Smart Mixed-Use: Built It Like You Mean It! How to Utilize Technology to Create More Meaningful Places

BY CHRISTIAN LEHMKUHL

The cascading series of global crisis, initiated by the pandemic, has left the real estate industry in a state of transformation. Rising inflation, supply chain issues, and a customer base that has grown comfortable with the optionality of a hybrid world present an ongoing challenge to developers, architects and designers.

As a result, the expectations of the post-pandemic user have expanded. Single-purpose, single-use buildings or districts are no longer able to satisfy the diverse needs of the audience. There is a hunger for in-person activities, but for people to commit to the chore that is associated with dressing up, commuting, parking and navigating complex urban environments, the destination and the experience it delivers must be ‘meaningful’.

Mixed-use developments are uniquely positioned to capitalize on those new parameters set by the consumer. The integration of cultural and consumer offerings such as sports and entertainment venues or lifestyle brands within a multiuse environment can help create a sense of belonging centered around a unifying purpose and identity. Alternatively, residential assets have emerged as key anchors for connected mixed-use communities that provide everything one needs within walking distance while creating a sense of place and community.

Further, with real estate values as high as they are, developers need to maximize the use of their assets, by maximizing utilization. To gain a competitive edge, lifestyle districts need to capture as much of the 24-hour consumer cycle as possible. Equitable design is key in this pursuit. Beyond the positive social impact, tapping into various stratospheres of consumer groups is the shortest path to around-the-clock activation. In addition, the inclusion of a diverse range of people and associated offerings creates the theatrical and vibrant atmosphere that has patrons linger.

Smart Places adapt to user needs in real-time and optimize the consumer experience

We have learned that what people desire are experiences. While the purpose of a project might be an office tower or a retail street, the spirit is human experience. Amenity-rich environments are an expectation rather than a commodity in any development that seeks to attract the captive audience.

To stand out from the competition, these experiences must be perceived as meaningful. Curated and customized user engagement bridges the gap. Client interactions might span from the first touchpoint (often the search for a parking spot), to personalized offers and messages that extend and add value to the consumer experience.

Real-time data through sensors, IoT (Internet of Things), and other smart property technologies and apps can deliver those experiences, while providing developers the data points and insights needed to constantly optimize their spaces.

Since 1992, data production has grown from a rate of 100 gigabytes per day to 50,000 GB per second. (VoucherCloud)

Flexible spaces have long been touted as a quintessential feature of successful mixed-use environments. Their ability to be programmed and to host distinct functions or events is key in keeping the audience engaged and motivating the customer base to return.

However, flexible spaces are often ‘walking compromises’, designed under a one-size-fits-all paradigms. Never quite fitting their temporarily adopted purpose, and limited in their capacity to transform, they can fall short on delivering the immersive experience the audience is craving. Not unlike a peek behind a theater curtain will break the illusion and taint the experience; makeshift stages, temporary signage and ill-fitting backdrops in a mixeduse environment can only carry you so far.

Taking the next step means to focus on ‘Adaptive Places’ that address all senses and blur the boundaries between the digital and physical realms. Incorporating digital assets, installations, and artistic content into building projects has become a popular way to enhance traditional builtenvironments and attract visitors. But, to truly unlock their transformative potential, those digital platforms must fulfill two essential requirements:

To extend their impact beyond the limits of a screen or projection, the platforms need to be seamlessly integrated into the built environment. Further, to create an encompassing, immersive experience, the content must be fully connected and choreographed between all channels and media types.

The AT&T Discovery District in the Dallas central business district (CBD) is a prime example for the implementation of these principles. Architectural elements are blended and augmented with media installations, allowing them to address, define and re-define different spaces.

A 7-story media wall curving around one of the tower façades serves as an urban-scale beacon for the district, while cycling through custom artistic and entertainment content to provide the rhythm and right mood for each time of the day.

The Globe, a 30-foot diameter, interactive sculpture, capable to rotate 270 degrees, can transform itself and the adjacent areas by addressing either the city, an event lawn or The Grove. The immersive media lobby at the AT&T

Headquarters Tower extends that transformation into the interior of the building, while breaking down the assumed boundaries of the corporate space and inviting to the public to explore.

Lastly, every evening a ‘take-over moment’ unites all media platforms, from ground lights to light canopies to audio in a choreographed immersive show, simultaneously capturing an audience that includes diners, shoppers, pedestrian, workers, by-passers, and tourists.

These experiences, which are personal and shared at the same time, connect us to a grander idea and are essential in creating meaningful and transformative communities.

Christian Lehmkuhl, Design Director, Regional Design Experience Leader, Gensler Christian specializes in architecture and technology, adaptive environments, and experience design. In his work, he strives for nuanced, elegant solutions to complex problems by implementing a narrative-based design approach. Christian's awardwinning work encompasses a broad variety of typologies, including Museums, Hotels, Corporate Headquarters, Retail, University Campuses, and large-scale mixed-use developments. His distinct design sensibility has shaped highly innovative architectural projects, such as the AT&T Discovery District (Dallas), the Museum of the Moving Image (New York), and the Tri-Climatic Biosphere (Abu Dhabi). As Design Director, he leads multi-disciplinary teams through all phases of the architectural process while collaborating closely with clients to articulate design strategies that thoughtfully negotiate project constraints and design impact.