Vallerand (2013) explains that, since the 1960s, scholars within the field of feminist historians have shed light on the gendered and sexualised nature of architectural discourse, emphasising how it is constructed through opposition. Expanding upon these insights, the early 1990s saw the emergence of queer theorists who, in a groundbreaking manner, challenged the conventional categorisation of identities, particularly those based on binary distinctions. This intellectual development, further explains Vallerand (2013), was prominently influenced by the work of Judith Butler, whose conceptualisation of space through the lens of performativity asserts that there is no preexisting, fixed identity against which actions or attributes can be objectively evaluated. Instead, Butler argued that gender is an outcome of continuous social performances, encompassing verbal and physical acts, often occurring unconsciously (Vallerand, 2013).
Current LGBTQ+ Context
When considering post-gender architecture, the question arises as to why this is needed and what purpose such architecture serves within our modern way of life and thinking. To answer this question, it is vital to examine the current context of gendered architecture and its impact on marginalised people within society, with a distinct focus on the experiential perspectives of queer communities. Firstly, examining the current anti-LGBTQ+ movement recently observed in the US is essential to shedding light on the struggle facing the queer community today. This comes following considerable advancements in LGBTQ+ rights under the Obama administration in the country, which has since faced significant reversal and, in some instances, the introduction of stringent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation (Narea & Cineas, 2023). Image below shows a map of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation within the US. The particular focus of these legislations is the trans community, who typically face marginalisation within the binary gendered spaces we historically designed as architects. Legislation exists in some states that prohibit transgender people from using bathrooms and facilities, such as locker rooms, shower rooms, changing rooms, and other sex-segregated spaces, according to gender identity (Anon, 2023). Further legislation in some states prohibits trans women and girls from participating in sports at school and college (Narea & Cineas, 2023).
LGBTQ+ Rights Map in the US (lgbtmap.org)
Secondly, examining the case in the UK within the broader European landscape offers additional insights into the discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ people. Once a global and European frontrunner in supporting LGBTQ+ rights as of 2015, the UK has experienced a significant decline in its standing, as illustrated by its substantially lower ranking on the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) Europe’s index concerning LGBTQ+ rights. This drop in ranking is partly due to the government’s failure to deliver promised reforms on conversion therapy and gender recognition. This shift in the UK’s standing emphasises the dynamic and often unstable state of LGBTQ+ rights globally.
ILGA LGBTQ+ rights ranking map (TheGuardian)
Finally, when considering the global context, LGBTQ+ individuals still face unprecedented discrimination, violence and persecution. The charity Stonewall (2019) explains that in more than 70 countries, homosexuality remains illegal, and in more than half the world, LGBTQ+ people are not protected against discrimination. Additionally, only six countries allow trans people to self-determine their legal gender, with most governments denying rights for trans people to change their gender legally.
Global LGBTQ+ rights map (Washington Post)
In all the discussed scenarios, individuals not conforming to traditional gender norms are frequently subjected to discrimination, resulting from society’s long-standing conceptualisation of gender as a binary construct. This construct, explains Lang (2023), is deeply entrenched in societal perception and is perpetuated through prevailing spatial design paradigms, which validate historical and social hierarchies while privileging the existent normative order. Therefore, the physical manifestation of this construct in architectural spaces acts as a powerful reinforcement of such discriminatory views. In response to these entrenched dichotomies, post-gender architecture aims to dismantle these historical binary constructs, thereby reconfiguring perceived norms. The envisioned goal is to create new architectural spaces that authentically embody and reflect the diversity of their inhabitants. This new paradigm facilitates the convergence of varied identities and experiences, fostering inclusivity and recognition within the built environment.
Principle 1: Reject the Gender Binary
In his seminal work, ‘Queer Space: Architecture and Same-Sex Desire, ‘ Betksy (1997) argues that the historical narrative of architectural design in the Western world has been largely male-dominated, which emphasised the traditional view of gender, categorising individuals as exclusively male or female. This resulted in spaces that implicitly, and sometimes explicitly, cater to this binary distinction and enforced societal gender norms and expectations, often marginalising those who do not conform to the traditional ‘normal’. This view is further substantiated by Ahmed’s (2006) work ‘Queer Phenomenology: Orientations, Objects, Others’ in which she argues that bodies and spaces are not separate but intertwined; how we inhabit spaces is intrinsically linked to who we are, our identities, our sexual orientation and gender identity. Furthermore, she asserts that spaces are not inherently neutral but instead oriented in ways that mirror and reinforce societal norms and expectations, including the traditional gender binary.
