Design Med Omtanke: Participation and sustainability in the design of public sector buildings

This paper discusses a participatory design approach developed by Design med Omtanke in Västra Gotaland, Sweden that has been successfully used for public sector building projects. The approach uses participatory design techniques alongside sustainable design, to design public spaces that meet stakeholder requirements, using sustainable products and materials. The paper reviews participatory design literature and positions the work described in relation to this. The context of the work is discussed and examples show the scalability of the approach. The conclusion is that the approach described can overcome problems frequently experienced by novice clients and can successfully be used to achieve sustainability objectives in a wide range of settings.