Navigating architectural process: tracking architects' and user-clients’ habitus shock in private dwelling design

Purpose This article explores how habitus shock manifests and evolves in the relationship between architects and user-clients during private dwelling projects. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from Bourdieu's theory of habitus, Adler's concept of culture shock and Siva and London's habitus shock in architectural processes, we adapt these frameworks to describe the shock occurring when user-clients encounter architectural processes for their home, and its equivalent on the architects' end. Drawing on two in-depth case studies of private dwelling renovations in Belgium, we identify key trajectories. We use a set of indicators — comfort, discomfort, enthusiasm and loss of enthusiasm — to characterize these interactions over time. These trajectories are visualized through habitus shock curves, co-validated with participants. Findings Our findings reveal that adaptation is often non-linear, asymmetrical, and shaped by both interpersonal dynamics and systemic constraints. Rather than unfolding in fixed stages, habitus shock takes on cyclical or iterative forms, with moments of rupture and re-engagement. This refined model provides a more nuanced understanding of how alignment or misalignment between social dispositions impacts the design process. Originality/value The article offers practical and pedagogical insights for architectural practice, emphasizing the need to recognize, anticipate and support these affective dynamics as part of user-centred design — especially in emotionally and financially invested residential contexts.