Why do We Design Poorly for the Poor?
Social housing that aims to tackle urban depression and loneliness
Manchester, England
Project Ambition
Stigma behind the title Social housing’
“Play word association with the term ‘council estates’. Estates mean alcoholism, drug addiction, relentless petty stupidity, a human mind caged by the rigid bars of class and learned in curiosity.” (Hanley, 2017) The identity behind homes provided by the government has long been a negative one. I believe changing that would be very hopeful endeavour. Rather as a designers I aim to hide this title behind a cloak of importance. I aim to create a housing estate that goes beyond the house and starts acting as a landmark for other requirements looked at in a more positive light.
Unable to break out
According to the Mental Health Foundation UK, inadequate living conditions lead to stress, anxiety and depression. This in turn leads to lack of productivity within the workforce living in them, reducing their chances of breaking free from these shackles. The average tenancy length for social renters is 12.2 years which is 35% higher than the national average of 4.3 years. Many factors can attribute to this statistic but to me as a designer I have to ensure the time spent in this social housing scheme is the best for the tenant and motivates them to work themselves out of this situation.
Vicious cycle of poverty and loneliness
Social stigma, financial barriers and social isolation are just some of the factors that are linked to poverty. These eventually lead to a cycle of loneliness where it just seems easier to not interact with anyone than go through the process of explaining yourself out. I believe architecture can be manipulative in a way that through design connections can be made.
