How do you incorporate cultural context into your architectural designs?
Architectural design becomes meaningful when it reflects the stories, traditions, and materials of the place it inhabits. This article gathers insights from experienced architects who share practical approaches to weaving cultural context into their work. From selecting locally sourced materials to celebrating regional craftsmanship, these experts explain how they create spaces that resonate with their communities.
Choose Native Materials for Belonging
Cultural context is everywhere if you pay attention. For us, the trigger usually starts with materials. Here in Arizona, we use a lot of natural stone, weathered metals, hand-carved wood and textural plaster finishes because those are tied to our climate and history. The devil is in the details, and when you layer these choices with intentional layout and thoughtful lighting, the home feels like it belongs here. No imported trend can fake that. You know it when you walk in.
Design without cultural context looks forced. But when you build with it in mind, people stop calling it a remodel and start calling it a home. That shift is everything.
Honor Mexican Craft Through Sensory Rituals
At Victoria Plasencia Interiorismo, we see design as an act of deep connection with people and with place. Cultural context informs every decision we make. It shapes how we understand space and how we give it meaning.
We are drawn to what holds soul what speaks of origin, identity, and emotion. That's why we work with materials that carry history. Our goal is to create genuine experiences that make you feel at home, even before you live in the space.
A clear example is Espacio Aura, a project created in collaboration with Tequila 1800 for Design House, under the theme Designed in Mexico. This rooftop was envisioned as a tribute to national design and the cultural legacy of tequila in Mexico.
The tezontle pathway evokes the strength of the land. The sculptural bar transforms tequila tasting into an intimate ritual. Around the fire, the space invites conversation. Every detail was designed to create an immersive atmosphere, where guests can connect through the senses while discovering the story of tequila from the agave harvest to the moment it is poured at the table.
We collaborated with Mexican artisans and selected elements that speak to our essence. In this project, culture lives in the materials, the concept, and the entire atmosphere. This is how we understand interior design: as a bridge that leads to what truly matters.
Print Istanbul Stories on Custom Wallpapers
Hello, I'm Ayhan from XwallX.com. My company produces digital print wallpapers, and we are undertaking a hotel project in Istanbul, Turkey. The interior designer and hotel owner want to decorate the rooms with photos of Istanbul, and we are producing wallpapers featuring patterns with Istanbul photos, tailored to their specifications for the rooms.
Trace Everyday Routes to Shape Edges
Local ways of moving suggest the lines and edges of a building. Paths can follow desire lines, linking wells, markets, schools, and bus stops. Shaded arcades, stoops, and verandas can mark the threshold between street and room.
Doorways can align with breeze paths to keep air flowing in hot weather. Corners and courtyards can create safe pauses where people greet and wait. Point out the routes you use each day so the plan can fit them.
Align Rooms with Daily and Sacred Practices
Cultural rituals shape how spaces are used across the day and year. Layouts can place public gathering areas up front and quiet care spaces deeper inside. Orientations can follow the sun, the wind, or a sacred view to honor local practice.
Thresholds, like low gates, screens, or changes in floor level, can signal shifts in privacy. Flexible rooms can expand or contract to host rites, meals, or mourning when needed. Share the rituals that matter most so the plan can respect them.
Host Inclusive Workshops to Gather Ideas
Community ideas can be gathered through open, hands-on design workshops. Sessions can use maps, model kits, and simple surveys to draw out local needs. Elders, youth, and workers can be invited at times that fit daily routines.
Translators, childcare, and food can remove barriers and build trust. Notes and sketches from each session can be shared back so people can check and refine them. Join the next workshop and bring a neighbor to shape the plan.
Use Familiar Symbols to Clarify Direction
Wayfinding works best when words, colors, and stories feel familiar. Signs can use local languages, clear icons, and simple maps that match the ground. Murals and floor patterns can share place stories that guide people as they walk.
Tactile strips and audio cues can help those with low vision or hearing. Digital guides can echo the same symbols so directions stay consistent. Share words, symbols, and stories that feel right so the paths can guide with care.
Support Small Trade with Flexible Street Infrastructure
Many places rely on small trade, street vending, and home-based work. Designs can set aside flexible stalls, plug-in points, and shaded edges for daily sellers. Lockers and shared storage can protect goods without costly rent.
Small loading bays and clear waste spots can keep alleys clean and safe. Oversight rules can be light, fair, and written in plain language to welcome all. Tell what you sell and when you sell it so the plan can support your work.