TA: Priya BhadjaDesigning with people: Exploring collaborative design at neighbourhood level
Cities evolve through complex processes governed by negotiation, contestation and collaboration between individuals / groups with specific agendas and spatial skills. Over the past decade, participatory design has gained international recognition as an important element of architectural design processes. The scope of architecture is being extended to create opportunities for co-production of spaces.
This studio explores the role of the architect in such processes at neighbourhood level. It employs research based design methods to find out how architects can intervene spatially in the public domain and hence initiate urban change. It exposes students to tools and methods of collaborative design in complex urban contexts.
It addresses the core question:How can architects contribute to city-making processes that are complex and involve
intense negotiation, contestation and collaboration between multiple stakeholders?
It entails rigorous research using visual /textual data and interaction with representatives from social organizations. Collective research exercises help students synthesize observations and design a network of spatial interventions. It is underpinned by a critical ethos of empathy, focusing on recognizing one’s biases and responding by keeping people at the centre.
