Thinking of the client when designing: People do use that building you know
Sometimes it feels as though buildings are being designed without consideration of those that will occupy them. Thought always needs to be given to how the environment will be used. For example while visiting a business recently and having time before a meeting started I realized that despite the foyer, long corridors and areas to congregate there was no seating available anywhere including any benches along the walls. There was also no WiFi available, there was also very poor signage for restrooms and no water fountains existed. Despite being a new building a lot of retrofitting was happening. It was a good reminder not to assume what a client needs but to consider how people interact in a building and what all of their needs are. Studying how an existing building functions and talking to the wide range of stakeholders involved can help create a fuller picture of what is needed.
