Methodological aspects related to user participation in the definition of design criteria: the Editora Abril case in São Paulo

Abstract

In Brazil there have been few practical experiences involving users at preliminary stages of the design process in order to have a better understanding of the users profile, as well as the conditions of the present work environment and their expectations towards the new design. The case study of Editora Abril, whose relocation of office facilities involved twelve buildings located in different parts of the city of São Paulo, allowed the use Building Performance Evaluation methods to analyse, for the first time in Brazil, the life cycle of a building in use, and also to establish an intrinsic relationship between design requirements and users needs and expectations. This paper discusses Pre-Design Research applied to eleven office buildings occupied by Editora Abril before the relocation, and a Post Occupancy Evaluation applied to the Birmann 21 building after the relocation. It presents the methodology, the comparative analysis and the results obtained focusing on the participation of the user in the interior design process.