Domestic Infrastructures of Intimacy: Kitchens and Hygiene Spaces in Premodern Houses of Sucre - Bolivia (’50 ’60 ’70)

Abstract

This study asks how kitchens and hygiene spaces in premodern houses of Sucre (’50-‘70) shaped everyday domestic practices and cultural notions of intimacy before the rationalization of modern housing. It investigates how these environments negotiated boundaries between private and communal life, gender, and ritual. The research applies architectural surveys and qualitative interviews with elderly residents, using typological and phenomenological analysis to interpret spatial configurations and meanings. Results reveal the coexistence of hybrid infrastructures—where cooking, washing, and everyday activities overlap—reflecting both material scarcity and symbolic richness. These findings highlight how domestic space functioned as a living archive of social order and memory. The study concludes that the premodern dwelling anticipated contemporary tensions between efficiency, affection, and cultural continuity, offering critical insights for architectural design and the understanding of dwelling practices in Latin America.