Inclusive Briefing and User Involvement: Case Study of a Media Centre in Denmark

Briefing is not just about specifying needs as requirements but also about evaluating how well design proposals fulfil needs and aspirations. Furthermore, briefing is not only about building design. Briefing starts at the preproject stage to create a basis for the project decision and can include a number of different processes with varying purposes before and during the design and construction activities.

Thus, briefing can be regarded as a continuous process but it should also be an inclusive and interactive process with the involvement of all stakeholders, including end users. This article includes a literature study on briefing and user involvement in building projects, and presents a case study of a major building project of a new headquarters and media centre for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation in Copenhagen.

The building project was actively used as part of a corporate change process by top management. The article describes the briefing processes and the methods for user involvement, identifies problem areas and points out possible improvements. The author was actively involved in the project as deputy project director, with responsibility for the briefing process, and is now a researcher.