City and Building Designers, and Climate Adaptation

Catherine Dubois (1) , Genevieve Cloutier (2, 3) , Maja Rosenkilde Rynning (4, 5) , Luc Adolphe (4) , Marion Bonhomme (4)

1 École d'architecture de l'Université Laval, Québec, Canada
2 Ecole Supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional
3 CRAD - Centre de recherche en aménagement et développement
4 LRA - Laboratoire de recherche en architecture
5 LMDC - Laboratoire Matériaux et Durabilité des constructions

For cities, climate change is a major concern due to its severe impacts and its inherent complexity. City and building designers could be pivotal actors, but have yet to fully take on this role. Research can support adaptation action through greater collaboration with practitioners and a better understanding of their knowledge and practices. This paper presents results from a research project undertaken in Toulouse (France) last year. Urban practitioners were consulted through an online survey and observed in action during two design workshops. The findings highlight: (i) the hidden knowledge within design practice; (ii) the importance of providing designers with solution-focused and form-giving data; and (iii) the potential offered by design constraints to trigger changes in the practices of professionals.

Mots clés: design tools; climate adaptation; city and building design professionals; design knowledge; design constraints

Domaines: Architecture, aménagement de l'espace; Climatologie

Catherine Dubois, Genevieve Cloutier, Maja Rosenkilde Rynning, Luc Adolphe, Marion Bonhomme. City and Building Designers, and Climate Adaptation. Buildings, 2016, 6 (3), pp.28. ⟨10.3390/buildings6030028⟩. ⟨hal-02155859⟩