femminile#99

l'ennesimo post sul femminile (mi chiedo se ne verrò mai a capo).
attualmente sto leggendo un libro che si chiama "spazio e immaginario", con sottotitolo maschile e femminile in architettura. di un'autrice che appena ritrovo il libro provvederò a scrivere.
intanto, posto qui l'ultima mail mandatami da Katey (CS), che ha svolto una ricerca sul femminile in sociologia, e si approccia adesso alla progettazione di architettura.

Hello Oriella,

Eventually I have managed to organise myself to some
point in which I am able to construct a contribution
to your thread which I found most interesting in
relation to my own project.
You asked around my work so I shall try and briefly
explain, however I must point out that I am not
schooled as an architect! merely a sociologist
attempting to bridge the gap so I ask if my sources or
concepts seem simplistic please excuse me:
My project works at attempting to order the city as a
gendered space full of gendered experiences, in which
architecture would play a huge part along with urban
design and constructing functional spaces in which
people live and move around in. To me if we are able
to see the urban environment as a gendered space it
would be plausable to develop more equal, gender
neutral spaces in which experience could be derived
which was in no way discriminatory.

This project has been so far conducted in London and
has involved an examination of old/new architecture,
the purpose and use of decorative freizes alongside
its contemporary counterpart advertisements and other
commercial spaces, the use of nature has also played a
huge part in attempting to gender space as through my
research I have constantly encountered a history of
the 'Mother Earth' concept, and this has stuck with me
when developing my thoughts on the subject.

So far the use of nature in design and in architecture
i.e. more organic forms like the 'flow' in the work of
Zaha Hadid has been a pronounced feature for me, which
is encorporating the feminine/nature dichotomy. But
also the incorporation of green spaces as tools to
neutralize and balance urban environments seems to be
a common technique.

Ultimatly my work seems to balance around a
relationship which appears feminist in the sense it is
examining the balance of gender power but this is an
area that I do not really care to digress into. I hope
instead to simply examine gender as a concept like
race, or class which occurs as an obstacle in most
walks of life, maybe it can be summed up in a very
abstract sense in which a space/building can be made
more neutral and less masculine in style by the
presence of natural forms/textures/substances/and
spaces?
Please let me know how this would relate to your own
project, and if so any commentary would provide
insightful feedback.
Take Care!
Katey.

P.S I will collect a reading list for you soon but
would initially reccomend Richard Sennett, Fesh and
Stone for an introductory sociological work. For a
more Feminist work if you are that way inclined maybe
Dolores Hayden, Is female to male as nature is to
culture? which talks of more family based design
alongside the role of nature.