Post-Covid Participatory Design
This past week's lectures discussed how architecture can elevate the user's experience through participatory design. An example I thought of was a research article written during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic by the architecture firm HKS.
COVID-19 brought significant disruption not limited to healthcare and socio-economics but to the design and construction of the built environment itself. For a brief period, designers faced the challenge of rethinking the designs of the very spaces we inhabit. HKS designers explored possible solutions and presented case studies in order to address these complexities.
The article highlights the growing emphasis on participatory design, which involves residents and communities in the design process to create spaces that meet their needs and preferences. The authors argue that this approach will become increasingly important in the design of multifamily housing as people will seek living spaces that are safe, flexible, and adaptable to their changing needs. The article concludes that designers and architects must take a more collaborative and human-centered approach to design in order to create spaces that are not just functional but also livable and enjoyable for residents.
I worked for a Multi-Family Architecture/Developer at the time of its publishing. While the world has seemed to slowly move on from the pandemic, participatory design is still a powerful and necessary tool to bring users deeper into the collaborative design process, leading to more rewarding, Architecture.
The article can be found at this link: https://www.hksinc.com/our-news/articles/how-design-will-shift-to-accommodate-post-covid-19-multifamily-living/
Andrew, this article was super interesting. I also worked in multi-family architecture during the time of the pandemic and before we finished permits, we looked back at the units and considered what it would be like for those staying in their units during a pandemic or working from home. Some units provided more space for desks, more units started included balcony for access to the outdoors, and the mechanical systems for air intake and outake was reconsidered, especially in the senior living sector. Understanding the time and evolution of our society is only part of participatory design, but very imperative for us as designers.
ReplyDelete