By applying a phenomenological approach to queer space theory, rejecting the gender binary would create spaces that aim to disrupt normative orientations, allowing nonconforming individuals to fit comfortably and feel safe within the environments they try to inhabit. This would be achieved by designing spaces that do not orient towards a particular gender, challenging societal norms and creating more inclusive, diverse and equitable built environments. Furthermore, rejecting the gender binary necessitates critically examining the inherent biases embedded within architectural planning and design, with a subsequent commitment to dismantling these biases to support and foster gender inclusivity.
Gender-neutral toilets have been met with considerable resistance, stemming from misconceptions, prejudices, and fears regarding transgender individuals, particularly in the US, where some legislations prevent trans individuals from using toilets based on gender identity. This, combined with the issues non-gender conforming people face when using public toilets, underscores the need to rethink the design of public toilets to be a more inclusive space.
Urinary segregation by Jacques Lacan:
A sketch by Jacques Lacan shows the lack of architectural distinction between the gendered toilets and affirms the societal inherent biases projected onto the spaces.
The project ‘Stalled!’ by architect Joel Sanders, transgender historian Susan Stryker and legal scholar Terry Kogan provided an innovative open-source framework that reconceptualised the toilet as an inclusive experience, which stands as a point of departure from the national debate on transgender access to public toilets and sets a goal to create public toilets that are inclusive and equitable to all (Howarth, 2018). As a space not oriented towards a particular gender, the reconceptualised public toilets adopt a function-oriented approach based on the needs of individuals when using the space; this includes a space for eliminating, a space for washing and a space for grooming (Howarth, 2018). By reframing the toilet experience as a series of universally shared processes devoid of gender considerations, the toilet emerges as a space where all individuals are considered equals.
A Section through the reimagined toilets in ‘Stalled!’.
Principle 2: Create Spaces of Intimacy and Community
“We are born naked and the rest is drag.”
– RuPaul
Sedgwick (1991) and Betsky (1997) argue that the queer space begins in the ‘closet’, which signifies the profound intimacy encapsulated within this personal domain. The closet embodies a refuge where individuals hide their most authentic selves, concurrently serving as the repository for the artefacts we employ to craft our external representation. Within this enclosed space, we selectively curate elements that we opt to disclose to the world, thus manifesting a unique juxtaposition of concealment and revelation and making the ‘closet’ a symbolic heart for identity creation and management.
The inherent nature of concealment associated with the closet works to perpetuate established gender norms. By necessitating the hiding of non-conforming identities or expressions, it inadvertently reinforces the societal rigidity and dichotomy of gender, strengthening the norms it seeks to subvert. Therefore, while serving as a sanctuary for personal authenticity, the closet simultaneously underpins the societal structures that maintain traditional gender expectations (Sedgwick, 1991). The concept of ‘coming out’ is deeply embedded in the closet metaphor, which hinges on the tension between one’s concealed true identity and what one shows to the world. As such, coming out is the process of transitioning between the concealment of true identity to the openness and sharing of that identity. Though this might be seen as a freeing experience, enabling people to be their authentic selves, it is significantly nuanced and intricate given the rigid societal perceptions of gender norms (O’Callaghan, 2022).
A post-gendered architectural paradigm would seek to mitigate the negative implications of hostile environments within the built landscape for LGBTQ+ individuals and negate the necessity for the metaphorical closet. Central to this paradigm is the design of spaces that foster a sense of intimacy and community, which are foundational to nurturing the desire of all individuals to exhibit their most authentic selves. The guiding principle of this architectural orientation is to infuse all spaces with an atmosphere that promotes openness, acceptance, and authenticity. In this world, the closet becomes obsolete as every space evolves to embrace the attributes traditionally ascribed to the closet. Therefore, the entire built environment becomes an enabler for the expression of identity, signifying a radical departure from traditional design principles.
Principle 3: Challenge the Privileging of Certain Bodies and Experiences
Anthony (2008, p. 91) explains, “Members of racial and ethnic groups have been clients, consumers, creators, and critics of the built environment. Yet they have been historically marginalised by the collective force of racism, classism and the architectural profession’s star system.” This historic marginalisation finds its roots in the hegemonic dominance of white cisgender able-bodied men within the architectural profession, particularly in the Western context (Lang, 2023). This view is further substantiated by Vallerand (2013, p. 65), who asserts that “Queer space theory critiques the assumptions that spaces can be designed, or analysed, without considering how an individual’s self-identification (concerning gender and sexuality, but also to age, race and class categories) influence their use of their environment.” This binary system is intricately woven into the historical fabric of architectural design, with its roots extending back several centuries. One prominent embodiment of this perspective is captured in the Vitruvian Man, a famous sketch by Leonardo da Vinci that portrays the ideal proportions of the human body as outlined by the 1st century Roman architect Vitruvius (Dewani, 2021). The depiction centres on a figure of a white cisgender man, positioning it as a universal template for design. This portrayal is based on the belief in a perceived balance and symmetry of elements that contribute to creating a stable architectural structure (Anon, 2011).
