Towards a New Methodology for Integrating User Aspirations into Passive Building Design

Abstract

Integrating user needs into passive building design is emerging as an important issue in designing responsive buildings. Integration can promote the performance of buildings and satisfy users’ psychological and physical needs. Traditional passive design methods are mainly aimed at addressing the ecological aspects of a design rather than integrating enduser needs into the operational aspects of the building. Thus there is an urgent need for a new design approach that integrates end-user needs with passive design strategies. This paper aims to introduce a methodology that has been used to propose a conceptual usercentred passive building design (UCPBD) model. This methodology can be distinguished from other methodologies in the sense that it comprises passive design strategies, usercentred design processes and user-centred design attributes in a way that helps the designer to fulfil user needs at the design stage.