Generating Plan Layouts: A Case Study on Visualization of Implicit Knowledge by "Doctor Architects"

This article presents an opportunistic case with particular focus on instances from an extended procurement operation in which medical professionals run a proactive process involving the generation of layouts through distinct modes of representational practices without any actual collaboration with designers. The questions of inquiry involve an analysis on how the visualizations came into being and a discussion into the content of drawings that was shaped by individuals without any formal design education.

Although the literature introduces examples of genuine participation, particularly in healthcare design practices, the instances in which nondesigners demonstrate accomplished skills in spatial reasoning and representation are limited.

The research was formulated as a qualitative case study including a series of observations of the activities of the participants followed by interviews recorded at different locations. The investigation also focuses on the features of these authentic graphics which illustrate the intentions of the medical professionals concerning the function of spaces.

In this research, the participants went through a labor intensive and elaborate effort to produce "architectural representations" with the intention to convey their implicit professional expertise in the domain. The layouts were introduced to be the vital elements to visualize the implicit knowledge regarding the functioning of space.

The productive and creative engagement of clinicians within this research makes the case for a multidisciplinary approach that reframes the limits and potential contributions of participants alongside drawings, which are exclusively claimed by and strategically employed by architects as negotiation devices within participatory design processes.