TY - JOUR T1 - The Habitation Lab: Using a Design Approach to Foster Innovation for Sustainable Living JF - Technology Innovation Management Review Y1 - 2013 A1 - Paula Femenías A1 - Pernilla Hagbert KW - experimentation KW - Habitation Lab KW - housing development KW - innovation KW - living labs KW - residing KW - sustainable AB - This article describes a first step towards a strategy for using living labs as a means to foster innovation and develop new concepts of sustainable living from an architectural point of view. The overall aim is to enable truly sustainable living through radically reduced energy and resource use thus addressing both environmental and social aspects of sustainability. Earlier research has shown that contemporary housing developments, including those with a sustainable profile, do not profoundly question modern lifestyles and consumption, which is a necessity to overcome limitations of a technological focus on environmental efficiency in construction. Thus, we see an opportunity for the discipline of architecture to engage in current investments in living lab facilities in order to push innovation in the field of sustainable housing. We introduce the concept of a "Habitation Lab", which will provide an arena for radical and high-risk design experimentation between users, building-sector actors, and academia, and we describe a case study of a planned Habitation Lab within a living lab facility where traditional solutions for daily living and habitation are questioned and new architectural innovations are explored and evaluated. The idea of using experimental activities in the field of housing is not new, and we argue that new investments should build on earlier experiences to avoid perpetuating misconceptions and repeating past failures. Furthermore, to ensure the dissemination and uptake of results, the design of the Habitation Lab should consider the innovation and learning trajectories of the building sector. We propose a transdisciplinary setting to provide a neutral arena for value creation and to increase the distribution of experiences. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa VL - 3 UR - http://timreview.ca/article/741 IS - 11 U1 - Chalmers University of Technology Paula Femenías is an architect and Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. Paula works in several ongoing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research projects focusing on innovation, development, and learning for more sustainable building. Her work includes developing the perspective of clients and owners and researching the specific challenges for redevelopment of the existing built environment from a multi-value and multi-interest perspective. U2 - Chalmers University of Technology Pernilla Hagbert is an architect and doctoral student within the Homes for Tomorrow research environment at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. With previous experience in planning and design, including design/build processes for constructing affordable housing, Pernilla's work addresses all scales of the development of more sustainable living environments. Her PhD research specifically examines the concept of home in light of and with regards to a global resource perspective, with the purpose of providing a framework for re-conceptualization of the sustainable home. ER -