Social Issues In Hostile Architecture

In 21st century society, the everyday member deals with multiple societal/social issues. In the modernist era authors dealt mainly with the same societal/social issues seen still today. In 2018, the public expected President Donald Trump to discuss some of the following issues in his State of the Union Address: “jobs and the economy, infrastructure, immigration, trade and national security” (Taylor). Discussion of these same problems not only exist today, but even as early as 100 years ago in international, and especially American society. One of the many issues that have surface in the world of today is hostile architecture. “‘Hostile architecture’, also known as ‘defensive’ or ‘disciplinary’ architecture, is a relatively recent term. It

Public space might not be a permanent solution to a homeless person’s problem, but it’ll be the only thing they have for a while. Urban areas try to prevent even the most basic act of lying down and resting. Author Frank Swain writes about sleep prevention in a BBC Future article, “Preventing rough sleeping is a recurring theme. Any space that someone might lie down in, or even sit too long, is likely to see spikes, railings, stones or bollards added,” (Swain). So, not only are these hostile sleep prevention tactics displacing the homeless population, it presents an ugly solution. Most importantly, items like spikes are not only ugly, they are especially dangerous. Having actual metal spikes out in the open public has to be one of the least thought through ideas ever. A new piece of “architecture” appearing in cities is the anti-homeless bench. “Anti-homeless benches… … clearly function as repellents or deterrents against unwelcome people. … control is inserted within the object and forces individuals to conform to their legitimate use. In other words, in the case of the new benches: ‘sitting yes, lying down no’,” (Bergamaschi, et al.). The idea that architecture design specifically tells you how to act is ludacris. Architecture should be pretty, inspiring, not mind controlling. Frank Swain goes on to tell more about the anti-homeless bench by referencing a specific kind, the Camden Bench. “The Camden Bench… … is a masterpiece in unpleasant design. The amorphous slab of concrete is made from a material that resist posters, stickers and graffiti, it has a ridged peak and sloped surface that prevents sleeping… … Comfort is not one of its top features though – you have to perch on a sloped seat and there’s no backrest,” (Swain). The Camden bench is the prime example of excessive restrictions, with the intention of deterring the homeless, excreting out a legitimate slab of ugly concrete in place of a worthwhile