Social Justice in Interior Design

Many people don't realize the impact that interior design has on helping the community. Social justice does have a place in interior design. Interior designers can use their skills to build a more equitable environment for the community. A great example of this is a program called Rural Studio in West Alabama. Rural Studio's mission is that everyone needs good design no matter who they are. Rural Studio was started in 1993 as a program along with the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at Auburn University. This program gives its students the opportunity to practice what they've learned and give back to the community. A key part of this program is concerned with not what can we build but what should we build. This takes into account the ethical and environmental need of good design.

One idea that Rural Studio works on is called the front porch initiative. The problem is that there is not enough affordable housing in the country. The front porch initiative strives to give back through building well-designed homes in rural communities without many resources. Home ownership is key to a stable community. Focusing on health, wealth, durability, and efficiency, Rural Studio enables an individual to be better able to afford a home. Another facet of Rural Studio are their 20K homes. These homes are designed to cost $20,000 and be more affordable option for individuals. One 20K project, called Mrs. Patrick's home, focused on the Fair Housing Act in its design. The rooms needed to be wheelchair or walker accessible. The team needed to expand the house with these requirements. With the added space, came more challenges. The team was able to expand the house, add an extra strong flooring system, move a door around, and provide better ventilation. This home was built in 2019 in Newbern, Alabama.