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Plaza

SPACE TYPES

by Sophia Greenbaum, WBDG Staff Last updated: 07-22-2010

Aut o mat e d D at a Pro ce ssing : Mainf rame Aut o mat e d D at a Pro ce ssing : PC Syst e m C hild C are C linic / He alt h Unit C o nf e re nce / C lassro o m C o urt ho use : C o urt ro o m

OVERVIEW A public plaza is a co mmunity amenity that serves a variety o f users including building tenants and visito rs and members o f the public. This space type may functio n as pedestrian site arrival po ints, ho mes fo r public art, settings fo r recreatio n and relaxatio n, and inco nspicuo us security features fo r high pro file buildings. Plazas are a beneficial feature o f any lively streetscape.

C o urt ho use : Jud icial C hamb e r Firing R ang e Fo o d Se rvice G e ne ral St o rag e He aring R o o m Jo int Use R e t ail Lab o rat o ry: D ry Lab o rat o ry: We t Lib rary Lig ht Ind ust rial Lo ad ing D o ck

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BO O KMARK AND SHARE RELAT ED RESO URCE PAGES

Within This Page Overview Space Attributes Relevant Codes and Standards Major Resources

Achieving Sustainable Site Design through Low Impact Development Practices Designing Buildings to Resist Explosive Threats Low Impact Development Technologies Materials

Pro grammatically, plazas are stro ngly linked to the lo bby space type. Bo th are a "public face" fo r a building that welco mes and o rients visito rs.

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C o urt ho use : Enhance d O f f ice

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SPACE AT T RIBUT ES The mo st impo rtant co nsideratio n in designing exterio r plazas and public spaces is the future, po tential use o f tho se spaces. Plazas sho uld be designed to cater to a diverse set o f activities including tho se that are active o r passive, fo rmal o r info rmal, gro up o r individually o riented, and planned o r spo ntaneo us. Plazas sho uld invite users to partake in pro grammed activities (eg. by pro viding seating, tables, and shade: lunchtime diners may be enco uraged to frequent a space), but sho uld also be flexible eno ugh to acco mmo date activities that users plan themselves (a shaded, grassy area co uld ho st a perfo rmance, an impro mptu game o f Frisbee, o r so litary reading). Typical features o f plaza space PDFmyURL.com

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Lo b b y Mail C e nt e r O f f ice Parking : B ase me nt Parking : O ut sid e / St ruct ure d Parking : Surf ace Physical Fit ne ss ( Exe rcise R o o m) Place o f Wo rship Plaz a Privat e To ile t Ware ho use D ESIG N D ISC IPLIN ES PR O D UC T S & SYST EMS

types include the list o f applicable design o bjectives as o utlined belo w. Fo r a co mplete list and definitio ns o f the design o bjectives within the co ntext o f who le building design, click o n the titles belo w.

Accessible Access to Features : The design team must ensure that landscaping, level changes, o r o ther architectural barriers do no t prevent users fro m accessing amenities within a public plaza.

This includes access to public art, water features, seating, and o ther fixed "furniture", like water fo untains. See also WBDG Accessible—Pro vide Equal Access .

Accessible Route: Grass and earth co vered plazas must be well maintained in o rder to ensure co mpliant ro utes and gro und surfaces. Ho wever, maso nry surfaces can be easily designed with co mpliant slo pes that meet accessibility standards and pro perly direct rainwater. In additio n maso nry surfaces are less expensive to maintain. See also WBDG Sustainable—Optimize Operatio nal and Maintenance Practices.

Aest het ics Materials: Utilize appro priate materials, furniture, signage, and art to reflect the public nature o f the space. See also WBDG Materials.

Water Features : Water may be used as a visual and aco ustic element. Ho wever, water features sho uld no t beco me a maintenance burden. In co lder climates pro visio ns must be made fo r easy shut-o ff and drainage during the winter seaso n. The U.S. General Services Administratio n restricts fo untains and reflecting po o ls with pumping systems to Catego ry I areas o f a site. Water features sho uld no t be placed o ver o ccupied space since leakage pro blems o ccur frequently. See also WBDG Sustainable—Pro tect and Co nserve Water .

Sculpture: In and aro und federal buildings, sculpture may be pro vided as part o f the GSA's Art in Architecture Pro gram . Under this pro gram, art is no t addresses by the site designer except as a co o rdinatio n effo rt since the sculpto r is selected under a separate co ntract.

Ho wever, it is crucial in such cases fo r the artist and the A/E to co o rdinate no t o nly the art installatio n, but ho w peo ple will mo ve to and fro m each o ther's designed areas and ho w o ne might suppo rt the o ther.

Cost - Ef f ect ive Cost-Effective Maintenance : It is impo rtant to ensure that ro utine maintenance o f landscape elements, water features, and artwo rk in plazas can be perfo rmed at a reaso nable co st.

Use Durable Materials: Materials fo r o utdo o r amenities and furniture sho uld be very durable and resistant to the elements and vandalism. Metals that do no t require repainting are reco mmended.

Funct ional / Operat ional Encourage Flexibility : Plazas sho uld be designed with electrical o utlets lighting, and o ther simple infrastructure, to suppo rt future flexibility and enco urage a wide range o f uses. See also WBDG Functio nal/Operatio nal—Ensure Appro priate Pro duct/Systems Integratio n .

