RETAIL BY DESIGN
BY: TERRY WATERHOUSE
Terry Waterhouse is one of the founding
Directors of Red Goodss Ltd. a multidisciplinary
design consultancy based in Hong Kong
specializing in Retail Design. In 2017, the
company merged with Diadem and Terry
became Diadem’s Director leading the
Hong Kong/Asian office of fourteen
multi-disciplined designers and project
managers.
The article below was previously published in Shopping
Centre News, written by Mr. Kelvin Taylor, and a
colleague of Mr. Waterhouse at Diadem*
It is often said that first impressions count.
This is certainly true in human relation-
ships. We often find ourselves sizing a
person up by how he or she dresses or how
he or she presents themselves. In terms of
human communication the general belief
is that 55% is body language, 38% is the
tone of voice and only 7% is the actual
words spoken. So clearly humans are very
visual beings. How we feel, our attitudes
and emotions, and our decision making is
highly influence by what we see.
This made me think about human interactions
with physical spaces? What is the first impression
that we see and how does this affect our feelings
when we walk or drive into a physical space.
Certainly this will differ depending on the type of
space we are engaging with; a shopping centre, an
airport, hospital or an office, and the nature of the
activity we are there for, our previous experiences
and how we are feeling at the time.
There is a great onus on owners and managers of
retail and commercial spaces to design and deliver
great experiences across key touchpoints experi-
enced by both visitors and tenants at a portfolio
level. Identifying challenges and opportunities in
relation to the ground plane arrival and departure
experience is an area that requires considered
attention.
Ground plane experience
The future of retail
and commercial
spaces is at a cross-
road of extreme
change where the
physical environ-
ment is seen as a
part of a broader so-
cial ecosystem that
ultimately positively
contributes to hu-
man fulfilment and
life satisfaction.
Mixed with this is
the blurring of func-
tionality of spaces.
No longer can a
shopping centre just
be a retail environment or a commercial building a
place of work. CBD commercial buildings and pre-
cincts are scrambling for competitive advantage
with a wave of development and refurbishment
projects underway in most capital cities.
There are a number of elements that owners and
developers are identifying as opportunities to
unlock the potential of assets through the creation
of enhanced ground plane experiences. Five prime
elements are outlined below:
First is the brand experience. A consistent ap-
proach to the delivery of a distinct brand experi-
ence that is recognised by tenants and visitors,
drives brand loyalty and advocacy. The best brand
experiences are customer-centric, authentic and
believable.
Second is having an outward looking perspective.
Creating guidelines that act as a roadmap for how
a development connects with its surroundings
helps to build precincts that unify the communities
they serve and add value beyond the boundary of
the individual precinct.
The challenge facing owners and managers is to
develop ground plane experiences that capitalise
on the physical attributes of the location; how the
space interacts with the surrounding public realm
and attracts and invites human interaction, as
well as the physical attributes of the space itself;
aspects of visual interest and beauty, theatre,
lighting, shelter, identification, navigation and ac-
cessibility.
In many respects the ground plane experience
highlights the need to balance a natural attributes
with curated design that encourage human activa-
tion and immersion. Humans are social beings by
nature. Our ongoing wellness is influenced by our
desire for physical interaction.
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Fourth is partnership and integration. The align-
ment of a development that embraces a broader
context of all human activities – to live, work,
rest, learn and play will create the highest return.
Developers are talking about the ‘third space’.
Environments are becoming more agile combining
work with food, shopping, exercise and play. The
ground plane experience in this context is an open
plan environment where technology and conveni-
ence enables people to work differently and more
collaboratively. Commercial spaces are blending
with communal and retail spaces. Co-working
environments are on the increase. Food and bev-
erage offers and wellness amenities such as EOT
facilities are mandatory. Car parks are supporting
e-commerce activities. Amenities and personal
services are increasingly being accessed during
traditional work hours. Public realm spaces are
becoming more interactive.
Technology is a third element. Smart cities are
leveraging technologies to build convenience and
enable seamless and consistent user experiences.
The McKinsey Global Institute talks about a new
phase of development in which clever use of digi-
tal intelligence in urban environments can improve
human quality of life indicators by up to 30%. It’s
all about putting real-time, transparent information
into the hands of users to help them make better
choices.
At a macro level these tools can help save lives,
prevent crime and reduce disease. At a micro level
tools can save time, reduce waste and boost social
connectedness. When cities and urban precincts
function more efficiently, they become more pro-
ductive and better places in which to live.
A subset of partnership and alignment is the
trending transport-oriented development. The
pedestrian experience within the transport based
public realm is important for people resulting in an
integrated public space with fluid connections.
The fifth element is analysing site usage data.
The effective capture and measurement of asset
data helps generate operational and functional
responses that enhance the customer experience.
This activity helps ensure the asset is optimally
aligned with the needs of the users and drives
long-term value.
Connecting people with places requires a multi-
faceted framework that combines urban planning
and design with economics. The glue that binds
this together is the ability to unlock and enhance
the human experience with a goal of creating a
flexible and meaningful ‘person-environment fit’.
The ground plane experience is foundational to a
successful development. Person-centric designed
spaces that can be tailored to meet the chang-
ing needs of users will in turn provide human
fulfilment and growth and help build a legacy of
great environments across all classes of the built
environment.
*as edited
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this column article are
solely by author and do not in any way reflect the stand or position
of the PRA.