Bigger kitchens, more help

ARCHITECTS should design homes with equality in mind, the Basque government announced.

The region’s Housing department is currently drafting construction and livability regulations that will provide more safety for women while making it easier for couples to share domestic tasks.

These are still dictated by gender, with women dedicating a weekly 26.5 hours to looking after children or relatives, household chores and unpaid voluntary work, compared with a male’s 14 hours.

To facilitate more equality, the Housing department has suggested changes in the size and location of the kitchen.

This should be integrated into home’s living area, instead of the other end of the property, and all kitchens should be big enough to accommodate two people so that men can share the cooking and cleaning.

The drafted regulations also recommend that designs should avoid shadowy areas at apartment building entrances and on stairwells while corners should be constructed to avoid blind spots.

All common zones need to be adequately lit with mirrors to supplement lighting when there are technical difficulties in complying with the norms, the Housing department said.

Written by

Linda Hall

Originally from the UK, Linda is based in Valenca and is a reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering local news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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