ABSTRACT
The design of many buildings today is often heavily focused around regulations, cost-efficiency programmes and buildability. While these are all key considerations, it is important not to forget that using these buildings must be a pleasurable experience. It is therefore important that streets and buildings engage the people walking around them, both physically and visually. This is not to say, however, that this should detract from a building's legibility or make its function unclear, as will be discussed in the following section. While visual interest and aesthetic beauty are important, the legibility of streets, buildings and spaces also plays a large role in how pleasant we find places. This can affect our mood, particularly if we have to frequently use a building that is difficult to understand or navigate. Buildings and their composite parts should be legible from a distance, on approach and during use. For example, the primary entrance to a building should always be simple to locate.
