Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
ALS2: Space Discussion
The location I selected to be for this exercise is the Grand River Café located in the East Lansing region, along the Grand River Avenue. The address to the location is 515 W, Grand River Avenue East Lansing, MI 48823-4203 US. To make it a discussion of three people, I was joined by my tow friends who were in their locations as follows;
| Name | Location | Address |
| Name | The Lansing Mall | 5330 West Saginaw Highway Lansing MI 48917 |
| Name | W. J. Beal Botanical Garden | 330 W CIRCLE DR. Michigan State University |
The Discussion
What is the feeling of the space? Do you like it, why or why not?
The space at Grand River Café is lovely and warm with everything in the environment of the café appealing for the guests. The baristas and the large space at the café are well set to allow many tables for guests.
The space at The Lansing Mall was congested, and my friend was filling congested. However, the space at W. J. Beal Botanical Garden was relaxing and cool for taking time out.
Who is using the space? What types of people and how are they using the space? Is this the intended use(s)?
The space is used by the owners of the café and the customers. We also noticed that a significant size of the space is also used by the employees. The economic and social use of the café is combined in a setting that allows customers to talk and socialize while the owners are gaining profits from their business. This is the intended use of the space, as the building is clearly structured for that.
The space at The Lansing Mall was used by the mall owners to rent shops to retailers, banks, and business people to sell to the public. My friend noted that it is used for shopping, dining and commercial activities. This is the intended use of the space, as the building is clearly structured for that. The W. J. Beal Botanical Garden space is used by the public to relax, and used by the Michigan State University for research and displaying different plants
What are the most successful elements of the space?
The most successful element of the space is the setting of the tables and chairs for the guests. The arrangement is made for a diverse number of people; such as two people table, three, four and even six to eight people around a table.
The most successful element of The Lansing Mall is the large space and setting of shops and businesses. The structure is appealing for people to move around and shop, or bank. The most successful element at W. J. Beal Botanical Garden is the serenity of the garden and beautiful landscape.
What are the least successful elements of the space?
The least successful element of the space is the surrounding of the café. We noted that the space outside the café is not well set up to appeal to people from outside. However, the labels and the name of the café make it better to identify the location. We also noted that the space is not large enough to accommodate many people who flock the café at peak eating times.
The least successful element at Lansing Mall is the congestion of people as many people visit the mall for all their shopping and personal activities. The least successful element at W. J. Beal Botanical Garden is use lack of refreshment areas and facilities.
The Change; in My Location
What would you change about the design of the space you are in and why? You must identify at least one element that you would change, and explain why?
I would change the landscape outside the café and immediately surrounding the location. This is because the landscape identifies allows people to feel relaxed and enjoy some serenity outside the café. Specifically, I would establish structures to accommodate people who feel like taking their meals and drinks on the outside. There are people who enjoy sharing meals and having a discussion at a place that is outside the structure, but still being served by the café.
The change would introduce outdoor service where the staff at the café would serve customers, just like inside the café. This can also be done in an extended balcony where the tables are set to serve the customer. To do this, a structural change would be needed to extend the space, balcony to accommodate some tables. One of my friends suggested that he would be more comfortable if the café had a large space outside, with large tables and shades where he could dine. This would be my major change, if I had the opportunity to. This would be better that the current indoor-only setup because it would promote serenity of an outdoor service.
Conclusion
The exercise was a successful activity that opened my mind to evaluate the use of a space or a location. The exercise stimulated my thinking about the need to understand and evaluate the elements that make the use of a space successful or not. The Grand River Café is a good place for assessing the way space is used and how effective the space fits the use. With a good setting, the café offers a good space not only for sharing of meals and drinks but perfect for social interaction.