Participatory Design in Architecture

Abstract

As architects encounter challenges when comprehending and fulfilling the requirements of users and other stakeholders involved in the
architectural design project, participatory design, which involves non-architects in the design process, is perceived as one of the solutions. It is a developing practice that can lead to greater engagement of non-architects in the architectural design process and create designs that meet the needs and values of all participants.

Through field research, design, and iterations in workshops, a participatory design toolkit was proposed. It was designed for architects and users to communicate and accommodate personal, organizational, and spatial needs in the early phase of architectural design. The toolkit consists of three sessions supported by visual aids: the creation of common goals, unfolding spatial needs, and accommodating spatial needs. Communication starts with sharing personal and organizational values to formulate common goals, followed by exploration and identification on spatial needs of building users in relation to the common goals, and ends with collective visualization to accommodate needs with the architectural design.

Overall, this project highlighted the importance of participatory design in the architectural design process and the challenges and successes that can be experienced when incorporating it into practice. It suggested that by involving non-architects in the design process, architects and users can communicate their knowledge, need, and value, leading to appropriate architectural designs that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and meet the needs of all stakeholders.

This project was organized with Kraaijvanger Architects, an architectural firm located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.