COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING &

ARCHITECTURE

ARC 007: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 7-

(COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN)

RSW 02: SHOPPING MALLS

SECTION: UP- FC1-BSAR4-04

ROSARIO, MARY ROSE R .

STUDENT

AR. CESAR LAUREL AGPOON, UAP, PIA

PROFESSOR
 A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large
indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall"
originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was
used to refer to the walkway itself which was merely bordered by such shops), but in
the late 1960s, it began to be used as a generic term for the large enclosed shopping
centers that were becoming commonplace at the time.
19th century shops
For wealthy women shopping was popular past time in this century. In the late
19 century shopping arcades were built in many British towns. Also in the late 19 th
th

century department stores became common. In early 2oth century chain stores also
became common although many shops were still family owned.
Modern Time shops
A shopping mall is a term, in which one or more buildings form a complex of
shops representing merchandisers with interconnecting walkways that enable
customers walk from unit to unit.
Basic components of most modern shopping malls:

(a) Food Courts

A food court offers mall visitors with a collection of diverse eateries, from local
franchises to multinational chains. Venues in a typical food court operate side-by-
side to each other, with a centralized common dining area to accommodate
customers.

The three most widely used practices to operate food courts are (a) close to large
“anchor stores”, (b) near a location convenient for truck deliveries and (c) dedicated
a separate floor or a larger part of a floor to eateries. Although many shopping malls
have full-service theme restaurants, the food court offers customers the opportunity
to sample many different styles of fast food.

For instance, one spouse may want Indian food, while the other may have a
preference for Continental food. Children usually prefer something different from
their parents, so a food court allows each family member to have what they want and
still eat together in a shared dining area.

Food vendors, who offer international or exotic items, may find it easier to run a
smaller outlet rather than a separate stand-alone restaurant in or outside the malls.
Even customers find the option of having diverse restaurants grouped together in a
food court. To attract customers, especially towards exotic and international taste,
employees offer free samples of their products to potential customers walking
through the food court area.

(b) Department Stores

A department store is a large retail outlet that offers a large variety and deep
assortment and is organized into separate departments for the purpose of selling,
display and promotion, customer service and control. Each department sells unique
products and has its own selling, accounts, packaging and security staff.

(1) It must employ minimum 50 people as store staff.

(2) Most selling goods relate to FMCG and daily used items.

(3) It should have proper balance between home furniture, consumer electronics,
apparel and food.

(4) All the departments should generate balance contribution towards sales. For
instance, not more than 80% of annual sales can come from single product line.

(c) Stand Alone stores

Generally, in a shopping mall or shopping centre, most of the area is covered

with satellite buildings to be found on the same tract of land or on one adjacent to it,
on which will be located stand-alone stores, which may or may not be contractually
connected to the common facilities.

These stores may have their own separate entry and exit gates, parking lots,
security provisions, or their lots may intersect with those of the mall or center. The
existence of the stores may have been planned by the mall owners (mall developers)
or may have come about through opportunistic actions by others, but visually the
central facility – the mall or shopping center – and the satellite buildings will often be
perceived as being a single, ‘unit’ even in circumstances where the outlying buildings
are not officially or legally connected to the mall in any way.

Integrated Theme:
Buildings and structures within commercial centers should be developed with
an integrated architectural theme that includes similar materials, colours and design
details. The design of various structures and buildings are not expected to be
identical; however, the design elements throughout a commercial development
should provide a complimentary theme.

Transportation and Parking:

Vehicular Circulation:
Safe convenient vehicular circulation should be provided within commercial
developments. Depending on the scale of the development, there should be an
appropriate system of internal vehicular circulation routes based on a hierarchy of
drive aisles and cross routes so as to address efficient, safe movement and parking
throughout the site.

For larger developments consider providing a system of main collector-type drive

aisles to organize the overall site circulation with secondary aisles providing direct
loading of parking spaces.

Alternate Modes Transportation:

 All modes of transportation, including pedestrian and public transit, should be
considered in the development of commercial centers. People who walk or ride the
bus are also customers and employees.

Pedestrian and transit facilities associated with commercial centers should be

designed with the goals of safety, efficiency, accessibility and comfort. Both the on-
site needs and the off-site connections between adjacent public right-of- way should
be addressed for all modes of transportation.

Pedestrian Facilities:
It is the principal objective of the Shopping Center Development that a quality
pedestrian environment is provided in all types of development. The function and
appearance of pedestrian facilities should be considered in areas around buildings,
within parking lots, with connecting routes and throughout the site.

Pedestrian facility design should take into account basic traffic safety
concerns, such as provision of adequate pathway width, sight distance
consideration, appropriate signage, separation from vehicular traffic and appropriate
design and placement of cross walks. Additionally, pedestrian facilities should
provide an attractive quality environment with integrated landscaping, shading,
lighting, surface treatment and other amenities.

