Rengel + Nussbaumer, Chapter 8

Fig. 1- This hotel lobby has
completely different furniture codes than
a home. However the hotel uses
aspects of home furniture to create
a cozy feeling such as, wooden tables.

Chapter 8 of Rengel, focuses on nonresidential design. Nonresidential design includes industries such as, hospitality (hotels and restaurants), cultural (museums and religious places of worship), education, retail, and corporate. With nonresidential design also known as commercial design, the same concepts of design of residential design apply:

•  Allocation
• Circulation
• Solids and Voids
• Public vs. Private
• Real Estate
• Furniture Groupings

Nonresidential design also has specific issues that need to be dealt with that are completely different than home design (Fig. 1). It helps to know what type of office a person is going to design, such as formal offices and fun offices, while some offices may seem very modular with their workstations. 

Fig. 2- This workplace seems to be
more free flowing in terms of
planning workstations.

Offices have very different furniture from a house. Furniture in an office does not usually determine the function of a room, such as a kitchen or bathroom does. A conference room would look very different from a workstation, but a person could get work done at either. Depending on the type of office a professional is designing, furniture must be specified a certain way because of codes and laws. A government office must have furnishings that meet a very specific code (Fig. 2). 

Retail and hospitality also have very different furniture codes than residential design. A hotel lobby has lots of varying types of seating to cater to each type of person(s). Restaurants have bar seating for a more intimate space, and booths to support community (sociopetal). 

Nonresidential design sometimes sets aside an area for a reception desk or a waiting area. These spaces would be considered more of a public open area. Private areas could include, cubicles, private offices, restaurant kitchen, and dressing rooms. A designer must think how to arrange a space to include these areas and make these areas circulate well. 

In chapter 8 of Nussbaumer environmental considerations can change the way a person designs or uses a space. Humans are affected by numerous environmental considerations taken through sensory systems- visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, cutaneous, and proprioceptive. Humans can also be affected by the environment through a physical or psychological manner. These sensory systems have a way of making humans feel comfortable and safe depending on what humans' systems sense.

Fig. 3- This hotel lobby tries to recreate a tropical
getaway so as to bring a feeling of relaxation on vacation.

This means designers must create a space that create to pleasant senses especially to first-time visitors. If a person, has a good experience in a space, good feelings and memories are created (Fig. 3).

Professionals also need to take into account the health and safety of the environment. Textiles and furnishings should consist of low VOCs and chemicals. A design professional may also choose to have products that are environmentally-friendly so as to reduce waste and create a better future.
Furniture should also be up to code within a space so as to create a safe feeling. Furniture for the elderly would not be used for a children's space, because the children would not find that appealing.

Fig. 4- This home office utilizes daylighting and the
natural good views. The person who works here would
have a more positive feeling than someone working in a
dark space. 

Daylighting is a huge factor for a space. Daylighting can generate a happy feeling. This is a design factor to include in spaces humans will spend large amounts of time in (Fig. 4). Creating a positive feeling associated with a building makes humans feel comfortable in a space. If a person is more comfortable in a space, the space becomes more functional because the person will want to be in the space. Thus, a designer should create a space where people are comfortable.