Engaging young people in architectural research: three visual methods for understanding the impact of the built environment on children’s wellbeing

Abstract

It is increasingly recognised that the spaces and atmospheres that architects create influence wellbeing. Atmospheres that appear welcoming, for example, have been shown to elicit feelings of comfort, safety, and inclusion. Yet understanding user responses to different kinds of architectural spaces remains a challenge, particularly when that user group consists of children and young people. This article reports data from 59 children and young people, aged 7–12, gathered as part of a feasibility study for the redevelopment of a facility that offers a 12-day health and wellbeing programme for disadvantaged youth. The study itself aimed to identify the most salient ways through which this facility’s environment impacted the wellbeing of young people (either positively or negatively) during their stay. This article, however, will focus on the iterative development and overall success of a modified photo-response method relative to more traditional drawing and photo-elicitation (or ‘photovoice’) methods. The findings reaffirm the need to design methods that are optimally engaging for young people and address the unique risks related to data quality, relevancy and reliably that emerge when engaging young people in research; including the role that imagination plays in data collection. These findings will be valuable for researchers and designers hoping to engage more effectively with children and young people within architectural research and briefing processes.