SPATIAL THEORY
HOME AS A SOCIAL DIAGRAM: A GENDERED READING
Living in a nuclear family– consisting of my mother, father, sister, and myself– there is no obvious or strict gender hierarchy in the house, and responsibilities are largely shared. However, when I began observing everyday routines more closely, certain patterns became visible not through rules, but through time and everyday routines around the house.
HOUSE PLAN
Case 1
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Since my mother spends the maximum amount of time at home, her movement through the house becomes the clearest way to read its internal dynamics. She does not have a single space that she consistently occupies; instead, her presence is dispersed across the apartment, shifting throughout the day depending on the time of day and the type of work being done.
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In the mornings on weekdays, before my sister and I leave for college and my father leaves for work, my mother mostly occupies the kitchen while preparing food. After we leave, she moves through almost the entire house, dusting and organising rooms before the cleaner arrives. During this time, she uses all parts of the apartment rather than staying in one place. Once this is done, she returns to the kitchen and spends a longer stretch of time cooking.
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In the afternoons, my mother usually works from home and therefore occupies the living room for most of this period. This marks a shift from domestic work to professional work, even though both take place within the same house. But weekends function differently– When all four of us are at home, the dining area becomes an important shared space in the morning, where we often spend long periods together. As the day goes on, the living room is occupied by most of us. During this time, my mother continues to move in and out of the kitchen to prepare meals. My sister and I help occasionally, however, we do not spend as much continuous time in the kitchen as she does. My father mostly remains in the living room, entering the kitchen only briefly a few times during the day.
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In the evenings, after my sister and I return from college, we either stay in our room to study or spend time in the living or dining areas. Once my father returns from work, the three of us are usually together in the living room, while my mother remains in the kitchen until dinner is prepared. If my sister or I are in our room, my father usually comes in briefly but does not stay for long, suggesting a quiet respect for personal space.
MOTHER
ME
FATHER
CIRCULATION IN MORNINGS
MOTHER'S CIRCULATION ON WEEKEND MORNINGS AND AFTERNOONS
MOTHER
ME
CIRCULATION AT NIGHT
FATHER
Case 2
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A noticeable shift in the spatial dynamics of the house occurs when my grandmother visits us. Her presence temporarily alters everyday routines, especially in relation to how spaces are occupied and by whom. The living room begins to feel less flexible for my sister, my mother, and me, and more regulated in terms of how we sit, move, and occupy the space. During her visits, my mother tends to spend more time in the kitchen and her bedroom than she usually does. As a result, the kitchen and the bedroom become spaces where my mother’s presence feels expected rather than chosen.
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Although my grandmother is also a woman, her presence significantly alters the gender dynamics of the house. In my opinion, this is due to her orthodox outlook and the internalised patriarchy that she unknowingly carries. She often imposes rules and expectations that are gendered, even if they are not explicitly stated and there is a visible preference shown towards the male members of the family.
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The kitchen, in particular, becomes more controlled during this time. Meals are prepared more frequently and tend to follow routines and preferences aligned with my grandmother’s expectations. This increases the amount of time my mother spends in the kitchen, while her movement across the rest of the house becomes more limited compared to regular days.
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When my father or male cousins are present, my sister and I are often expected to spend more time in or around the kitchen. If we are in the living room, we are expected to behave more formally. During this time, my father rarely comes into the kitchen, as food and other needs are brought to him without him having to move.
GRANDMOTHER'S CIRCULATION AROUND THE HOUSE
My take on this as a Designer..
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These observations made me realise that domestic space does not just accommodate behaviour, but often reinforces it. In both everyday routines and during my grandmother’s visits, the house enables certain movements while quietly discouraging others. While these patterns are social in origin, the spatial layout often makes them feel natural and unquestioned.
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As a designer, this makes me reflect on how homes can be planned to avoid becoming fixed scripts of behaviour. Rather than rigidly assigning spaces to specific roles, design can allow rooms to remain flexible and shared. For example, kitchens that are more visually or spatially connected to common areas could reduce the isolation of domestic labour and encourage more collective participation.
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Similarly, the living room’s tendency to become regulated during my grandmother’s visits highlights how easily common spaces can turn into zones of authority. Designing shared spaces with multiple focal points or flexible arrangements could prevent a single user from dominating them.
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While design alone cannot undo internalised patriarchy or social conditioning, it can create conditions where alternative ways of occupying space become possible. In this sense, my role as a designer is not to impose equality, but to ensure that space does not quietly assign certain bodies to certain rooms.