Architecture as a participatory trigger
Preserving cultural identity and inclusivity through participatory design in emergency timelines
D. Erinc (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
R. Schroën – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
A. Luna Navarro – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
Speed, technical challenges, cost efficiency and urgency logistics are prioritized in post-conflict and post-disaster reconstruction. Housing is not merely a physical artifact; it is a cultural and social institution that anchors identity, continuity, and collective memory. Lefebvre describes the neglect of these dimensions in reconstruction efforts as abstract space, standardized environments detached from lived experience, leading to alienation, abandonment, and social fragmentation. The dangers of rejecting participatory mechanisms and embracing top down planning is exemplified in the case of Homs, Syria. The risks of large-scale redevelopment projects where enhances in the Boulevard al Nasr project ramid protests, revealing the consequences of top-down planning and the absence of participatory mechanisms. This study addresses the question: How can architecture trigger and enable community participation in post‑disaster reconstruction?
Drawing on theories of cultural infrastructure (Rapoport, Oliver), spatial agency (Lefebvre), and open building (Habraken), the study proposes a phased participatory framework that sequences decision-making across pre-construction, handover, and post-occupancy stages.