Campuses

An Idea Book for Placemaking


Semi Public Zone

This is a transitional area that extends from the edge of the building to the public sidewalk. The semi-public zone includes all the “civic spaces” surrounding a public building, as well as the building facade, entrance, and ground floors, and is managed by the building manager or their service provider. One example would be a public sculpture garden located outside a museum. While the size of this zone, in the case of public buildings, is determined by a mandated setback requirement, the way these areas are designed and programmed are often key to a building’s success as a public space.The semi-public zone can either create a sterile fortress-like atmosphere or serve as an attractive and secure buffer. To create a good transition to the building property, the outer edge of semi-public zones are often bordered by attractive fences, bollards, or planting beds, and programmed with a range of amenities and activities for public use. Gardens, fountains, seating areas, and kiosks with small outdoor dining areas are all possible amenities to consider for this zone, and are easy to close or cordon off at dusk. The building’s facade can arouse the interest of passersby with art, sculptural details, or unusual lighting at night. A clearly marked, welcoming entrance is another asset that makes people feel at ease.And the ground floor can successfully knit the building into the city fabric by housing a mix of uses and activities.These spaces can welcome the public and attract people while meeting all relevant security needs.

Civic Spaces


The public spaces around public buildings pose many management challenges. The first question that arises is, "Do you want people to be there in the first place?" Notable corporate institutions, such as Rockefeller Center in New York, have struggled with this issue for a long time, and most have answered, "Yes, but on our own terms." Through careful planning and management, many of these institutions have succeeded in creating lively civic spaces — without sacrificing standards for security and cleanliness — for which the public itself assumes a sense of ownership and responsibility.

Principles:

Connecting the Sidewalk to the Building

Exterior spaces bridge the gap between the building and the surrounding sidewalks. Depending on how this critical transition is treated, the flow from public zone to semi-public zone may seem smooth and seamless or abrupt and intimidating.

Providing Focal Points

One way of welcoming the public into a building’s exterior spaces is to provide functional focal points such as kiosks, sculpture, or benches, where people can meet before entering or after leaving the building.

Image and Identity

Exterior public spaces offer a prime opportunity to put forth a strong image and identity for a public building. Through the use of elements such as fountains, gardens, and public art, these spaces can become recognizable destinations and seasonal draws and attractions.

Programming and Management

A building’s semi-public spaces require more management than other areas. Why? Because exterior spaces are ideally suited for public events such as live performances, farmers markets, and festivals. Therefore, they require sophisticated management in order to both successfully program events and maintain security.

Building Base


It’s essential for property managers who want their buildings to strengthen the fabric of the neighborhood in which it is located to understand the function of a building’s ground floor. As with the edge of the property at the point where it meets the sidewalk, the base of the building should include elements of visual interest that attract pedestrians and gives them a positive impression of the building as they walk by. When the base of a builiding is a solid blank wall, it kills the retail continuity of the street and deters positive social activity.

Principles:

Human Scale

Elements located at the base of the builiding should be of a scale that is accessible for viewing by pedestrians. Windows and doors should beckon to passersby rather than intimidate them by their size or impenetrability, and decorative features, like lighting, flags, or flower boxes, should be located at eye level.

Active Ground Floor Uses

Ideally, the base of a building should have destinations and things to do, not just objects to look at. A small information center, bookshop, or café is often a good fit for public buildings because it can usually remain open after the rest of the building closes. Such continuous and interesting ground floor uses are essential to making sure that the building is a connector along the street and not an interrupter.

Transparency

A transparent building base provides the dual benefit of allowing pedestrians to see the activity occurring inside the building—a signal that encourages foot traffic—while providing more "eyes on the street" where people inside the building can see out onto, and act as a security presence for, the public and semi-public zones outside.