Friday, March 8, 2013

Why do we need a loading area?

Normally I would just email you this question but no one else seams to be able to properly answer this question.

Many residences provide furnishings like a bed, desks and basic lounge furniture which would limit the heaviest piece of furniture to a mini fridge, and in terms of the DMZ, a server (which wouldn't need to be transported in and out of the building often anyways).

So why would this building need to be serviced by a truck?

3 comments:

  1. Maintenance trucks may need to have access to the truck, if you are having food prepared in your building, a cafeteria, you will need supplies constantly being dropped off and DMZ needs to bring in supplies if they are developing hardware. Do you remember the basement it had large equipment for developing some of their more physical innovations not just software. You cant just bring these through the front doors as they are not wide enough and loading doors are much more durable to movement of objects than say your average glass entrance door. hope that helped a bit

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  2. This is a rather distressing question. Loading and servicing areas in buildings (especially multi-unit residential projects and anything with even the slightest component of retail) are critical. Beyond that basic rule of thumb, keep in mind that though residences have furnishings, how do you think they get that stuff inside? Unfortunately, not everyone is like you and open to purchasing discount Swedish furniture that fits in small manageable boxes.
    Yes - many multi-unit residential projects do not have loading areas, and many also do not have service elevators, concierge/security desks, or even Third Places, but are they part of the current vocabulary of this typology. If one were to look at multi-unit residential projects from earlier eras, you would be hard pressed to find things like multiple means of egress, mechanical rooms, and even electricity integrated from the outset. Loading areas are good for your design and show that you actually know what goes on beyond the decorative and showcases your awareness of the infrastructure needed to make buildings work.
    As a final comment on this, I am concerned that you are raising this question because you are trying to take up as much of the site as possible... please demonstrate that you are not a weak and feeble designer.

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