Integrating user and usage information in a design environment

We describe research exploring and demonstrating the use of large-scale data gathering and processing to inform the activities of architectural and urban designers. We apply this research to public spaces in urban housing estates. The aim is to understand the current use patterns and usability of these spaces, and to adaptively redesign them according to the insights gained from these findings. Another aim of the research is to obtain scientific knowledge regarding the production and use of user-data-based design support systems which promote and enhance the capability of (digital) design aids, such as building- and urban-scale models, to act as 'learning devices' giving designers better insights to the nature of the design situations they are asked to address, as well as insights on design space definition and exploration. We adopt a multi-modal data collection strategy, consisting of participatory workshops for residents and users, person-based crowdsourcing, location-based crowd sensing, and statistical demographics data.