necessarily to interact. We’ve also noticed a growing desire to be more involved in processes. This is reflected in the return of bars and open kitchens—spaces that invite participation in the experience. Additionally, a new sensitivity toward mental and physical health is emerging, where connection with nature and practices like mindfulness play a crucial role. Not everything can be a QR code.
This dichotomy between technological overexposure and the return to physical and mental well-being presents an interesting landscape for understanding our role as designers and architects. Even when we don’t intervene, people transform spaces into what they truly need, as in the case of cafés turned into coworking spaces.
So, is the isolation of societies a decision or a consequence of the lack of response from design and architecture?
The tools we can develop to foster community engagement translate into the creation of flexible, sustainable, dynamic spaces that evoke emotion. Multifunctional spaces aligned with contemporary interests. From both public and private practice, we can promote mixed-use programs. For example: gastronomic spaces with coworking areas and workshop zones, plazas with community gardens that interact with wellness and contemplation areas, aiming for a balance between technology and nature; platforms in various neighborhoods offering internet access, charging stations, and furniture adaptable to all generations and accessibility needs; and artistic interventions in parks with pop-up markets, attracting people of all ages.
Mutar: "¿Are we Living More and More Alone?"
Lucila Ottolenghi, Natalia Kahanoff, Luciana Casoy, and Florencia Lopez Iriquin, founding partners of Mutar: Community engagement arises from interaction, from the bonds that are formed. This leads us to ask how we can create new scenarios for these encounters to happen, breaking away from the anonymity inherent in modern urban life. As a first step, it seems essential to start by questioning and challenging the conventional ways in which we design cohabitation, in order to envision alternative possibilities.
We have certain questions: Are we living increasingly alone? Is the domestic space a dangerous place? For whom? How can we create intersecting spaces? What activities—caregiving included—can we or do we want to collectivize?
These questions lack a single answer, but we are interested in exploring ways to address them across the various scales in which we work. At the most intimate scale, we focus on rethinking isolated and binary spaces by questioning how housing has functioned as a device for representing and reproducing the sexual division of space, perpetuating structural inequalities regarding gender roles. At an intermediate scale, we ask how to foster interaction among neighbors. On a broader scale, we consider how activities historically confined to the interior of the home could be integrated into potential urban infrastructures for community care.
We do not intend to romanticize the encounter between inhabitants as a conflict-free ideal but understand it as necessary to break away from that logic of isolation. Far from projecting spaces from a binary perspective (public-private, open-closed, etc.), we are interested in working with gradients of intimacy and responding with flexible strategies to accommodate the greatest diversity of subjectivities. Transforming walls into sieves and understanding housing as a small portion of the city.
noma estudio: "Adaptable, Flexible Spaces Can Serve as Bridges Between Generations"
Camila Btesh and Leila Matzkin, founding partners of noma estudio: Regarding the question, we believe that interior design and architecture can counteract current isolation trends, especially during a time when home office setups have transformed the relationship with workspaces. In our practice, we aim to design both residential spaces and shared work areas that foster a balance between privacy and community. This is achieved by creating shared spaces for work and leisure while also addressing the need for individual areas to accommodate video calls or managerial roles that require privacy.
We incorporate noble and classic materials to ensure the durability and timelessness of our projects. These materials not only provide an aesthetic that transcends trends but also create warm and welcoming environments, encouraging people to share spaces designed for communal use. At the same time, these spaces allow individuals to leave their personal imprint through objects and decorative elements that can evolve, supported by a timeless foundation. We firmly believe that adaptable and flexible spaces can serve as bridges between generations, promoting a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for the environment.
Estudio Tecla: "Facilitating a Balance Between Productivity and Social Connection"
Valentina Rivarola and Leila Mihura, founding partners of Estudio Tecla: We believe that the pandemic, technological advancements, the fast pace of life, and insufficient public spaces have gradually reduced interpersonal interaction over the years. Additionally, virtual work and a culture of hyper-productivity push us to prioritize individual performance, sidelining community life. These factors have negatively impacted social cohesion and well-being, driving us further apart as individuals and reinforcing a society oriented toward productivity.
To reverse this trend, architecture could propose solutions that address this new work and social paradigm. Creating well-equipped public spaces where people can work outside their homes while sharing the environment with others would be a crucial first step. These spaces, which could exist in public and private domains, would help balance productivity with social connection. We believe this could foster a virtuous cycle where individuals feel more motivated to leave their homes and build relationships in shared work settings.
These spaces should be flexible and adaptable to the evolving dynamics of society and rapid technological advancements. Designing areas with modular furniture, access to technology, and multifunctional uses will allow these spaces to meet various needs over time, ensuring they remain relevant and appealing to people.
MURO estudio: "We View the Design Process as Interdisciplinary, Interactive, and Participatory"
The team from MURO estudio: In the studio, we understand the design process as interdisciplinary, interactive, and participatory. From the inception of projects, we strive to enrich them with the perspectives of clients, consultants, and team members. The results are far more rewarding when created collaboratively.
As architects, we are constantly seeking to generate spaces that inspire enjoyment, family life, and community. Spaces that foster connection. Design serves as the framework through which these connections can be encouraged.
Flexibility is a characteristic that we consider fundamental when proposing spaces for interaction. These spaces should support diverse activities, catering to individuals with varying interests, needs, ages, and backgrounds. Spaces that can adapt to different routines and attract engagement.
Looking to the future, new technologies and tools such as artificial intelligence will surely open new pathways to create spaces that mutate and engage new generations. Spaces different from those we conceive today.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Women in Architecture presented by Sky-Frame.
Sky-Frame is characterized by its empathic ability to take on different perspectives and points of view. We are interested in people and their visions, whether in architecture or in a social context. We deeply care about creating living spaces and in doing so we also question the role of women in architecture. From the arts to the sciences, women shape our society. We want to shed more light on this role, increase the visibility of Women in Architecture and empower/encourage them to realize their full potential.
Initiated by Sky-Frame, the "Women in Architecture" documentary is an impulse for inspiration, discussion, and reflection. The film's release is on November 12, 2024.
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