Co-design: A report on collaboration between older people and students of architecture

‘Co-design’ is emerging as an important approach in architectural and urban design (Al-Kodmany, 1999) which diversifies stakeholder participation and representation (Cruickshank et al., 2013). The risks and benefits will vary depending on how different stakeholders engage. ‘Mobility, Mood and Place’ explores how places can be designed collaboratively to make pedestrian mobility easy, enjoyable and meaningful for older people. The built environment often excludes marginalised groups such older people, single mothers and others with special needs. Participatory co-design approaches can include such stakeholders so as to address their priorities and ensure that other stakeholders empathise with their perspective (Scott, 2011). This can enhance students’ methodological flexibility and empathy (Chivers; 2015). This paper reflects evaluatively on architecture students’ experiences, together with older adults, (including stroke-survivors and those with dementia) in co-design and co-production research on age-friendly environments. Al-Kodmany, K. (1999). Using visualization techniques for enhancing public participation in planning and design: process, implementation, and evaluation. Landscape and urban planning, 45(1), 37-45. Chivers, H. (2015) ‘Practice Makes Perfect’. In ‘Radical Pedagogies: Architectural Education and the British Tradition: RIBA. Cruickshank, L., Coupe, G. and Hennessy, D. (2013) Co-design - Fundamental issues and guidelines for designers: Beyond the Castle Case Study. Swedish Design Research Journal, 2, 48-57 Scott, I. (2011). Analysis of a project to design the ideal classroom undertaken by a group of children on the autism spectrum and students of architecture, Good Autism Practice, 12(1), 13-25 Iain Scott, Neil Thin & Katherine Brookfield– University of Edinburgh