Global Studio India

Projects

In 2012 I joined The Global Studio Action Research Program People Building Better Cities as lead for method development and the cooperation between students and teachers.

Background Our research group of international design researchers, architects and landscape architects understood the existing neighborhood in the Kabadkhana slum Bhopal as a spatial and social structure and developed a case study. The team focused its case study on the public space around the elementary school in the slum due to the already existing community. Within it we had conducted our first interviews, observational studies and workshops.

Design Approach To understand the culturally different environment with its complexity, we used the Design Thinking process. Its iteration and reflection demand for the involvement of all design disciplines and residents’ openness. A variety of participatory methods were used, conveyed knowledge and supported the inhabitants of Kabadkhana district to become designers of their living room.

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The following method mix was applied: qualitative interviews with local community and political representatives, RePlay method, shadowing the children to study daily routines, observation of lessons and collaborative development of educational material, brand development to increase the potential of identification with the social space, playful learning and narrative coloring to the introduction of a recycling system and detection of unsafe water.

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