Can Design Challenge Historical Narratives? How One Architect Has Reshaped the Spanish-Colonial Style
Architecture and design don’t just reflect history– they have the power to challenge and reshape it. In Santa Barbara, a city known for its traditional Spanish-Colonial aesthetic, architect, Jeff Shelton is doing just that. Through playful and bold colorful designs, he offers a break from the signature style. His work doesn’t just add visual contrast, it raises a deeper question: Can design challenge historical narratives and reshape the story of a place and the people who experience it?
Jeff Shelton Architecture walking tour in Santa Barbara, CA. Photo by Desiree Gonzalez
As a Puerto Rican-American from New York who attended graduate school in California– Jeff Shelton’s buildings left a lasting impression on me. From a depth psychological perspective (which is the study of the unconscious), I’ve come to understand why. By disrupting the architectural aesthetic of the city, Shelton’s work challenges the deadening effect of colonial design, shifting my own experience of place, reminding me of the vibrant architecture of Puerto Rico, and revitalizing the richness as well as the enduring strength of my culture and people, all while embracing diverse cultural influences.
Most people don’t walk around a city consciously analyzing the narrative its buildings tell, but I couldn’t ignore it. While the Spanish-colonial architecture attracts many people across the U.S. seeking a "permanent vacation" reminiscent of Europe, for me— someone with Taíno roots— it was a reminder of a more complicated history. The European-style architecture was a reminder of the unspoken reality of Spanish colonization and the displacement of the Indigenous peoples. I didn’t have the privilege of seeing only the charm; I also saw the past it represented.
While still managing to follow the city’s mandate for “historical preservation” and rigid design guidelines, Shelton’s buildings add both color and life to the city of Santa Barbara, standing out among the more generic buildings around them. It sparked a feeling of “living in color” within me, with whimsical designs that play with bright hues, imperfect and funky shapes, and textures. This “coloring outside of the lines” approach might not be for everyone, but for me, Shelton’s buildings and tile work exuded a distinctive beauty. They tapped into my wild and carefree side, and evoked my inner child. Some of his buildings reminded me of Dr. Seuss’ fantastical style, while his Ablitt Tower echoed the fairytale imagery of Rapunzel. Intriguingly, the story of Rapunzel is inspired by Saint Barbara, the city’s namesake, who was martyred for her spiritual beliefs, and became known as the patron saint of architecture.
Jeff Shelton’s Stone Tower House via https://www.jeffsheltonarchitect.com
Shelton’s approach is the essence of what I call subversive design– work that challenges dehumanizing and patriarchal dominant narratives. I encountered his buildings at a time when my own creative eros didn’t have the space to thrive or proper container to be nurtured. Sitting in his tower house, I was struck by the connection to Rapunzel– the embodiment of the “locked up feminine”, and during that time, something deeper within me was unlocked. This is the transformative power (subversive) design, or any creative outlet— be it film, art, books, or fashion— can offer.
Shelton’s work provide a reprieve from the heavy, often harmful narratives embedded in that built environment. His designs challenge the prevailing focus on practicality and usability, making space for life-giving design. Industrialization and the relentless demands for growth and “progress” have inadvertently stripped away many of the elements that evoke beauty, wonder, and awe, sacrificing health and well-being in the process. Yet, Shelton’s designs infused a sense of emotional vitality into my life at a time when I needed it most– filling me with inspiration.
Jeff Shelton Architecture walking tour in Santa Barbara, CA. Photo by Desiree Gonzalez
This revival of my creative eros led me to reflect on the significance of place in my own work and life— the importance of where we settle, the connection between identity and belonging, and the profound impact of stories. Architecture, after all, exists in a reciprocal relationship with its inhabitants. It carries both historical and emotional weight, influencing how we experience and interpret design. The narratives of the spaces we inhabit, whether they confirm or contradict our own, affect our well-being and sense of self, making it essential to consider not only the spoken narrative of a place but what remains unsaid.
Jeff Shelton Architecture walking tour in Santa Barbara, CA. Photo by Desiree Gonzalez
Like Shelton, other architects and urban planners around the world are reshaping the narrative and championing subversive design. A London-based architect, Thomas Heatherwick, and founder of the Humanise Campaign, is redefining architecture by prioritizing the human experience, making design more thoughtful and emotionally connected. Meanwhile, Amsterdam’s, The Gendered City, founded by Nourhan Bassam, highlights the importance of designing with women’s needs and experience in mind, ensuring public spaces are more inclusive and equitable. These pioneers remind us that there are endless possibilities beyond the dominant narrative—ones that can both be integrated into it but also give rise to something entirely new.
With my own inner landscape transformed, I rekindled my creative self, reimagining life and redefining beauty on my own terms. Living in spaces that weren’t designed with someone like me in mind— places that weren’t compatible or affirming— taught me the critical importance of choosing environments that choose you back. This intentionality empowers me to flourish— proving why place and narrative matter. Thanks to the work of Shelton and others like him, I now focus on designing spaces that challenge harmful, oppressive norms and prioritize health, and well-being. As a woman of color, subversive design and intentional placemaking have helped to re-center “color” in my own life. By combining color with free-form, joyful, humanizing, and feminine-centered design elements, subversive design can disrupt normalized narratives.
Jeff Shelton Architecture walking tour in Santa Barbara, CA. Photo by Desiree Gonzalez
In closing, design has contributed to reshaping my own experience with disconfirming environments. Through subversive design, I’ve been able to create inclusive, empowering, restorative, “containers” that hold space for people to fully express their agency, authenticity, creativity, and sense of community.
If you’re a designer, designing for vulnerable populations or for those with ties to colonized cultures, here are some essential questions to ask:
1. What is the story being told?
2. Who is not included or left out of the
story/narrative?
3. Who’s narrative is being centered?
4. How can we center and listen to those
marginalized if it’s not being done?
5. Who or what is being displaced here
(people or nature)?
If you’re not a designer, the next time you encounter a building or space that resonates with you, take a moment to reflect on why. Consider what emotions or thoughts arise as it can give you insight into both your own internal landscape as well as the larger environment— challenging your personal narratives, deepening your connection to place, and guiding you towards spaces that not only align with you, but also nurture and inspire your creative spark.
Written by Desiree
Desiree holds a master’s degree in depth psychology, specializing in community, liberation, indigenous, and eco psychologies; and a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism and broadcast management.
