How to Design Mixed-Use Buildings
Wanting a mixed-use building is one thing but creating the design is another. This is one angle a lot of people fail in lately. They forget it’s not about the willingness or the financial capacity to set up a mixed-use development. But having the right design matters. In this case, knowing how to design mixed-use buildings comes as a plus.
Mixed-use buildings are not like regular buildings that have existed since the time of man. This is because things have changed over the years. People now want an easy life and to do things without stress. Things that were a trend 200 years ago are no longer in mind nowadays.
Major cities have mixed-use development as a regular thing. The different types of mixed-use buildings are now everywhere in such cities. Thanks to urbanization, suburban areas are now welcoming the idea.
A mixed-use building combines two or more uses into one structure. Restaurants, apartments, offices, parking garages, and shops, are all placed under the same roof. This means that compared to the regular building, construction document is quite different. So also, is the design.
This type of building does have privacy and convenience as a priority during construction. Each space also requires specific needs. It brings an increased opportunity to enjoy great MEP mastery. For such mastery in MEP and Mixed-use building designs, contact S3DA design firm for a world-class experience.
Type of Mixed-Use Building
Mixed-use buildings must provide about three or more revenue-generating uses. This can comprise hotels, restaurants, apartments, offices, and the like. They encourage social interaction and community integration. It does promote a walkable structure that is inviting, safe, and easy to access.
Mixed-use development can come up in different types;
Vertical Mixed-use Development:
This is a wider category. It often consists of a combination of various businesses. In some cases, public facilities occupy the lower floors while the more private ones occupy the higher floors. Private facilities like apartments and hotel rooms occupy the top floors.
Horizontal Mixed-use Development:
When it comes to types of mixed-use development, the horizontal is very popular. It is a combination of single-use buildings and merging them into a mixed-use area. This evolves into creating a walkable community and friendly neighborhood.
How to Design Mixed-use Buildings
When it comes to designing mixed-use buildings, there are some things to follow. Some important things you should and should not do to make the process fruitful in the end. Some are precautionary measures you should take to hinder interference between various occupants.
Check on Facilities:
When it comes to mixed-use development, facilities are often intermingled. MEP facilities can be sometimes intermingled as well. Parking space is another facility that can be intermingled to cause a great challenge.
Things like this should be sorted out in the planning stage where the design is done. A good MEP design can help you fix a lot of these issues and help your mixed-use building stand out. You don’t want there to be a fight between occupants on boundaries and the use of facilities.
Access Control:
You need to control access to certain areas and your design should pave the way for that. Some people have their private spaces and should be the only ones with access to those places. Every tenant or occupant should have access to their respective private spaces and common spaces.
Shafts:
A mixed-use development with various floors makes picking between shafts and ducts difficult. Residents can have common entrances with visitors or separate entrances. This is what your design will decide. It should be all in a bid to ensure you reduce the difficulty for your occupants.
MEP Design:
The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design of your mixed-use building can pose some challenges. It can show how good your total design is in the long run. The lighting, ventilation, electrical needs, and elevator, amongst others.
Address such needs and possible challenges in your mixed-use building design. This can help to eradicate such occurrences later on.
Final Thoughts:
The advantages to gain from mixed-use development in any community is immense. This is why every modern-day community now embraces the idea. It does not benefit only the residents. It also benefits developers, real estate agents, and the city at large.
Tax revenue increase, improvement in social interaction and connection, walkable environments, and so on. Everyone wants to benefit one way or the other, and giving them a chance to do that helps a lot.
Your mixed-use building design is one sure way to guarantee that. Having a great MEP design included in your design plan always proves beneficial.
Are you in search of a great design for your next mixed-use development? Do you need a firm that can give you accurate construction services and only the best? Then you should look no further. Contact us, the S3DA design firm for your top-notch MEP and mixed-use development services.