How to design for different cultures and customs

Do not assume

The most important rule is not to assume. Even within one country, families and communities differ. Ask the people who will use the building how they live, and what matters to them. See Designing for the user and How to run a user workshop.

Questions worth asking

• Privacy. How private should the home be, from the street and from guests? Who may see into which rooms? How are guests received?
• Family. Who lives together? Do several generations share a home, and does the house need to adapt as the family grows?
• Hospitality. How are guests welcomed, fed and seated? Is there a separate reception room, or a place to receive guests that does not disturb the family?
• Gender and separation. Are separate spaces needed for men and women, in homes, schools, workplaces or places of worship, and how should this be provided with equal quality and dignity?
• Faith and worship. Where, when and how do people pray? What direction, washing facilities and quiet space are needed? See The mosque as a public building.
• Food and cooking. How is food prepared and shared? A kitchen for one family differs from a kitchen for a community.
• Time and season. When is the building used, and how do festivals, fasting and seasons change it?
• Outdoor life. Do people live outdoors in the evening? Courtyards, terraces and roofs may be rooms in themselves. See Courtyards.
• Language and signs. Which languages and scripts are used, and how does reading direction affect layout? See Wayfinding.
• Symbols and colours. Colours, patterns and images have different meanings in different places.

Even within one country, families and communities differ.

Climate is part of culture

Many traditions grew out of climate: thick walls and courtyards in hot regions, steep roofs in wet ones. Learning from them is respectful and practical. See Working across cultures.

Avoid stereotypes, and avoid pastiche

Respecting a culture does not mean decorating a building with a few borrowed symbols. It means understanding how people live and designing from that. Equally, it does not mean freezing a culture in the past. Cultures change, and so do buildings.

Local partners

Local architects, engineers and craftspeople know the customs, rules and materials of a place. Working with them is essential. See Working with a local architect of record.

Respect for people

People who feel respected in a building tend to look after it. A building that understands its users' way of life tells them they belong.

In short

Ask, listen, do not assume. Think about privacy, family, hospitality, faith, food, time, climate and language, and work with local partners.

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