The Hidden Program: I Will Never Look At The "Supermarket" The Same Way Again!

The article "Restructuring the Hidden Program: Toward an Architecture of Social Change" by Murray Silverstein and Max Jacobson explores "What is an architectural program?". They go much deeper than to just say it is a listing of spaces denoting size, function and their relationships to each other and to say it is a social-physical form that brings the space to life.

Interestingly enough, there is not sufficient time spent on this programing phase of design. The results are an intrinsic failure of the program most related to the "Hidden Program". The hidden program is the "system of relationships, usually taken for granted, that give the building its basic social-physical form and connect it to the rest of society". This hidden program does not take into account that the form of the building might be the problem. No matter how much we try to fix it, it still feels wrong. It is much easier to just accept the issues intrinsic in the building and try to improve the project. Ultimately, that perspective does not produce an environment that solves the problem but rather just glosses over it.

In their example "From Supermarket to Community Market" they discover the core destructive pattern in the design of our commonplace Supermarket. From the factory farm to the self-service artificial environment of the Supermarket they restructure the hidden program into the local farms, independent sellers and support system of the Community Market. Our current Supermarket society keeps us disassociated from people and produces mass-produced, bland food. "People begin to forget what a real tomato is like." In contrast, the shift to a Community Market connects people to people and the market as an important part of society. We begin to rediscover what "real" food is with all of its flavor, texture and uniqueness.

I am guilty of making my list, picking a time that I won't run into too many people and just getting my shopping DONE. It is as if I am on automatic pilot. Buying the same things in the same spot, checking it off and going home. Just to do the same monotonous chore next week. I resolve today to be more conscious of my surroundings and I WILL NEVER LOOK AT THE SUPERMARKET THE SAME AGAIN.