Manifesto

Giselle N.
3 min readNov 14, 2020

One thing needs to be clear. No woman or man on this earth chose this cruel yet beautiful existence. Not a single soul “consented” to being brought into the world. I want to emphasize the randomness of birth and essentially, human existence as we know it. This implies that almost everything we know is man-made or socially constructed, because no one is fully prepared for this life. Further, no one is satisfied. So we created.

We (humans) were forced to create things that would help us not only survive, but also live a life of meaning, purpose, and practicality. The objects that facilitate this surround us every day. We drive cars to get to different places which are essentially just large structures filled with different objects serving different purposes. But all of this gives us a sense of purpose. Now, it is important to realize this includes even the most basic, mundane items that we don’t think twice about like containers, for example. We use containers for leftover food, art supplies, bobby pins, and even the most random items and papers that we eventually place at the back of our garage. These random items are often forgotten and serve no immediate purpose but still, we find a place for them. We place and store them in a secure spot because everything needs to have its own place. This stems from our belief that almost everything has some sort of inherent value. Everything serves a purpose, whether we realize it or not.

So now that we have established that everything possesses value (even the most random household items) and that everything must have its place despite its perceived insignificance, I want to apply this on a larger scale. If everything is socially constructed and if almost everything is man-made, this can only mean one thing- Humans built societies. Therefore, humans can continue to build and alter society. The status quo can and must be challenged. We should not have to live in a world that unfairly determines who has access to resources or basic human rights. I want to talk about homelessness and how we live in a world that often values the objects we create to sustain life, over life itself. If we find value in random objects how can we not value a person’s life? If we make it a point to give every object its place, how can we refuse an individual’s right to their “place”? Everyone deserves shelter. Everyone deserves a home. It is the literal central foundation of a person’s life. A home brings us stability and helps us remain physically and mentally healthy. It serves as the space from which we can work toward our goals, recharge, make lasting memories, and build relationships with our surrounding community. A decent home should not be beyond the reach of anyone. No one chooses this existence, so it is only right they are provided with what they need.

Over time humans have designed and created the objects needed to build a life. The buildings, structures, and homes that make a society are products of architecture. Architects play an important role in society. They design buildings in an intentional manner in order to improve the life of individuals, professionals, businesses, and ultimately cities. Architecture is a product of the surrounding cultural identity. More often than not, the most vulnerable and homeless populations are excluded from this identity. I believe this must be challenged by intentionally designing structures that benefit the homeless population, thus placing value on their lives.

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