ABSTRACT
While a garage is a building type, it is different than most other buildings in that it has two very different types of occupants: people and cars. The circulation patterns within a garage must account for both to ensure safety and efficiency. Functional design is the physical manifestation of how a parking facility functions, how it serves its users, how it considers the needs of the users, and the circulation paths of vehicles and people. There are a number of decisions to be made when planning the functional design of a parking garage, including code requirements (will it be an open parking garage), operation (self-park or valet), vertical transportation, and whether it be automated or human-operated. Designed poorly, the facility may be inconvenient, unpleasant, unsafe, and underused. However, when designed with proper drive aisle dimensions, turning radii, ramp slopes, and stall sizes, as well as with a thorough understanding of the surrounding site and the needs of the users, the parking planner can design an environment that provides a smooth vehicle circulation path, and a safe and efficient pedestrian pathway.
