Design Criteria for Public Buildings in the Context of Sociological Relativism: Egyptian Police Stations

Abstract

The design reference for public buildings should be reflective of the institutions' orientation and the public' demographics. This underscores the necessity to establish a linkage between architectural and social perspectives, recognizing that social disparities among societies invariably influence architectural outcomes. This necessitates a study of the design of these institutions within their context, in what is known as "sociological relativism". The study definitively reveals that social impediments arise during the design process of police buildings in countries with conservative regimes according to international standards for police buildings design. This is particularly salient in contexts where liberal and conservative police regimes differ significantly. Methodologically, a qualitative approach was adopted, examining the Egyptian context as a case study. Egypt as a subject is chosen because of the architectural development of its police stations, which have been characterized by a conservative system, during the period spanning from 2019 to 2024. The primary sources for this approach rely on an ethnographic component, which is achieved through field observation of conservative police buildings with behavioral mappings, photographs, and field notes. Semi-structured interviews are also conducted with architectural consultants and administrative leaders involved in the process of developing these buildings. These sources are used to reach the design criteria that achieve the optimal architectural model for police buildings with conservative systems, specifically police stations, in accordance with the nature of their inner work and the nature of the public who deal with them.