Walkways:
Pedestrian walkways should be designed as interconnected continuous
routes within a development and to the adjacent public right-of-way. Interconnected
walkways within a development should be designed with complimentary materials,
colours and design features, including unified landscape patterns, similar shading
strategies, integrated infrastructure elements and a consistent theme for paving
materials.

Pedestrian circulation facilities, including walkway surfaces, screening walls, seating

areas, lighting, landscaping and associated signage, should be compatible with the
overall development.

Meandering Walkways:
Pedestrian walkways should be direct and avoid unnecessary meandering
solely for decorative purposes. Sidewalks and walkways can be designed with
gentle, wide radius curves or a series of slightly angled deflections so as to create
some interest but such features should be carefully considered to avoid excessive
meandering.

Walkway Corridors:
Separate walkway corridors within parking lots and through a site should have
adequate width dedicated to the pedestrian walkway exclusive of any vehicle
overhang area or other obstructions. The corridor should have adequate width to
allow effective planting areas for landscaping.

Obstructions:
 Obstructions, including light poles, sign posts, utility boxes, landscaping, and
miscellaneous street furniture should not be located within the pathway travel area.
Maintain a minimum side clearance adjacent to the travel surface.

Crosswalks:
Where pedestrian circulation routes cross vehicular traffic aisles and drive-
ways within a development, there should be clearly delineated crosswalks that
include clear sight lines, adequate warning signage for both vehicles and
pedestrians, adequate lighting, and protective barrier posts or similar features for
separation at walkway entrances.

The use of different paving materials, such as concrete, brick, or interlocking paving
block for the crosswalk surface can help to emphasize the special characteristics of
the pedestrian crossing through the use of both visual and textural changes to the
surface.

Highly textured surfaces, including some types of stamped concrete or coble stone,
should be avoided for the main travel surface due to the potential for tripping and
catching wheels.

The preferred location for crosswalks is at intersections of streets and/or drive

aisles; crosswalks in the middle of drive aisles should be carefully located with
adequate visibility and warning both for pedestrians and drivers.

Bollards:
Barrier posts or bollards are an effective method to separate vehicular traffic
from pathways or pedestrian circulation areas. When located across a pedestrian
circulation route, there should be an odd number of barrier posts, such as one, three
or five; an even number of posts, such as two or four, tends to direct opposing traffic
towards each other, thereby increasing the potential for collision.

Transit Facilities:
Private development should work with the city to coordinate the location and
design of attractive bus shelters and other types of transit facilities adjacent to
commercial centers.

Transit facilities are encouraged to be developed with effective shading from

the summer sun, comfortable seating, attractive landscaping, decorative paving,
public art features and efficient pedestrian routes to adjacent development. For
larger planned developments it is encouraged to consider coordination of on-site
transit routes and related facilities, such as bus stops.

Parking Lot Layout:

Parking areas within commercial centers should be considered as an integral
part of the design of the development. Drive aisles need to be designed in a safe,
convenient manner for vehicle movement and to minimize vehicular and pedestrian
conflicts.

The parking lot layout should be oriented in relation to the building entrance
so that pedestrians are encouraged to walk parallel to vehicular movement in the
aisle and not across rows of parking and drive aisles to reach their destination. In
addition, landscape islands and medians, as well as interconnected networks of
pedestrian walkways should be designed as an integrated component of the parking
lot layout.

Minimum or Maximum Dimensions

Column Spacing

- Significant dimension is along the mall as this involves the widths, frontages
of stores
- Often used spaces are 20, 25 and 30 ft with the last the most flexible.

Store Depths

- Buildings are usually 120 to 140 ft. deep, sometimes more to accommodate
larger stores
- If there are basements or mezzanines, the depth dimension usually can be
reduced 20 to 25 percent.

Clear Heights

- These vary from 10-14 ft. or more, with 12 ft. a good average. Above this
clear height, there must be adequate space for air conditioning ducts,
recessed lights, structural system.

Parking and Traffic

- A ratio between 5 and 6 car spaces per 1000 sq. ft. of leasable store area is
mandatory.
- In the matter of parking layout, car stalls can be set at angles

Shop sizes and layouts

- 12 to 15 ft. wide by 50 to 60 ft. long in large cities; and 15 to 18 ft. wide by 60

to 80 ft. long in smaller cities.
- These dimensions apply particularly to shops in 100 percent retail districts.
- Basements 8 to 9 ft. high, in the clear, permit economical stock storage.
- Ground floors are preferably approximately 12 ft. high if no mezzanines at
least 7 to 6 inch above floor level will accommodate most fixture heights.
- Height from mezzanine floor to ceiling may be as low as 6 ft. 6 in. used for
service space only; 7 ft. is the preferred minimum for public use.

