Introduction

Exclusionary, or defensive, architecture has had a negative impact on various communities and environments all around the world. It is often disguised and overlooked as urban design due to its aesthetic appeal and its functional use. Public spaces are utilized on a daily basis and often people do not recognize the implications and true intent behind hostile architecture. From bus shelter seats that pivot forward to metal park benches with metal dividers, hostile architecture is rejecting human bodies. Accessible urban spaces for people such as the elderly, homeless people, and families once viewed these areas as warm, safe, and comforting. However, with the reduction of these accessible spaces, affected populations felt lost and disregarded from society. Decreased accessibility for those to rest in public spaces, takes a physical toll on human bodies depleting the desire to rest weary bodies for pregnant women or the elderly. Making the environment less welcoming to humans is not only making the environment hostile but also the people in it. Through the creation of a model showcasing accessible and hostile architecture on a bench design, we will bring awareness to exclusionary practices to help promote architects and city planners develop more accessible and ethical public spaces.

Literature Review

Current common forms of hostile architecture include benches, dividers and spikes on windowsills, uneven pavement, etc. As exclusionary architecture had a role in segregation and quelling individuals based on their social status, it has also resulted in many psychological damages to these groups. Social isolation and loneliness are experienced more in populations excluded through hostile architectural designs, such as homeless communities. Research has shown that these social determinants are indicators for poor health (Lachaud et al.). Many public spaces such as subways and parks currently have a stark lack of seating, which affects everyone. In New York, one of the most notable benches with hoop dividers was created by a park commissioner named Robert Moses (Kodé). Through his innovation, people could no longer stick their legs through to lie down on a bench. The scarcity of benches and innovations made to them create health and safety problems such as disrupting sleep, physically restricting movement, causing injuries.

Methods

Surveys, model making, drawing, painting, sketching, and literature review were used. The survey acts as a measure to help deepen people’s understanding of defensive architecture and what they can look for in their environment that highlights limitations in urban design. Drawing will be used to make the sketches of the benches and the background for it. Sketching different background ideas helps curate ideas for which the model will communicate the message most effectively. The bench will be painted with colors and patterns that may evoke positive emotions in those viewing it such as warmth and comfort.

Audience & Impact

This project is for anyone that has felt excluded because of defensive architecture i.e. homeless, families, pregnant women. The goal is to inspire the future designers and developers of the built environment and bring awareness to holistic practices.

References

Kodé, Anna. “The Slow Death of the New York City Public Bench.” The New York Times, 18 Oct. 2025.

Lachaud, James, et al. “Social Isolation and Loneliness among People Living with Experience of Homelessness: A Scoping Review.” BMC Public Health, vol. 24, no. 1, BioMed Central, Sept. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19850-7. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Damaya Wilson for partnering with me on this project. I would also like to thank Harold Burgess, Heather Bremenstuhl, and Irene Park for their involvement in helping me see this creative process through.