Co-design and new participatory design tools, a case study. The Quinta do Braamcamp, Barreiro (Portugal) ​

The main aim of the thesis was the initiation of a Co-Design process, for the elaboration of a project proposal for the Quinta da Braamcamp, an abandoned rural complex located in Barreiro (Portugal). Through the experimentation of some existing Co-Design methods, and with the elaboration of a new tool for participatory design, the research describes the various steps of the so-called “Co-Design Journey”. The Journey saw the local community involved in the initial steps of the project design cycle – namely the starting problem identification, the problem and objective analysis, and a preliminary strategy identification. This was done mainly through two participatory workshops, both organised and facilitated by the researcher. The main result of the research is the elaboration of “Dixit Braamcamp”, representing an example of how a boardgame can become a creative and scalable tool for Co-Designing with the local community. Furthermore, the benefits of participating in a co-designed process were assessed through questionnaires. Finally, a last point of the research contributed to the exploration of the relationship between top-down projects, bottom-up projects, and sustainability. This was done through the application of an existing tool - the SDG Tool by the UN Habitat - aimed at assessing the sustainability of urban projects.