Designing for meaningful heritage: affect, embodiment and emotion

This article explores the role of design in the transformative potential in the redevelopment, interpretation, and bodily engagement with built heritage, particularly within the industrial context of the Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro (FCCVA). We support the idea that heritage sites should not be redefined and reinterpreted as mere static and historical object but should be designed to foster affective and emotional connections between visitors and the built heritage. Our research draws on theoretical concepts of affect and embodied experience to reflect on a design strategy based on emotional and bodily experiences. By examining a Portuguese industrial heritage that has been reuse for cultural purposes, the article highlights the important role of design in creating memorable and meaningful visits, fostering a sense of community belonging, and in stimulating individual and collective imagination. As former wheat-processing factory converted into a living science center, the FCCVA serves as a case study to reveal how design can enhance interactions between and with visitors, incorporating inclusivity, through the enhancement of narratives and subjective.