Designing in a Way that Honors God & Cultures
Webster defines culture as “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular social group, place, or time”. As diversity is one of EMI’s three core values, we recognize that this must play out not just in our people, but in our designs as well. What we design must be relevant to the people and cultures we serve.
When we think about a specific country’s cultural customs, topics such as marriage and family traditions, communication styles, and food preferences often come to mind. While these are certainly common areas where cultural differences are most visible, they represent only a small part of the picture. Countless everyday activities are shaped by culture, revealing remarkably diverse ways in which people experience and navigate daily life.
Contextualizing Design
Likely not at the top of your list of cultural differences is bathroom habits. This is one area where culture plays out in a physical space, impacting how that space is designed and functions. As with so many things in cross-cultural work, it would be inappropriate and possibly even harmful to apply western cultural norms for bathroom use to a different context.
One of the first things I learned as an intern in EMI’s India office was “bathrooms only belong exterior walls”. Due to the way plumbing systems are constructed, as well as the need for venting to the outdoors, a bathroom in the interior core of the building is a bad idea. Bathroom placement requirements get more specific when you consider that, in India, bathrooms are very wet spaces. It’s inappropriate to have a bathroom located directly adjacent to a kitchen, as wet feet might track bathroom water into a “clean” space. In a public context in India, bathrooms require even more separation. Male and female restrooms are usually not located across from or next to each other as they might be in a western context, as it would be shameful or at the least uncomfortable for a man to see a woman entering the washroom.
Once the bathroom’s location is determined, one must consider the equipment to be supplied therein. Does this culture use a western-style (sit on) toilet, a squat-plate (squattie), or perhaps a combo of both? It can be tempting to want to “upgrade” toilets from squatties to western-style, but if a culture is unfamiliar with western toilet use, this can have disastrous results. Our western cultural norms are not necessarily perceived as an “upgrade” in other contexts.
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Hospitals in the developing-world context often require one or more family members to stay with patients, providing basic, non-medical care, and sometimes even cooking meals for the patient. Appropriate hospital design considers the needs of both patients and family members, often providing a safe space for family members to sleep and store personal belongings, and a communal cooking space (at times outdoors) for families to prepare meals together as they care for their loved ones.
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In many South Asian countries, schools hold large morning assemblies, where all students line up grade-wise in long rows. Each student requires a full arm’s-length space to the front and sides for stretching and calisthenics, as well as recitation and singing. Our western definition of school assembly, with students seated in chairs facing a stage, doesn't allow adequate space for this cultural definition of an assembly.
In Closing
These are just a few examples of the many things that must be considered in the culturally appropriate design of a building. As guests entering a foreign culture, it is impossible to learn all the nuances of a culture within the two weeks we are on a project trip. Nevertheless, it is essential to enter that culture with curiosity, humility, and an eagerness to set aside one’s own cultural preferences to learn another way. The presence of local design professionals is imperative, as is our ability to listen and ask good questions of them.
We honor the cultures we enter by designing contextualized spaces that are appropriate and functional for the users, and make them feel seen, respected, and accommodated. Ultimately, we honor God as we appreciate and honor the diversity of his human creation and cultures!