Building for Belonging

No.094 — Read old posts on Tinyfarmlab.com
Reading Time 4 minutes

“Where are you from?”
A simple question, but one that often leaves us wondering.

Are we from where we were born?
Where our grandparents came from?
Or from the place where we feel most at home?

Belonging is complex.
And in the world of architecture,
it’s more important today than ever before.

In the 21st century, people move more than ever.

Modern architecture has prioritized efficiency and trends over identity, leaving many spaces cold, generic, and disconnected from the lives of the people inhabiting them.

We see this everywhere: people decorating homes with furniture or materials that don’t suit their climate or lifestyle, simply because they saw it in a magazine or associate it with a certain status.

Instead of designing environments that support life, we chase styles that impress others or project success, even if they make our lives uncomfortable.

But as humans, we crave connection.

We want to feel like we’re part of something —
a neighborhood,
a culture,
a home.

As Moshe Safdie says, “Architecture has the power to bring people together… we have a deep responsibility to create buildings and places that BELONG.”

Belonging isn’t about style;
it’s about meeting people’s real,
everyday needs —
the way they live,
gather, rest, and move.

Like uncomfortable high heels that ignore the natural way we walk, design choices driven by trends rather than needs leave us disconnected from our surroundings.

Have you ever thought about, as tourists, why do we flock to hill villages or old town squares, but not to bland industrial parks?

It’s because traditional places grew from real life: they evolved to support the climate, culture, and social patterns of their communities.

How Can We Create Belonging?

Belonging can’t be an add-on at the end of a project.
It must start with honest questions:

How do people actually live?
Design spaces around daily habits, not imported styles.

Does it use local and natural materials?
Earth, bamboo, stone, or reclaimed wood can ground a building in its place.

Is it comfortable for the climate?
Natural materials often breathe better, regulate humidity, and feel comfortable in extreme weather.

Does it respect the scale of life?
Furniture, rooms, and streets should match how people move, rest, and gather.

Can it adapt over time?
Families grow, and routines change. Natural materials are easier to modify, repair, or extend.

What emotional atmosphere does it create?
Colors, textures, and light shape whether we feel calm, energized, or anxious.

Does it celebrate local identity?
Using local crafts, traditional techniques, and regional materials, roots spaces in their geography and culture.

To help people truly belong, architecture must reconnect bold ideas with local cultures and everyday habits. Our designs should grow from how people already live, not just from abstract shapes.

Architecture isn’t just an aesthetic object;
it shapes how we feel and understand our lives.

Love,
Raghav and Ansh

PS: If you still haven’t received our free guide, you can use this link.

What you can watch - We’re Building Beautiful Places Again - And It’s UNSTOPPABLE

What you can listen to - Earth floors are the most sustainable floors - Sukita Reay Crimmel - BS023

What You Can Read - Toward an Architecture of Belonging - Orion Magazine

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