Parameterising Participation
An explorative mixed-method approach towards the potential of parametric design within participatory practices
L.P.M. Gonzalez Serrano (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
G.A. van Bortel – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
H.T. Remøy – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
G. Slingerland – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
The persistent challenges of the Dutch housing market cannot be resolved through new built alone. Transformation is widely proposed as a complementary solution, yet procedural obstacles hinder numerous projects. Appropriate participation has the potential to address these challenges, as it correlates with public support and the risk of conflict during permit procedures. While traditional design shows limitations in incorporating participatory outcomes, parametric design presents potential to address these shortcomings. This research therefore examines under what conditions parametric design could improve participatory quality in project development.
The study employs a mixed-method empirical approach, and the IAP2 spectrum and Arnstein's ladder of participation served as analytical frameworks to conjunctively examine traditional and parametric design-based participation processes in multiple development projects addressing the broader built environment. The findings first and foremost reveal that participatory quality is not reflected by the absence of formal objections alone. Its value lies in residents adding local knowledge and feeling genuinely heard, informed and respected, aspects that can be fostered before a design even exists. The research therefore demonstrates that quality does not primarily depend on the employed design method, but on the initiator to intentionally involve residents meaningfully.
Parametric design however does present itself as the most capable instrument. It enables earlier resident involvement, bridging the gap between technical expertise and emotional experience, and addressing community concerns before fundamental decisions are fixed. This suggests it is not the design method, but the way it is implemented. Intrinsic motivation therefore remains the primary condition for participatory quality, with parametric design as its most constructive tool.