Aisle Widths

- Aisle widths for clerks, minimum = 1 ft. 8 inch

- Desirable 2 ft. to 2 ft. 3 inch
- For main public aisles, minimum = 4 ft. 6 inch
- Average 5 ft. to 6 inch to 7 ft.
 - Usual maximum 11 ft.
- Secondary public aisles, 3ft to 3 ft. 6 inch

The ratio of sales to ancillary space ranges from about 45:55 in small shops and
departmental stores to 60:40 in supermarkets.

Planning

Halls are usually designed to give large-span open space having natural roof
lighting, good ventilation and service connections.

- One floor trading is preferred.

- Perimeter stalls and other grouped layouts have service corridors.
- Fish, meat and food stalls are sited in zoned areas with more sophisticated
ventilation, drainage and services.

Key considerations:

- Access and linkage to car parks, shopping areas, good delivery and parking
bays.
- Mix of traders.
- Risk of fire (incombustible materials, Fire resistant construction smoke
evacuation) and means of escape.

Planning Guidelines

1. Structural Models

Small Shops- width 5.3 to 6.0 but mostly 5.4 meter

Large space users- 7.3 to 9.2 meter depending on beam depth, single- storey
buildings does have larger spans.

2. Clear Ceilings

Small Shops- 3.3 to 3.8 meter sales area, 3.2 to 3.6 meters are the non-sales area

Large space users- 3.6 minimum meter with floor: floor spacing 4 to 5 m

3. Car parking

Supermarkets and superstores 10-12 car spaces per 100 meter squared gross
retail area.

Shopping centers: 4-5 car spaces per 100 meter squared gross retail area

4. Typical floor Loading

Shop sales area 5 meter squared

Shop storage 1o meter squared

Design load for service yard 20 meter squared

5. Goods and service docks

Typical provision for large-space user for two 15 meter articulated lorries: width is
10.7 meter, allowing 1.5 meter each side.

Minimum Clearance height is 4.7meter approach road is 5 meter

Circulation

Maximum area per person in various types

- Assembly halls (closely seated) is .46 at 450 mm c/c movable seats, 60 at

500 mm c/c fixed seats
- Dance Halls .55 to 0.90
- Restaurants (dining areas) .90 to 1.1
- Retail shops and showrooms 4.6 to 7.0
- Department stores, bazaars 0.9 (including counters)
- Bargain sale areas 0.46 (gangway areas only)
- Offices 9.3 (excluding stairs and lavatories)

Corridors and passageways

- Where stairways discharge through corridors and passageways, the height of

corridors and passageways shall not less than 2.4 meters
- - all means of exit including staircases lifts lobbies and corridors shall be
adequately ventilated.
- Internal staircase minimum width shall be 2.0 meter in all group F building.

Pressurization of staircases (protected escape routes)

- Pressurization is a method adopted for protected escape routes against

ingress of smoke, especially in high-rise building.

Arrangement of exits

- Exits shall be located that the travel distance on the floor shall not exceed the
distance of 30 meter. In case of all mercantile Building

External stairs

- External stairs shall always be kept in sound operable conditions.

- All external stairs shall be directly connected to the ground.
- The external stairs shall be constructed of non-combustible materials.
 No external staircase, used as fire escape shall be inclined at an angle greater
than 45 degree from the horizontal.

For Floors Above 3.9 meters

- One refuge area on the floor immediately above 3.9 meter and so on after
every 15 meters. Refuge area provided in excess of the requirements shall be
counted towards FAR
- Where there is a difference in level between connected areas for horizontal
exits, ramps, not more than 1 in 10 meters, slope shall be provided; steps
shall not be used openable at all times from both sides.

Turning spaces

- Most wheelchairs require a space 1.4 meters square to turn around. This
determines the minimum size of lift cars and circulation spaces in rooms

Lift Safety

General exit requirements

- An exit may be a doorway, corridor and passageway to an internal staircase

or external staircase or horizontal landing.
- Lifts and escalators shall not be considered as exits.

Sample Layouts:
Link References:
 https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-fresh-perspectives/a1622-10-things-
to-remember-while-designing-shopping-malls/
 https://www.propmodo.com/five-components-of-the-mall-of-the-future/
#:~:text=Most%20malls%20look%20very%20similar,different%20than
%20they%20are%20now.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopping_mall#Types_of_shopping_malls
 https://www.slideshare.net/RamanpreetKaur14/shopping-mall-47253910
 https://www.icsc.com/uploads/event_presentations/
DesignPrinciplesAndPractices_MadeleineGravell.pdf
 https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/mall-management/shopping-centre-
planning-and-design-management/87352