PART 1
Site
The site I chose to visit is a business complex in Irvine, California. It is located on the intersection of Laguna Canyon Rd. and Irvine Center Dr. It is home to many different companies where they all share the outdoor space I chose to observe. From the parking lots to the courtyard, here are the five forces that stood out to me.
Parking
There is an abundance of parking spots for different types of vehicles. Cars, motorcycles or even bikes have a place to park around the buildings. The majority of the people that work here seem to prefer to drive to their workplace rather than ride, whether it be motorcycles or bikes. The parking lot definitely caters more to motor cars than bikes. There is also a specific number of parking spots per building reserved for accessible parking. Overall the parking lot doesn’t seem to be crowded by any means at any given time of the day.
Recreation
The courtyard common space area named “The Commons” at this business center can be a place for people to engage in friendly games for when they need a break. They offer horseshoes, connect four, and even corn hole all around commons. That whole area is intended to be more relaxed than a typical workspace. Although, there are some people that like to take their work outside, the majority of the people in this area seem to come out for a break, whether it’s to chat with a friend, have lunch, play some games, or just read a book. It is a place to unwind. There are also company sponsored events that can be held at the commons and its layout definitely helps in terms of space and arrangements. Another space (not pictured) is a game room located inside on of the buildings that surround the commons and is open to the public. It includes a kitchen, some dining spaces, a mock living room with several TVs, a pool table, a foosball table, and some arcade games as well. The relaxed and fun atmosphere is an effect resulting from this recreation force in this space.
Green
This site is exceptionally green. The grass, the trimmed bushes, the different types of trees, and even potted plants are a huge force in this space. The trees and bushes line up around buildings, parking lots, walkways, curbs, and the commons area. There is not a single space to stand on the site where greenery is not in sight. The idea of this site being surrounded by “nature”perhaps creates a sort of positive atmosphere that allows people to view the workplace as more of a “natural sanctuary”.
Signs
There are so many signs and labels scattered throughout the site that portray different conditions. All signs are informative, but some are more serious in tone such as the “No Parking” or “Minimum Fine $250” or “PLEASE DO NOT DRINK”. I even considered the “Recycle” label on the recycling bin to be a sign since it is trying to inform people. Other forms of signs the can be seen throughout the site are the stop signs around every intersection inside the complex, directories in front of every building where each company in that building is listed, and in some cases, some companies have their name on the buildings themselves versus only on the directory. The signs are a force that inform the people about the area they are currently in.
Seating
There are many seats scattered throughout the outdoor space. Although they are dispersed, the majority is centrally located at the commons area. One might even argue that the lawn is also considered a seating area. There are benches at the smoking area, some tables and chairs tucked away by some buildings, and an abundance of seating choices at the commons area, from large cushioned chairs to wooden lawn chairs.
PART 2
Parking
Recreation
Green
Signs
Seating
PART 3
FINAL REVISION
Hi, Sofanah!
I’m your partner for Exercise 3.1!
So first of all, all these Irvine maps and images show how well maintained the area is. If I wasn’t familiar with the area and if I decided to use this map to get a better idea of the vicinity, I would first notice how the entire block is surrounded by green and how there are so many parking spots! I personally think if I were a person that regularly visits this area, this map would be useful in reminding me the areas I can sit down and relax or do something reading/work. It looks like there are enough parking spaces everywhere so I wouldn’t really need to look at the map for that if I regularly visit. I’m assuming there are signs (like you mentioned in your forces) that lead me to a parking lot.
Hi Sofanah!
I really enjoyed reading your posts, and found it very interesting that a business complex has so many recreation areas and places of leisure. To add another layer of density, is there a certain time that people use the play areas more frequently than others? Are some games more popular than others? Regardless, I like your variety of icons for the recreational theme.
Just a thought — for the parking force, maybe you could use a colored map instead of a satellite view to better read the colored icons!
Hi Alexa!
Thanks for your feedback! I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions and did update my base map to a colored one versus a satellite view. Thanks for that helpful tip!
I would say that the times people frequent the outdoor space is during lunch hours that vary between 11:00 am -2:00 pm. I wouldn’t know how to portray that in the static map, however. Any thoughts?
Thanks again for your feedback!
Hey Sofanah,
I really like your map for the “signs” force because you broke up where the Stop sign, Non-smoking, Smoking area, and Accessible parking instead of just marking signs as a whole.
I think for the “greenery” force, it might help to separate the trees and the grass area by changing the shade of green because color is the first thing I see, versus the shape.
I agree with Q that the “seating” force can be broken down to types of seating, mainly because your other forces are broken up too.
I’m excited to see what you end up focusing on for your Part 3 map!
Thanks, Kathlyn! Oh, that’s an interesting note about the greenery. I will definitely take that into account for the final map. What’s funny is that I tried to make them match so it’d be easier to make the distinction that this is about plants and greenery, but you make a good point! Yeah for seating, it’s going to be interesting to break them up. I’m concerned about how messy it might get. But I need to think about it in a simple way to try and keep it minimalistic. Thanks again for your feedback! I appreciate it!
Sofanah,
Really enjoyed that your observation was constrained to a relatively small space which resulted in a depth of focus. You highlight many things including corn hole which isn’t common to business complexes!
A few thoughts:
– You observed a variety of seats and signs – have you given any thought to whether you want to show the character or diversity of these forces?
– Aside from the forces themselves, are there any particular parts of the map you want to emphasize? Currently, my eyes instinctively go to the plaza inside the four central buildings.
– Most of the forces seemingly occur within the business park. Maybe consider on your final map whether it’s important to show the surrounding land, whether it needs to be brown/colored in some way, and if you want to remove those four buildings in the northeast corner.
Thanks for your feedback, Q! I think you’re absolutely right. I’m definitely removing the northeast corner. I’m trying to mainly focus on one of the business complexes and its park.
Good point about the seating. I think it’d be a good idea to break it up by seating in terms of benches and chairs and tables.
I’m also considering labeling the building numbers on the map itself, which would technically be adding more information to the signs force.
Thanks again for your feedback!
Hi Sofanah,
So many good details! I’m really fascinated by the recreation areas, as I haven’t seen that in business complexes before. Did you observe people using these areas? I would love to see a map that displays frequency of use for particular games, or maybe even a mood map that shows the overall emotions each area is intended to elicit (green space, recreation, workspaces, seating, etc).
Would you say that all of the signs you saw were pretty formal and professionally produced, or were there hand-written signs as well? How many are suggestions vs requirements?
Similarly, how formal is the greenery? Does its “wildness” change in certain locations or is it all very regimented in the way it’s been planted and allowed to grow?
Thanks for your feedback, Serena! I observe people using the recreation area during typical lunch hours or on their walking breaks. I like your idea about the frequency of use and people’s moods being depicted on the map. I generally thought of this as “this is where things are” and I’m learning to not always think that way.
I would say all the signs are formal and professional. I guess it’s expected in a business type area. I would say they’re mostly informative vs suggestive. It’s a toss up between forced requirements and informative.
In terms of the greenery, I would say that it’s very well maintained throughout the area. It’s trimmed perfectly and maintained to look perfect. Funny story, I one time actually saw them paint the grass green.
Thanks again for your feedback! I’ll definitely consider everything in my final map!