This article discusses how a material divide that leaves vulnerable communities with homes made of poor quality material is perpetuated in the system of spatial design. It examines a vignette about the development of the community theater in London to illustrate the unequal access to and participation in the design process as “intentional problem-solving” by different stakeholders. The discussion outlines how materiality can become the locus of public dispute and power struggle, as well as the key reference point for valuation frameworks and calculation practices. The article points out that material politics within spatial design practice play a central role in legitimizing unequal treatment within the material planning of space, and that individual designers can rarely challenge these structures themselves.

中文翻译：

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放不下的架子：空间设计实践中的物质政治和社会不平等

本文讨论了材料鸿沟如何在空间设计系统中长期存在，这种鸿沟使弱势社区的房屋由劣质材料制成。它检查了一个关于伦敦社区剧院发展的小插曲，以说明不同利益相关者在“有意解决问题”的设计过程中的不平等获取和参与。讨论概述了重要性如何成为公共争议和权力斗争的场所，以及估值框架和计算实践的关键参考点。文章指出，空间设计实践中的物质政治在使空间物质规划中的不平等待遇合法化方面发挥着核心作用，而个别设计师很少能自己挑战这些结构。