The Symbolic Power of Residential Architecture

This chapter explores the symbolic power of architecture in institutions and post-reform residential facilities for people with intellectual disabilities, using Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopias. Buildings are examined not just as physical entities but as powerful symbols reflecting and shaping societal values and perceptions of disability. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates architecture, social sciences, and the humanities, the chapter underscores how spaces influence and are influenced by human actions, identities, and power dynamics.

The analysis focuses on four architectural aspects: building location, overall layout, connection to surroundings, and the relationship between common areas and individual units. The chapter is organised into four sections. First, it introduces Foucault’s heterotopias to conceptualise architecture’s symbolic power. Second, it offers a historical overview of institutional and residential facilities in Denmark, highlighting key examples. Third, it examines recent architectural trends in three case studies of new residential facilities, discussing the heterotopic nature of today’s group homes for people with intellectual disabilities. Finally, it discusses how traces of historical institutions persist in modern housing designs and how emerging architectural forms promote the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities into broader communities. This discussion highlights the potential of architecture to bridge the past and the present while fostering inclusivity.