CULTURE INFLUENCE OF PRIVACY

We have continually talked about privacy in different built environments. We believe the privacy is one of the indispensable design elements in residential, educational, healthcare and other environments. However, privacy is almost ignored in most of developing countries, including China. It seems western people have higher requirement on privacy than eastern. It is hard to image to western people that children have no personal space separate from parents or shower in the public bathroom. But in China, my country, a lot of people never consider there is anything wrong. This difference is not human inherent nature. I believe privacy is located on a relative upper level of human needs. When basic requirements have not been satisfied, such as physical needs, people would not chase privacy in that situation. Meanwhile, human ability of adjustment and follow response influence one’s perspective to privacy. In the social phenomenon of population explosion, people are accustomed to crowding and believe privacy never ever exist. In my experience, I remember before I went to university, I had never been to public bathroom, so I felt shy and uncomfortable when I first time had shower with other twenty persons. But only after one week, I threw away the feeling before, and believe it was most common thing in the world. These experiences might become regular thought and influence my opinion in design. Maybe “privacy” would not be list in my design philosophy if I only study and work in my country. Therefore, I think designers have the responsibility to create better life for common, including provides the satisfaction of privacy.

public bathroom

crowding hospital,  extra patients’ beds were arranged in the hallway