Architectural design and privacy in residential neighborhoods

Architecture

Privacy and Security in Housing

Men has learned different methods of building roads, buildings, houses, bridges and highways but the basics of architecture and the purpose is still same. The roads are for travelling and transportation while the houses are to provide shelter, security and privacy to the individuals and families. Houses save people from bad weather, vulnerabilities and privacy issues. While the basic need and purpose is same, there have been extra necessities that arrived with time as the lifestyle of the people changed (Building Basics: Architecture, 2013). The needs of security and decoration have increased over time thus the people want their residential buildings to be designed with much more care than they used to be in past. The design of houses comes into mind as collection of rooms, sitting areas, balconies, courtyards and garages. While the windows, doors, balconies and courtyards give a feeling of openness in the house, these are also associated with the potential loopholes in the privacy. The feeling of belongingness is associated with houses.

Attitude towards Privacy

Not only has the attitude of people has changed towards privacy in the 21st century, this change is confusing too. On one hand the attacks in UK have led to a public demand that the state should offer them more security, there is a contrasting demand of people that the federal organizations should not spy on them. Thus the people want to have privacy yet they want the lives and activities of people around them to be screened so that the people get to live a more secure life (Wertheimer and Vedantam, 2013). The people are attracted towards a life that is more interactive and where the people share their sorrows and happiness; they have a fear and insecurity that does not allow them to mix with public. From their passwords to the locks of doors, people are less confident if the services are secure enough or not. This fear is backed by the attacks on national security, the increasing number of street crimes and the increasing relationship breakings worldwide. People are less likely to believe the intentions of not only the neighborhood but also the friends and colleagues.

The insecurity and need for privacy is also reflected in architecture and housing planning of today. The people think that whatever they do might go public on social media sites or the web if they break up with a partner or fight with a neighbor (Dvorak, 2012). This thought has made them extra conscious. People like to design rooms, closets and everything that seems simple and does not communicate anything personal about them to others.

While there is an influence of criminal activities on the privacy and trust issues of people, the increasing globalization has affected the population dynamics of every country and specially the United Kingdom. This change in the population has increased diversity in UK and thus trusting foreigners is even more difficult than trusting those that have a common culture and social norms. The people of UK feel that their privacy is more at stake and thus they are more concerned about the security of their houses and places they could be living or staying. Rybczynski (1986) says that this sense of privacy evolved after middle ages when the lives of people started to balance and the sheer difference between the economic classes began to decline. Before that, the poor people could not have the concept of privacy and rather their lifestyle was such that many families used to live in a single house that put their lives on stake. But the economic development has changed many things. On one hand people like to live in better houses and have privacy and on the other hand they are also concerned about the security issues.

Effect of security on house planning

The security and privacy concerns have not only reflected in the mobile and internet applications (Hill, 2012) but also the designs of houses. Stone (2008) considers it a paradoxical approach that the people of 21st century have adopted. He says that man is too insecure that he would not like to share his contact number with the neighbor but is confident enough to offer his personal details and even pictures on the internet. He says that this confusion is evident from the web to the physical presence of us. Thus, it is found that the people are building houses that are built closely with other houses without leaving too much space between houses, yet these houses and apartments are logically far away from each other (Newman, 2013). The physical distance between the houses is less but there are too many security installments and privacy settings in a house that people feel hesitant to invite neighbors to their home frequently. The architecture of house is designed around parameters that ensure a sound proof system.

From design to the location of houses, everything reflects the value people give to privacy and security. The size of walls and direction of doors and gates also tell about the family privacy concerns. While there are laws that guide how homes should be built in UK, there are ways people can instill elements of privacy in their houses. Size of walls, design of balconies and enter exit points are a few of them. It should be understood that preparations for a secure house is a good thing yet it should not be too overwhelming to increase the cost of house multifold and make it unaffordable for people. The basic needs of privacy and security should be fulfilled and rest should be ensured through careful behavior. But the people are too insecure today that they make sure the design of house is such that their privacy is ensured even if at the cost of their comfort that comes from an open and big house.

