Design Guide: Recreation Centers Spatial Organization January 1976
CHAPTER 5
S P A T I A L ORGANIZATION
for lounges and waiting areas and by enabling
5-1 OBJECTIVES
participants to see from one area into another.
The Recreation Center should be spatially
organized to encourage social interaction and
c. ADAPTATION TO SITE & CLIMATIC
VARIABLES. The spatial organization of a
user participation; to allow many diverse
Recreation Center must consider the site
activities to occur simultaneously; and to
facilitate administrative control of the Center.
variables (size, shape, contours, orientation,
views, and natural features) and climatic
This Chapter describes spatial organizational
variables (severe or temperate). For example, a
principles that may be employed in the
Center which is to be constructed on a site with
development and review of designs. A principle
natural beauty, proper solar orientation and
is defined here as a rule exemplified in the
temperate climate may be outwardly oriented,
organization and layout of a building design. In
with the activity spaces focused toward the
order to provide guidance on how individual
outside of the building; if the Center is to be
spaces and design elements go together, spatial
built in an area with a severe climate and
organizational principles are expressed (and
generally unattractive surroundings, its spatial
illustrated ) as typical rules which describe how
organization should be focused toward the
individual spaces go together to form functional
interior of the Center.
areas, and how functional areas go together to
form a building design.
d. EXPANSION. If a Center exhibits a strong
likelihood for expansion of activities, the
5-2 PRINCIPLES
Center's spatial organization should be planned
to permit a functional growth by increasing the
Spatial organization must be based primarily on
number of spaces or by enlarging the existing
the interrelatedness of activities, maximum
flexibility of the Center, successful adaptation
spaces. As a Center expands, the necessity for
to site and climate variables, and possible
flexibility decreases, because space usage is
Center expansion. These variables will be
determined by administrative control.
affected by achieving economic construction
and mechanical systems layout, maintaining
5-3 C R I T E R I A
user safety and facility security, incorporating
a. ACTIVITY ANALYSIS. Four variables
site amenities, and providing for use by the
which affect spatial organization should be
physically handicapped.
analyzed.
a . INTER RELATEDNESS OF ACTIVITIES.
(1) Physical Access. Physical access is the
Activities should be grouped to maximize
most important factor in spatial organization;
desirable effects (accessibility, control, multi-
its primary concerns are convenience of
use) or separated to minimize conflicts (noise,
circulation, ease of administrative control, and
activity incompatibility).
potential for social interaction.
b. FLEXIBILITY OF USE. The spatial organi-
(2) Acoustics. The next most important
zation must allow the simultaneous occurrence
criterion is acoustics, or the generation of
of many diverse activities, from planned
disruptive noise by an activity. If a conflict
activities to spontaneously self-generated activ-
arises between accessibility and acoustics, the
ities, by diverse groups of people.
accessibiIity requirements should govern loca-
tion with the acoustical problem being treated
Activity areas must be arranged to encourage
technologically.
casual interaction by using the transitional areas
5-1
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