Architecture, TRAP Laws, and the Battle Over Abortion

ContributorsDensitiesElizabeth Evitts DickinsonEssayexpanding design practicesFormatsNo DensityPolitics and economicsTopics

Architect’s role, Austin, Building, Building regulations, Design, Developing policies, Essay, Facilities, Health, Human rights, Political & Economic Approach, Political implications, Texas, USA, Well-being, Women

This essay by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson was previously published on Architect Magazine.

Thanks to new codes and regulations for abortion clinics, the fight over a woman’s right to choose is now being waged in the built environment.


If you ever visit a Whole Woman’s Health Clinic, part of a national chain of reproductive care facilities, you might notice that it doesn’t resemble a traditional health care space. Soothing lavender paint covers the walls and lamplight replaces harsh fluorescents. Diffusers steam calming essential oil, while a specially blended herbal tea, featuring peppermint for nausea and rose for cramping, steeps for patients. Exam rooms aren’t numbered; they’re named for inspirational women such as Frida Kahlo and Rosa Parks.