Tips on understanding Space Planning

It's been a long time, I shouldnt have left you...without a dope beat to step to:) Ok thats an 80's hip hop line I had to throw in there:)

Today I finally decided to not try but do, do get back to design in the middle of finals for medical studies, I find my mind and heart wandering back to my first true love, creation.

I have made lots of things since my last posts and seen even more, experienced serious loss and hopped back on my horse to ride again.

Today, I thought of an analogy while trying to explain to a friend the other evening about spacial planning and feng shui. We were talking about energy, uses and flow of spaces and this morning I thought how similar in many ways, a mechanical engineer thinks in this very same way without seeing the parallels of "feeling" verses measuring, calibrating and relating to other mechanisms nearby.

Space planning is very often the same, seeing what will the space be used for or desired to be used for, what all the elements will be, the best direction for maximum flows without interruptions or conflict from flow patterns of those various elements. An example in restaurant design is to replace the flow pattern 'elements' with cooks, chefs, deliveries, servers, bartenders, barbacks, patrons on way to seating, restroom visitations, host/hostess, etc. These are in many ways very similar to different air flows in a vent system, or plumbing system and even an electrical system. Not only do the pathways overlap and often seem to collide, but other systems that seem completely separate like a power relay or chefs cooking area can create heat, sound, smells and even psychic energy that can be sensed through walls, hallways, floors.

If one can understand this analogy, one can begin to understand space planning as well as mechanical engineering:)

Easy right? Haha, I know it's not, but it's nice to break it down into easier chunks to understand and hopefully this tip will help you with your next project whether it be a bathroom plan or hotel design...or even a waterfall design for a peaceful rooftop retreat on rowhouse downtown.

Cheers! And feel free to add ideas of your own, I am by no means an expert or absolute authority on any of these things, just someone who loves them and is trying to understand why:)