Vitruvian man by Leonardo da Vinci and Modular Man by Le Corbusier.
Furthermore, even as the architectural thinking paradigm underwent a significant shift towards modernism in the early 20th century, the discourse continued to be dominated by the narrative that privileged the experience of the cisgender white male body (Anthony, 2008). This enduring bias persisted despite the period being marked by radical redefinition and innovation in architectural ideology and praxis. A critical example of this sustained influence is embodied in Le Corbusier’s ‘Modular Man’, a design that sets the measurements of an able-bodied, cisgender male standing at 6 feet tall, as the universal scale for design (Anon, 2023). This figure underpins most of Le Corbusier’s work in its normative whiteness, maleness, and physical ability, serving as the standard against which all designs are measured.
A post-gender architectural design practice would build on the insights provided by feminist and queer theorists to establish a more comprehensive architectural paradigm. Feminist thinking of the 1960s served as a catalyst in highlighting the absence of diversity in design and this period marked a critical changing point illuminating the biases that were encoded within architectural spaces. (Anthony, 2008) Within this framework, all bodies are considered and respected within the design process, effectively challenging the traditional norms and assumptions that have historically dominated the field. This approach seeks to dismantle the binary biases entrenched in architectural practice and to promote inclusivity by considering the diverse spectrum of human experiences. It imagines a shift away from the normative cisgender male-centric design principles, moving towards an understanding of space that is rooted in diversity, inclusivity, and respect for all identities.
Principle 4: Create Spaces of Resistance
“Space is not merely a physical construct but a profoundly social and political one.”
– Lefebvre, 1974
Liinason (2020) explains that spaces of resistance have repeatedly acted as critical vessels for instigating change throughout history, which serve as platforms for challenging the status quo and fostering transformation in societal norms and practices. These spaces, which can be both physical and metaphorical, provide opportunities for marginalised groups to assert their identities, voice their concerns, and advocate for their rights.
Betsky (1997) positions the origins of the ‘queer subverting of space’ in the context of modern history. These spaces were initially formed in obscured locations: dark alleys, unlit corners and hidden rooms. Cloaked in darkness, these spaces served as sites of subversion and resistance, countering the dominant heteronormative conventions. They reflect how marginalised groups may repurpose spaces, creating alternative narratives and experiences that challenge and resist the societal status quo. In these ‘hidden’ spaces, acts of intimacy become acts of resistance, underscoring the power of space as a catalyst for social and political change.
Acts of resistance are fundamental to our identity as human beings, as they often emerge from our innate desire to question, challenge, and reshape the prevailing status quo. Whether manifested in political, social, cultural, or personal contexts, these acts serve as essential avenues for expression, dissent, and the pursuit of change. These acts could be small like the act of transforming from male to female on a train from their village in Spain to Barcelona Ribas (2022) describes. In this act, Ribas reveals their true identity, which they had to hide in the village through fear of persecution. In this example, the train is subverted for that moment to serve as a queer space of resistance.
Ribas transitions from male to female on their train journey (Queer Spaces: An atlas of LGBTQIA+ places and stories)
In a post-gender architecture paradigm, spaces of resistance would play an important role in asserting the newly found architectural design framework. They would seek to challenge any work not conforming with the new paradigm and actively encourage subverting the space to meet the needs of the multilayered society it is aimed to serve. In an idealistic utopian scenario, the necessity for spaces of resistance could eventually diminish as the principles of post-gender architecture become normative, permeating all aspects of the built environment. In this envisioned future, all spaces would embrace a post-gender approach, becoming inherently inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the needs of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or expression.
While some may perceive a post-gender architectural framework as utopian or aspirational, this manifesto has critically examined the urgent need for such a paradigm within the current discourse. Through the critical examination of theoretical frameworks such as phenomenology, queer theory, feminist theory and gender theory, the manifesto has provided a framework that works to support the urgency of a post-gender architectural paradigm.
Reflecting on my practice, I believe a post-gendered approach to architectural design will help produce buildings that are more considerate of the different perspectives of users within the built environment. In particular, I feel the queer phenomenological approach to design suggested by Ahmed (2006) offered a new understanding of how space is orientated based on how we, as humans, inhabit it.
By embracing a post-gendered approach in my architectural practice, I aim to challenge the status quo and dismantle exclusionary narratives within the built environment. I intend to prioritise equity, inclusivity, and social justice in my design process. By ensuring that no one perspective dominates the design, I strive to create spaces that empower individuals, celebrate diversity, and foster a sense of belonging for all who inhabit them.
Written by: Suleiman Al-Sa’di
