69

How do architects imagine how families inhabit their living space? And how do families appropriate, use, and adapt the spatial arrangements programmed by architects? The architects’ intentions are transformed as much by chance inventiveness as by knowledge of the intended uses. The utopian, revolutionary, or reformist origins of the “civilizing” mission in planning dwelling spaces were important references until the evolution of family structures in terms of the autonomy of children and gender equality lead to incorporating versatility into the planning of spaces. Only a thorough evaluation of this architectural approach can validate or condemn arrangements which can have meaning only in terms of relationships and of the particular situation of each building, and this in turn redefines each time the equation struck between the beautiful and the useful.