Harmonizing design and desire: Unveiling user-centered requirements for university buildings

Abstract

The design of university buildings plays a critical role in users' productivity, health, and behavior. The design should incorporate end users' and architects' perceptions to prevent decreased satisfaction, productivity, and health issues. Meeting user needs and preferences is essential for creating functional buildings that cater to their requirements. However, user needs change over time, and research does not clearly define user-centered requirements in the design of university buildings. This study addresses the unclear definition of user-centered design requirements for university buildings, essential for ensuring spaces effectively meet evolving user needs. Aiming to identify these requirements and the challenges of integrating them into architectural design, two parts of the survey were conducted with 59 participants, including end-users from 11 academic institutions and architects in Egypt. The survey revealed a consensus on the importance of aesthetics, functionality, and indoor environmental quality. From the results, a satisfaction model for university buildings was developed, highlighting design attributes valued by users and architects alike. This model facilitates overcoming design challenges, thereby proposing a path towards creating functional, user-satisfying university spaces. This study's findings underscore the necessity of merging architectural practices with dynamic user expectations, contributing to the discourse on user-centered design in educational environments.