My Architect & I
research through design │ 2020-present
Inter'Act Lab University of Liege
The "My Architect and I" project is a research-through-design initiative aimed at deepening the understanding of the expectations, needs, and constraints faced by architects and user-clients, especially during the crucial preliminary design phases in family and collaborative housing contexts. Recognizing the importance of these early stages, the project delves into the current practices of the Belgian French-speaking architectural community, offering a comprehensive analysis of tools, methods, and strategies from related design fields.
By engaging both architects and client-users in co-design sessions, the project has successfully developed four tools designed to significantly enhance the quality of architectural services. These tools are not only expected to improve interactions but also to foster a more collaborative and satisfying experience for both parties involved in the architectural process.
Project Team
Project Lead │Prof. Catherine Elsen
PostDoc Researcher │Dr. Yaprak Hamarat
PhD Researchers │Çiğdem Yönder, Audrey Mertens
Atlas of co-design:
from design to architecture
from research to practice
Some results of the research phase are shared in the form of a booklet with the general public. In this booklet, we present an initial series of tools, techniques, and strategies gathered through interviews with designers. The goal is to deepen our understanding of the tools, techniques, strategies, methods, and models proposed in related design disciplines. By sharing these with architects and client-users, we aim to discuss their transferability to architectural design. This first selection seeks to initiate a discussion to better rethink architectural services for clients/users and architects.
First workshop:
restitution and sharing
The inaugural workshop set out to cultivate empathy, community cohesion, and future engagement for workshops aimed at enhancing the experiences of architects and user-clients during home construction or renovation projects. Participants embarked on a journey of discovery and discussion, delving into the "architectural adventure" depicted through multimedia presentation. This journey, shaped by interviews with architects and user-clients conducted over a year, highlighted 11 key concerns shared by both parties. Participants engaged in exploring the testimonies of architects and user-clients, facilitating discussions and voting to prioritize the most significant issues according to their perspectives.
Ideation & design workshops :
The second series of workshops set out to initiate the ideation and tool design process in response to previously identified and refined challenges. In Brussels, Liège, Namur, and Arlon, two-hour workshops welcomed architects and user-clients to brainstorm and generate new ideas for tools, taking inspiration from existing tools utilized in design and architecture.
Tests & iterations
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Diffusion & implementation:
Prototypes were tested with volunteer architects through additional evaluation workshops, as well as in real-life situations with their user-clients. Further tests were performed during the closing event of the project, which included a conference, workshops, and an exhibition.
