Integrating lived experience into architectural design: the making of a mixed-use clubhouse with local youth

The built environment is an important determinant of health and wellbeing. However, designers often depend on general guidelines that emphasize environmental factors supporting health, while lacking insight into occupants’ lived experiences. This research demonstrates that engaging communities to integrate users’ lived experiences into architectural practice can lead to more responsive and effective design process. Employing a Research-through-Design method, the paper explores the concept development of a mixed-use clubhouse in Roskilde, Denmark. An end-user narrative – the intimate yet collective practices of girl’s football team braiding each other’s hair before matches – shaped the architectural concept of Fletværket (Wickerwork). This narrative guided the design process to prioritize social and affective resources, realized through site-specific space planning.