Bottle House: Utilising Appreciative Inquiry to develop a user Acceptance model

Date

2020-05-23

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

2044-124X

Volume Title

Publisher

Emerald

Type

Article

Peer reviewed

Yes

Abstract

This paper develops a novel user-acceptance model for circular solutions to housing design. The model has been systematically developed from a case study of an upcycled plastic bottle building in a low-income community in Nigeria. It is common practice to use participatory approaches to consult end-users in communities, typically after design concepts have been proposed and conceptualised. However, this often leads to critical sociocultural or usability elements being overlooked and the design being substandard. Therefore, this paper develops a robust model for designers, specialists and activists involved in construction that can be used during all phases of a project. This approach demonstrates that user needs should be considered before building designs and plans are generated, providing a greater frame of reference for practitioners, consultants and end-users. Enabling the integration of holistic needs of the community and the development of circular design solution.

A case study methodology has been employed to develop this model, uses appreciative Inquiry methodology. This includes multiple methods to capture end-users perception; focus groups, interactions with the local community, and self-recorded comments. This case study is part of a broader research project to develop replicable low-cost self-sufficient homes utilising local capacity using upcycled, locally available materials. The findings identify the challenges associated with designing circular-solution housing without a robust understanding of interrelated factors, which ensure sustainability and user acceptance. The conclusions demonstrate why essential sociocultural factors, usually unrelated to technical development, should be understood and contextualised when designing sustainable solutions in Low/Middle-Income Communities. We argue that without this holistic approach, undesirable consequences may arise, often leading to more significant challenges. Instead of referring to multiple frameworks, this distinctive model can be used to evaluate user acceptance for low-cost housing in particular and other dimensions of circular solution design that involve end-user acceptance. The model blends circular solution dimensions with user-acceptance concerns; offering a guide that considers essential features that are both user-friendly and pragmatic; such as utility, technological innovation and functionality as well as their intersectionality.
The research relied on a single case study, which focused on end-user engagement of upcycling waste materials as an application of circular solutions. The model will contribute to developing socially accepted circular solutions taking into consideration local context factors.

Description

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

Keywords

Bottle House, Case Study, Circular Solutions, Upcycled Materials, User Acceptance, Appreciative Inquiry

Citation

Adefila, A., Abuzeinab, A., Whitehead, T. and Oyinlola, M. (2020) Bottle house: utilising appreciative inquiry to develop a user acceptance model. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 10 (4), pp. 567-583

Rights

Research Institute