Humane sustainability in high-density housing
Architecture and urban planning must develop the space available according to the needs of the users. The project aims to provide a tested, theoretical-methodological basis in order to integrate these needs into planning processes.
Factsheet
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Schools involved
School of Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering
Bern Academy of the Arts -
Institute(s)
Institute of Design Research
Institute for Urbanism, Architecture and Construction ISAK - Research unit(s) Urban Transformation group FGUT
- Funding organisation BFH
- Duration 01.01.2022 - 13.07.2023
- Head of project Prof. William Fuhrer
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Project staff
Rahel Ursula Inauen
Andrea Grasser
Angela von Däniken
Elke Reitmayer - Keywords Humane sustainability; high-density housing; user needs; human-centered design; socio-spatial research
Situation
In the context of a sustainable growth of our housing estates, architecture and urban planning are challenged to develop the space available whilst meeting the users’ fundamental needs. However, the planning and construction industry follows disciplinary and industry-specific laws that are primarily based on empirical values. User needs are usually incorporated into concrete project plans in the form of feedback and take place within participatory methods and processes. Feedback of this kind is reactive in terms of content and has a limited effect. Hence, research on basic user needs in high-density housing is insufficient. This research gap will be addressed by focusing on broadly effective evidence (foundations) from a needs perspective and through processes of evidence-based architecture. Existing empirical values and processes for quality assurance should find a scientific complement in methods for needs assessment, a basic repository and processes for needs implementation.
Course of action
The aim of the project is to develop an intervention-oriented process for identifying, integrating and monitoring the needs of users in high-density housing with a focus on aspects of humane sustainability. When built space is planned according to user needs, this leads to greater satisfaction, better health and social sustainability. The first step consists in identifying critical phases in planning processes where the identification and integration of user needs are of concern. In a second step, methods for needs assessment are developed, tested and transferred into a process model. The project will provide a tested, theoretical-methodological basis in order to integrate user needs into planning processes.
