Is there a right to architecture?

Abstract

Architecture, defined here most broadly as human shelter, addresses basic human needs of safety, security, privacy, and protection from the elements, but it is often viewed not as a right that every person has, but as a vehicle for controlling people, stimulating investment, and a range of other social, political, and economic interests. This article looks at the ethics of this situation from various ethical perspectives and concludes that, regardless of one's point of view, every human being has a right to shelter.

Keywords:

• shelter
• needs
• ethics
• rights

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thomas Fisher

THOMAS FISHER

University of Minnesota, 89 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

Thomas Fisher is a Professor in the School of Architecture and Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. A graduate of Cornell University and Case Western Reserve University, he has written or co-authored 9 books, over 50 book chapters or introductions, and over 325 articles in professional journals and major publications. His current research interests involve system design and resiliency.