Flexibility and adaptability - Key elements of end-user participation in living space designing

Abstract

© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2017. An end-user has the main role in the creation of space where spends most of its lifetime (home, workplace). That is why important that a designer (he first) recognizes what requests of the end-user are. In the reference literature and researches that deal with the spatial organisations and designing of living area, the role of an end-user is essential. However, what does the end user participation mean, actually? At what level an end-user makes a final decision? Is it a choice among several alternative solutions provided by an architect or end-user himself? This article precisely deals with that subject - where begins and where ends participation of the end-user when the theme is the final spatial solution and under what circumstances. In this case, habitation represents the much more sensitive area than any other area for human needs or activities. In technical terms, an end-user could be someone who either knows nothing or knows a lot but not enough about both the spatial and functional organisations. His role should be reduced to choice of one from the group of high-quality solutions and, in a technical sense, logical solutions made by an expert. No more than that.