Climate adaptation in design education:applying a fourstep research by design strategy

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the insights gained by testing in a design studio a particular research-by-design strategy, focusing on the generation of innovative solutions for climate change adaptation. The strategy is based on the Design Thinking Process and has been applied in the climate adaptation design studio, which took place in 2022 at a Master of Architecture degree program in the Netherlands. The case study area was the Zernike university campus in Groningen, the Netherlands, which is situated in the verge between the city and the surrounding rural landscape, facing the urgent climate change challenges of the wider region, mainly floodings due to increased frequency of rainfalls and sea level rise. Furthermore, the area faces particular challenges, such as the increasing demand for serving additional needs, beyond the current educational and business related functions, such as (student) housing. Three indicative design research projects were selected to illustrate the tested research-by-design strategy, while systematic input has been collected from the participating students regarding the impact of this strategy on their design process. The results reveal that this strategy facilitates the iterative research-by-design process and hence offers a systematic approach to convert the threats of climate change into opportunities by unravelling the potentials of the study area, resulting in place-based, innovative and adaptive solutions

Citizen engagement & co-creation processes

Introduction to the Unified Citizen Engagement Model and the co-creation activities in Hoogkerk (as an example of the first phase of the model: discovering phase

Co-creation event with an energy expert panel (citizens of Hoogkerk)

Designed, organized and facilitated a co-creation event with a panel of energy experts/ citizens of Hoogkerk. The main focus of the event was the ecosystem services identification and the proposal for an integrated energy landscape in Hoogkerk Zuid. A researcher from TNO and students from the master of Architecture of Hanze have been invited to attend the event, as well

The Unified Citizen Engagement Approach: a design-oriented framework for involving citizens in the energy transition

The paper describes the first implementation of the Unified Citizen Engagement Approach (UCEA), a newly developed design-oriented framework for citizen engagement in the energy transition. The preliminary testing and evaluation of several of its pathways in Groningen, the Netherlands, show that the role of design in the energy transition is not limited to the adoption of (co)design tools and methods. Instead, design should be integrated in the process in a more holistic way and on multiple levels, taking into account broader issues than energy, the maturity of local initiatives, and effective communication with stakeholders

SIET Symposium 2021

Social innovation: next steps in the energy transitio