Designing Better Parking
A well-constructed car park adds value and puts premium to any commercial area. In this article, we’ll explore how you can design a good parking lot.
With the global ratio of cars to humans fast approaching 1:1, access to quality parking is now becoming a need, rather than a luxury. This is why it’s important for any developer to learn and understand how to design good parking.
After all, not all car parks are built the same.
In fact, most people have favourite car parks for a reason, as well as parking lots they’d rather avoid at all costs.
This article will discuss everything project developers need to know about how to design better parking.
But first, let’s talk about the importance of good parking.
The Importance of Good Parking
Many cities allow roadside parking during the day. Some rural areas even allow car owners to park in any open lot they can find.
What, then, is the importance of a well-constructed parking lot?
Well, in urban and commercial developments, it’s practically impossible for businesses to thrive without providing their employees and customers with safe and comfortable parking.
So, if a project developer wants to develop residential and commercial projects in highly urbanised areas, they have to acquire skills related to designing a good parking lot.
Potential clients are expecting no less.
Now, let’s talk about what makes a good parking lot.
What Makes a Good Parking Lot?
Good construction is always a mix of functionality and sound aesthetic design. Specifically, though, there are three elements that make a car park good:
Element #1 – Accessibility
The very essence of having a car park, especially in commercial centres, is accessibility. Therefore, property developers should prioritise designing a parking lot that has little to no accessibility issues.
When designing a car park, account for sufficient room for most, if not all, vehicle types. Also, provide handicap spaces, walkways, ramps, and curb structures.
Element #2 – User-Friendly
Hard-to-find exits and confusing layouts are just some of the biggest causes of frustration among car park users.
To create a good parking experience, the car park must be user-friendly. The design should be made so that even someone who just got their license yesterday could easily maneuver in and out of the car park without hassle or risk of damage to their vehicle.
Element #3 – Safe
No one wants to park in an area that’s not safe and secure. Car owners desire peace of mind that if they were to leave their car out of their sight, nothing bad will happen to it.
Now, some property developers might think that safety and security are things they can only provide once a car park has been designed and constructed. But that’s not entirely true. They can integrate safety measures into the lot even before the actual car park gets built.
One way is to have lighting installed along its perimeter. A car park can be designed for better visibility with enough lighting and few barriers to sight lines, if any, early on.
How to Design Better Parking
There are three main factors property develops need to consider when designing a good car park for their next development project:
Factor #1 – Function of the Car Park
The best design for a car park would largely depend on what its purpose would be.
Here are some examples:
If it’s a car park for a university, it’ll need more slots compared to a parking lot for a restaurant.
If it’s going to serve trucks with shipping loads, it’ll need a thicker pavement compared to a parking lot that’ll serve mostly motorbikes and sedans.
And if there’s a need for high-turnover space, then it’ll need lower angles so that the parking slots are aligned with the driving aisles.
So, remember to always consider the function of your car park before starting with the design.
Factor #2 – Safety Provisions
Remember that the layout and design of a car park should always be geared towards safety, accessibility, and ease of use.
Thus, elements like traffic signages, painted asphalt markings, sufficient lighting fixtures, and concrete parking barriers should be present in all car park designs.
Factor #3 – Additional Design Elements
On top of designing for safety and accessibility, it wouldn’t hurt to give a car park an extra flair to make it stand out.
Landscaping, mural work, and creative lighting are just some of the ways to beautify a car park.
Start Designing Your Perfect Car Park Today
Indeed, there are a myriad of things to keep in mind when designing a good car park.
Luckily, you have the help of a user-friendly platform right at your fingertips. With Archistar’s generative design tool, you can generate dozens of potential designs after finding out what’s feasible base and what’s not based on factors like council rules, lot details, and environmental conditions, among others.
Book a free demo today and find out how much time you can save with Archistar when assessing and designing a car park.
Get started for free: [https://www.archistar.ai/]
