Built environments always encode a framework of meanings and values. They give material expression to what their builders think is important and to a vision of how life should be ordered and arranged. […] What we build in the world communicates what we think of the world and what we value about its inhabitants.
This passage is from a book I read last year called Love’s Braided Dance. In the particular chapter, Author Norman Wirzba makes a case for what he calls “hopeful architecture”. In contrast to buildings and spaces which, intentionally or not, dominate, impose, or disenfranchise the people who pass through them.
In an architectural context, a built environment reflects the values of those who created it. A strip mall may feel bland and oppressive because it was designed for automobiles instead of people. Houses in different parts of the world may have more or less communal space as a function of how individualistic vs community-oriented the cultures are.
The passage above, which paraphrases a theme from social theorist Katherine McKittrick’s work, is applicable to any field of design or creative activity, not just architecture.
In essence, any artifact, organization, or policy is an expression of what its creators think is important. And conversely, whether through unintentional thoughtlessness or deliberate deprioritization, the creators express what they don’t think is important.
I find this to be a helpful notion when setting out to create something new. Not to tie yourself into knots interrogating your motivations. But to try to clarify, at least with yourself, what values you want to express through your work.