Persona-fying Architecture: A developed methodological approach for participation
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Architecture and planning beyond sustainability (MPDSD), MSc
Publicerad
2023
Författare
Alabd, Belal
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
The participatory architecture
approach fosters a democratic,
inclusive, and empowering design
process by involving local participants
in crafting the built environment that
reflects local social, cultural, and
environmental landscapes. However,
participatory processes may face
challenges in effectively engaging
with the local social reality, as
there is often a lack of appropriate
methods to study and understand
it in architecture. Additionally, in
some cases, it may not succeed in
developing proposals or solutions
based on local social knowledge and
experience. In the quest to explore
solutions to these challenges, I
encountered the persona method
used in the information technology
field. The potential for its application
in architecture inspired me, leading
to research aimed at understanding
its adaptability to suit participatory
processes. The re-adaptation of the
persona method into architecture
started by investigating the
participatory process and the
challenges it faces in engaging with
social reality and local experiences.
Then, research was conducted on
how the persona method is used
in various research projects. The
re-adapted persona method was
developed theoretically and then
tested in a workshop. The re-adapted
persona method bridges the gap
between urban social data and
design practice by introducing a new
model for managing participatory
processes. This model utilizes earlystage
data to inform the co-design
process, concentrating on engaging
local participants in envisioning
spatial needs for constructed
personas. The aim is for Architects
to enter the design phase armed
with these personas and a profound
comprehension of social-spatial
requirements.