Establishment of an end-user engaged building design framework

Abstract

Purpose: Significant gaps between end-user expectations and the actual performance of buildings have been reported. Engaging end-users in the design phase is proposed to address this issue; however, practical implementation faces numerous challenges due to limited details of methods, tools and techniques for effective user engagement. This study aims to critically analyse the challenges in end-user engagement in the design process, thereby proposing a new, enhanced framework for end-user engaged building design. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted, involving a comprehensive search across Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and Google Scholar, yielding 481 articles. After eliminating duplicates and irrelevant studies, this pool was narrowed down to 31. Meta-synthesis of the existing body of knowledge and its extrapolation were performed. Findings: Three design approaches – participatory, user-centred and co-design exist to facilitate user engagement during the design process, aiming to mitigate performance gaps. However, they encounter significant challenges, including a lack of standardised processes for identifying the right users, acquiring and reconciling end-user requirements and evaluating designs. A new framework for enhanced end-user engagement in the design phase is proposed to address these challenges. Originality/value: The proposed framework would enhance user engagement in building design, consequently mitigating performance gaps and bolstering occupant productivity and satisfaction. Additionally, the study identifies the challenges associated with the user-engagement process and consolidating user feedback, which is often vague and ambiguous by nature. Addressing these challenges is identified as future research needs to yield better outcomes from end-user engagement.