Innovative co-design practices within housing retrofit and urban space transformation

My thesis investigates the concept of co-design across two different contexts, presented as separate studies. It includes a comprehensive literature review to establish its theoretical foundations and explore dimensions such as shared language, agency, and decision-making. The first study explores alternative narratives for urban space transformation through co-design, focusing on a case study situated in a peripheral area of Pavia. In this university-community partnership, design addresses social needs rather than market demands, acting within the frameworks of tactical and temporary urbanism through experimental approaches. Adopting a participatory action research methodology, this study conceptualises co-design as a mindset, applied across seven actions in the form of workshops and social events. The tangible and intangible outcomes are explored throughout the process while acknowledging that in a real-life setting, one intervention cannot claim to be responsible for all impacts. Co-design workshops are the primary research method, complemented by observation, mapping, photography, audio/video recording, and informal interviews. In this study, I take an active role as a researcher and designer, designing and facilitating the process. Despite my position as a female, foreign researcher, I successfully integrated into the local community, overcame language barriers, and developed meaningful emotional connections to the project and participants that extended beyond my academic interests. The second study examines co-design in the private sector, focusing on housing energy retrofit in condominiums in collaboration with the industry partner of my PhD program. This practice-based research investigates how co-design evolves as a methodology in this context, analysing the dynamics between professionals and homeowners and identifying challenges and impacts, particularly during the pre-retrofit phase. The study employs a variety of methods, including the creation of a visual narrative of the existing co-design methodology to enhance understanding of the process, uncover overlooked phases, and allow the company to communicate better the methodology to the public. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals in the company and homeowners across three projects. This study primarily emphasises the learning process rather than tangible outcomes. My role as an external observer was more constrained compared to the first study, providing a different perspective on co-design. Both studies are grounded in social constructionism and qualitative case study research, with reflexivity and reflection-in-action central to the process. The research has an open-ended methodology, guided by emergent insights and situated knowledge, shaped by the researcher’s positionality. Within the two specific contexts - urban space transformation and housing energy retrofit - the thesis explores the conditions that shape variations in co-design, demonstrating its flexibility and adaptability. By addressing diverse challenges and engaging a wide range of stakeholders, the research provides valuable insights into the dynamics, challenges, and impacts of co-design. It highlights co-design’s potential to tackle complex problems, foster participatory practices, and generate situated knowledge in both community/public and industry/private settings.