Entire groups of specialists of various profiles are working on the creation of modern shopping centers. The main works affect the implementation of the technical part of the future complex, however, the successful operation of retail outlets is impossible without planning customer flows and well-thought-out organization of comfortable recreation areas. Accordingly, one cannot do without the help of designers and marketers who will make their own adjustments. Also, the design of shopping centers is impossible without thoughtful communication support. Careful calculations of engineers and power supply specialists will ensure the stable operation of the center even in the event of failures on the central lines.
Norms and requirements for the location of shopping centers
When choosing the location of a shopping complex, you need to focus on several criteria. The center should be located in an area that is as accessible as possible to 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 provided for in conditions of dense development, this can cause problems withpedestrian and vehicle traffic. This is especially true for large complexes, which will also calculate the possibility of servicing customers' personal cars.
It is mandatory to provide access for fire trucks. So, along the front part, the travel zone should be 5 m for one-story buildings, and 8 m for high-rise buildings. The arrangement of the pedestrian zone is considered separately. 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.
Preparing for project development
Before direct design, the customer must decide on the concept of the future facility. In the future, support and development of the plan will be undertaken by specialists from various fields, but the preparatory stage is the most important precisely in terms 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 directions within which the work will be carried out, but also determines the main parameters of the center. For example, as initial data, the designer receives information about the areas of the premises, the number of storeys, the minimum infrastructure provision, the style of the design execution of the furnishings and finishes.
In addition, compiling a list of services that the shopping center will provide will help developers to choose the bestmeans of arranging the complex or its individual components. For example, if the construction of a music studio is planned during the design of a shopping center, then it will not be superfluous to calculate the optimal sound insulation in building and finishing materials. But, unfortunately, before the development of the project, it is far from possible to think through all the possible options for using retail space in every case.
Logistics of trade and consumer flows
A modern shopping center can only be successful if the logistics are well thought out and implemented correctly. This primarily applies to the principles of organizing customer flows and channels through which store services will be provided. As for 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, travolators, etc. to this object. At a minimum, designers create wide indents in such areas so that clients do not interfere with each other when transitioning. The organization of transport flows on the territory of the complex deserves special attention. In today's conditions, there is no chance of survival for a shopping center that does not have its own parking area. But even its presence does not at all guarantee an increase in the attractiveness of the object, if the scheme of arrival, departure and location was incorrectly calculated.cars. The same applies to the flow of pedestrians, who, with the exception of residents of nearby areas, will use public transport.
Main parameters of the complex
This is the main part of the work of designers, engineers, architects and technologists. The result of work at this stage should be a basic technical solution, which will indicate the key parameters of the complex. The finished plan should include diagrams with premises, indication of areas and description of technological support. Also, a package of documentation is compiled for builders with requirements for the execution of structural elements. In the development of this part, the norms for the design 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, storage equipment and other objects that increase the load on the foundation and load-bearing frame.
Layout design
Flexible planning concept is used for compact placement of functional facilities with the possibility of their further modernization. It enables the introduction of new technical means of the infrastructure and communication complex. In accordance with the idea of flexible planning, stores are developed according to unified schemes in terms of placement and operation. Also, the design of shops and shopping centers in almost every case focuses on saving space. This is achievedby increasing the number of storeys and rational use of underground space. At the same time, the close placement of shops on the same floor also determines the increase in requirements for providing fire safety equipment.
Design features of the entertainment part
Basic aspects of the design of shopping and entertainment complexes include careful calculations in the creation of schemes and plans for the structural part, but the creation of conditions for a comfortable and interesting leisure time in the very center is also of no small importance. According to statistics, 70% of the space in shopping centers is occupied by stores, and the rest is reserved for operators of entertainment zones. 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 a shopping center, then a special finish with increased insulating qualities should initially be calculated. The functional and technical content of such zones may be of a different nature depending on the direction in which the premises or a separate part of the complex will be operated. The general rule for entertainment areas 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 design.
Develop an energy plan
The creation of a design solution for energy supply is included in the general package of documents with engineering planssecurity. During the design process, specialists form optimal wiring distribution schemes for all rooms and halls, taking into account the peculiarities of their operation. Further, the design of the power supply of the shopping center provides for the selection of equipment, installations and units that will practically allow the implementation of the prepared plan. At this stage, technologists also focus on the use of secondary energy resources and advanced energy-saving devices that will minimize the cost of maintaining the facility.
Project Evaluation Criteria
Shopping centers often receive negative feedback from customers, on the basis of which a negative opinion about the authors of the project is formed in the future. However, there is not 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 original 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 can be overshadowed by the wrong price policy of stores, violations in logistics processes and other operational factors. The project itself, as a rule, is evaluated by 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
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 methods in the process. This is especially demonstrated by the design of shopping and entertainment centers, which, in addition to the marketplace, act as a cultural and leisure facility. That is, on the one hand, the authors of the project are faced with the task of ensuring the efficiency of trade and technological processes, and on the other hand, the goal is to create comfortable conditions for visitors to spend their leisure time. The most successful are those complexes in whose projects a balance was found between these two aspects of development.
