Collaborative approaches in architecture : designing with end-users

Abstract

Reacting to the failed utopian attempts of the Modernist Movement in dealing with complex contextual problems of a social and political nature, architects of the Post-War Period have sought alternative ways of practising, in order to overcome these challenges. The architects from the Participatory Design Movement of the 1970's were one of the earliest practitioners to advocate a design process, which at an immediate level, deliberately involves users to create an architecture which is flexible and adaptable to the users' requirements. Since then, various methods and extents of end-user participation have been proposed. In the last S years, 3 of the Pritzker Prize Laureates advocate a design process which actively involves end-users. Furthermore, for the first time ever, the prestigious Turner Prize was awarded to a collective of young architects for their bottom-up approach to community regeneration, through collaborating with local communities. It seems that architects worldwide are starting to realise the value end-users are able to bring to the design process. However, could such an approach be a merely short-lived fad? What are some benefits and pitfalls of involving end-users in a design process? By considering the experiences of a number of present practitioners, the researcher is able to outline various benefits, issues and risks of conducting participatory processes. The proposed study should be of special interest to aspiring practitioners who wish to better comprehend if, when, and how they should involve users in their design processes, what issues one should be aware of, and what are the risks and challenges ahead.