3rd meeting of young researchers at UP 1 - IJUP - Universidade do ...

Architecture and the Biologic:
The relation between Gender and creation of Space
Márcia Cunha
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto, Portugal
The present research, titled as “Architecture and the Biologic: The relation between Gender
and creation of Space”, will lead to a dissertation 6 of the “ Mestrado integrado em
Arquitectura”.
The aim of the research is to reflect on the relation between architecture and human body,
historically as new. Focusing on the biologic problematic of the gender, i expect to highlight
new possibilities, on both theoretical and practical (design) ways.
It should be recalled that human being and architecture are inseparable, buildings are made by
man to man, but the way the human body relates to architecture, is something that over time
has suffered changes. In the first part of my presentation, i will overview historical matters
related with this theme.
The first written which down a direct parallel between human body and architecture was made
by Vitruvius, who believing that body was a divine entity, carries human measures to the
orders applied in architecture. Since that, and mainly after the XV century, body and
architecture has had a changing relation much influenced through technical - scientific
advances. Today, more than ever, architecture interacts directly with body, in a relationship
that floats between the mathematical simulation 'theoretical', immateriality, Virtual Reality,
and the study of materiality 'concrete', inspired in biologic behaviour.
If Biology now inspires scientists and architects through the possibility of creating new bio-
materials, there is another biologic factor which influenced and influences the creation of
space-gender. If now is less visible, there was times that gender, and the marked differences
between men and women, has made real changes on space configuration, especially on
dwelling spaces.
Women have for a long time been associated with the private sphere, with an intimate
relationship with the house, home and family, so the design and organization of housing is
something that over time resulted from his condition.
The second part of my presentation will focus this fact, by reading a critical analysis of
architectural projects (well known and of unknown).
As previously mentioned, i expect to highlight new possibilities, on both theoretical and
practical (design) ways.
6 Supervised by Professor Gonçalo Furtado
212 3 rd meeting of young researchers at UP