The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces is a documentary about a study performed and narrated by William H. Whyte that looks into how people interact in and with urban plazas in New York. The study was done to try and get new zoning resolutions in place that would promote the building of better public spaces in Manhattan.

Whyte observes how people behave in different public spaces, how the architecture influences their behavior, and why some public plazas are more successful than others.

A professor recommended it to me and I find it extremely interesting. The film is definitely worth the watch especially for those within architectural or urban planning professions. – Jake Elsii, Design Staff (Watch the hour long video here.)

View All Ideas

One of the challenges for PFCU’s new branch in Center City was figuring the best way to make use of a very long and narrow existing space while accommodating various programs. The big design-move was to have a ceiling and floor band extend from the exterior signage all the way to the back teller area. In order for the team, owner, and contractor to best understand the concept and the space, we utilized both rendering and virtual reality presentations ahead of construction. Now under construction, we can see how making use of technological advances in early stages of design can help us translate a concept to reality.

Logistics: Making sure the project can be built

For the SEPTA station renovation under City Hall, confirming that the new structural components can be brought to the site is essential. That means building a full size plywood mock-up of the largest steel box beam (which is 62 feet long, 5 feet high, and 4 ½ feet wide), loading it onto a flatcar in the train yard, and bringing it through the track tunnel to site. Since the box beam was able to travel to the site without getting stuck in the tunnel, we now know that all of the components can be brought in by train.

3D Printers: A visualization Aid for Stakeholders

Using 3D printers to study the design for renovations helps show the configuration, space and detail of a project in progress. Our team developed the concepts for improved circulation within a station by connecting the platforms and mezzanines. We made a digital CAD model for a small portion of the key interface and were able to adjust the CAD model for our 3D printer. The size and scale were printed to show actual steps and railings, and the final product gave stakeholders an idea of what the project would look like in the end before construction even started.

Office-Inspired Campuses

Office Tech That “Works” for Campuses A core function of universities is to prepare students for the workforce. And yet, higher ed and office design have traditionally existed on opposite ends of the spectrum. The modern campus seeks to bridge the gap with learning commons that simulate the working world. Tech-enabled conference rooms, for instance, are on the rise, featuring camera-enabled TVs and screens that allow you to transfer your work simply from a screen to a wall projection.