Why is it designed that way? It can be a common question when touring facilities on assessment or in a recent case during an interview. Still I wonder why more people do not ask that question on a day to day basis. I do. It is common fascination when touring facilities. Looking a strange cabinetry and realizing the room was originally for a sewing class or once in Mexico, showing a whole group of guys that you need to pull a pin out to release the spare tire from under our stuck vehicle. Designers normally do not place things willy nilly yet understanding the function of a design can be elusive. No matter the effort in programing and design, new users are always present for when the building opens, who don’t know why decisions were made on the placement of switches and amenities or arrangement of spaces. On the operational side, including servicing heating and air conditioning and cleaning finishes, there are manuals that are created, but, on the functional side, users are
Reflections on the built environment, how we interact with it and the process of planning and designing from someone who grew up with educators, goes on assessments and tours and facilitates the planning process for many schools and other organizations.