Self-esteem and social housing design

Abstract

Winston Churchill once said "[w]e shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us", in a meeting at the House of Commons, 28 October 1943. He along with many others understood that buildings could affect people deeply, especially in the context of the architecture of one's home and immediate spaces. For this reason this study investigates the relationship between one's home and one's self-esteem. Previous studies have shown that psychologically self-esteem is based upon one's self-concept, which is built up mainly during the development years in one's life. A large portion of this development takes place throughout childhood, which is affected by several factors, mainly culture, childrearing as well as personal qualities and abilities. This study focuses on the childrearing aspect, targeting mainly recreational time within the context of the spaces of one's home. Play is particularly explored in depth since it is a major influential factor in the development of children and, thus, their self-esteem due to the diverse skills that are developed throughout this activity. The above themes are explored within the architectural context of Maltese social housing blocks and their neighbourhoods as a whole, which act as a setting for children living in these homes carrying out these activities.