The creation of modern shopping centers is being worked by entire groups of specialists of various profiles. The main works affect the implementation of the technical part of the future complex, but the successful functioning of outlets is impossible without planning customer flows and thoughtful organization of comfortable recreation areas. Accordingly, you can not do without the help of designers with marketers who will make their own adjustments. Also, the design of shopping centers is impossible without thoughtful communication support. Careful calculations by engineers and energy supply specialists will ensure the stable operation of the center even in cases of failures on the central lines.
Standards and requirements for the placement of shopping centers
When choosing the location of the shopping complex, it is necessary to focus on several criteria. The center should be located in the area as accessible as possible for the residential area - on average, this distance is 500 m, since infrastructure facilities are also provided in the intermediate area. If the design of shopping centers is envisaged in conditions of dense development, this can cause problems with pedestrian and traffic traffic. This is especially true for large complexes, which will also be calculated and the ability to service personal cars of customers.
It is mandatory to provide access for fire engines. So, along the front part, the access area should be 5 m for single-story buildings, and 8 m for high-rise buildings. The arrangement of the pedestrian zone is separately considered. Initially, the design of shopping centers should include the creation of outdoor recreation areas, green spaces on the territory of the complex, objects of small architectural forms , etc.
Preparation for project development
Before direct design, the customer must decide on the concept of the future object. In the future, the support and development of the plan will be undertaken by specialists from different fields, but the preparatory phase is most important from the point of view of formulating the main idea. At the same time, the design of shopping centers should not be based on general and abstract concepts. The customer formulates the areas within which the work will be carried out, but also determines the main parameters of the center. For example, as a source of data, the designer receives information about the area of the premises, number of storeys, minimal infrastructure support, the style of the design performance of the decor and decoration.
In addition, the compilation of the list of services that the shopping center will provide will help developers in the future choose the best means of arranging the complex or its individual components. For example, if the construction of a music studio is planned during the design of the shopping center, then it will not be superfluous to calculate the optimal sound insulation in construction and finishing materials. But, unfortunately, before developing a project, it is far from possible to think through all the acceptable options for using retail space.
Logistics of trade and customer flows
A modern shopping center can be successful only if well-designed and properly implemented logistics. This primarily refers to the principles of organizing customer flows and channels through which store service will be provided. With regard to the first aspect, the efficient organization of flows is achieved through the rational distribution of entrances and exits from stores, the use of elevators, stairs, travelators, etc. If an escalator is planned for the design of a shopping center, it is necessary to free the approaches and exits to to this object. At a minimum, designers create wide margins in such areas so that clients do not interfere with each other during transitions. The organization of traffic flows in the complex also deserves special attention. In today's conditions, there is no chance to survive a shopping center that does not have its own parking zone. But its presence does not at all guarantee an increase in the attractiveness of an object if the scheme of arrival, exit and location of vehicles was not calculated correctly. The same applies to pedestrian flows, which, with the exception of residents of nearby areas, will use public transport.
The main parameters of the complex
This is a major part of the work of designers, engineers, architects and technologists. The result of work at this stage should be a basic technical solution in which the key parameters of the complex will be indicated. The finished plan should include schemes with premises, an indication of the area and a description of the technological support. A package of documentation is also prepared for builders with requirements for the execution of structural elements. In the development of this part, the design standards of shopping centers are taken into account in terms of the compliance of the building structure with technological loads. In particular, engineers can take into account the characteristics of crossbars, columns, equipment, warehousing equipment and other objects that increase the load on the foundation and the supporting frame.
Planning project
For compact placement of functional objects with the possibility of their further modernization, the concept of flexible planning is used. It makes it possible to introduce new technical means of the infrastructure and communication complex. In accordance with the idea of flexible layout, stores are developed according to unified schemes, in terms of placement and operation. Also, the design of stores and shopping centers in almost every case focuses on saving space. This is achieved by increasing the number of storeys and the rational use of the underground area. At the same time, the close location of shops on one floor also determines the increase in requirements for providing fire safety equipment.
Features of the design of the entertainment part
The basic aspects of the design of shopping and entertainment complexes provide for careful calculations in creating schemes and plans for the structural part, but the creation of conditions for a comfortable and interesting leisure time in the center is also of no small importance. According to statistics, 70% of the space in shopping centers is occupied by shops, and the rest is reserved for entertainment zone operators. For obvious reasons, the development of plans for such areas has its own nuances. So, if a recreation area is planned in the design of the shopping center, then initially a special finish with increased insulation qualities should be calculated. The functional and technical filling of such zones may have a different character depending on the direction in which the room or a separate part of the complex will be operated. The general rule for entertainment zones of any type is the creation of an original design, which can be expressed in the form of non-standard finishes, forms of architectural objects, furniture and decorative means.
Energy Plan Development
Creating a design solution for energy supply is included in the general package of documents with plans for engineering support. During the design process, specialists form the optimal wiring distribution schemes for all rooms and halls, taking into account the features of their operation. Further, the design of power supply for the shopping center provides for the selection of equipment, installations and units that will practically make it possible to implement the prepared plan. At this stage, technologists are also focused on the use of secondary energy resources and advanced energy-saving devices that will minimize the cost of maintaining the facility.
Project Evaluation Criteria
Often, shopping centers receive negative feedback from customers, on the basis of which in the future a negative opinion is formed about the authors of the project. However, there is far from always a connection between the quality of the project and the attractiveness of the implemented complex. This is explained by the fact that during operation the impression is formed by other aspects that do not depend on the quality of the initial technical solution. Even if the construction and design of shopping centers is carried out by highly qualified specialists with rich experience in this field, the result of their work may be overshadowed by the incorrect pricing policy of stores, violations in logistics processes and other operational factors. The project itself, as a rule, is evaluated according to the opportunities that it provides to operating customers. The success of the complex depends on how the owners manage the potential invested in the center.
Conclusion
A modern shopping center is an object in terms of planning and construction. The implementation of such projects involves the involvement of many resources and technological techniques in the process. This is especially demonstrated by the design of shopping and entertainment centers, which, in addition to the market place, are a cultural and leisure facility. That is, on the one hand, the authors of the project are faced with the task of ensuring the effectiveness of trade and technological processes, and on the other, the goal is to create comfortable conditions for leisure visitors. The most successful are those complexes in the projects of which a balance was found between these two aspects of development.