Luisa Hilmer

Participatory Design is an approach whereby various stakeholders are involved in the decision-making during a design process. Users are directly involved in the team of experts as they help identify shortcomings in design solutions, thus contributing to the project and playing an active role in the process.

My dissertation joins an already vibrant discussion about the challenging nature of Participatory Design in British housing design, comparing historical and contemporary approaches. Through an analysis of four different architectural firms’ work – that of Ralph Erskine, Walter Segal, Assemble and Karakusevic Carson Architects – it investigates how architects and residents foster participation to engage communities in the decision-making process.

The study suggests that the history of Participatory Design can help us understand current practices and argues that the methods applied have become more transparent with the increasing role the communities play as driving forces for participation. In particular, it explores the relationship between architects and residents in these processes and simultaneously illuminates the structural and fundamental levels of Participatory Design through which housing design inevitably shapes the lives of its users. It demonstrates that Participatory Design processes in architecture require a design historical re-evaluation because they are significantly linked to material culture. Even though Participatory Design is a process rather than a design outcome, it incorporates material culture. Physical objects, such as models, serve as tools for communicating and thinking about how to implement visions.

In essence, my research highlights the correlation between design history and architectural practice as a possible platform for a reflection of the built environment. Participation means extra effort but at the same time an additional revenue of ideas, insights and evaluations to change the built environment. Sustainable housing design solutions emerge when it is possible to combine input from practitioners and participants.