SABRE Output 3

Making the knowledge triangle work in the disciplines of Architecture and the Built Environment

Design Dialogue „The House of Health Promotion“ on September 25, 2019

Interdisciplinary design workshop with researchers, practitioners and students.

This output will produce a model for collaboration between academia and practice in the knowledge triangle of research, education and innovation, with a special focus on how the disciplines of Architecture and the Built Environment are included, activated, or can even be drivers of these activities.

The output will develop, elaborate and refine a method for collaboration on complex, real-world problems in the built environment, called ‘Design Dialogues’, which was first developed in Sweden in the 1970s and 80s. It will use existing knowledge and approaches, but also update, articulate and make these adaptable for current societal situations indifferent European countries.

The output will hence primarily be based on workshops set up as ‘Design Dialogues’ around real-world problems, as well as upon studies on how universities work with, and arrange, organisational and supporting structures that help links between research, education and innovation in collaboration with business and professional practices, including cities, municipalities, and other public bodies.

The aims are, firstly, to support companies and public administration related to Architecture and the Built Environment in developing their research, and having increased exchange with academia, and secondly, to develop a communicable method for strengthening collaboration in the knowledge triangle, thereby enabling innovative solutions to complex societal problems in the built environment.

Expected results during the project and upon its completion

Better understanding of the needs, opportunities and restrictions within Architecture and Built Environment disciplines in Europe in terms of activities in the knowledge triangle, as well as collaboration and links to industry and public partners.

Raised awareness among the partner institutions in this alliance, as well as target groups inside and outside of academia in European countries, of the need for and possibilities of successful work models and support structures for collaboration.

Established network between the partner universities and stakeholders for collaboration in the knowledge triangle.

Increased cooperation and exchange between schools/faculties of Architecture and the Built Environment and business and industry.

Greater awareness of collaboration opportunities and new career paths in research & development outside of academia.

Better understanding of what research in the field can offer to business and industry, and vice versa.

Elements of innovation

The methods will be developed using our partners’ existing knowledge and thereby increase the co-creation of knowledge with invited participants. When tried out in different countries and different settings, ‘Design Dialogues’ should be possible to apply in professional practice as a method to innovate around complex challenges or to make way for new business ideas.

‘Design Dialogues’ contains the possibility of proposing innovative solutions for current societal problems using existing knowledge of different actors that in collaboration produce new knowledge. Crucial are the design approaches that manage complexities in graspable wholes. The method enables co-creation from different perspectives in new ways using interactive digital media together with designers’ tools of modelling, visualisation and communication through artefacts.

Expected impact

The output will enable more developed and efficient structures and formats for collaboration between academia and professional practice in industry and public administration. The developed method will be showcased as a concrete model for collaboration in the knowledge triangle, to be used in different settings and situations across Europe. It will contribute to the needed development of new methods for co-creating knowledge concerning Architecture and the Built Environment. It will also support public administration in implementing academic knowledge, and create new business possibilities for architects and designers.

Transferability potential

The output will be made transferable to universities, public bodies and companies that have a need for developing their collaboration in the knowledge triangle. The ‘Design Dialogues’ will be developed through testing in real-life settings, incorporating local knowledge from all partners in an iterative process, from which a more generic method will be formulated. This generic method description together with descriptions of factors of success (or failure) from each test setting will enable the transferability.

Reports & Evaluations

Please click on the cover images to access the SABRE Output 3 reports
as open access publications or have a look at the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform.

The creation of these resources has been (partially) funded by the ERASMUS+ grant program of the European Union under grant no. 2017-1-DE01-KA203-003574. Neither the European Commission nor the project’s national funding agency DAAD are responsible for the content or liable for any losses or damage resulting of the use of these resources.
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