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.