A taxonomy of participatory design projects in architecture

Abstract

Since its advent in the 1960s, participatory design has been an interesting and innovative technique to use in architectural projects. The nature of participatory design projects is varied and diverse. Much of the existing documentation does not provide a generalized framework under which to analyze how participatory design techniques are applied. As a result, it is difficult to understand the benefits or drawbacks to using participatory design. It can also be difficult to evaluate in which context a participatory design technique is appropriate, and how to integrate it within a project. This thesis summarizes eight case studies that use a variety of participatory design approaches within several different contexts and generalizes the approaches for application to other projects. Three methods of categorization have been developed, each providing a different set of considerations for future projects.