Shaping Society

The economic, security and area requirements are shaping society in my opinion. When the houses where few, scattered, low walled and with small fences, the people were less worried about their privacy and was more welcoming. This, on the other hand did not mean that the people had low respect for the rights of others but the sense of insecurity was rare. The economic development and rise of income inequality again in the history has led to the privacy concerns of people. Triggered by privacy problem of few, the society is being shaped in such a way that people like to live in small, uninterrupted and secure houses. The society is becoming more individualistic with time. The walls of houses today are more solid to make it strong as well as protective for a house (Eveleigh, 2006; Lemon, 2013). The houses today are not only designed in a manner in which the interference from the outsiders is restricted but the internal design even stops internal 'spying' on the family members too. There are no more big rooms jointly shared by siblings, elders and kids. Rather there are small rooms with attached baths so that the family members can have an uninterrupted life. The society is reshaped through the privacy concerns in the following ways:

Small multiple rooms: The design and planning of new houses shows that there is more concern for privacy than interaction among the family members as well as the neighborhood. The houses are small yet compartmentalized into small rooms that ensure that each family member is offered a place within home that is his personal empire and where no one can enter without permission. This reshapes the society towards a more individualistic nation.

Security alarm installations: The alarms are another privacy measurement in the homes. There is a source of informing if a stranger enters house without permission of the family members.

Multiple and Mechanical windows and doors: The mechanical doors and windows of houses make people independent thus each family member can open door for him/her and the outsiders cannot enter the house without the permission of others. While this has ensured privacy, the family members are stopped from knowing the daily routines of each other despite living in single home.

Individualistic approach to house planning: The more occupied area of house used to be the common area or the sitting lounge in past. On the other hand the family members not only avoid mingling with the neighbors but also there is decreasing interaction among family members. Each person has almost everything in his own room and the design of homes is also such that the dependence on other family members has decreased.

TV Lounges: The need of TV lounges is experiencing a decline in the house planning as what happened with the combined study areas. This can be counted as one of the drawbacks of the over concern of people for privacy.

The changes in the design and planning of houses is thus not only the result of economic situations (Kennett, Forrest, and Marsh, 2013) rather there is a lot more that can be attributed to the privacy concerns of people.

Effect of Privacy

The society has evolved not in terms of basic and primary needs for shelter but the secondary needs have changed a lot. People want home not only as a center of their lives but also as an escape from vulnerabilities of world too. Keeping indoors make them feel a sense of privacy. Thus, the interaction among the neighborhoods is decreasing. This is evident in the design of houses. Houses have more walls that are made stronger by using double layer of bricks (Eveleigh, 2006). The major component of cost of houses is not alone the material but the security and privacy installments that make the house safer to life in. people are not only careful while living among other people but the design of houses suggests that the interaction among family members is decreasing too. There are multiple entries and exits in a house and the rooms are smaller in size and multiple in number. This shows the direction of a society. The direction cannot be altered without ensuring a secure social system where people can trust each other's and where the crimes are low in frequency.

A certain level of privacy is necessary since it offers a space to individuals that ensure their comfort. No one would like that anyone can enter their house anytime with good or bad intentions. Yet, the overwhelming concern for privacy may reflect a change in the social dynamics revealing that people are lacking trust and are becoming more insecure. A certain level of confidence should exist among neighbors since it helps them have a healthy social life and to share their good and bad days. This social interaction and not the individual corner-ism will be a healthy trend for societies and individuals.

Conclusion

The housing in United Kingdom has evolved over centuries. While there a lot that can be considered a part of modernization and need for strength of buildings, another parameter that is part of housing design and planning is the privacy concern. The houses are design in such a manner that the people can live an uninterrupted life. This indicates the lack of interaction with as well as trust on the neighborhood. Life is on the go in the new era and people do not live for too long at same place. This decreases the interaction among people as well as the understanding of each other. The security concerns that have affected a few have impacted the whole organization and thus the house planning is being reshaped where the locks are much more important the doors themselves. The future of society, as evident from housing architecture, seems to be much more individualistic where people might not let a neighbor enter their house but they may be showing the pictures of their home to the individuals over internet that live thousands of miles away.