38) Building awareness.

Architecture and urban design can both symbolically represent and practically promote human rights. However, representing human rights values and facilitating human rights based actions are two different things.

Ideas can be given shape in the form of space metaphors and buildings. One example is the rehabilitation of the Reichstag building in Berlin which represents a set of ideas about democracy and governance designed by Foster + Partners. As the home of the German parliament, nearly every design decision, from the major to the minutiae, took on political significance. The roof terrace and dome can be visited by members of the public, providing a visual connection to the work in the parliamentary chamber.

Architects can also design dignifying residential houses for low-income, and even no-income people. Two ways to understand the relationship between architecture and human rights: In the first case, we use space as a book; similar to language, the built environment serves as a context that frames our sense of reality and promotes certain values and omits others. In the second case, we use space as a tool, which instructs us how to enact our rights and validates our claims for recognition.

There are places of advocacy and places of empowerment. As a place of advocating for democratic values, the Reichstag, designed by architect Foster, is a fine example. Ramps lead to an observation platform allowing people to ascend symbolically above the heads of their representatives in the chamber. Advocacy architecture seeks to initiate change in society as it supports and promotes human rights. It is a strategic use of architecture as a resource to advance social and public awareness; this is a means by which architecture can plead for, support, or recommend real change.

Communication and rhetoric are inherent aspects of architecture, as it deals with thoughtful and thought-provoking concepts and topics. A building will not, alone, magically transform a government or serve some magical role in halting abuse, but it can contribute to the creation of a culture in which rights are respected. Places of advocacy can inspire people to take human-rights decisions. As buildings embody the idea of democracy and engage directly with the public, they can serve as powerful bulwarks against oppression, corruption, and autocracy: this is usually referred to as advocating or building awareness. Popular attitudes about human rights do not necessarily correspond with pressure for political change, but they may. Public opinion is a reflection of the strength and viability of human rights.

Questions of sustainability are questions about our environment choices, and therefore about an architecture that is open to examining rights and life choices. Residential segregation furthers unacceptable disparities in wealth, creating a geography of opportunity that determines who has access to the valuable resources that improve lives. Place of empowerment is another means by which we can promote human rights in a practical way.