Identifying the area of need

I was watching a special this evening on CNBC about the big business of supermarkets and it went into detail about how we shop and why we buy the things we buy.  One of the main points of emphasis was both the experience of the “market” store and the “journey” we take through the store.  It is not simply the products contained within the store that draw us in, but rather the presentation, lighting, and color that engage our senses.  Customers are not simply coming once a week; they now visit 3, 4 or 5 times a week.  They eat lunch at the store, taste wine, socialize – it has become a destination rather than a weekly chore.  The layout of the store has been updated to meet our modern needs and tastes as well.  Gone are the long parallel aisles.  Instead, a perpendicular aisle now intersects the rows.  This offers the consumer an “escape” route should they enter the aisle and realize they need to get somewhere else.  Likewise, the layouts feature curves and clustered intersections.  The goal is not to confuse, but rather to offer more possibilities to explore and move about (and store more product). 

Watching the show I realized how important the space became in creating the experience.  It wasn’t simply what was in the store – it was the atmosphere and experience that people sought.  In a sense, this is the same feeling I am seeking to emulate in the design of a new bus station within existing suburban sprawl.  It is not simply about providing a waiting area that is warm or cool or dry.  It is about creating a space or a sequence of spaces that enhance the user experience.  Yes, a bench and an enclosed plastic cube can keep you dry or out of the wind possibly.  But if you miss your bus or train, do you want to stay there?  Just like the new grocery store, the bus stop or train stop should be a place of comfort – a place that generates positive thoughts and is even sought after by commuters – a place of refuge before or after a long day.

This is a map of the site I have chosen for the competition.  The bus stop is located in the southwestern corner of a vast parking lot that serves King’s Island, a local amusement park.

As I mentioned yesterday, I spoke with a friend, Jessie, yesterday about the commuting experience from this site.  Jessie lives about 5 minutes from the bus stop and while she no longer takes the bus, she did ride for about 8 months.  We spoke for about an hour and she described the daily experience; likes and dislikes, etc.  This is an account of her experience.

Jessie would drive to the parking lot and arrive about ten minutes before the bus was scheduled to arrive.  If the weather was fair, Jessie would exit her car and stand outside to wait for the bus.  There was no shelter provided at the lot nor was there a designated waiting area.  Commuters would typically form a random line based on who was waiting outside first.  On days when the weather was poor, Jessie would remain in her car until the bus entered the lot.  She would then exit her car and board the bus – the other commuters would do the same.  Jessie’s stop was the start of an express route directly downtown, so typically around 40+ commuters would get on at her stop.  Once on the bus, people generally kept to themselves, however, the commuters typically remained the same so bonds formed over time.  People would converse about what they were reading or discuss common interests.  The trip downtown would generally take about 30 minutes in the bus (buses are permitted to ride the shoulder when traffic is backed up).  By car, during rush hour, this trip may take 45 to an hour.  The bus route terminates at Government Center downtown and generally all passengers from King’s Island got off at this stop.

The return trip was similar in nature, although Government Center provided an open air waiting area that provided shelter in the form of glass panels and benches.

Jessie’s dislikes:  No sheltered area at home stop; no place to grab coffee, newspaper, food, etc.; no idea if bus is running late, delayed, etc.; absence of community (unable to joing co-workers for happy hour – has to catch bus); poor customer support from bus company – no presence at stop; frequent spills on bus – no place to put beverage

Jessie’s likes: no worries about driving in traffic; cost savings; safe; fast; ability to use commuting time reading, working, etc.

Identifying the area of need:  Quite frankly, when I picture 30-40 people exiting their cars in one choreographed motion as the bus enters the lot, I have to laugh.  This is very similar to the experience I described during the intensive of exiting my car and entering my office.  There is no sequence, there is no procession; it’s one and done.  I believe that an architectural intervention in the form of a bus station can not only improve the experience for the current commuters, but also attract more commuters in the future.  The potential exists to create a space which commuters will seek out as necessary component of their day.  It can add value and meaning and provide a defined and identifiable start and end point for the daily commuter journey.  Likewise, there is an added social/economic benefit.  As mom and dad begin to feel comfortable using the bus and bus stop, they will be more likely to use the station on weekend to take trips downtown for events, ballgames, etc.

This condition has been repeated about a dozen times within the outlying Cincinnati suburbs.  The King’s Island site offers an excellent site to test how a sense of place can be created for the traveler.  The next step will be exploring how sequence and layers are manifested within the drosscape to create personal connection and a desirable commuter experience.