Making a Case for Context-aware Heat Management: A Study on the Culture and Commons in a Danish Kollegium

Thomsen, Gry ; Øllgaard, Kristian Krejberg

4. Term

Interaction Design, Master of Science (MSc)

2021

2021-06-11

13 pages

This paper presents a case study as a means of painting a rich picture of community values, norms and management of heat and other commons within a kollegium in Aalborg. As a reaction to HCI research taking a turn towards community-based design, while still not adequately analysing and taking into account community values and practice, this study demonstrates how an in-depth analysis of a community can yield meaningful insights to inform the process of designing engaging systems for collective action. The study acknowledges heat as a commons managed within the community, and analyses through a grounded theory approach the culture, practice, and values that exist in the context around management. Data was gathered through mixed qualitative methods from ethnography and design research, with Ostrom’s established principles on how communities successfully govern commons as theoretical background. The case study discusses how findings on fundamental principles within the kollegium like democratic decision making and trust aligns with Ostrom’s principles, and how these should be seen as cornerstones in a future design process, suggesting participatory design methodologies to achieve engagement and participation from the participants which we conclude to be crucial in the design and realisation of a Common Pool Resource management system as well as within the unique community identified within the kollegium.

Community-based research ; commons theory ; heating ; case study ; eco-feedback ; co-living

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