Meeting User Needs

MATERIALS

Recorded by Elizabeth Donovan, images by Essi Nisonen and Veera Saastamoinen

KEY READINGS 

• Social Design: Participation and Empowerment. Angeli Sachs; Claudia Banz; Michael Krohn. Lars Müller Publishers

• Cities for people. Jan Gehl. ‎Island Press

• Healthy Homes: Designing with light and air for sustainability and wellbeing. Nick Baker, Koen Steemers. RIBA Publishing

• Soft City: Building Density for Everyday Life. David Sim. Island Press

INSPIRATIONAL BUILT EXAMPLES

• Helen & Hard – Vindmøllebakken Housing, Stavanger, Norway

• Assemble Studio, Granby Four Streets, Liverpool, UK

• Basurama – RUS: Urban Weavers, Cordóba, Argentina

• Aart Architects. Musholm sport center. Korsør, Denmark

MEETING USER NEEDS

User Centered Design is an approach to architecture that places the needs and preferences of the end users at the center of the design process. This involves conducting research to learn about demographic, makeup, behaviors, and the preferences of people who use the space. The goal is to create buildings and spaces that are functional, accessible, safe, and appealing to the people who use them. Inclusive public spaces are critical for creating communities that are welcoming, safe and equitable for all individuals. These spaces may play a critical role in promoting social cohesion, reducing discrimination, and building stronger relationships among diverse groups of people. By considering the needs of people with different physical abilities, we can design spaces that are more accessible, and by considering the needs of families with children, architects can design spaces that are safe and appealing for children to play in. User Centered Design can lead to higher levels of user satisfaction and a sense of ownership and responsibility for the spaces that they actually use and care about.