Outdoor waiting areas are a common feature in many public and commercial spaces. However, these areas are often done as an afterthought and, as a result, end up uncomfortable and underutilised. This is why it is important that outdoor waiting areas are set up to tick several necessary boxes, like ensuring protection from the elements, enhancing user experience, and contributing to the overall appeal of public spaces.
One of the most important steps in creating such an area is remembering that providing shelter should be a top priority. By incorporating shelters and canopies, you can significantly enhance the comfort and usability of these spaces. This way, you can provide users, clients, and visitors with comfort, fresh air, and open space.
Importance of Comfortable Waiting Areas
Waiting areas are everywhere – from business establishments to communal and public spaces. Why are they important?
Happier Users
Comfortable waiting areas significantly improve user satisfaction. When people are protected from the sun, rain, and wind, their overall experience is improved. Nobody likes waiting for their bus in the blistering sun or withdrawing money from a cash machine while getting soaked. Providing shade and seating increases the likelihood of people using public transport, as they are more comfortable waiting for buses and trains. It is also a great idea for smoking areas of both workplaces and entertainment venues like bars, pubs, and concert halls.
Providing some shelter, even if not fully outfitted with seating, bins or any other extra street furniture, is particularly important in spaces where waiting is unavoidable, such as bus stops, taxi stands and outside popular venues.
Happier Businesses
Comfortable outdoor waiting areas provide a multitude of benefits across varied businesses – they can translate into higher customer satisfaction and increased foot traffic, which results in better business performance and brand perception. Fundamentally, they improve the comfort and convenience for customers, clients, and visitors, offering protection from adverse weather conditions and a pleasant place to wait. Customers are more likely to return and recommend places where they feel comfortable and valued and have left a positive impression of the overall experience.
Another common benefit is the improved flow and management of people. By having designated waiting areas, businesses can better organise and manage the influx of customers, reducing congestion in critical areas and streamlining operations. This is particularly crucial in high-traffic environments such as transportation hubs, healthcare facilities, and public service offices, where efficient crowd management is essential for smooth operations and safety. Additionally, sheltered waiting areas can provide opportunities for upselling and additional revenue, as customers are more inclined to make purchases while waiting comfortably.
Finally, the presence of well-designed waiting areas enhances a business’s brand image and professional perception. A comfortable and aesthetically pleasing waiting area reflects positively on the business, suggesting attention to detail and a commitment to customer care. This improvement in brand perception can lead to increased loyalty and a stronger reputation, which are invaluable assets in any competitive market.
Better Communities
Well-designed waiting areas contribute to the community by providing safe, accessible, and pleasant spaces. This can enhance the overall image of a city or town, promoting a sense of pride and community spirit.
Public parks with sheltered areas encourage people to spend more time outdoors, fostering social interactions and community engagement. Although parks are not strictly speaking waiting areas, benches often serve as meeting points for people and sheltered areas with seating would be a lovely and welcomed addition to any park.
Key Features of Effective Outdoor Waiting Areas
When designing your outdoor waiting area, there are several things to keep in mind. Here are the top ones that you should cover at a minimum.
Weather Protection
To make the most of any outdoor space in the UK, you have to adapt it to the weather. With so many rainy days per year, the ideal outdoor waiting space needs to have adequate cover to protect people from rain, wind, and, in the warmer months, sun. This can easily be done with the clever use of canopies, which work well even for larger spaces, or shelters, which can be installed to convert small spaces into ready-made weather-proofed spots.
Comfortable Seating
The next step on your list should be to provide seating. The primary use of the space, how many people you expect will need shelter, and other situation-specific factors will determine what kind of and how many seats you will need. There are plenty of options to choose from, such as benches, perch seats, moulded plastic, and so on. They can be simple and clean or have extras like back and armrests.
Cleanliness
Outdoor spaces where people are likely to spend any amount of time should also consider the cleanliness aspect of maintaining a waiting area. This is especially true if you can reasonably determine there will be things like bus tickets, cash machine receipts, and cigarette buds which people may be tempted to throw out. The best course of action is to provide trash cans, which will keep the space tidy and organised. Of course, the area will need to be included in your cleaning and maintenance schedule to keep it looking its best.
Safety and Security
Once you’ve covered these three essential points, you should focus on security and safety – both for your property and the people using it. Ideally, there should be some lighting to ensure the area feels safe and there is good visibility even in the evening hours, as well as CCTV. This will help preserve your space as vandals are less likely to attempt anything if they know they can be easily seen or, worse, caught on camera. This will make clients and employees feel better, too, as they will know that the lighting and cameras serve as deterrents to crime.
Aesthetic Appeal
To complete the look and feel of your sheltered or canopied area, incorporate aesthetic elements that complement the surrounding environment. This can include landscaping, planters, and decorative elements. For best results, you should blend with your existing environment. Ensure the waiting area complements and integrates well with its surroundings, enhancing the space’s overall aesthetic and functional appeal.
Creating comfortable outdoor waiting areas enhances user experience and ensures the spaces are well-utilised. By focusing on key features such as weather protection, comfortable seating, cleanliness, safety, and aesthetic appeal, businesses and public spaces can significantly improve user satisfaction and convenience. These areas provide immediate comfort and protection from the elements and contribute to better flow and management of people, improved brand perception, and stronger community engagement.