Outdoor Furniture : Seating, tables, bo llards, bicycle racks, cigarette urns, trash receptacles, flagpo les, lighting standards, and tree grates sho uld be co nsidered as part o f the initial site PDFmyURL.com

design. Site furniture sho uld be co mpatible in size, design, and co lo r with the surro unding architecture and landscape design. Outdo o r furniture is an essential element in creating useful and functio nal o utdo o r space.

Seating: Seating is a public amenity that is appro priate to lo cate in the plaza areas o f many federal buildings. Mo veable seating can be an impo rtant co mpo nent in effective public plazas. In many intensively-used public spaces, it is an effective supplement to built-in seating. Where appro priate, perimeter walls and stair elements sho uld be designed to pro vide co mfo rtable height and depth fo r seating. Seating sho uld be designed and placed o n the site to pro vide cho ices fo r emplo yees and visito rs. In additio n, co nsider lo cating trash co ntainers near seating areas and co ngregating po ints to enco urage their use.

Maintenance: The lo ng-term upkeep and maintenance o f landscape elements, lighting, fo untains, and similar elements fo und in plazas must be co nsidered during design.

Equipment required fo r maintenance sho uld be readily available, including such standard equipment as fo rklifts o r electrical lifts.

Programming Plazas : Co nsideratio n sho uld be given to develo pment o f plazas and co urtyards fo r emplo yee and visito r uses, and fo r bo th planned and passive activities. It may also be po ssible to inco rpo rate the building's pro gram requirements into these spaces, fo r example, fo r use as o utdo o r dining o r meeting spaces.

Product ive Meet the Needs of Building Occupants : Well-designed plazas pro vide wo rkers/o ccupants with a relief o ppo rtunity—such as breaks—fro m mo re co nfined spaces. See also WBDG Psycho so cial Value o f Space .

Encourage a Variety of Activities : The design team sho uld discuss with po tential users ho w they wo uld like to use the space, in o rder to inco rpo rate appro priate amenities, relate o utdo o r areas to inside uses, acco mmo date traffic to and fro m the building, and pro vide fo r regular pro grammed use o f the spaces and special events, as appro priate. Co nsideratio n sho uld be given to different areas o f a public plaza which wo uld be appro priate fo r different types and intensities o f public activities. With pro per acco mmo datio ns a plaza can bring the public in by ho using perfo rming arts events and vendo rs. See also WBDG Functio nal/Operatio nal—Acco unt fo r Functio nal Needs .

Secure / Saf e Bollards and Landscape Elements : To prevent vehicles fro m accidentally o r intentio nally entering a plaza fro m adjacent public streets, it is reco mmended that barriers be installed alo ng the bo rder o f the plaza. These barriers can be simple bo llards o r fixed landscape elements. Stairs, statues, water features, o r large planters can be enjo yable fo r plaza users and aesthetically pleasing while pro viding security fo r the building and its o ccupants. See also WBDG Blast Safety o f the Building Envelo pe .

Manholes: The placement o f manho les in plazas and entry co urts sho uld be avo ided, particularly alo ng the main pedestrian ro utes and walkways.

Sust ainable Site Planning: Entrance plazas sho uld have slo pes o f 1 percent minimum and 5 percent PDFmyURL.com

maximum to allo w fo r pro per rainwater run-o ff. In areas with sno wfall, pro visio ns sho uld be made fo r piling sno w remo ved fro m ro ads o r adjacent parking and dro p o ff areas. See also WBDG Sustainable—Optimize Site Po tential.

Storm Water Management : Where paved areas are adjacent to buildings, pro vide slo pes o f 2 percent minimum away fro m the structure to a curb line, inlet, o r drainage way to pro vide po sitive drainage o f surface water. See also WBDG Lo w Impact Develo pment Techno lo gies .

Water Conservation : Water co nsumptio n sho uld be kept lo w, especially in very dry climates with high evapo ratio n rates. No n-po table water so urces may be co nsidered fo r water features and landscape maintenance. See also WBDG Sustainable—Pro tect and Co nserve Water.

Bicycle Racks: The U.S. Green Building Co uncil suggests pro viding bicycle racks fo r appro ximately 5% o f building o ccupants as part o f their LEED criteria. Bicycle racks can be placed in plazas, near building entries. This lo catio n sho uld be highly visible by building o ccupants, security perso nnel, o r by general traffic. Racks sho uld have pro visio ns fo r using bicycle lo cks and sho uld be co mpatible with building and site design. Pro viding a secure and co nvenient place to sto re bicycles enco urages their use.

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RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS The fo llo wing agencies and o rganizatio ns have develo ped co des and standards affecting the design o f Plazas. No te that the co des and standards are minimum requirements. Architects, engineers, and co nsultants sho uld co nsider exceeding the applicable requirements whenever po ssible.

GSA Co mmissio ning Art in Architecture GSA Facilities Standards fo r the Public Buildings Service, P10 0 Internatio nal Building Co de BACK TO TO P

MAJOR RESOURCES WBDG Building Types Federal Co urtho use, Office Building Design Objectives Accessible—Pro vide Equal Access , Aesthetics—Understanding the Language and Elements o f Design, Functio nal / Operatio nal—Acco unt fo r Functio nal Needs , Functio nal / Operatio nal —Ensure Appro priate Pro duct/Systems Integratio n, Pro ductive—Pro vide Co mfo rtable Enviro nments, Secure / Safe—Ensure Occupant Safety and Health , Sustainable—Optimize Site Po tential, Sustainable—Pro tect and Co nserve Water , Sustainable—Optimize Operatio nal and PDFmyURL.com

Maintenance Practices Project Management Delivery Teams—Select Appro priate Design Pro fessio nals BACK TO TO P

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