SOCIO-CULTURAL

BASIS OF DESIGN IN
COMMUNITIES
PROBLEMS WITH MOST OF
TODAYS COMMUNITY DESIGNS

Are designers preoccupied with making

artistic statements rather than spaces
where people would actually want to be?
This, in turn, leaves people feeling
disconnected, isolated and longing for
true connections to each other and to
their communities. (Benfield, 2013)
HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN
(HCD)

Human-centered design (HCD) is a

design and management framework that
develops solutions to problems by
involving the human perspective in all
steps of the problem-solving process.
SOCIOCULTURAL SYSTEM
SOCIETY- is a number of interdependent
organisms of the same species.

CULTURE- is the learned behaviors that are

shared by the members of a society, together
with the material products of such behaviors.

SYSTEM- is a collection of parts which interact

with each other to function as a whole.
 SOCIO-CULTURAL
FACTORS IN
COMMUNITY DESIGNS
1. GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY

2. ANTHROPOLOGY

3. CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY
So how this influences the
design?
1. AVAILABILITY OF LOCAL
MATERIALS
Most designers design with available
materials. It is not common for people to
design with materials which are not
available or which are difficult to obtain.
This is especially true in commercial
architecture which is almost always
subject to time and cost pressures.
2. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Major current environmental issues may
include climate change, pollution,
environmental degradation, and
resource depletion etc. The
conservation movement lobbies for
protection of endangered species and
protection of any ecologically valuable
natural areas, genetically modified foods
and global warming.
3. DISASTER PRONE AREAS

The word sustainable is defined as using a

resource so that it is not depleted or
permanently damaged. Sustainability is
one of the most significant concepts of
this decade influencing the design
community planning and architecture.
4. DIVERSE LAND

Architects design on many places. And each

of these places have unique terrain.
ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology is the study of humans, past
and present. To understand the full sweep
and complexity of cultures across all of
human history, anthropology draws and
builds upon knowledge from the social
and biological sciences as well as the
humanities and physical sciences. A central
concern of anthropologists is the
application of knowledge to the solution
of human problems.
“Life is right, and the architect is wrong!”- Le
Corbusier (towards the end of his life)
VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Vernacular architecture is
an architectural style that is designed
based on local needs, availability
of construction materials and reflecting
local traditions. At least originally,
vernacular architecture did not use
formally-schooled architects, but relied on
the design skills and tradition of local
builders.
FACTORS AFFECTING
VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

1. CLIMATIC CONDITION

Climatic influences on vernacular

architecture are substantial and can be
extremely complex. The man-made
elements interact with the natural
microclimate to determine the factors
affecting comfort in the built
environment: light, heat, wind, and
humidity.
2. CULTURE

The way of life of people, and the way

they use their shelters. These are great
influence on architecture especially on
building forms. The size of family units,
who shares which spaces, how food is
prepared and eaten, how people interact
and many other cultural considerations
will affect the layout and size of dwellings.
3.TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT

It’s no secret that architecture and

technology go hand in hand—just take a
swipe through our project database to see a
deluge of stunning structures that would be
impossible without the profession’s ever-
expanding suite of software.
CULTURAL LANDSCAPES
Cultural landscapes are landscapes that
have been affected, influenced, or shaped
by human involvement. A cultural
landscape can be associated with a person
or event. It can be thousands of acres or a
tiny homestead. It can be a grand estate,
industrial site, park, garden, cemetery,
campus and more. Collectively, cultural
landscapes are works of art, narratives of
culture, and expressions of regional
identity.
1. ETHNOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

The term “landscape” has a wide range of

meaning in natural, cultural, and social
research, from “a picture of natural inland
scenery” to “a composition of man-made
or man-modified spaces to serve as
infrastructure or background for our
collective existence.”
2. HISTORIC SITES

Historic sites are cultural landscapes

significant for their association with a
historic event, activity or person.
Architectural conservation describes the
process through which the material,
historical, and design integrity of
humanity's built heritage are prolonged
through carefully planned interventions. The
individual engaged in this pursuit is known as
an architectural conservator-restorer.
Decisions of when and how to engage in an
intervention are critical to the
ultimate conservation-restoration of cultural
heritage.
3.VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

Vernacular landscapes are landscapes that

evolved through use by the people whose
activities or occupancy shaped
those landscapes. Through social or
cultural attitudes of an individual, family,
or a community, the landscapes reflect the
physical, biological, and cultural character
of those everyday lives.
Why are cultural landscapes important?

Cultural landscapes are a legacy for

everyone. These special sites reveal aspects of
our country’s origins and development as well
as our evolving relationships with the natural
world.
Why is it important to protect cultural landscapes?

Neglect and inappropriate development put our

irreplaceable landscape legacy increasingly at risk.
Too often today’s short-sighted decisions threaten
the survival and continuity of our shared heritage.
It is everyone’s responsibility to safeguard our
nation’s cultural landscapes. The ongoing care and
interpretation of these sites improves our quality of
life and deepens a sense of place and identity for
future generations.
THANK YOU!